You might think that I shouldn't be surprised by anything that happens at my house anymore. You might think that I should be "used to" our ghosts by now. And you might even think that us allowing the house to be investigated again was completely frivolous. So let me explain.
The initial investigation last fall was just that- an initial investigation, the purpose of which is to establish whether or not there is activity at a certain location. We got that established pretty quickly the first time around- within the first half hour. Subsequent investigations delve into the whos, the whys, and the wheres; and those are the questions that have been driving me crazy.
So last night, we shipped the kids and the dogs off for the evening, went out to dinner, and then came home to get ready for the ghost hunters. While the house has to be as empty as possible, I did invite one friend over during the investigation- just about the only friend I have that I knew for sure wouldn't get scared and freak out. Don't get me wrong, she got scared- she just didn't freak out.
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| The Hubs and I getting ready for the ghost hunters to arrive. |
My biggest misstep of the evening was my plan to livestream a video chat during the investigation. I was able to get the video feed up and running, but there was no sound. The harder I tried to fix it, the worse it got. Video started going in and out, then cut out altogether. Then the internet itself started acting up. If I didn't know better, I'd say our ghost friends didn't want to be broadcast to the world.
It was just as well, though. It was dark, we had to be quiet, and a lot of what happened wouldn't have translated well over webcam. Unlike the first investigation, there was no radio station crew this time. Unlike the first investigation, where we had three teams of investigators, there was only one, Marter Paranormal. There were six people- three who were here for the first investigation, and three whom I'd never met. They arrived around 8 pm and started bringing in cases full of equipment.
One of the new investigators, as it turns out, is also an ordained priest. So before the investigation started, he performed a sort of ritual just outside the back door. He lit a candle to be "the light," a symbol of the Lord that is meant to attract spirits. He poured a glass of rum and lit a cigar as gifts for the spirits from their "former lives," almost as a reward for cooperating during the investigation. He left a glass of water out for the spirits to quench their thirst. (I guess I never realized spirits got thirsty.) And he left a strange looking tiki/voodoo head statue, for what reason I honestly don't know. The items sat outside for the duration of the investigation.
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| A strange ritual.... |
Cameras and static detectors and motion detectors and all sorts of Ghostbusters-looking devices were placed methodically around the house. And then the investigation began. Joe, the investigator that picked up the voice of the little boy in the chicken coop during the first investigation, was anxious to get back outside. Three investigators started in the master bedroom, where several EVPs were recorded last time. The other two started upstairs. Because we weren't broadcasting live over the radio or the internet, The Hubs, my friend and I decided to get a little liquored up to calm our nerves. It definitely added a fun element to an already crazy evening.
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| The lights are off, the drinks are poured, and the investigation is underway. This is a shot of the master bedroom with the door closed while investigators were inside. |
Unlike the first investigation, during which we had the opportunity to listen to EVPs and review evidence on the spot, the investigators were pretty tight lipped about what they found. It's the company's policy to review all evidence before reporting any of their findings, which usually takes about three weeks. But we were able to catch little bits and pieces of what was going on here and there.
One investigator claimed to have had an entire conversation with a little boy in the master bedroom, who he called Bobby (not sure if it was because of the story I told them about Bobby, or if the spirit somehow confirmed for the investigators that that was his name.) Joe was able to obtain several "pieces of evidence" in the chicken coop again. And it sounded as though a team of investigators caught something on video in the master bedroom while talking to "Bobby," although I have no clue what.
One of the pieces of equipment the investigators brought this time that they didn't have last time was an EMF detector along with a short wave radio, the idea being that if they were able to pick up a freestanding EMF, or electro magnetic field, (essentially a spirit in physical form), they could use the short wave radio to pick up its frequency, and the spirit could communicate with them through that. One of the investigators was using the equipment upstairs, and we were able to hear him talking to "something" and that something talking back. It was reaaallly creepy. We later found out that after investigating upstairs for a short while, he detected a freestanding EMF and began talking to it. When he asked it where it had been hiding all night, it said "bathroom."
Pictures were taken, notes were written down, data was collected. We drank our margaritas and beer, sneaked around and listened outside of closed doors, and tried in vain to pick up any information we could from the conversations the investigators had amongst themselves. It was a crazy, scary, fun night. Unlike anything else.
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| We ain't 'fraid of no ghosts! |
While most of the investigators were packing up and getting ready to leave, the ghost hunter/minister (who is also a Navy veteran and an avid biker) went downstairs to talk to the "grumpy old man" everyone had been referring to all night. He came back up after a few minutes and announced that the old man isn't grumpy, he just wants me to clean up the basement. (Which....not happening. Even if our basement weren't haunted, it's still scary and gross and I never go down there.)
Before the investigators left, the minister blessed the house, blessed The Hubs and me, and then brought in the candle that had been sitting outside all night. It's still burning, and will continue to burn for several days. It is meant to be comforting to the spirits and to help protect our home.
The night following the first investigation was awful. I didn't sleep and kept hearing noises and kept feeling like things were touching me. I woke up the following morning violently ill, and was sick the whole day. I was so worried about it happening again this time, I almost didn't sleep at home last night.
But I was too tired to leave. So I drank a tall glass of water, took a couple ibuprofen and took one of my anti-anxiety pills (yes, they're prescribed....I don't self medicate) that has the added bonus of making me sleepy. I left all the lights on, turned on the TV, and fell asleep on the couch. (Our living room is part of the addition, not part of the original house. So I've convinced myself that it's less haunted than the rest of the house.)
Until I fell asleep, I heard noises. Lots of them. But once I fell asleep, I slept HARD. And I woke up with a headache, but that's it. I suspect the headache was more because of the tequila than anything else. I spent the majority of the day home alone. I wasn't scared. Nothing happened. Okay....that's not entirely true. Maybe the doorbell rang around 3:00 and maybe there was no one at the door when I went to check. But that's it.
So now we wait. For how long? About three weeks, according to the investigators. Sit tight, all. I know I will.
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