MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

"Prisoners | Campfire Stories with MrBallen"

Date: April 3, 2026
Host: John Allen (MrBallen)
Podcast: Ballen Studios

Episode Overview

In this chilling campfire episode, MrBallen recounts the eerie true story of Patricia Dare, a renowned French psychic medium, and her unforgettable encounter with a haunted castle. Called to investigate supernatural activity by its caretakers, Patricia finds herself confronting unexplained footsteps, blood-curdling screams, and—ultimately—the desperate souls of "prisoners" trapped in the castle by a tormented ghostly knight. The episode offers a suspenseful narrative with a harrowing twist, exploring psychic phenomena, historical scars, and the thin line between skepticism and belief.

Key Discussion Points & Story Highlights

Introduction and Setup

[03:33]

• MrBallen sets the tone by returning to a campfire storytelling format, promising a "super creepy" tale with a "plot twist at the very end."
  Quote:

  "Not only is the story itself super creepy, but I'm telling you, the plot twist at the very end—worth sticking around for." — MrBallen [00:09]

The Call to the Haunted Castle

[06:08]

• Patricia Dare, a 57-year-old reporter and self-described psychic medium, receives a cryptic text:
  "The castle wants you. The castle is calling you. Come."
• The text is from Beranger, a woman who months earlier claimed her castle was haunted.
• Initially skeptical—having debunked many supposed hauntings—Patricia decides to investigate since she has the day off.

Meeting the Caretakers: Beranger and Remy

[09:24]

• Patricia arrives at the cottage on the castle grounds, greeted emotionally by Beranger and her husband Remy.
• The couple describe classic haunting experiences:
  • Loud, sprinting footsteps when the castle is empty.
  • Distant voices and horrifying screams.
• Both admit they feel "trapped" and increasingly traumatized by unexplainable events.

Patricia's Impression:

"As Patricia was listening to the couple tell the story, she couldn't help but feel like they were being very honest. They seemed very earnest..." — MrBallen [13:31]

The First Investigation

[15:50]

• The trio walks to the imposing castle; Patricia notes its intimidating facade.
• Inside:
  • The atmosphere is "dark and cold," with a "heavy" feeling.
• Attempt to recreate the haunting sounds by testing the window shutters fails—no rational cause found.

The Screams Begin

[20:15]

• As Patricia attempts to dismiss the supernatural in favor of logic, a sudden, high-pitched shriek echoes from upstairs. Quote (Patricia’s reaction):

  "Wait a minute, that couldn't have been what we thought it was... let's not jump to conclusions here, okay? Let's be rational..." — MrBallen [22:00]

• Moments later, another scream—different voice—terrifies the group.

Patricia’s Psychic Trance

[23:40]

• Patricia experiences a powerful, involuntary pull, as if "the castle was pulling her deeper and deeper inside."
• She insists they open a forbidden, locked room on the third floor ("the one room we're not allowed to go").
• Upon entering, Patricia stands rigid in the center, begins croaking and twitching, and tears stream down her face.
  • Remy and Beranger are most frightened by her, not the castle.

Memorable Scene:

"She began letting out this... awful croaking sound. ...Her mouth is open, her jaw is slack, and this croaking sound is still coming out of her, but clearly she's also weeping." — MrBallen [27:13]

• A loud slam elsewhere in the castle “snaps” Patricia out of her trance. She chases the sound, the couple follows, and they find her in a bathroom, visibly traumatized and staring in horror at "nothing." They force her out of the castle.

What Patricia Saw

[33:11]

• Safely back at the cottage, Patricia explains:
  • In the forbidden room, she saw "a room filled with people... entities, ghosts if you will," each from different eras.
  • Overwhelmed by their sadness and desperation, she felt suffocated.
  • Hearing the slam allowed her to escape their press.
  • In the bathroom, she saw the terrifying ghost of a tall, scarred man in rusted chainmail armor who exuded malice—she believed he wanted to harm her.

Tracing the Evil Presence

[40:14]

• Patricia, Beranger, and Remy research the castle’s history.
• Discover a 14th-century knight named Jean who died defending the castle during the Hundred Years' War.
  • Patricia feels certain the malevolent ghost was Jean.

Escalation: The Castle’s Pull

[45:00]

• As they avoid the castle, Beranger begins feeling an inexplicable urge to return—identical to Patricia's earlier experience.
• A stranger and even a deer are mysteriously drawn to the castle grounds, with the stranger injured in a bizarre accident.
• Beranger calls Patricia, describing the evil presence growing stronger.

The Exorcism

[51:12]

• Patricia returns to the castle for a confrontation.
• In the bathroom, she attempts to “channel” Jean’s spirit:

  "Jean, show yourself!... It's over. You have to move on." — Patricia (relayed by MrBallen) [52:44]

• Upstairs, footsteps, banging, and blissful crying erupt, culminating in the sound of many fleeing the castle.
• Peace returns; Patricia declares the ordeal finished.

The Final Twist

[57:00]

• Patricia later references the summoning text that reignited her involvement.
• Beranger claims she never sent it and hadn’t texted Patricia in months.
• Someone—or something—used her phone.

Memorable Exchange:

"You know, it's a good thing, Beranger, that you texted me again and got me to come back out here... But Beranger said, what do you mean? ...I haven't texted you in months." — Patricia and Beranger, as recounted by MrBallen [58:07]

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• [00:09] — MrBallen:
  "Not only is the story itself super creepy, but I'm telling you the plot twist at the very end. Worth sticking around for."

• [27:13] — Trance Scene:
  "She began letting out this... awful croaking sound... her mouth is open, her jaw is slack, and this croaking sound is still coming out of her, but clearly she's also weeping."

• [52:44] — Exorcism Command:
  "Jean, show yourself!... It's over. You have to move on."

• [58:07] — The Final Mystery:
  "'It's a good thing, Beranger, that you texted me again... But Beranger said, what do you mean? ...I haven't texted you in months.'"

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|--------------------------------------------| | 03:33 | Patricia receives the mysterious text | | 06:08 | Background about Beranger’s haunted castle | | 09:24 | Arrival at the cottage & initial briefing | | 13:31 | Emotional sincerity of the caretakers | | 15:50 | Exploring the castle for rational causes | | 20:15 | First supernatural scream upstairs | | 23:40 | Patricia’s trance & forbidden room | | 27:13 | Croaking & possession scene | | 33:11 | Patricia’s psychic recount in the cottage | | 40:14 | Historical discovery of Jean the Knight | | 45:00 | “Castle pull” phenomena & escalation | | 51:12 | Bathroom exorcism & resolution | | 57:00 | The phone text twist | | 58:07 | Patricia and Beranger—who sent the text? |

Conclusion

MrBallen delivers a classic tale filled with dread, suspense, and a resolution that blurs the line between the rational and the supernatural. The narrative explores belief, trauma, and the persistence of history, punctuated by a true “twist ending” that leaves listeners questioning how thin the veil between worlds might be. For fans of ghost stories and real-life enigmas, this episode is both haunting and deeply compelling.