07x06 - Devil Inside Me

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: a boy comes across
an abandoned shack

In rural maryland...

After we found that building,
everything changed.

Narrator: ...and stumbles upon
a portal to an evil world.

Man: [ echoing ]
hail satan!

Narrator: for years,

A demon threatens
to devour him...

No!
...body and soul,

Until he reaches
his breaking point.

I was in constant fear.

[ Grunts ]

It was controlling me.

It wanted me to die.

Narrator: can he be saved?

Or will he be lost forever?

[ Growls ]

[ Screams ]

Narrator: in america,
there is real evil.

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

Between the world we see
and the things we fear,

There are doors.

When they are opened,

Nightmares become reality.

-- Captions by vitac --
www.vitac.com

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

In maryland, far from cities
like annapolis and baltimore,

There are fields and forests

Where a boy can still explore
like frontiersmen of old.

Odenton was
in the middle of nowhere.

It was right back
in the middle of the woods.

Narrator:
in the summer of 2003,


Ventures into the forest

Behind his grandmother's home.

Cheryl, his 14-year-old sister,
leads the way.

John.

Come on.
I'm not waiting for you.

Keep up.

I'm coming.

John: me and my sister, cheryl,
were inseparable.

My sister,
she was always the outgoing one,

Very outspoken.

I was more of the follower.

Cheryl: john and I would always
go in the woods to play.

We would go on nature hunts,
look for animals,

Things like that.

We liked to explore.

Narrator:
but there are certain mysteries

Better left undisturbed.

Cheryl: one day, we found
an old abandoned building.

John:
as we walked closer to it,

We started getting
this weird feeling about it,

Like we shouldn't be there.

Cheryl: I definitely had
an eerie feeling.

Something was just telling me
don't go near it.

It was spooky.

John, what are you doing?

Get away from there.

Come on.

This is cool.

No way.

[ Scoffs ]

John: I decided that I was
going to be the brave one

And venture inside.

She was always the one that
was making the good choices,

Where [chuckles]
I really wasn't.

John?

John, come on.
I want to go.

Okay. Coming.

Wait up.

There's something here.

John: in one of the corners,
I found a book.

It had an upside-down cross
on it.

Narrator: at first,
the book appears harmless,

But then it evokes a darkness.

Man: [ echoing ]
cleanse yourself

Of malignant
and pent-up emotions.

Hail satan.

Why should I not
hate my enemies?

Hail satan!

John: I just started getting
this heaviness in my chest,

And it felt like
I couldn't breathe.

It was just this scary feeling.

Cheryl!

I ended up
throwing the book...

Wait up!

...because it scared me
so bad.

Wait up!

Narrator: suddenly,
john gets the feeling

He's being followed.

John: I just started hearing
this incoherent whispering,

And I knew
it was coming from the woods.

[ Indistinct whispering ]

Narrator: john tries to forget
about his terrifying experience

In the shack.

That summer,

John spends weekends
at his grandmother's house.

One night,

Cheryl hears disturbing noises
coming from john's room.

[ Chanting in tongues ]

Hey! It's late.

I can hear you
all the way out in the hall.

[ Chanting continues ]

John?

Who are you talking to?

It sounded like he was speaking
in another language.

It wasn't english.
I couldn't understand him.

And when he finally
stopped talking,

His nose started bleeding.
John.

John.

You okay?

Oh, my gosh,
your nose is bleeding.

You okay?

What's going on?

I don't know.

You're okay.
You'll be fine.

You're fine.

Narrator: the next morning,

John's mother
and step-father arrive

To take him to his home


In pasadena, maryland.

John tries to put
the bizarre incidents

Of the last few days
behind him...

How was the weekend?

It was...

It's good.

...until his sister
brings them up.

It would've been better if john
hadn't started acting all weird.

Geez, cheryl.

Ever since you went in that
creepy building in the woods.

I told you kids
to stay out of the woods.

Narrator: the woods are said
to harbor dark secrets.

Local legend has it

That satanic rituals
took place there.

Dora: everyone
in the neighborhood said

Don't go near
the devil's church.

