The Sallie House Haunting: A True Story (31 page)

Today, we have no doubt that there was, and is, a demonic force in that house. This force knows how to play on fears, anxieties, and desires and it is utterly amazing that through all of this, Tony and I did not divorce. Those twenty months had been, and remain, the most confusing times of our life. All I can figure is that Tony’s prayers, and the support from his God-fearing mother, kept him grounded enough to make it through each day. Additionally, the strength in the love we share for one another had reinforced a certain resilience against anything that attempted to come between us.

Over the years, Tony has told many people that he is torn regarding the spirits he encountered there. On one hand, he felt there might have been human spirits in the house. On the other, he also knows that demons appear to us as what they want us to see. All along, he felt this had been the case. First, it appeared as an innocent and harmless little girl, then it progressively tried other things to gain our acceptance. Now he believes that it was all just bait, a way for him to voluntarily allow “it” in and to welcome it.

Our experiences certainly didn’t end when we moved from that house. However, each subsequent visit allowed us a more detailed understanding of the role it would play in our lives. Ironically, each visit also allowed us to be unknowingly manipulated by the entities that reside there. It once again baited us into trusting what we saw and heard. It played on our desire for answers and left us vulnerable.

As my fingers hit the keys on my computer to finally bring this book to reality, I am thankful that when all this started, I kept a journal. It’s strange how we can forget things that seem to be so significantly cemented in our minds.

In the months after leaving the house, we began to live a normal life again. It was quiet and untainted by paranormal activity. Our relationship and marriage began to repair itself and we realized how thankful we were that we got out of the house when we did. We took solace in what we perceived as a new beginning. This solitude, however, did not last long.

Thanks to his strong belief in God and the support and guidance of prayers, Tony continues to win the ongoing battles he experiences in relation to that house. It is something that will always be a significant part of our lives.