I will never forget the memory of a week of terror and sadness that began one night as myself and my family drove back to our house in Avra Valley Arizona. We had driven four hours coming back from Sedona Arizona and my little dog Lulu, who l took everywhere with me, had traveled with us. The day we left she became sick but she healed up in a few days and was better the day before we returned home. It was the first time l had been on a trip since the paranormal television series had completed two-week law enforcement and psychic investigation on the paranormal activity occurring on our home and land. The investigation was completed two days before Thanksgiving Day 2019. My health had gotten worse and l was scheduled to have surgery the last day of January 2020. The Sedona trip was to be a recovery and rest time for me. l began to feel a swirl of dread inside me as we drove the long dirt road up to the house. Lulu was happy when we reached the house and l let her down on the ground to greet the other dogs. A storm was coming in fast. The wind began to blow fiercely around us as my family stood by the steps leading up to the front porch of the main house to say the ‘Lord’s Prayer. We had done this for protection for the last few months. After our prayer l carried in Lulu and my guitar and went into the house while everyone else was unloading the supplies and baggage and then l began putting away the items being brought in. When my husband was finished he went back into the bedroom to unpack his suitcase. I went outside and spoke to my son who was still unpacking his things from the truck. I said “If your hungry come by and get some food later” and then l went back into my music room adjoining the living room and l began putting away my guitar. All the while hearing the wind howl and blow against the windows and the house. It was around 530 pm and the night was starting to come upon us. I was standing at the desk next to the door in my room when l heard a knock at the front door. The door was made of glass. I looked over and saw a male standing there all in the dark as if a hood was over his head and hid his face from the chilly wind blowing outside. I naturally assumed this was my son because he had been wearing dark clothes with a hoody that cold day and l yelled to him to come on in and the food was in the refrigerator. He just stood there as the light in the sky began to darken behind him. I thought why is he just standing there? Did he not hear me because of the wind? Was the door locked? I began walking to the door to whom l thought was my son still standing there out in the cold and l was talking to him saying “I’m sorry l didn’t think the door was locked” and l reached down to the doorknob to unlock it and it easily moved. I was talking out loud and l said “Oh weird! It’s not locked”. l looked back up as the door was opening and there was no one there! I swung the door wide open and stepped out to the porch shocked! Fear swept through me as stood there in utter disbelief. I started yelling my son’s name. He was not there. No one was there! I went down the steps to the sidewalk and looked toward the cabin. I saw my son coming out of the cabin. l yelled to him “Were you just over here?” He said No, he had been in the cabin.l completely panicked and ran up the stairs and back to the bedroom in shock as to what had just occurred. My husband tried to calm me down and then he went and grabbed his gun, strapped it on, then went outside to check the property. There was no one anywhere. My husband gathered the whole family to the main house and we talked about what had just occurred and then we began our protection prayers.We went from room to room burning sage, throwing salt along the corners and around the rooms saying protection prayers. Then we went outside in and around all the buildings to complete the prayers. Needless to say, it was a sleepless night for me. In the morning when l awoke l found that my little dog Lulu had become sick again only this time she was worse. I called the vet to get her in for a visit as soon as possible. As we were driving it was clear she was in terrible pain. I had asked my son to go with me to help comfort her. When we got to the vet’s office he took her in right away. My heart broke when he told us she was extremely sick and dying. She was septic and was in horrendous pain. We were told she was suffering and we need to make a decision for her. My son and l were in shock. She our little joy and helped us smile through our past troubles. This was the hardest decision to make. We had to say goodbye to our Lulu. The family all came there to the vet’s office for Lulu when they heard what was happening. Tears wouldn’t stop as we took her lifeless body back to the property and my husband and all the family created a grave site in our memorial area by the pine trees where the other beloved furry family graves are. This was not the first time our animals had been under attack and it would not be the last. When l look back on this horrible moment, and terrible week in time, l know that my little precious Lulu gave her life for me. We had been told two months earlier that “Death” was there on our land and it was there for the female which was me. I had seen it in the form of a shadow person on the morning of January 30th at the foot of my hospital bed when l awoke from my operation just two weeks prior. I awoke to hear the nurses say wake up Mercedez! Breath Mercedez! Over and over l heard this as l was coming out from the anesthesia, yelling for me to breathe. I was having complications after the surgery l found out later. Thankfully l had enough strength in me at that time to call for God’s help and asked for protection when l saw him, the tall darkness, looming at my feet at the left-hand corner of the hospital bed and then the dark being vanished as l said the last words of the “Lords Prayer”. The next thing l heard was a woman’s voice screaming and moaning out in horrendous pain next to me in the post-op hospital room. They began wheeling me into another area at that time. I believe because of “my prayer” it went to find another to go after. I was safe this time. As the days passed It was clear to me that my precious little girl Lulu, whom l loved with all my heart, was yet again another victim of the evil that dwelled there on our cursed land. The devil knocked on the door that day and made sure that we all knew that he was always there inside and outside and where he was death follows.
Submitted by: Mercedez Lucke-Benedict