Whenever someone
has gone by there,

Either got k*lled
on the nearby train tracks

Or something horribly bad
happened to them.

Narrator:
but although john's mother
has heard the rumors,

She doesn't put
much faith in them.

They're just rumors, mom.

My opinion of the paranormal

Was it was about as legitimate
as the easter bunny.

Narrator: but her son, john,
is about to find out

Just how true rumors can be.

A few nights later,

John is at home
with his mom and step-dad

When he suddenly hears
something odd.

[ Scratching ]

I had heard scratching
on the house and in the walls

And outside of the house.

[ Banging ]

And then I started hearing
banging on the walls.

It sounded like somebody
was punching the walls

Right next to me.

[ Banging continues ]

I just tried to ignore it,

And that's when my bed shook.

It was a very violent shaking.

It felt like an earthquake.

[ Panting ]

Narrator:
but then from the darkness...

[ Roars ]

[ Screams ]

Narrator:
it's the summer of 2003
in odenton, maryland.

Ever since john drennar jr.
Discovered a mysterious book

In the woods
near his grandmother's home,

He can't shake the feeling

That an unseen evil
lurks in the shadows,

Watching him.

There was something happening,
something going on.

The first time that I heard
the whispering in the woods...

[ Indistinct whispering ]

...i knew there was
just something off about it.

I knew there was something
wrong, and it scared me.

Man: [ echoing ]
hail satan.

Hail satan!

Narrator: cheryl worries
about the sudden change she sees

In her little brother.

Cheryl:
he was scared to tell me.

I didn't know what to think.
I didn't know how I could help.

You okay?

What's going on?

You're okay.
You'll be fine.

Narrator: but the night comes
when john meets the dark force

Face-to-face.

[ Banging ]

[ Panting ]

[ Roars ]

[ Screams ]

He was about 7 to 8 feet tall,

Black, and shaped like a person.

Aah! Mom!

Honey, what's -- what's wrong?
What is it, honey?

I saw something!

What --
what did you see?

What?

It's -- it's gone.

Okay. What was it?

It -- it looked like a man.

John told me
that he heard scratching noises

Like someone was trying to get
into the room.

He complained of seeing shadows,
of seeing a monster.

Okay, john.

There isn't a man.

It was probably a light
from a passing car.

Okay?

I just thought he was scared,
maybe heard a noise,

It was his imagination.

Do you want me to stay with you
for a bit? Yeah?

John: she told me that
I was just having a nightmare,

That I needed to go
back to bed.

My mother really wasn't
the religious type.

She looked at everything from
an analytical aspect, science.

If she couldn't see it,
feel it, taste it, touch it,

It wasn't real.

Narrator:
night after night,

The same creature
pays john a visit.

[ Growling ]

[ Roars ]

I started sleeping
with the blanket over my head

So I couldn't see it.

Narrator: john's mother
decides to bring him

To a child psychologist.

Dora:
after so many nights,

I contacted an institute
that would diagnose

And treat john
for whatever was ailing him.

My mom always thought that there
was something psychological

Going on with john.

Dora: john was diagnosed first
with having night terrors,

And they gave him medication,

But said eventually,
he would grow out of it.

John: I knew that what
was happening to me was real.

It wasn't something
that was in my mind.

Narrator: things appear
to calm down for a while,

Until one weekend

When they are back
at their grandmother's house.

Cheryl finds john
acting strangely.

I was in the kitchen
eating breakfast one morning.

John: no. No.

And I heard john
no, I won't!

In the living room
talking to someone,

So I wandered in there
to see who he was talking to.

No.
No, i-i can't.

I don't want to do that.

I won't.

John.

Who are you talking to?

You're not
supposed to be here.

And he was sitting in the corner
just talking to the corner.

He says
you're not supposed to be here.

He was awake.

It was like he was having
a conversation

With whoever he was talking to.

Grandma!
Something's wrong with john!

John, are you okay?

Narrator:
but john is not okay,

As he finally emerges
from his trance.

It's bleeding.

Just like before.

Cheryl:
I was terrified for him.

John, what's going on
with you?

I don't know
what's happening.

It won't leave me alone.

John:
I had talked to my grandmother

And told her about everything
that was happening.

