10x08 - Norman the Doll

[bunniefuu]

There are some objects
that harbor spirits within them.

When I saw the video,
my jaw just fell.

He turns his head
and looks at me.

And then turns his head back.

It was one
of the creepiest things

I have ever seen.

And when that spirit is angry...

It said "fear me"
through the ghost box.

It will stop at nothing

To get what it wants.

I am, literally,
having a heart attack.

Stephen!

Stephen!

Norman was trying to k*ll me

To get rid of me.

Stephen!

In america, there is real evil.

It lurks in the darkest shadows
and in our most ordinary towns.

Between the worlds we see...

Someone is in my room.

And the things we fear...

There are doors.

When they are opened...

Nightmares become reality.

My name is stephen lancaster.

I am a paranormal investigator.

I have seen a lot of things,

But never seen
anything like this.

There was definitely
the beginnings of a haunting.

I just couldn't predict
exactly how far it would go.

Off the coast of north carolina

Sits the small town
of beulaville,

Home to paranormal
investigators stephen

And his fiancée christina.

I had met christina

In the field
of paranormal research

At a class I was teaching.

She was one of the students.

Let me know
if you need assistance

Or have any questions.

Thank you.

Me and stephen were
friends for years

Before we started dating.

We loved to go to antique stores

And find rare
and unusual things.

I look for anything
that calls out to me.

It has to have some kind
of feeling for me.

Suddenly, something
catches stephen's eye.

I just happen to look up,

And it just stood out to me.

It was this high chair

With a wooden box sitting in it.

Oh, wow. That's cool.

I wonder what's inside?

Looks like someone
doesn't want us to find out.

The lock's been sawed off.

Somebody had popped
the lock out,

So there was no way

To unlatch the lock.

This is definitely something

Somebody didn't want
anybody into.

So, I pulled out
this little pocket knife.

I always carry a pocket knife
with me.

What are you doing?

Don't you want to find out
what's inside?

Shimmied it inside
and just pried the thing open.

oh, man.

There was this ugly doll inside.

This thing's creepy.

I've always had a fascination
with dolls.

I collect dolls.

I have a bunch of them,

But it was the kind of thing
that I like.

I don't like just any doll.
It's older dolls.

I just think they have
a lot of character.

He'd fit right
into our collection.

What do you think?

Let's do it.

Welcome to the family...

Whatever your name is.

I'd like to buy this.

What I really want is...

The doll.

The dealers
recognize the doll right away.

Although it's for sale,
knowing the doll's history,

They've tried to hide it.

One of them
just looked at us funny,

And she made some mumbly remark,
and the other one said,

"well, I don't know that
you really want that doll."

At first, the ladies
at the counter were very...

Reluctant, I guess would
be the word to use.

This doll had a very sad start
in life.

It...

Oh, I-I-I-I won't
bother you with it.

Oh. Oh, no. Please do.

We love anything with a past.

It's a very sad story.

She said,
"anywhere this thing's at,

Sadness comes with it."

Years ago,
there was a pregnant woman,

And this particular doll
was given to her

As a congratulations gift,
you know,

Shortly before she had a birth.

She was pregnant with twins.

The make baby was
born stillborn.

The female lived.

She took the doll
and the female child home.

The mother was
totally devastated.

She was overcome with grief
over the loss of her baby boy.

Just six years later...

That same mother died

Very tragically in a house fire.

And... and the doll remained

With the girl twin.

Years later, the same girl
brought the doll to the shop

And gave it to these
two old ladies.

I think maybe that
was closure for her,

That she was saying
goodbye to this.

Despite the doll's past,

Stephen and christina purchase
him for their collection.

I'm glad he'll have a good home.

Be careful.

Thank you. Thank you.

He fits right in.

What should we name him?

I was thinking...

Norman.

He looks like neither doll
"nor man."

Norman.

Oh!

It's just me. Calm down.

What are you guys doing?

I'm a mother of five.

Hannah is my youngest.

She still lives at home.

Oh, god.

What is that?

This is norman.

He's the newest member
of our family.

Oh.

You guys are so weird.

