Haunted (2018) s02e03 Episode Script

1 [intense music playing.]
[eerie instrumentals.]
[man.]
My name is James Swift, I grew up in a cult, and I was tortured.
[suspenseful music intensifies to silence.]
[eerie instrumentals.]
[ominous music playing.]
I was born in Winnsboro, Louisiana, but my family lived in a very small town kind of like outside of Winnsboro, called Jigger.
- [mellow piano music playing.]
- And it was my older brother David, myself, and my mom, and my father.
Dad was a cotton picker and construction worker.
Mom was live-at-home mom.
Where we lived, - [idyllic music playing.]
- we were surrounded by fields.
- [birds chirping.]
- It was so much fun.
[kids laughing.]
[glass lid clinks.]
My brother was diagnosed with a learning disorder.
They called him a slow learner.
He had a speech impediment.
[birds chirping.]
I looked over him.
He was my buddy.
We were together all the time.
[bird chirping continues.]
[mellow piano music playing.]
So we had a very normal childhood, until until Mom discovered Herbert W.
Armstrong's broadcast.
- [recording clicks.]
- [magical opening theme song playing.]
[male announcer.]
The World Tomorrow, with Herbert W.
Armstrong.
- This is not God's world.
- [magical music continuing.]
This is really Satan's world.
You need to know a little something about this Satan because he's just [James.]
Herbert W.
Armstrong was the creator and the founder of the Worldwide Church of God.
[ethereal music playing.]
His message was that there was one true church and everyone else would die in the Apocalypse.
They believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and they believed in God.
And there were demons among us, and if you opened your mind to a demon, you would be possessed.
And after watching the broadcast, Mom decided that we were going to move so that we could become a member of this particular church.
- [variety show music playing.]
- [male announcer.]
Now this program is sponsored by the Worldwide Church of God.
We teach God's way of happy, more peaceful, more productive way of life.
[male announcer 2.]
And now, here are the Young Ambassadors.
- [upbeat music playing.]
- Hey! Hey, look around It's a brand new morning The sun brings us all a new day Get up, get out, get yourself together Cause a smile to come you way [water splashing.]
[James.]
The moment we moved into the house, [dog barking.]
the local preacher had to come anoint the house - to make sure there were no demons in it.
- [mellow piano music playing.]
So, he came in and anointed every single room with oil and chased out the demons.
[mellow piano music continuing.]
[kids laughing, playing.]
[boys giggling.]
So, we were playing, and the pastor came out.
[David yelling playfully.]
[pastor.]
You boys! Be quiet! [dog barking.]
- [pastor.]
Come inside! - [birds chirping.]
[James.]
I listened, my brother did not.
[suspenseful instrumentals.]
- [smack.]
- Ow! - [dog barking.]
- [continued smacking.]
- [smacking.]
- [David sobbing.]
[James.]
This was really something that got under my skin - because that was my big brother - [continued smacking.]
- [David sobbing.]
- and this man made my brother cry - and it really upset me.
- [David wailing.]
And what really got me after that My mom didnothing.
- [Jeneen.]
Nothing? - [James.]
Nothing.
He said we're making too much noise, he put me out and whooped my butt.
- [Jeneen.]
That's awful.
- Yeah, we had never seen this man in our lives.
[mellow piano music playing.]
We were just being kids.
And that's where it started.
Immediately, we knew things were gonna change.
There were certain foods that we could not eat after that.
No bacon, no pork, no shellfish, because it was to help from demon possession, believe it or not.
There would be no more trips to the library.
There would be no more movies.
There would be no comic books.
No television, unless it was the broadcast from the Worldwide Church of God.
You know, all work and no play, they say, makes Jack a dull boy, and there has to be recreation, and there will be in the World Tomorrow, and it will be joyful and happy recreation.
[indistinct conversation.]
[Herbert.]
It'll be a far better way than today's way of today's youth - with drugs, alcohol, illicit sex, - [indistinct club music, chatter.]
- [rock music playing.]
- rock music, which I would prefer to call noise, - and violence.
- [siren wailing in the distance.]
[James.]
When we started going to services, it was unusual, [stammers.]
to say the least.
[organ hymn music playing.]
[pastor.]
Jesus Christ will return to the Earth to rescue humanity from the brink of self-annihilation.
We must not open our minds to demons that surround us.
[James.]
Every single sermon had the topic of demons.
We were always being attacked by demons.
In the Worldwide Church of God, there were demons everywhere.
And if you opened your mind, you could be possessed by a demon.
If you were overweight, you were possessed by a gluttonous demon.