[ Roars ]

I said, "this man,
he's tormenting me."

[ Screams ]

She hugged me and said,

"I'm gonna take care of this
for you."

Narrator:
a few days later,

John's grandmother
decides to take action.

She places religious articles
in john's room at her house,

Hoping they'll protect him.

Cheryl:
our grandmother was religious.

She would read us the bible.

She believed john.

She thought that there was
something spiritual going on.

John:
I was very hopeful that,

You know,
that would at least stop it.

That would create
a safe zone for me.

I don't think it helped.

Narrator: the crucifix
at his grandmother's house

Only seems to be
making things worse.

John: the very next night,
this entity was there.

Using the crucifixes
was just making it mad.

It wasn't doing anything
to protect me.

Narrator:
a few nights later,

When he's back home
with his mom and step-dad,

John senses
the evil force is back.

[ Banging ]

John: that night,

I just laid down
to close my eyes,

And I heard a knock
in the corner of my room.

[ Banging continues ]

It was the shadow entity.

I was paralyzed with fear.

[ Growling ]

[ Roars ]

[ Gasping ]

Narrator:
when he was just a boy,
john drennar jr.

Unwittingly uncovered
an evil force

In an abandoned shack

Rumored to be the site
of satanic gatherings.

[ Echoing ]
hail satan.

Hail satan!

Narrator: since then,

A malevolent entity
has followed him,

Cornering in his bedroom at home
in pasadena, maryland.

[ Screams ] mom!

At this point, I am terrified.

I am absolutely terrified
of not knowing

What is going to happen next.

Narrator:
night after night,

The dark figure torments john
in his bedroom --

The one place
where he should feel safe.

And as time wears on,

The entity grows bolder
and more grotesque.

[ Roars ]

I couldn't move.
I couldn't scream.

I could just look at it --
its emptiness in its eyes.

Just absolute evil.

No!

[ Roars ]

Mom!

Narrator: john has run
to his mom and step-dad

For help many times,
even though they believe

He is just suffering
from night terrors.

But that night,
john's cries go unanswered.

John: I started banging
on my parents' door

To wake up and help me.

This thing was going to hurt me.

I felt like
it was going to k*ll me.

And I'm banging on the door
for about five minutes,

And nothing.

Open the door!

Honey,
I'm gonna go downstairs.

Can I get you anything?

No. I'm okay.

Okay.

Hey, buddy.
Shouldn't you be in bed?

Why wouldn't you
open the door?!

I've been pounding and screaming
to get you to wake up!

Narrator:
but they weren't ignoring him.

They never even heard him.

Buddy, we've been awake
the whole time

And we never
heard anything.

You never made a sound.

John:
I didn't know what to think.

That honestly scared me
even worse.

Come on.
Let's go back to bed.

It's all right.

The only thing I could do
was comfort him.

At that point, after all
the other steps I had taken,

The only thing I could do
was to be there for my son.

I was looking for a logical
reason for everything

And a logical way to fix things,

But there was nothing
that I could do

To stop the occurrences
that were happening.

Narrator: frustrated
that his mother and step-father

Don't believe him,

John pulls away from his family.

He started
shutting everyone out.

He shut me out.
He shut our grandmother out.

He was angry.

John:
I was completely alone in this.

Nobody could understand
or believe

What they couldn't see or feel
for themselves,

And it was a complete and total
nightmare for me.

Narrator: john finds solace
in the company of friends

Who take his fears seriously.

One night, they play with fire

When they attempt to contact
the evil entity

To help rid john
of his tormentor.

Aren't you
supposed to ask it something?

Oh. Yeah.

I decided to tell one of my
friends about what was going on.

Is there anybody
here with us?

He had said,
"well, I have a spirit board.

We can use it and find out
what it wants,

And then it'll leave you alone."

It's not working.

Why are you
messing with john?

John:
I had no idea what it was

Or how it worked
or anything like that

'Cause I'd never really messed
with them before.

It's not working.

Guess not.

I'll be right back.

Here, let me try.

John: my one friend
got up to use the bathroom.

[ Door closes ]

Aah!

What happened?