Oh, yeah. I'd appreciate it
if you actually kept him

As far away from me
as possible, so...

They know I don't like dolls,

Especially that type of doll,
'cause it's just creepy.

I heard somebody
pounding at the door.

Knock knock knock.

Instantly, I am up
and wide awake,

Heart pounding through my chest.

What was that?

We heard this really loud boom.

It sounded like loud drumming,
but it was like bam bam bam.

It's the middle of the night.

I'm trying to sleep.
My family's trying to sleep.

Someone's at the front door.

There was panic
behind those knocks.

It's 4:00 in the morning.

I'll go check it out.

It wasn't tap tap tap,

Like a girl scout
selling cookies.

It was bam bam bam.

Just stay here. Be right back.

There was
quite a bit of anxiety.

What if somebody's down there,
and they have a g*n, you know?

I didn't know what
their intentions were.

I walked down into the stairs,

And I'm thinking, the knocks
were in series of threes.

That was scary.

In the field of
paranormal research,

Any series of three

Typically relate

To an evil force.

Who's out there?!
What do you want?!

Stephen lancaster has
suddenly been aroused from sleep

By knocks on his front door
at 4:00 a.M.

When I opened the door,
I saw nothing.

I could see as far out
as the darkness would let me see

But there was nobody there.

At first, I tried to be
rational about it.

It's a prank. It's dark.

oh, my god!

You scared me to death.

Who was it?

No one.

No one was there.

Maybe just some
neighborhood kids.

At 4:00 in the morning?

I don't know.

I was just wondering, you know,

What... what in the world?

Who was this person
that was at my door?

And what did they want?

Alarmed, the couple purchases

A multi-camera
surveillance system.

Our cameras were installed,

Scattered throughout the house.

One was on the front porch
where it would pick up

Anybody's face if they were
knocking on the door.

It was there
to provide answers for me.

A camera doesn't lie.

Inside and out,
there wasn't a piece of ground

That you could not see
on the surveillance,

And the only areas we were
blind to on the inside

Was hannah's bathroom
and her bedroom.

Hello?

I thought it was mom
because she'll come in

And, like, grab something
from my bathroom

While I'm taking a shower
or something.

Hello?

Mom?

Hannah...

Hannah?! Hannah?
What's wrong? Mom!

Mom, were you in here when I was
taking a shower?!

Did you come in here?! No.

No. No. What's going on?

Someone is in here!
Someone was in here!

I saw them!

She looked petrified.

She looked more scared

Than I've ever seen her
in her entire life.

Are you sure? Yes, I'm sure!

I'm sure!
You believe me, right?!

I believe you think
you saw something.

How can you not believe me?!

We searched
the house to make sure

Nobody was in the house,

And then we just tried
to reassure her the best you can

To a 16-year-old child.

But the 4:00 a.M. Visit

And hannah's encounter
in the shower

Have left the family on edge.

One afternoon,
christina's grandchildren,


and 8-year-old adam

Come by the house.

Stephen sometimes would babysit

My grandchildren
while I was at work

And their parents were
at work and school.

I'm kind of
a convenience for them

Because I work from home.

Who's that?

When the grandchildren
came over that day,

The first thing they went to
was norman.

He's a doll we bought
at an antique store.

Cool. Can I play my game?

Uh, sure.

I've got some work to do anyhow,

So you guys can hang out
in here with me

For a little bit.

Norman wants to know
if he can watch tv, too.

I guess that's okay.

Adam... he wanted him, you know.

He wanted to play with him.

I just let them do their thing.

You know, adam watched tv.

Amy played on her tablet.

And I just continued working.

I've got to grab something
from the other room.

You guys stay here.

What's going on?

The doll...

He moved by himself.

What do you mean
the doll moved by itself?

I initially thought she did it.

They're storytellers.
They're kids.

They do what kids do. Come on.

What did this thing do,
jump off the bed?

So I said,
"we're gonna do something.

We're gonna watch
the surveillance,

And if I see either one of
you two grab that doll,

I'm gonna have to talk
to your mama."

You two think you're so funny.

Stephen goes back to the moment

Before he left his room...

