by Jason Hawes
“Why can’t you talk to me, like you did the first time?” Miranda’s voice, a little louder on the tape. “Why can’t you tell me what you want?”
And then… a second voice. It seemed to creep in, like fog, like smoke.
A whisper barely loud enough to be heard. Lyssa leaned closer. She held her breath.
This is real. I’m not imagining it, she thought. I am listening to the voice of a ghost!
“What?” said Miranda’s voice. “I can’t understand you, Grandma Helen. Say it again. Say it louder this time.”
Again came the ghostly whisper. So soft… as if from far away.
“What’s she saying?” Lyssa cried in frustration. “I can’t make it out.”
That’s when she heard it clearly.
“… Find it!” whispered the ghost.
“Did everyone else hear that?” Lyssa asked. Her voice trembled. She glanced around the room, searching the faces of the others. Everybody nodded.
“Play it again, please, Jen,” Jason said.
“Will do.” Jen nodded.
“Why can’t you talk to me, like you did the first time?” came Miranda’s voice again. “Why won’t you tell me what you want?”
“Find it. Find it. Find it.”
The ghostly whisper seemed to fill the whole room.
At a nod from Jason, Jen turned off the sound.
“Whoa!” Lyssa exclaimed. “That totally gave me goose bumps! That has to be Grandma Helen, right?”
She turned to Grant. “Find it? Does that mean Grandma Helen lost something? What? How will we know?”
“We’ll ask her,” Grant replied. “But I think we’ll need a little extra help.”
“Good idea. I was just about to go there,” Jason said.
“I wish you’d let the rest of us know what you mean,” Mark said.
“I’m thinking of calling in Bethany Lane,” Jason said. “She’s been very helpful in other cases like this.”
“Good call,” Grant replied.
“Who’s Bethany Lane?” Jen asked.
“She’s a sensitive,” Grant explained. “Someone who reaches out to spirits. We’ve worked with her before, and she helped us get some valuable evidence. She would be perfect for this case.”
Jason stood up. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll go call her.”
“Do you really think she can reach Grandma Helen?” Lyssa asked.
Jason raised his hands. He had his fingers crossed on both of them.
A week later, Bethany Lane and Miranda were sitting side by side on Miranda’s bed. Lyssa stood with Jason, Grant, and Miranda’s parents in the doorway.
Lyssa saw why Grant thought Bethany was such a good choice. She was just about the same age as Grandma Helen. And it was clear that Miranda liked her right away.
Bethany had a good sense of humor. She was wearing a T-shirt with the letters O I C U on it. Even Miranda thought that was funny.
“Okay,” Bethany said. “Everybody understands what I’m about to do, right?” Bethany looked down at Miranda. “How about you, Miranda? Do you understand?”
“Of course I do,” Miranda answered in her direct way. “You’re going to try to talk to Grandma Helen.”
“That’s right. I am.” Bethany nodded. “And I’m going to try to help her talk to you. I’m going to start by making a noise with these two stones.”
She lifted a pair of shiny gray stones from her lap. They were egg shaped and fit inside her palms.
“The sound the stones make will change the energy in the room,” Bethany explained. “This makes it easier for some spirits to talk to us. I’m hoping they will help Grandma Helen.”
She glanced around the room. “If everybody is ready, I’ll begin.”
“We’re ready,” Miranda’s father said. “Go ahead.”
Bethany stretched her arms out in front of her. Then she made a quick move and banged the two stones together. She made it look as if she was clashing a pair of cymbals together.
Clack. The stones connected with a sharp sound. Bethany struck the stones together twice more. Clack. Clack. After the third strike, she called out in a loud voice:
“I’m trying to reach the spirit of Helen Johnston. If you’re in this room, will you give us a sign?”
Lyssa shivered. The room suddenly felt cold. As if a strong breeze had blown in.
Temperature drop!
Bethany asked for a sign—and Helen gave her one. A temperature drop can mean a spirit has come near.
Lyssa shivered. Her skin tingled. Would this work? Were they really going to talk to Grandma Helen?
Was she in the room with them right now?
Lyssa turned to Miranda. She was sitting perfectly still at Bethany’s side. Her blue eyes darted around the room.
Lyssa knew she was looking for Grandma Helen.
“Thank you, Helen,” Bethany said. “We’re all very glad you decided to join us. I’m going to tell you the truth, Helen. We need your help. We know there’s something you want us to do. There is something you need before you can rest.”
Bethany paused. The room was silent. Lyssa could hear the wind outside the bedroom window. Bethany spoke again. “Can you tell us what it is, Helen? Can you help us help you?”
Without warning, Miranda uttered a groan. She turned her head quickly from side to side, as if searching for something.
Mrs. Johnston stepped toward her. “Miranda, baby…” she began.
“Mommy! Stop talking!” Miranda cried. “I don’t want to listen to you. I want to listen to Grandma Helen.”
Mrs. Johnston pressed her hands against her mouth. Her eyes were huge with fear. She took her husband’s hand and held on to it tightly.