Something grabbed my leg
in there.

He said,
"I felt something touch my leg."

Let's go.

Bye, john.

Wait, don't go.

[ Door closes ]

Narrator:
john now knows for certain

That the evil entity
is not just in his imagination.

It was a massive turning point
in my life

When my friends
had experienced something.

It was like
this sense of relief.

Somebody else has seen it,
as well.

But at the same time,
john has no idea

That he has just invited evil
deeper into his life,

And things are about to get
a lot worse.

That's weird.

I felt this heaviness
in my chest again.

I knew it was around.

[ Growls ]

Help.

Who are you?!

We are legion.

It said, "we are legion.

And we will never leave."

"We"?

[ Roars ]

No!

Narrator:
for more "a haunting," visit...

[ Chanting in tongues ]

Narrator:
for the past few years,
john drennar jr.

Has been battling
a malevolent demonic force

Hell-bent on taking over
his body and his soul.

It all started after
he unknowingly encountered

The entity in an abandoned shack
in the maryland woods...

Man: [ echoing ] indulgence
instead of abstinence.

Narrator: ...rumored to be
the site of satanic worship.

Man: [ echoing ]
hail satan.

Hail satan!

One night,
after using a spirit board,

John has a close encounter
with his tormentor.

[ Growls ]

Who are you?!

We are legion.

"We"?

It was just this deep,
gravelly, bass-type voice.

It just literally radiated
through your whole body.

Narrator:
then the sinister force attacks.

[ Growls ]

No!

John: and I could feel
its breath on my face.

It was trying to choke me
to death.

I felt like
it was going to k*ll me.

Mom!

Narrator:
but no one comes to his aid.

John manages to escape
the clutches of the evil entity

But knows it's only a matter
of time before it strikes again.

With family and friends
unable to help him in his fight,

John conducts research

To try to understand
what he's up against.

It was attacking me.

And at this point, I was
really in fear for my life.

[ Growling ]

Nobody believed me
when I told them.

They just thought I was crazy.

Suddenly,
john comes across an image

Of an upside-down cross

Nearly identical
to the one he saw

On the book in the woods.

It's a symbol often used
by devil worshipers.

Man: [ echoing ]
hail satan.

Why should I not
hate my enemies?

Hail satan.

Hail satan!

Narrator:
it all begins to make sense.

Somehow, a demonic entity
attached itself to john

In the shack that day,

And now it won't let him go.

I think the entity
was trying to push me

To the point
to where I would k*ll myself.

It wanted me to die
so it could collect my soul.

Narrator: and john has no idea
how to rid himself of it.

Since he was a boy,
john drennar jr.

Has been battling
a demonic force.

Now 19 years old,

He's living on his own
in glen burnie, maryland,

Not far from his family home.

Frightening visions and voices
plague him nightly

With no end in sight.

John: I had tried to k*ll myself
a few times.

I was tired of dealing with this

And I was tired of fighting this
by myself.

Narrator: john has found himself
increasingly isolated

From those he loves --

His mother...

Dora: I did try to figure out
what was wrong with john.

It was so extremely frustrating.

You can't stop something
that you can't see,

That you can't hear,
that you can't feel.

You need something tangible.

Narrator:
...and his sister.

Cheryl: it was very frustrating
to be shut out of his life.

I got married
and moved farther away.

I just kind of wrote it off

As he'll talk to me
when he's ready.

Narrator: that summer,

A ray of sunshine pierces
through john's dreary existence.

Her name is mary segura.

I can't believe
I'm really here.

I know.
Neither can i.

Mary: I met john

When me and my sister
decided to go to the mall.

John and his friend
was upstairs,

And he kind of looked down at me
and I kind of looked out on him.

He had those beautiful eyes,
those green eyes.

Narrator: after dating a year,
they've made the decision

To live together.

Is that it?
The last box?

[ Sighs ]
last one.

We had that instant connection.

I just knew.

All this time,
john has managed to keep

His dark secret
from his girlfriend.

But their blissful life together
is about to take a tragic turn.

I didn't tell mary
what was happening to me

Because I didn't want her
to think that I was a whack job

And I didn't want her
to just leave me.