When he was sitting at his desk

And norman was sitting
on the board.

Suddenly, he sees it.

He turns his head
and looks at me...

And then turns his head back.

It was one of the creepiest
things I have ever seen.

Stephen lancaster has
just recorded proof the doll

He bought at an antique shop
and named norman

Is haunted.

When I pulled
that surveillance clip up...

Phew, that was one
of the creepiest things

I have ever seen.

This doll cannot
physically do that.

It's...

I still cannot get over it.

Stephen shows the video

To his fiancée christina.

When I saw the video,
my jaw just fell.

I... I don't know what to think.

I mean, how can a doll
move on his own?

If anybody else ever told me

That they had a doll
that did that,

I would have thought
they were crazy.

You know, you can't
imagine things like that.

Even seeing him sit on the bed
behind the kids

And move his head...

I had no idea the things
that norman could do.

Suddenly, stephen recalls

What the sales person told him

When he and christina
brought the doll.

She believes it's haunted.

Years ago, this pregnant woman
was given this very doll

Just before she gave birth.

She had twins.

They told me that
the original owner of the doll

Had a visitor.

A family member, a friend

Brought this doll
to her as a gift.

She went into labor.

The first baby was a stillborn,

Which would have been
the brother of the two,

And the second baby survived,

Which was the little girl.

It...
she was overcome with grief

Over the loss of her baby boy.

So, she was convinced

That the boy's spirit

Lived on inside this doll.

That explain why
it looks like hell.

Anything that comes from hell

Is bound to look like hell.

There are a lot of wives' tales

And a lot of fake stories
that go around.

I figured it was
just two old ladies

Just spinning
a little yarn for us,

But little did I know.

Do you think they were
telling us the truth?

That norman is haunted
by that twin little boy?

Oh, my god!
How is any of this okay?

You guys are talking about this
like it is nothing.

And meanwhile,
we are gonna wake up to him

Stabbing us in our beds.

Hannah, you're being dramatic.

Am I, mom?

You saw the video.

That norman could move on

His own made me really uneasy.

If norman can move,

Does that mean he can
do other things?

Why are you acting
like I'm crazy

For thinking norman is evil?!

Honey, we don't think
you're crazy.

We just don't know
what norman is yet.

And we just can't jump to...
okay. No, no, no, no.

I am not talking about this
anymore.

This entire thing is crazy.
I'm going to my room.

I wish you would get rid
of that monster of a doll!

My greatest fear about norman
is falling asleep

And waking up and him
being over top of me.

I was asleep,

And my blanket started
pulling down.

The cover started getting yanked
harder and harder.

I felt someone sit
on the edge of my bed,

And then someone started
crawling towards me.

mom...

Mom. Mom. Mom?

Mom!

Hannah parker is
convinced the doll named norman

Is behind the haunting
experiences in her house.

I was like, "no.
This is not happening."

I felt someone sit
at the edge of my bed.

And then someone started
crawling towards me.

mom...

Mom. Mom. Mom?

Mom!

Hannah, oh, my god.
What happened?

Somebody was in my room!

I saw them crawling towards me
on the bed!

It's okay.

Poor baby.

It really freaked me out.

I can't imagine the terror
she had to feel.

What happened?

There's no one in here.

I know what I felt!

There was a man,
and he was in my bed!

Maybe it was a dream.
I'm not dreaming!

It's that doll!
That doll is behind all of this!

It's evil,
and it's trying to k*ll me!

She was really shaken up,
and she's a tough girl.

She really is.
You just don't mess with hannah.

I'm not sleeping in here again.

Okay, okay. Okay.

You can sleep in the guest room.
Come on. Come on.

Seeing how upset she was,
christina

And I decided to let
hannah go and stay

With one of her older brothers
for a while until we could

Get a better grasp

On what's going on.

Determined to get
to the bottom of things,

Stephen contacts
a fellow paranormal expert.

This must be norman.

My name's darren evans.

My specialty is pretty much
spirit communication,

Demonology, hauntings,
that kind of stuff.

When he sent me the video,

I saw the head move.

I was like, "whoa.
Wait a minute," you know?