Suddenly Miranda shot off the bed as though she had been pushed from behind.
“I’m going,” she cried. “I’m going.”
Miranda dashed out into the hall. She raced down the stairs. Lyssa and Bethany were right behind her. Miranda’s parents came next, with Jason and Grant last of all.
THWACK!
Miranda hit the swinging door between the dining room and kitchen with both hands. It crashed back against the kitchen counter. She kept right on going.
At the far end of the room, Miranda came to a stop in front of another door. Lyssa and Bethany stepped up behind her.
Miranda pointed to the door. Then she looked up at Lyssa and took her by the hand. Her fingers were ice cold.
“The basement. We have to go down there.”
Lyssa reached out and opened the door. In front of her stretched a steep flight of wooden stairs.
Miranda started forward. She moved so quickly, Lyssa almost tumbled into the stairwell.
Lyssa tightened her hold on Miranda’s hand. She made her stop on the top step.
“Wait a minute, Miranda,” she said. “I can’t see where I’m going.”
But Miranda pulled forward with surprising strength. It’s almost as if she’s being pulled down there, Lyssa thought with a chill of fear.
“There’s a light switch on the wall to your left,” Mrs. Johnston called from the kitchen.
With her free hand, Lyssa fumbled for the light switch.
Miranda tugged. “Come on, Lyssa,” she said. “Come on.” Lyssa’s fingers finally found the switch. She flipped it and the lights came on.
Miranda yanked so hard on her hand that Lyssa had to grab the banister to keep from falling. She let the little girl drag her down the stairs. Everyone else followed with their feet clattering against the wood. Halfway across the basement, Miranda stopped. She sagged against Lyssa’s legs as if she was all worn out.
“She’s gone,” Miranda whimpered. “Grandma Helen is gone.”
“Wait.” Grant came quickly down the stairs. He pointed to some cardboard boxes on the floor at Miranda’s feet. “What’s in those boxes?” he asked.
Mr. Johnston answered, “Nothing much. Just some stuff I’ve been meaning to throw out.”
“Could any of the items
in the boxes be Helen’s?” Jason picked up on Grant’s thought.
“Let me see,” Miranda’s father said. He lifted a flap on one of the boxes. “Yes, I think some of this was my mother’s.”
“Do you think what she’s looking for is in there?” Lyssa asked.
“Let’s look, Daddy,” Miranda said.
After nearly an hour of searching, Miranda and her dad found several things that belonged to Grandma Helen. But nothing that seemed valuable or important.
Then Miranda’s dad reached way down deep into one of the boxes and found an old cigar box. “I think this may be what my mother is looking for,” he said. He cradled the box in his hands.
“I remember seeing this box when I was a little boy,” Mr. Johnston continued. “I think it belonged to my father. You see, I never knew my father. He died right after I was born. My mom never married again. She wore her wedding ring until the day she died.”
He let out a whoosh of air. “But she used to talk about another ring. She said it wasn’t very valuable. Dad won it in a game at a carnival. But Mom always had a soft spot for that ring. It was my father’s first gift to her.
“Maybe that ring is what she wants,” he said. “I think it’s in this box.”
“Open it, Daddy,” Miranda said. Her eyes were bright and shining.
Carefully, Mr. Johnston lifted the top of the cigar box. He flipped back the lid.
“Let me see,” Miranda demanded. “Is it there? Are you right?”
“It’s there,” her father said. Lyssa saw that he had tears in his eyes. Mrs. Johnston went to stand beside her family. Mr. Johnston took the ring out of the box and held it up. The tiny stone flashed, just once, as it caught the basement light.
“It’s beautiful,” Mrs. Johnston said softly. “But I think your mom was wrong about one thing. That ring is valuable.”
“Yes, you’re right.” Mr. Johnston put an arm around his wife’s shoulders. Miranda stood between them, leaning against her parents’ legs. “It’s valuable to Mom. So valuable she didn’t want to leave it behind.”
“So what do we do now?” Mrs. Johnston asked.
“Well,” Mr. Johnston answered, “I have an idea.”
When he told everyone what it was, Miranda smiled.
Two days later, Lyssa stood in a graveyard.
The entire TAPS team, including Bethany Lane, joined the Johnston family at Helen Johnston’s graveside.
Grandma Helen’s grave was underneath a big maple tree. The tree’s leaves rustled in the late-afternoon breeze.
It’s pretty here, Lyssa thought. Peaceful.
“I’m glad you convinced the caretaker to let you do this,” Bethany said.
“I’m glad too,” said Mr. Johnston. “This feels right, somehow.”
“Things still quiet at home?” Lyssa asked him.
Mr. Johnston nodded. “Things have been quiet ever since we found the ring. I’m certain this is what my mother has been looking for.”
He turned to Miranda. “All set, sweetheart?”
Miranda nodded.
“Then let’s do this,” her father said.
He and Miranda got down on their hands and knees. At the base of Helen’s headstone was a hole about the size of a quarter. Not very big around, but deep.
