A few years ago, VVF and I decided it was time to bind a motherfucker. Someone else had asked us for help with it, and we were pretty much okay with that. The person had been messing with a family member of our's recently, and we wanted some peace prior to an up-coming court-date that would settle the problem.
So we broke out the Psalms, the dancing, and the poppet. And that motherfucker became more-or-less successfully bound at the time of our choosing. It was probably not the greatest use of the technique, though. We didn't mask the link, and so when the poppet went off and forced the motherfucker to be silent... He knew he'd been worked on. And promptly hired a sorceress, who promptly sent a spirit down that link.
Where it found us. On vacation. It began slowly; one of VVF's runes went missing. We had trouble sleeping. In fact, the first night, two spirits I'd worked with heavily for years and told me that something bad was going to happen if I didn't take immediate action. Being a complete idiot, I ignored the instructions.
I babbled about demons the whole weekend, not even realizing it. Both VVF and I felt “out of step with time.”
We left where we were staying – with Valentine – and headed to the train station. Which is precisely when the shit hit the fan. VVF became very sick, very rapidly as the spirit began vamping the fuck out of her. At this point, there was no doubting what was going on. I could feel it buzzing around and befouling the atmosphere.
The train was four hours late. Once we got on board, mechanical problems ensued. It took another two hours to leave. Halfway home, we had to switch from the train to to a bus for the last length of the journey. Again, mechanical problems ensued. Despite having been working when it arrived, the engine simply wouldn't start. VVF was in and out of consciousness at this point, mostly uttering groans. Everyone around us was getting angry. It was becoming harder to concentrate.
I was, too. I summoned all the rage I had, and used it to shape a thoughtform on the spot. I shoved the thoughtform into engine, and focused all of my willpower on commanding it to start the goddamn engine. It started. We were heading home.
Almost 38 hours later, we finally got home. Upon entering our warded home, and falling the fuck asleep (I had probably been awake for something like 48 hours at that point), the spirit bounced off us and headed directly down initiatory lines to the people who had initiated us. One of them beat the crap out of it, and I awakened the next day to discover about half the people we were magically involved with discussing the problem.
I immediately worked on renewing the wards, performing divination, and consulting oracles. Upon the last discussion I had with the first spirit that had warned me of up-coming trouble, I discovered precisely what had happened, who was involved, and consulted the individuals who were at this point pretty much ready to nuke the fool.
Instead I called him, and scared him shitless. The motherfucker all but admitted he'd done it, enraging me further, and after being shouted at for about three minutes agreed to take care of the problem... Which was at this point about to spill out into all-out magical warfare. Honestly, if he hadn't told me that the problem was going to be solved within 24-hours, even with the spirit pretty much out of the picture, I would simply have begun nuking him for pissing me off so consistently. But it just didn't seem... necessary.
24 hours later, he woke me up to tell me that the entire situation had been fixed. All of the crap generated at that point simply resolved itself; those who had become sick, stopped being so. Almost car-accidents, which had occurred simultaneous to our problem's several cities away, ceased.
Since then, I haven't found myself even remotely facing such terrible odds. But if you really want to become convinced that spirits are real, and can effect your surroundings?
Just get cursed. Without any of your tools, and without most of your allies, while on vacation.
I promise: you'll have a good reason to re-think your thoughts on what spirits – from the most obnoxious of the restless dead, to spirits of nature, to Gods – can do and affect.
I've had plenty of other experiences, many far more enlightening. But I wouldn't wish that shit on anyone, and I take care when deciding to bind or even curse a person. Because, quite simply, I know precisely what it feels like.
And it fucking blows.
Jack.