Journals from Ed and Lorraine Warren
Chapter 1
The Beginning
Have you ever seen a shadow in your room at night? One that doesn't match up with any piece of furniture? No matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to figure out where that shadow is coming from. This is the story of one woman every time she goes to bed. Now I am going to sleep in her room with my own husband, Ed, to see if we can see the same effect.
Our work isn't about proving that evil exists. We know it does. It's about proving not every single bump in the night or shadow on the wall is something sinister. There are often many explanations to strange occurrences. However, there have been many times when that woman in bed has been right. It's a scary thought for nonbelievers who throw themselves deep into medical studies to drown their own fears. But the more you fear something, the more it will haunt you.
So we drive through a neighborhood with the normal houses and the normal picket fences and the normal kids on their bikes. The house Ed stops the car in front of isn't any different it seems- well, to others. I sense the dampening of good energy around the house.
"Someone is having a hard time here," I say aloud.
"I was hoping that wasn't the case," Ed replies staring down the house as if sizing up the rival football team. "Let's see what their story is."
Ed rings the doorbell while I stand touching my rosary beads on my wrist sending a prayer for the family.
A man answers the door. His mannerism is polite but slightly condescending in the way he greets us. We've become accustomed to this type. The woman is usually terrified out of her mind while the husband is consciously oblivious. He introduces himself as Andrew and shows us the way into the living room where his wife, Andrea, sits on the sofa nervously. She has made a pot of tea and has cookies freshly baked on a platter.
"Hello," she extends her hand, "I'm Andrea. We spoke on the phone."
"I'm Lorraine and this is my husband, Ed." I take her hand and feel that she is definitely the more concerned of the two.
After the introductions, the pair stands awkwardly probably waiting for us to pull out our bibles and give an exorcism on the house this very moment.
Ed clears his throat, "Why don't we all sit down, and you tell us how this all started?"
Andrew turns to his wife. She looks very nervous so I pour us all tea and hand her a cup.
"Well, okay," she sighs. "You probably think I'm silly."
"Not at all," I say, "You're just concerned for your wellbeing"
Andrew shrugs.
I take a deep breath trying not to sound rude, "Its best if we all listen with support. Go ahead, Andrea."
"I'm not really sure when I began noticing it. It certainly wasn't right away. But I began noticing there was this shadow on my wall. But it seemed odd because there wasn't any piece of furniture or any lamp shade that wasn't already projecting a shadow. Just this tall, wide shadow on the wall."
"Why don't you tell them the other detail, sweetie?" Andrew prompts looking a little less comfortable.
"Well, sometimes it's there and sometimes it's not." She looks around at all of us expecting us get up and run out of the house.
Ed leans forward, "Can you see it, Andrew?"
"Yes, but I think it's a tree outside the window, and the moon changing positions is the reason why we sometimes can't see it."
"But that doesn't make any sense!" Andrea bursts out. "There is as street light outside shining light through the window no matter what."
Ed holds up his hands, "We've already agreed to spend the night, let's just see how this goes."
"Right," I chime in, "We'll sleep in your room, and you do have a guest room? I don't want to make you sleep on the floor."
"Yes, yes we do," Andrea replies. "This sounds good. We want to thank you so much for doing this. It just bothers me. I want to clear my mind of it, you know?"
"It's no problem at all," Ed replies.
So we go lay down that night in the couple's bed trying to get comfortable. Ed has a bible on the night table next to us, and I have mine under my pillow. My rosary beads are still tightly around my wrist where I pray on them still trying to get my bearings.
At some point, we have to turn off the lamp light and see this shadow, but Ed and I are both procrastinating a little. It can be quite disconcerting to know you are probably going to see something right next to you that wasn't there with the lights on.
I take a deep breath. "Alright, Ed, let's do this."
He switches the light off. I already have the quilt up around my neck and ears. I'm waiting for my eyes to adjust to the light. Slowly, shadows start forming on the walls. Okay, that's the lamp, that's the desk, and that's the dresser.
"Well nothing out of the ordinary here," Ed says.
"I guess we'll have to wait." I say wishing that we could get this over with.
My mind drifts to our own home with our comfortable bed and no weird shadows on the wall. Then slowly I drift off.
I wake up and it's still dark. Suddenly, I realize where I am. The shadows. I start counting. Okay, that's the lamp, that's the desk, that's the dresser… What is that?
"Ed!" I shake him.
"What is it?"
"Count the shadows!" I cry at him.
"Lamp, check. Desk, check. Dresser, check. Indistinguishable figure, check."
"What is it?" I whisper trying to make sense of it. "It wasn't there before, right?"
"Definitely not," Ed whispers back.
I think about what it looks like.
"Ed, you know what it looks like? A… a nun."
Then the shadow moves on the wall and disappears through the door toward the guest room.
"Andrea!" I cry.