Chasing the Devil

MY NAME IS PATRICK McCORD.

I KNOW I LOOK LIKE HELL.

YOU'LL SOON SEE WHY.

TWO MONTHS AGO, I PUT TOGETHER THIS FOOTAGE

TO TRY AND CLEAR MY NAME.

BEFORE SENDING IT TO YOU, THE AUTHORITIES,

I SENT IT TO THREE PEOPLE I KNOW

WHO I THOUGHT MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP --

SHANNON JACKSON, A CLASSMATE OF MINE

WHO WAS A PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST

AND A JOURNALIST WITH THE TIMES;

ALEXANDER CALHOUN, A THEORETICAL PHYSICIST AT M.I.T.;

AND JOHN MacMILLAN, A BISHOP WITH THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

WITHIN WEEKS OF VIEWING THE FOOTAGE,

ONE WAS CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT CRIME,

ONE DIED UNDER BIZARRE CIRCUMSTANCES,

AND THE THIRD COMMITTED SUICIDE.

FROM WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE I SENT IT TO,

I CAN ONLY SURMISE THAT VIEWING THIS

IS AN INVITATION FOR IT TO COME AFTER WHOEVER SEES IT.

SO, ONCE I'M DONE HERE TODAY,

I'LL SEND IT TO YOU AS EVIDENCE, AND THAT'S IT.

IF, FOR SOME REASON, SOMEONE ELSE IS WATCHING THIS, STOP.

FOR ME, IT BEGAN IN THE SPRING OF 2007.

ACROSS THE ATLANTIC AT ST. PETERSBURG CHURCH,

RIGHT AFTER ONE OF THE POPE'S BENEDICTIONS,

A 19-YEAR-OLD GIRL SUDDENLY FREAKED OUT AND WENT AFTER HIM.

THAT GIRL WAS MY SISTER.

AAH!

-SHE HURLED INSULTS AT HIM IN LATIN.

SHE DIDN'T SPEAK ANY FOREIGN LANGUAGES.

SHE THREW OFF THE VATICAN GUARDS LIKE THEY WERE NOTHING.

MY SISTER WEIGHED 110 POUNDS.

THE POLICE IGNORED THIS AND ARRESTED HER ANYWAY.

SHE SPENT THE NEXT THREE YEARS INSTITUTIONALIZED.

WE EVENTUALLY GOT HER INTO A MORE DECENT FACILITY --

A SORT OF HALFWAY HOUSE.

THEN IN JUNE OF 2011, I WENT TO VISIT HER.

SHE WAS HANGING FROM A HEIGHT

THAT SHE COULDN'T HAVE POSSIBLY REACHED.

HER FACE AND TORSO WERE GOUGED WITH DEEP SCRATCHES,

LIKE SHE HAD PUT UP A FIGHT.

BUT THEY DISMISSED ALL THIS,

AND THE STATE ADDED ONE MORE SUICIDE TO THEIR RECORDS.

I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.

I WAS GONNA FIND OUT WHAT.

THE DESIRE TO SOLVE THE MYSTERY OF MY SISTER'S DEATH

LED ME TO A TEAM OF PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS.

THEY HAD THEIR OWN TV SHOW --

THE "ParaShooters" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

YOU KNOW THE KIND.

I DID HEAR, THOUGH, THAT ONE OF THEM, THOMAS, WAS THE REAL DEAL.

THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL HERE.

SHE'S MOVED ON.

-I HAD SERIOUS DOUBTS ABOUT THIS GROUP,

BUT ANOTHER CLASSMATE OF MINE, FRANK PRICHARD,

WHO WAS DOING A DOCUMENTARY ON THE OCCULT,

CONVINCED ME TO GIVE THEM A SHOT

AND ASKED IF HE COULD TRAIL ME AND TAPE EVERYTHING.

I SAID OKAY AND CONTACTED THEM.

NOW I WISH I HAD NEVER STARTED LOOKING.

SO, UH, WE'RE ON OUR WAY TO THE HALFWAY HOUSE

WHERE MY SISTER ANNIE DIED TO MEET THIS PARANORMAL TEAM.

FOR NOW, I HAVEN'T TOLD THEM WHAT I THINK REALLY HAPPENED.

AS FAR AS THEY'RE CONCERNED,

THEY THINK THEY'RE JUST INVESTIGATING

THE SITE OF MY SISTER'S SUICIDE.

THIS IS IT.

-YOU EVER CHECK OUT THEIR TV SHOW?

-YEAH. PRETTY LAME.

HEY. HOW YOU DOING?

-HI. I'M THOMAS. YOU MUST BE PATRICK.

-AH. THIS GUY IS GOOD.

RIGHT.

COME MEET THE REST OF THE TEAM.

THIS HERE'S GRUNT.

-HI. -WHAT'S UP?

IT WAS GRANT, UNTIL I STARTED HAULING ALL HIS CRAP AROUND.

THIS IS BECKY.

-HI. -HI.

AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

-UM, I JUST HELP WITH THE INVESTIGATIONS.

-WE NEEDED THE REQUISITE "HOT GIRL" ON THE TEAM.

SO THEY SETTLED FOR ME.

-NO. WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE HER.

BECKY'S ACTUALLY VERY INTUITIVE.

-HMM. YOU SEE? I'M INTUITIVE.

-SURE. LET'S CALL IT THAT.

AND YOU GUYS KNOW FRANK, RIGHT?

-FRANK. -HI, FRANK.

-HEY. -HOW'S IT GOING, MAN?