Narrator:
john has no idea that the demon
is no longer just after him.

It now seeks to intimidate
his girlfriend.

A few weeks after moving in,

Mary begins to feel a presence
other than john in their home.

I felt like
someone was watching me,

But I knew that nobody was home.

It's the worst feeling
you could ever possibly have.

Narrator: when he was a boy,
john drennar jr.

Uncovered an evil entity
in the woods of maryland.

Since the moment a demon
attached itself to him,

It has tormented john
relentlessly.

[ Roars ]

At this point in my life,
at 19 years old,

I just assumed that I was

Just going to have to deal
with this

For the rest of my life.

It was a sense of hopelessness,

And it made things
a lot harder for me

Knowing that I wasn't ever
going to be freed from this.

I was just going to spend
the rest of my life in hell.

John's been dating
his girlfriend, mary,

For the past year,

But until she moves in with him,

She has no idea
he's being pursued by a demon.

One day,
mary senses its presence.

Mary:
it's the worst feeling,

Knowing that something's
not behind you,

But you can feel it.

You can feel something
breathing,

Looking at you,
but when you turn back,

Nothing's there.

[ Sighs ] oh!

Oh, my god.

Just scared me.

I'm sorry.

Oh, I've been having
this creepy feeling all day.

Creepy?

Yeah.
It's nothing.

[ Sighs ]

He just said,
"oh, it's just a weird feeling."

It's just probably
my imagination.

I'm getting used to having
someone else live with me.

John: I had the feeling that
she knew something was going on,

But she didn't know what.

Narrator:
for the next few days,

John continues to hide the truth
from mary,

Until she begins to sense
a change in him.

Throughout the days,
he would be sweet and loving,

Then all of a sudden,
you say one thing,

And he snapped.

He was aggressive.

Hey, did you mail
the rent check?

I will.

Okay. When?

I will.

I'm trying to read.

I just don't want to have to pay
a late fee,

And then there's, like,
charges --

I said I will!

What's wrong
with your eyes?

What do you mean?

Mary: the eyes were black,
frightening.

It wasn't my john.

Something else was taking over
his body and his soul.

[ Gasping ]

[ Whimpering ]

Mary.

Why don't you
come out, mary?

[ Gasps ]

Mary.

John?

Come here.

John?

Oh, john.

Oh, my god, your eyes.
They were so terrible.

There's something
I need to tell you.

It's okay.

He started to tell me
everything about his life

And dealing
with this demonic thing.

Ever since I was a kid,

It's tortured me
and it's followed me.

[ Growls ]

John:
I thought it was over.

I thought it was gone,

And the last thing
that I wanted

Was for anything to happen
to you.

I'm sorry.

Mary:
I didn't know what to think.

Either "a," he's crazy.

Or "b," he really needs help.

That's a lot to take in,
and for a minute there,

He kind of had me in shock.

I was sure
that she was going to leave me.

Okay.

Okay, hon,
we'll work on this together.

Narrator:
mary convinces john

He needs help
from a higher power.

Mary: I figured, well,
let's try to go to some churches

To see if they can help.

None of it was working.

All the ones that we went to,
either they turned us down

Or they just didn't
want to deal with it.

Narrator: one night,
john has a disturbing dream --

An omen of more bad things
to come.

[ Echoing ] mary?

Mary?!

Mary?!

When I looked up,

I had seen that the sky
was blood red.

There were these black things
flying around in a circle.

In the middle of the sky
was this red sun,

What looked like
a swirling portal.

[ Gasps ]

John?

Shh, shh.
It was just a nightmare.

Mary:
it was frustrating.

I couldn't do anything
to help the love of my life.

And I suffered every time
he had a nightmare.

Every time he had a vision,
I suffered

Because that was me
feeling hopeless.

Narrator:
but john's nightmares

Are not the only thing
mary will suffer.

The demon is not finished
with her yet.

The next night while john
is working a night shift,

Mary finds herself alone.

[ Growling ]

[ Glass shatters ]
[ mary gasps ]

It was pitch dark.

Turned on my cellphone.

It was full battery.

Come on, come on,
come on, come on.

