Update for Season 3 – Episode 4 – Dem Bones
After eight years of living with a rather abusive ghost named Richard, Dawn Mentuck finally has her home back to herself.
From the time she bought the home until The Other Side did their investigation, Dawn and her family and friends experienced many signs the house was haunted, such as objects being moved with no logical explanation, the volume on the stereo changing on its own, the sound of footsteps in empty rooms, and the mysterious appearance of a tall dark shadow. People who have slept in the house also reported having strange dreams they believe were caused by the spirit, who could have been there for a number of reasons.
When she first contacted The Other Side, she wrote: “I also suspect he takes energy from me to stay strong,” adding that she experiences bouts that leave her exhausted and nauseous. It’s believed by some that using humans is an easy way for spirits to get their energy.
Dawn had tried getting rid of Richard herself. “I’ve tried smudging, feeding him, getting mad, and nothing works,” she wrote.
She even wondered if Richard thought she was his girlfriend, since he seemed so attached to her. Richard may have been attracted to Dawn because she shared his wife’s name, but there are many different reasons why spirits form attachments to living people. She worried that he might get angry about The Other Side’s investigation and ceremonies to help him leave.
“I look back at it now and it’s almost as though I was leaving an abusive relationship. That’s how afraid I was. That’s how much control he had. I can joke about it now that he’s gone but at the time I was afraid,” she told The Other Side a few days before the episode aired.
There are a number of ways to cleanse a space of ghosts. For First Nations people, burning sweetgrass is a common practice, and one that The Other Side used to help Richard leave Dawn’s home.
It took her about a month to realise that he was really gone. She had been sleeping peacefully since the investigation and hadn’t seen any dark shadows or other signs of him and her friends and family were willing to visit again.
“I’m happy to report that, yes, he has gone! I was so happy. I haven’t had one of the sleeping episodes that started the whole thing since March.”
Saskatoon has more than its fair share of haunted homes, but Dawn’s is no longer one of them.
“I finally feel like this is my home and I don’t feel like I’m sharing with anybody,” she concluded.
