A Haunted Man -- Part 3

Author’s note: This is the third of a three-part story. Lari Bollinger believes he is a haunted man. Throughout Bollinger’s life he has experienced shadow people, disembodied voices and demonic visitors in the night … he may have a point.

A black shadow walked along the drive outside Lari Bollinger’s house. During full daylight, Lari has seen the thing through the windows of his home.

“A black shadow outside my home appears to be walking from the driveway across the window to the door,” he said. “This is a repeating thing seen in the daytime, by my wife, my seven-year-old granddaughter, my six-year-old grandson and myself.”

Since this scene repeats itself often, Bollinger believes it is a ghost, and not something more dangerous, like the “black mass” family members have reported seeing in their home.

“I have seen (a black mass) only twice and was terrified by it,” he said. “It rose up instantly from the floor to its full height and seemed to be a dark black and cloaked figure that emanated evil and dread.”

Bollinger’s granddaughter told him the night after he saw the first entity in his new house that the house was haunted.

“I dismissed her and her claim quite like my mother had me, not wanting her to see these things,” he said. “She is a determined little girl and told me about what she had seen. She described a black mass that rose up from the floor then disappeared, just as I had seen the night before. She saw the reaction on my face and looked at me and simply said to me, ‘you see Papa, I told you this house is haunted,’ and walked away.”

But ghosts and shadow people, he thinks, are different.


“The last time I have seen a shadow person I awoke like any other day, getting the grandkids up for school,” he said. “We all sleep in same room since we have seen the black mass.”


Bollinger was playing “tickle monster” with his grandson when he felt something was watching them.

“The hallway door was open and my wife was giving my granddaughter a bath in the hall bathroom,” he said. “When I looked up I clearly saw a male shadow that was standing still and watching Nathan Junior and me playing together. I was able to see him for a moment before he walked into the living room.”

The entity was six-feet tall, male and looked almost human.

“It was a complete human form from head to toe,” Bollinger said. “With fully formed legs and feet as well as arms and hands, torso neck and head.”

After seeing these things for decades, Bollinger thinks he knows what they are: shadow people are earthbound spirits, and the black masses are demonic. And he thinks an experience as a youth has shown him a way to protect his family.

“I was 15 and a troubled youth who went to a local counseling center in Manteca, Calif.,” he said. “I went there one day to see if anyone was there, as I was distraught and found the door was open. I spoke to a young woman who told me she had been waiting for me. We talked for about a half hour of my current troubles and woes. When I asked her who she was. She told me she was a guide sent to help me. I felt much better after talking to her.”

Bollinger later went to the senior counselor to comment the woman, and was surprised at what he found.

“The senior counselor told me no one by that description worked there, volunteered there and that the office was closed and locked,” he said. “He was very distraught thinking someone had broken into the office.”

Bollinger and his family stay together now, especially when the light fades and night sweeps over their home.

“I realize now that we are … spiritually oppressed, and possibly demonically oppressed,” he said. “This also creates a full house for us and we have decided to sleep in the same room together to help us to stay strong and not be singled out by these beings. I believe I was warned of this be my visitor at a very young age to help me to defend my family and myself. I have spoke to a person when I was a teenager who told me she was my guide. She was very helpful to me.”

Copyright 2008 by Jason Offutt

Got a scary story? Ever played with a Ouija board, heard voices, seen a ghost, UFO or a creature you couldn’t identify? Let Jason know about it: Jason Offutt c/o The Examiner, 410 S. Liberty, Independence, Mo. 64050, or jasonoffutt@hotmail.com. Your story might make an upcoming installment of “From the Shadows.”

Jason’s book of ghost stories, “Haunted Missouri: A Ghostly Guide to Missouri’s Most Spirited Spots,” is here. Order online at: tsup.truman.edu, www.amazon.com, or visit Jason’s Web site at www.jasonoffutt.com.