There was no way
that it could just die.

No, no.

Come on, come on,
come on, come on.

[ Roars ]

[ Screams ]

[ Gasping ]

Narrator:
for years, john drennar jr.

Has been plagued
by an unrelenting demon

That seeks to possess him.

And now it seeks to scare off
his girlfriend.

Mary: it was pitch dark.
Turned on my cellphone.

It was full battery.

Turned on the light
so I can see.

And all of a sudden,
battery drained.

And my heart started racing.

[ Roars ]

[ Screams ]

Oh, my god!

The figure
was face-to-face to me.

[ Growls ]

I was terrified.

I didn't know what to do
but just stand there and shake.

[ Growls ]

I've never experienced
anything like this before.

Anything.

Narrator: and just as suddenly,
the demon disappears.

John now knows the entity

Will stop at nothing
to destroy him

And isolate him from the people
who care about him.

[ Sobbing ]

This shadow entity
was gaining power,

And it wanted
complete and total control.

Narrator:
in february of 2012,

A friend puts john in touch
with bill bean,

An ordained
deliverance minister,

Similar to an exorcist

But not affiliated
with the catholic church.

John said,
"I think I found our solution."

John: at this point,

I was willing to try anything
to make this end.

Please help us.

I will.

Come closer.

When john came to meet with me,

I immediately sensed

The presence of evil
that was upon him.

I could see the demon
that was behind his eyes --

Absolutely could see it.

Narrator: bill believes
john first came into contact

With the demon in childhood,

And now, years later,

It's on the verge
of taking possession of him.

Son...

I believe a demon

Attached to you
when you were a child.

I felt that john was strongly
demonically oppressed

Or possibly even possessed.

[ Chanting in tongues ]

Demonic oppression is the
beginning stages of possession.

The person becomes introverted,

Withdrawn from family members
and friends.

They start to have a negative
outlook on everything.

John, you need
a prayer of deliverance.

Now.

Deliverance is similar
to an exorcism.

In john's case, it was severe.

Steps had to be taken
right then and there.

John: something in me
kept telling me, "don't do it."

Narrator:
but with nowhere else to turn,

John wills himself
to go through with it.

Amen.

[ Grunts ]

John: I forced myself
to take his hand.

The lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want.

[ Grunting ]

He maketh me to lie down
in green pastures.

He leadeth me
beside the still waters.

Narrator:
suddenly, the evil

John encountered so long ago
lashes out.

Satan represents indulgence
instead of abstinence.

Hail satan.

He restoreth my soul.
[ Electricity crackles ]

Satan represents
undefiled wisdom

Instead of hypocritical
self-deceit.

I take power and authority
over this demonic spirit

In the name of god!

[ Grunting ]

I cast you out, spirit!

I said, "do you renounce satan
and all of his works?"

Yes. I do.

I cast you out, spirit.

Cast you out!

John:
I remember just coming to,

Looking him in the eye,

And it felt like
the weight of the world

Was lifted off of me.

Is it over?

Is it really over?

It was
the most amazing feeling

That I have ever felt
in my life.

I think it is.

Mary: at that moment,
I got my john back.

John today is loving, sweet.

I definitely feel
that the situation

Made him a stronger,
more outgoing person.

[ Laughs ]

You love it.
You know that I do.

You love it.

Narrator: eventually,
john re-establishes ties

With his sister and mother.

Whatever.

Cheryl: when my brother
came back into my life,

He was happy again,

And we're working and growing
our relationship every day.

Narrator: john's mother,
a paranormal skeptic,

Is still devoted
to science and logic.

He's like, "mom, can you explain
what happened to me?"

I can't explain,
and I said, "it doesn't matter."

I found my solace and comfort

Knowing that my son
was finally free and happy.

Thank you.

Narrator: john now works
as bill bean's apprentice,

Helping other people
overcome demonic oppression.

This is risky work,

But john believes
it is his calling.

John: I had a dream one night
that I was helping people,

And I said, "you know what?
I need to face my fears."

I know what it's like
to be in hell.

I know what it's like
to be tormented for years.

It was time for me to help pull
other people from the darkness.