“Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night?
“Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic?
“Have you or your family ever seen a spook, specter or ghost?
“If the answer is ‘yes,’ then don’t wait another minute. Pick up the phone and call the professionals …”
- “Ghostbusters”
There will be tears tonight. There will be voices in the cemetery — a child’s laughter, a whispered threat.
On a cool, damp night in Longview, paranormal investigator Misty Richardson says she will not fear the spirits whom she will encounter during research of a local burial ground.
Above & Beyond Paranormal investigators. Photo by Kevin Green
“Me, what I believe is that I have the Lord with me,” she says. “We say a prayer and feel that He protects us. Some of them do try to possess you, so you have to do it with a clear head. If you act relaxed and peaceful, you don’t have anything to worry about.”
If you give in to panic, on the other hand, you become vulnerable. You must not panic.
Otherwise, “something can actually attach to you, and you can take it home,” she says. “It’s very, very rare, but it has happened.”
Richardson knows. She’s one of a handful of local investigators who form Above & Beyond Paranormal, a research team that is registered and open for business in Gregg County.
“We’re here to prove there is life after death here,” Richardson said. “Basically, we ghost hunt. Anybody that allows us to either go in their homes or cemeteries, we’ll go in overnight. We’ll investigate by pictures, videos, voice recordings. It’s actually pretty neat.”
They ain’t afraid of no ghosts. But tonight that’s about to change. Continue reading →