If you didn't tell the truth, you were possessed by a lying demon.
If you can imagine being five years old in a room of complete strangers [soft piano music playing.]
[pastor.]
Demon, be gone.
[all.]
Demon, be gone.
- [pastor.]
Demon, be gone! - [all.]
Demon, be gone! - [pastor.]
Demon, be gone! - [all.]
Demon, be gone! [pastor.]
Demon, be gone! [James.]
I just didn't know what was going on.
It was terrifying.
I remember one man in particular.
He just started screaming.
- [eerie instrumentals.]
- [man.]
Fuck you and your church! [James.]
It was utter chaos.
- that this fucking church represents! - [chairs skid.]
- Get your fucking hands off of me! - [thud.]
[man grunts, screams.]
- [man crying out.]
- [grunting.]
- [thudding.]
- [man screams.]
- [pastor.]
Demon, be gone.
- [struggling.]
- [all.]
Demon, be gone.
- [man crying, gasping.]
- [pastor.]
Demon, be gone! - [all.]
Demon, be gone! - [grunting.]
- [all.]
Demon, be gone! - [thud.]
- [man yells, grunts.]
[struggling stops.]
Mom said some demons were harder to get rid of than others.
We didn't see this man again for a couple of weeks.
But when he came back, everything was fine.
He apologized and let us know that he loved the church, he loved Jesus, he loved his family, and he loved us.
[mellow piano music playing.]
I had turned six years old.
It was one particular service, and the pastor came by and told my mom that he wanted to speak with her and to bring me with him.
He looked at my mom and he looked at me, and he said, "Mrs.
Swift, your son is possessed by a gay demon.
" [suspenseful instrumentals.]
- [mellow piano music continuing.]
- Young James [James.]
They had noticed that I had really feminine mannerisms.
- [pastor.]
sexual demon - [James.]
I was horrified.
First, I didn't know what gay was, second, I had a pretty good idea that demons make you scream and cuss.
[chuckles.]
[all.]
In the name of Christ, gay demon be gone! - [James.]
Our pastor, he told my mom, - [mellow piano music continuing.]
- "We need to loosen the grip - [indistinct yelling.]
that this demon has on James' soul because not only will this demon drag James to Hell, - [indistinct yelling continuing.]
- it will drag his brother," - [all.]
Gay demon be gone! - my mom and my dad to Hell with me.
[all.]
Gay demon be gone! [ominous music playing.]
And it's your fault if you get possessed by a demon because the only way is if you invite that demon into your mind.
You open your mind to that demon.
So I knew I was in trouble, because I opened my mind, and I did not know how.
I was terrified.
- But there was a solution.
[chuckles.]
- [eerie instrumentals.]
[dramatic piano music playing.]
- Isolation.
- [ominous instrumentals.]
I would be put in my room except if I had to go to the restroom for weeks at a time.
No food, no water, for 24 to 36 hours.
And where is this justified in the Bible? I have no idea.
[laughs.]
Neither do I.
- [James.]
From age 6 to 15 - [dramatic piano music continuing.]
was when the home discipline was going to stop the demon from attaching to my soul.
But according to the church, Mom and Dad, they could not exercise the demon.
But Mom did not stop trying.
[door squeaks.]
[ominous music playing.]
[belt rustling.]
[ominous music intensifying.]
[zipping.]
She would touch me.
And she would say, "James, you have to respond to a woman's touch.
" She thought that if she could make my body respond that that would make me not gay.
[gasps.]
I didn't know what to think.
I was scared.
I was ashamed.
I felt dirty.
I felt like everything was wrong.
Oh, just a minute.
[inhales.]
[inhales, slowly exhales.]
I still feel ashamed.
I still feel it was my fault that she did it and that I brought every single bit of it on myself.
And I'm still in therapy about that to this day.
Oh, my God.
[somber instrumentals.]
When I turned 15, I was told I was going to camp.
So I was excited.
[laughs.]
I thought I was going to summer camp in the winter.
- [somber instrumentals continuing.]
- [footsteps approaching.]
[door squeaks.]
[pastor clears throat.]
Good morning.
[somber instrumentals continuing.]
- [loud crescendo.]
- [ominous instrumentals.]
[heavy breathing.]
- [asthmatic panting.]
- [James.]
There was a woman - sitting in the back seat.
- [door slams.]
I was shaking.
I was so scared.
I started to cry and I asked her what she was going to do, and she said, "Nothing.
You just don't need to see where you're going.
" [insects trilling.]
It seemed like a 10-hour ride, but I know it wasn't.
