The Tickler

Our last anecdote is completely comprised from notes acquired by an acquaintance – a former private investigator that shall go unnamed. 

A private investigator makes for a valuable friend and an even more valuable storyteller - he is retired and most of the concerned parties are long since dead, the names and specific locations removed. 

Figure 6.1 - ____ ______ Mental Hospital staff examine the x-ray of a diseased brain

This was his strangest case, and he even provided a rather charming picture I think we all will enjoy.


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The Tickler


February 13, ____

Client, N. _____, is 65 year old female, believes her mother is being abused in _____ _____ Rest Home in ___________, _______. The mother, C. _____, is 92 years old.

Wounds, lesions are consistent with active abuse, not neglect. Bruises and broken skin indicate physical attack. Making telephone inquiry at _____ _____ Rest Home.


February 14, ____

_____ _____ rest home denies neglect, cleared by ___________ Police Department; three calls already by concerned relatives; further action and inquiry determined no wrongdoing on part of employees or staff


February 17, ____

Visit _____ _____ rest home. Staff not willing to interview, interview patients C. ______, J. ______, & client’s mother C. _____.

C. ______, male, 85, reports no wrongdoing on part of staff and no abuse.

J. ______, female, 90, reports a man entering her room at night, white male with 13 fingers. dementia possible, also non-employee intruder

C. _____, female, 92, reports white male intruder, roughly tickling and touching her body at night. Non-employee intruder likely, will inform _____ _____ nursing home and client N. _____.

Matter for ___________ Police Department.  Bill client $___.29.


March 8th, ____

Contacted by former client N. _____. Abuse continues at _____ _____ nursing home, no sign of non-employee intruder. Further inquiry necessary


March 20th, ____

Active surveillance of location, no sign of non-employee perp. Abuse continues. Mass hysteria likely. A fifth of rye receipt from Rodeo Clown Liquor, bill client $__.99 for expenditure.


March 21st, ____
Interview M. ______, 78, male

          H. _______, 93, female

          D. ________, 27, female, employee

M. ______, 78, reports abuse from white male visitor at night, non-staff, tickles roughly. Perp now known as “the tickler” amongst staff and patients

H. _______, 93, reports abuse nightly from white male, non-staff, that tickles roughly. Hysteria spreading

D. ________, 27, employee nurse, has seen physical abrasions and bruises, cannot account for it other than self inflicted.

“tickler” is mass hysteria, self inflicted condition, patients abusing selves. No patients have or were been quarantined at any time, all “infected” by “tickler hysteria”

Informing client, N. _____, of tickler hysteria. Client billed for $___.98.

Figure 6.2 - An illustration from The Defective Delinquent and Insane

April 12, ____

Call from previous client, N. _____ about “tickler hysteria”. Further inquiry at _____ _____ rest home.


April 14, ____

Interview D. ________, 27, female employee

          J. _________, 92, female, client mother

          F. _________, 84 female

D. ________, 27, says patient self abuse worsening, psychological therapy not helping
 
J. _________, 92 client mother, still visited nightly by “tickler”, visibly shaken and bruised

F. _________, 84 abrasions and scuff marks, visible bruises

Will inform client N. _______ of findings, further evidence of tickler hysteria, client billed $___.37.
 

April 15, ____

Hallucination/nightmare of a pale man with tentacle-like fingers in my room last night. Research indicates “Sleep paralysis”


April 16, ____

Visit _____ _____ nursing home. Patients becoming unwilling to talk about “Tickler”

Interviewed V. ______, 87. Says “Tickler” is not hysteria but evil spirit

Surveillance still failing to show employee/non-employee perp
 

April 17, ____

Awoke repeatedly throughout night with rough “tickling” sensation. Scheduling an appt. with a Dr. ___ ______


April 19, ____

Seem to be infected by “tickler hysteria”, visited again by white male hallucination at night that attacked, tickled roughly. Appt.  Dr. ___ ______ at 12:30 pm tomorrow. 


April 20, ____

Confirmed “sleep paralysis”. “tickler” visited again last night, leaving visible bruises. Infected. Billed $_,___.39.


April 24th, ____
White male hallucination, visiting nightly, I am now sleeping with loaded 12ga. do not seem to be self inflicting own bruises/wounds. Leaving flour around bed at night w/o footprints


April 25th, ____

Visited _____ _____ nursing home. Interview

     D. ________, 27 female employee

     J. _______, 92, former client mother

     And drove to different nursing home, ______ _____

     K. _______, 87 female

D. ________, 27 now experiencing “Tickler” hysteria, visited nightly by rough tickling man

J. _______, 92, still tickled nightly by “Tickler”

K. ________, 87, patient of ______ _____ nursing home, “Tickler is spreading, common link indicated by D. ________ who told fellow nurse of “tickler”)


April 26th, ____

no signs of forced entry in spite of nightly harassment. Have been prescribed the antipsychotic medication _________. Billed $___.72.


April 28th, _____

Interviewed V. ________, 88. Says “Tickler” is not hysteria but a “lulu” that first visited her as a child after her mother died and her alcoholic father quit leaving a hallway light on at night


May 4th, ____

Seeking help, receiving art therapy at ____ ______ Mental Hospital for “paranoid psychosis”. Tickler visits every night. “Tickler” is infectious, spreads by word of mouth. Documents and images of “tickler” should be destroyed

Figure 6.3 - Unfortunately, at the present time he has only supplied this grainy cell phone picture of his artwork for "The Tickler". A full scan should be forthcoming.

June 16, ____

Prescribed heavier doses of _________



October 22, ____

_______________________________________________
 

December 25, ____

Christmas time and he says if bed bugs like to bite then he likes to tickle and likes to fright  

Figure 6.4 - An enlarged version of the original cell phone picture

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And there you have it. A rather interesting tale of mass hysteria and insanity, and our friend the private investigator has been to some extent mad for some number of years ever since his Tickler encounter and subsequent release from a group home for paranoid schizophrenics. 

He was and is an eccentric and tormented figure, a middle-aged diabetic now managing a certain all night fast food chain location - he refuses to work anything other than the night shift and refuses to sleep anytime other than between sunrise and sunset. A sad sort of character, but I myself have been plagued by some rather unusual nightmares lately...