"this is... there's something
going on here."

You know,
it doesn't make much sense.

So he was, uh...

You know, he was onto something.

But stephen's always pretty
skeptical of everything.

He doesn't like to just
automatically assume

Something is the paranormal.

Do you mind taking some notes?

Yeah.

I want to conduct
a couple of tests.

We'll check his temperature
first.


of the room.

I'm not seeing any signs
of norman...

Wait.

It's dropping.

I've never dealt with anything
like this before.

The temperature test...
that blew my mind.

There was some sort
of manifestation,

Some form of spiritual energy
inside of this doll

Able to affect the temperature,
the environment.

Darren, christina, and stephen

Decide to further
investigate norman

Using a ghost box,

A device which allows spirits

To speak through
radio frequencies.

Since the doll was in a fire,

Darren taunts him
to illicit a response.

Obviously, norman's been burnt,

And so I took a flame

And held it to norman's face.

Just pretty close, but not...

I don't want to hurt norman,
of course.

- "no."
- Holy.

The flame is triggering...

Mm-hmm.

Interaction.

This is amazing.

Norman, what do
you think about stephen?

Die.

Ooh.

What does darren
have in his hand?

It said "fear me"
through the ghost box,

And I'm like, "okay".

Can you turn the light on,
norman?

"no."

The communication
was just crazy.

It was just insane
the amount of answers

That we were getting
from norman.

If you can't turn the light on,
do something else.

What?

My camera's been recording.
It sounded like somebody...

Yeah.

That was plain as day.
It was like...

I never experienced
that level of interaction

With a haunted object
in my life.

That doll has
a spirit attachment.

My advice to people is,

If you feel like
something is evil,

Unless it's worth
a million dollars or something,

Is to get rid of that object
or give it away

Or get it out
of your environment.

There's no time to waste.

Stephen finds a woman online

With an interest
in haunted dolls

And tells her everything
about norman.

Despite the potential danger,

The woman agrees to buy him.

For christina,
it's not a minute too soon.

I believe that story
from the antique store.

That... that woman's
baby boy's spirit

Is what's inside of norman.

I had to believe that
maybe it was the spirit

Of this child
that was stillborn.

I had no other reason to believe
it was anybody else.

I think he's looking
for another mother...

Me.

And he won't stop

Until he has me.

That's...

That's why it targeted
hannah and me.

To get rid of us.

Have you all to himself.

I really, truly,
did start to believe

That he wanted me
out of the picture.

I think that, uh,
he wanted me gone.

I think he felt he was
going to intimidate me

In a way to where I would leave.

And he would have the mother
he always wanted.

Over the next few days,

The family senses
a certain peace in the house.

Feels different in here
without norman, doesn't it?

Better.

Happier.

You know when the humidity
is so strong,

It makes it hard to breathe?

That's what it was like
living with norman.

When he was gone,

It felt like just crystal
clear, clean hair.

I'll go see who that is.

No.

All I could think was,
you got to be kidding me.

That cannot be what
I'm thinking that is.

The woman who was to take norman

Claims she never received him.

No one from the post office
is able to verify why

Or how he's come back.

There was
absolutely no explanation

As to why the doll was returned.

I am not an angry person.

I am an extremely
laid-back person,

But I lost my damn mind.

Why are you doing this to us?

Stop.

What do you want?!

Leave us alone!

We don't want you here!

Stephen!

Oh, my god. Stephen!

Stephen!

After attempting to
rid their north carolina home

Of a haunted doll,

It returns

And sets its sights on owner
stephen lancaster.

Leave us alone!

Stephen!

We don't want you here!

The room started to spin,

And then, all of a sudden,
I could feel it in my chest.

I was scared to death.

I'm, literally,
having a heart attack.

Stephen! What?

What was going through my mind
was, "oh, my god.

I-I just don't know what to do.

What if something
happens to him?"

Come on, honey. Talk to me.

I knew it was norman.

Come on, please.

Norman was trying to k*ll me
to get rid of me.

I tried to get rid of him.

It was his turn.

He was trying to get rid of me.