The Johnston family wanted to give the ring back to Grandma Helen.
Mr. Johnston placed the cigar box beside his mother’s gravestone. He opened the box and let Miranda take out the ring. It was wrapped in sparkly pink tissue paper.
“Go ahead, honey,” Mr. Johnston said.
Biting her lower lip in concentration, Miranda leaned over and dropped the ring into the hole.
“There you go, Grandma Helen. We’re giving you your ring,” she said. “Now you can rest.”
“Yes. Rest in peace,” Lyssa said.
The GHOST HUNT Guide
by
Jason Hawes and
Grant Wilson
Introduction
Have you ever walked down a dark hallway all alone but had the feeling that someone was there with you? Someone you couldn’t see? Have you heard voices in the night coming from your own closet? Or have you seen something you can’t explain—a flash of light or a shadow that comes from nowhere?
If you’ve had experiences like these or if you are interested in finding out for yourself if the paranormal is real…
THIS GHOST HUNT GUIDE IS FOR YOU.
The Ghost Hunt Guide has tons of information and tips that we have picked up in our T.A.P.S. investigations. The Guide shares our best advice and our methods, and it explains the tools we use. You can be a ghost hunter, too! It doesn’t always take the high-tech gadgets that we use on television.
Are you ready to find out how? As we always say: Let’s rock and roll!
—JASON HAWES AND GRANT WILSON
THE T.A.P.S METHOD
The very first thing we do before any investigation is to get permission from the person who owns the house or location. You should also get permission from your parent or guardian before any Ghost Hunt, so they can make sure the place is safe for you to investigate in the dark.
They call us Ghost Hunters, but eight times out of ten, we don’t find ghosts. Most of the time we find logical reasons for the strange sounds and unusual sightings people report. And that’s fine with us.
Of course, it is exciting when we do find evidence of the paranormal. How do we do it? We have a secret method. When we investigate a site, we try to prove that the place is NOT haunted. We try to find logical reasons for the spooky things people tell us about the house we’re investigating.
If someone feels a cold draft in a room without a window, we look for a loose wall panel that lets the cold air in.
If someone reports banging in the night, we examine the pipes. Old pipes often make banging sounds.
We call these reports of noises and visions the claims. And when we can prove that the claims are not paranormal, we say we have debunked the claims.
We always start out by trying to debunk the claims. We want to be absolutely sure that we have looked at every logical explanation. Then we can say that something paranormal is going on. We want to be scientific and examine the evidence. As Jason once said:
“If you set out to prove a haunting, anything will seem like evidence. If you set out to disprove it, you’ll end up with only those things you can’t explain away.”
Every T.A.P.S. investigation follows the same steps:
1. The Interview
2. The Sweep
3. Setting up the Command Center and the Equipment
4. Collecting Evidence
5. Research
6. Analyzing the Evidence
7. Conclusions
Follow us, and we’ll take you through it step by step.
STEP 1: THE INTERVIEW
Your friend Dana says she and her sister, Jen, hear sounds at night. And sometimes when Dana wakes up, some of the objects in her room have been moved. Great! You’re ready to investigate her house, right? No, not yet.
First you have to get more information about what she has seen and heard. You have to find out more about the claims, and we do this by asking a lot of questions. You have to get the complete story. This is what we call the interview.
Here are some of the questions you might want to ask Dana and Jen:
• When was the first time you heard these sounds?
• Where exactly were you?
• What did you hear?
• Did you both hear the same thing?
• Did you recognize any words?
• What did you do?
• Did you call anyone else into the room?
• Did they hear anything?
• Did it sound like a human voice?
• Did the voice sound like a man or a woman? Or did it sound like a child?
• Did you talk to the spirit? What did you say?
• Did it react to anything you said or did?
•
When did you first notice that an object in your room was moved?
• What was it?
• Does this happen every night?
• Are the same objects moved? Or do they change?
• Have you seen anything in the room? What did it look like?
• Where exactly did you see it?
• Have there been any sounds or sightings in other parts of the house? Where?
The answers to these questions will tell you where to begin your investigation. They will tell you where the “hot spots” are—in other words, the places where spooky stuff happened.
If all the activity has been in Dana’s room, you will look over that room carefully. Later, that’s where you’ll want to put your cameras and recorders.
Sometimes the interview gives you a clue about why the spirit is there. Remember the Grandma Helen case? Miranda told us that her grandmother wanted something, and she was right.
Sometimes you can find a logical explanation of what is really happening. We once interviewed a woman who was seeing frightening dark shadows. In the interview we found that the woman was taking a new medicine. It turned out that the medicine was causing her see the dark shadows. We were able to make her feel better—not only by proving that her house wasn’t haunted but also by having her medicine changed. That case was a win!
Interviews can be very helpful for finding out if someone is not telling the truth. If you keep asking fact questions—like the ones in the list on the last page—and the answers keep changing, someone may be trying to trick you. Hey, it happens to all of us.