[gravel crunching, hissing.]
- [birds singing.]
- [angelic hymn music playing.]
[descending footsteps.]
They led me into this building, and there are hymns playing lightly in the background.
[echoing voice.]
Well, greetings, friends.
This is Herbert W.
Armstrong - with the good news of the World Tomorrow.
- [feet pattering on water.]
- [struggling.]
- But we're certainly having our troubles now.
Now, of course, you never have any troubles, do you? I know, my friends, that not one of us escapes having troubles.
When I show you the practical way, you can be delivered from all of your troubles.
[high-powered hosing.]
[young James cries out.]
[young James grunts, exhales.]
[angelic hymn music continuing.]
[whooshing.]
[young James coughs.]
- [young James coughs.]
- Then they threw this white powder all over me to make sure you do not have lice.
The Worldwide Church of God sent me to the New Bethany Home for Boys to exorcise the gay demon inside of me.
Oh, my God.
[James.]
They took me into a room.
There was a man sitting behind a desk.
He told me that he was my God now.
That every drop of water that I drank, every bite of food that I ate, came through him.
[ethereal music playing.]
The way he talked to me was so demeaning.
"You queer.
" "God hates you.
" "How dare you even be in my presence?" "I don't know why you're even breathing.
" And then he tells me, "You're not gonna survive this.
" [James sighs heavily.]
They took me from there across the hall to this room.
You smell urine and you smell feces.
[ominous music playing.]
[feet shuffling.]
- [latch clicks.]
- [Herbert, echoing.]
When I show you the practical way, you can be delivered from all of your troubles.
And everything's going to work out all right.
You're gonna get the breaks.
Everything is just going to work out all right if you know this way.
[gate rattling, squeaking open.]
- [gate rattles closed.]
- [latch scrapes.]
There were two other men.
These two men were the ones who gave us our food, which was either dry dog food with water or bovine food, the sticky sweet feed, that was in a dog dish, and our toilet was a used coffee can.
They closed the gate and they walked out.
Now, they had told me not to speak.
The second that the door closed, there was this kid right there.
[mellow instrumentals.]
[young James, hushed.]
Hey.
Are you okay? [boy exhales.]
- [door thuds, squeaks open.]
- ["World Tomorrow" theme playing.]
- [male announcer.]
The World Tomorrow! - [gate creaks open.]
[James.]
The door flies open.
And this man has a Bible.
It's hardbound.
He ran up and he hit me across my face.
And my nose started bleeding and I fell.
Well, I got up.
I was like, "James, you gotta do something.
" And he pointed at me and he screamed, "No, demon, you will not resist.
" - [ominous music playing.]
- And I froze.
This was the beginning of hell.
[Herbert, echoing.]
You know the thing we have to learn is to get self out of it all, to get rid of self-consciousness, self-confidence, self-anything.
Get rid of that stuff.
It isn't going to do you any good, it's your enemy [James.]
Because of the chain link, you could see all the way around, and we even had chain link across the ceiling.
[organ music playing.]
And on this chain link - was another chain - [metal squeaking.]
that had two gauntlets that could be put on your wrists.
I didn't know what they would be used for, but I did find out.
- [World Tomorrow theme playing.]
- Hey! Hey, look around It's a brand new morning The sun brings us all a new day [Herbert.]
Well, greetings, friends! This is Herbert W.
Armstrong with the good news of the World Tomorrow.
- [screaming.]
- My friends, I am very happy - that there is good news soon coming - [boy screaming in agony.]
for the World Tomorrow, but we're certainly having our troubles now.
- [Herbert continues on indistinctly.]
- [chains rattling.]
[young James coughs.]
I was standing there shackled for hours.
It's cold, it's December, on a concrete floor with no socks and no shoes.
I stood there.
The sun came up, - it went down - [Jeneen.]
Oh my God.
and it came up again.
There was nothing I could do to not use the bathroom.
So I stood there in my own filth.
Oh, no! I looked down and my feet were almost like a shade of blue because it was so cold.
- [somber music playing.]
- That's just hell, a living hell.
[Jeneen takes deep breath.]
I thought, "Okay, it can't get any worse than this.
" - [chain rattling.]
- [Herbert.]
You were taught to think it's all self, and you can get rid of it.
- [fastening, tightening.]
- [struggling.]
You may have a very exaggerated opinion of yourself and your abilities and your talent.
- You may have lots of self-confidence.
- [latching.]
You think you're really a big shot.
Well, I don't care how big a shot you think you are.
[young James pants.]
My confidence is not in myself any longer.