The couple is beyond terrified,

But before they can figure out
a way to get rid of norman,

They are faced
with a new problem,

One capable of making
a haunted doll

Even more dangerous...

A category 5 hurricane.

Our area is often
highly affected

By hurricanes, tropical storms.

When a storm hits,
it could at least be two weeks

Before you can get
to a main road.

The belief is that
the ionic energy in a storm

Can help fuel
any paranormal activity.

When you're talking
about a hurricane,

It doesn't get any bigger
than that.

No, no, no, no, no.

I've been through
a lot of hurricanes.

The power goes out,
it's no big deal.

Stephen, I'm scared.

But when the lights went out
during hurricane matthew,

My heart fell into my stomach,

And all I could think was,
"oh, my god.

What's gonna happen?"

I hear like a whisper.

I jerk my head.

It was right in my ear.

What was that?

It's coming from upstairs.

Wait. Wait.
Where are you going?!

To check it out. Come on.

I was mostly afraid
of something physical

Happening to christina or myself

Because there would have
been nothing we could do.

Let's go check out the bedroom.

Okay.

I was expecting norman
to make his move.

And part of me hoped he would,

So I could see exactly
what is inside this doll.

After gathering proof

That their doll norman
is haunted...

Video of the doll's head
turning on its own...

Audio of the doll's voice
captured on a ghost box...

What do you think about stephen?

"die".

Stephen and christina attempt to

Capture evidence that a spirit
is attached to the doll.

What the hell was that?

No, he was... he was standing
right there in the mirror.

I saw him.
I saw him right there.

He was... he was right there.

When I saw that figure,
it... it scared me to death.

I got him.

I got a picture of him.

When I looked down
and I saw that picture,

I thought, "this is it.

This is the guy.

This is who's been in norman.

This is who's been haunting us."

I do believe
that what we saw that night

Was a manifestation of norman.

Stunned,
the couple comes up with a plan.

Since they haven't been able
to get rid of the doll,

They decide to make peace
with his spirit

By giving him his own room.

I think this is
actually gonna work.

I was hoping for closure
when it came to,

Uh, creating a room for norman.

I was hoping that
that room would give norman

Some normal in his life,

To make him feel like
he was part of a family.

Norman missed out
on everything in life.

Never got a chance to life.

Hopefully, this will give him
what he wants.

Hopefully, this makes him happy.

The couple has
developed a theory

As to who inhabits norman.

They believe the spirit
of the baby boy

Who died during childbirth

Is now a grown man.

If this infant that
passed at birth,

If his energy transferred
to this doll,

Would he remain infantile

For the rest of existence?

Or, by observation,

Would he age mentally?

We read books.

We play video games.

We learn things every day

From observation.

It's very possible

That there's a 56-year-old man

Inside this doll,

If he has aged mentally

Simply by observation.

You think he likes his new room?

His own room?

I do.

I think he's probably angry

Because he's stuck
inside a doll.

His whole life has been seen
through the eyes of this doll.

A childhood,

Growing up, his first kiss,

You know, his first girlfriend,

You know, his first job...
he just has to sit back

And watch everybody else
enjoy those things.

And I think with that
comes a lot of spite.

It's now been
two years since the couple

Moved the doll
into his own room,

And it appears his spirit
is alive and well.

Things calmed down.

There were no more tantrums,
as I like to call them,

After he moved into his room.

There were times
that I could hear

What sounded like a little
giggle come from the room.

I thought I heard
the rocking chair rocking,

And then you could hear
what sounded like

Little footsteps in the room.

I would just creep up
and put my ear to the door,

And I would hear things
moving around in there.

It became few and far between,
you know.

It just quieted down.

It was just out of sight,

Out of mind at that point.

As for the family,
they have become true believers

That haunted objects exist.

My experiences with norman

Has... has changed me a lot.

Before this,

I would have never subscribed

To the idea of haunted dolls.

I believe in a lot of things

I didn't believe in before

Because norman has made me
a believer.

The way I feel
about norman now is he's...

It's just a part
of our life now.

He's just gonna be there,

And there's nothing
you can do about it.

So far, I think
we're closer to peace for all.