-HEY, THANKS FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER.

YEAH, NO PROBLEM.

I'M PRETTY MUCH JUST GONNA STAY OUT OF YOU GUYS' WAY.

HOPEFULLY, WE'LL FIND SOME ANSWERS FOR PATRICK.

-COOL. -MORE IMPORTANTLY, FRANK,

SERIOUSLY, THIS IS MY GOOD SIDE,

SO IF YOU WANT TO JUST KEEP IT RIGHT HERE.

-RIGHT HERE? GOTCHA. -WHAT?

-THAT'S THE MONEY. THAT'S THE MONEY.

SO, UH, PATRICK,

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO TELL US BEFORE WE GO IN?

-NO. UH, I'D RATHER NOT PREJUDICE YOU WITH INFORMATION.

-I GET IT. A LITTLE TEST DRIVE.

IT'S COOL.

-GOOD TO GO? -LET'S DO IT.

DID YOU HEAR THAT?

I SWEAR TO GOD I JUST HEARD A VOICE.

IT WAS PRETTY BELIEVABLE, RIGHT?

CUT IT OUT.

-ARE YOU SERIOUS WITH THESE GUYS?

-JUST GIVE THEM A CHANCE, ALL RIGHT?

UM, THIS IS THE ROOM.

TEMP'S NORMAL.

-SHE WAS ATTACKED HERE ON THE BED.

-WELL, ACTUALLY, SHE -- -AND THEN...

...SHE WAS LIFTED HERE TO THE FAN.

INTERESTING.

UM...WAIT.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "LIFTED"?

THEY STRUGGLED.

AND HE HUNG HER FROM THE FAN.

-HE? WHO -- WHO HE?

IT WAS A SUICIDE.

THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M GETTING.

-THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. NO PRINTS.

MAYBE NOT EXACTLY A HE.

MORE LIKE A...

-IT. -OH!

SOMETHING JUST TOUCHED THE BACK OF MY NECK.

-DUDE, YOU CAN DROP IT. THIS ISN'T FOR THE SHOW.

-HEY, FUCK YOU. I FELT IT.

-WELL, I WAS ALL THE WAY OVER HERE, SO...

WHAT WAS THAT?

-EVERYONE JUST BE QUIET FOR A MINUTE.

PATRICK.

WAS YOUR SISTER'S BODY ALL MARKED UP?

-YEAH. SHE WAS SCRATCHED.

SHE DID IT TO HERSELF.

SOME OF IT, YES, BUT NOT ALL.

NO, HE PUT HER ON DISPLAY AND...

-THOMAS? YOU OKAY?

-IT JUST DROPPED TO 38 DEGREES OVER THERE.

- -GOD, HE'S CHOKING ON SOMETHING.

-IS HE ALL RIGHT? WHAT'S GOING ON?

-CALL 911. HE'S CHOKING ON SOMETHING!

-REALLY? ARE YOU SERIOUS?

WHAT'S GOING ON? IS THIS ONE OF HIS THINGS?

-DUDE, I DON'T KNOW. -IS HE -- IS HE DOING THIS?

IS THIS ONE OF YOUR LITTLE STUNTS?

-NO, IT'S NOT. -

-WHOA! ARE YOU ALL RIGHT, MAN?

-WHAT'S GOING ON? WHAT'S GOING ON?

- -LET'S GET YOU OFF THE FLOOR.

GET UP. GET UP. GET OUT OF HERE, ALL RIGHT?

GET HIM SOME WATER. GET HIM SOME WATER.

OKAY! OKAY!

SO, THAT WAS ALL -- THAT WAS ALL FAKE, RIGHT?

-HEY. IS THIS A GAME?

ARE YOU GUYS FUCKING WITH ME? - NO.

IT'S -- IT'S TOTALLY REAL. -COME ON.

BECK, SERIOUS? -NO, GRUNT.

I THREW US ON THE FLOOR HOPING FOR A REALITY EMMY.

WHAT WAS IT?

-I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW.

IT IS POWERFUL AND UNLIKE ANYTHING I'VE EVER FELT.

WE HAVE TO GO BACK UP.

-OH, SURE. GOOD IDEA, YEAH.

ARE YOU CRAZY? AFTER WHAT JUST HAPPENED?

-DUDE, THERE ARE PLENTY OF OTHER TEAMS YOU CAN JOIN

WHO JUST PRETEND TO FIND SHIT.

-OH, FINE. -

FRANK, YOU COMING?

I GO WHERE YOU GO.

WHAT'S UP WITH THE FAN?

IT'S STILL IN HERE.

GUYS, GUYS.

LOOK AT THIS.

-ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME? LET'S GET OUT OF HERE.

-NO. HANG ON A SEC. -WAIT. WHAT IS THAT -- BLOOD?

WHO ARE YOU?

DID YOU KILL THE GIRL?

-SORRY, GUYS. THAT WAS ME.

I THINK IT'S GONE.

DOES THAT MEAN WE CAN GO?

PLEASE?

YEAH.

WILD STUFF, MAN.

COME ON.

-YEAH, IT'S -- IT'S GOTTEN WEIRD BEFORE,

BUT, YOU KNOW, MOSTLY... YOU HEAR STRANGE SOUNDS,

OR -- OR MAYBE YOU THINK YOU SEE SOMETHING

OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE.

BUT THIS...

THIS WAS CRAZY.

LOOK AT THIS.

I CAN'T STOP SHAKING.

-WHAT HAVE YOU GOTTEN US INTO, PATRICK?

COME ON, MAN.