My confidence is in God [James.]
Then they took these exposed wires and they took tape.
And they would tape around the ankles, in the groin, under the armpits, and they would show pictures.
- [projector clicks.]
- [classical music playing.]
[projector clicks.]
[projector clicks.]
- [projector clicks.]
- [young James breathing heavily.]
[classical music intensifying.]
[electrical buzzing.]
- [screams of agony.]
- [electrical buzzing.]
- [screaming.]
- [thudding.]
[struggling, screaming.]
- [rattling.]
- [Jeneen.]
Oh, my God.
It was a pain like I'd never felt before.
- Oh, my God.
- And I have scars.
The pictures of the men kissing, if they shocked me, it was so that I would associate pain with what apparently I was attracted to.
I thought that they were curing me.
I thought this is what I had to go through to be cured.
And that they were going to get the demon out of me.
[ominous instrumentals.]
They took me to this room - and there was a table.
- [footsteps approaching.]
[hollow thud.]
[chains rattling, clicking.]
- [struggling.]
- And they had me bent over the table.
And they would lay hands on me and speak in tongues.
- [pastor, hushed.]
Demon.
- [young James panting.]
- Demon, be gone.
- [young James sobbing.]
Jesus Christ, gay demon be gone.
And then Okay.
[clears throat.]
Oh, my God.
- [trembling.]
Dave, I'm sorry.
- [somber piano music playing.]
[takes a deep breath, slowly exhales.]
I felt someone behind me.
And They were doing something with my rear end.
[high-pitched humming.]
I felt a pain like I was being ripped in half.
[booming, droning instrumentals.]
[James cries out.]
[Jeneen whimpers.]
[somber piano music playing.]
[James exhales.]
While they were raping me, I saw this demon.
It was like staring directly into Hell.
I won't say that it was my demon.
I believe it was a demon to show me that I'd never get free.
[organ music playing.]
[Herbert, echoing.]
Now this I say, brethren, flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.
Behold, I show you a mystery, we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed! Oh, we're going to be changed - [inspirational piano music playing.]
- [Herbert continues on indistinctly.]
- [grass whipping.]
- [young James and David playing.]
[inspirational music continues.]
[birds chirping.]
[fluttering.]
[inspirational music fading.]
I was there 17 weeks altogether, and then they decided to send me home.
- [mellow music playing.]
- They didn't even pull in the driveway.
Just opened the door and put me out right there on the street.
My dad opens the door and he's standing there.
And he said, "They told me you didn't even try.
You didn't do anything they asked you to do.
You didn't want to be cured.
You're no longer my son.
" I was devastated.
[stammers.]
I [sighs.]
I was like, "Dad, do you know what I just went through? Do you know what they did to me? Let me tell you what they did to me!" He said, "Don't lie to me.
" [Jeneen sighs.]
And he told me to leave.
Fifteen! After that, my aunt got me and David and moved us in with her, and I went back to school.
I had no friends.
And I knew there was something different about me.
One day, I'm in homeroom, and this new kid walks in.
He had dark curly hair.
And there was just something different about him.
We were talking and he said, "Well, is it true what they say about you? Are you a fag?" That's what everybody called me at school.
And I said, "No, no, no, not at all!" 'cause I thought he was gonna kick my butt.
And he said, "Well, that's a shame.
I am.
" [laughs.]
And I was like, "Wait, wait! Well maybe, you know, I don't know," and everything and he just He was like, "Okay," and so he reached up and he pulled me closer and he kissed me.
[inspirational music playing.]
And it was the most perfect moment that I'd ever experienced in my whole life.
And that was the moment that I realized that, yes, I was attracted to boys.
No matter what I'd been through, the physical torture and the pain could not change what's inside of me.
And I decide If I was going to be gay, by God, I was going to be gay.
And I could not do it in this small town.
So I loaded everything up, got on the Greyhound bus, and I went to New Orleans.
And that was where I was gonna start my life.
And I've lived there ever since then.
I still have nightmares to this day.
But for the first time in my life, I'm not living in fear.
So what happened to these schools and the people? The boys home was raided March of 1982, and the Worldwide Church of God has been completely disbanded and labeled as a cult.
It turned out that Herbert W.
Armstrong, the founder was a pedophile who molested his own daughter.
And then shortly thereafter, he passed away.
And I hope he burns in Hell.
[ominous instrumentals.]
[mellow piano music playing.]
[birds singing.]
[birds singing.]
[mellow piano music continues.]
[latch clicking.]
[fluttering.]
[wind whirring.]
[birds continuing to sing.]