SWEEPSTAKES: Win a Trip to Rock in Rio Music Festival in Las Vegas

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We do a lot of hanging out in haunted houses, but never does it feel like a vacation. As you may imagine, this opportunity feels like a breath of fresh air. One house in particular – The Rocking Chair House in Las Vegas, Nevada – is the site of a particularly creepy haunting and potentially your home for a weekend during Rock in Rio Music Festival the weekend of May 15.

Legend has it that a few years ago, an old lady named Rita McGill lived and died in this place. She lived a long life – she was 91 when she passed – but it seems like her energy, her soul or something else is still active. It’s said that she still goes about her daily routine and doesn’t take kindly to uninvited visitors messing with that.

Oddities in the house include, but are not limited to, Rita’s rocking chair perpetually rocking throughout the night and coffee cups remaining hot indefinitely. Some of the creepiest stuff comes from past guests who claim they have woken up to find themselves tucked so tightly into bed that it felt like someone was trying to suffocate them. Sounds to me like Rita is still kickin’ and she’s not a fan of outsiders. But hey, you tell us…if you’re the lucky winner of the Las Vegas sweepstakes.

Las Vegas is just one of three opportunities you have to explore haunted houses all over the country. Brooklyn, you’re up next, and who knows where the third destination will be? At each stop, one lucky winner and their guest will win a flyaway trip to one of this summer’s hottest music festivals as well as two nights of haunted housing and transportation. Bed-wetting prevention costs not included.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Take a picture and/or record a video showing us how you would react if you came face to face with an insidious entity.
2. Post it to Twitter, Instagram or Vine, and hashtag your post #InsidiousScareDare.
3. Grab a friend who has no problem cleaning your, and their own, soiled pants.

Whether you’d be totally terrified (that’d probably be Tucker) or a true hero (me, of course), we want to see those faces. For more submissions, check these out. Good luck! .

-Specs

Future Hauntings

GOOD EVENING SPECTRAL SIGHTSEERS!

Fresh off the cutting room floor - I present to you a teaser trailer for our upcoming web series - Spectral Sightings! It took us about 6 hours to figure out how to get the audio track synced with the video (mostly Tucker’s fault) but we’ll get the hang of this video editing thing soon enough. Enjoy!

-Specs

Spectral Musings!

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GREETINGS SPECTRAL SIGHTSEERS!

A lot of you have been asking about a typical day in the life of Specs & Tucker. Let me tell you, in this line of work, there is no such thing as a typical day. To achieve our level of ghost-hunting greatness, you need a perfectly honed set of skills and careful preparation.

While we won’t give away ALL of our secrets - this will be a journey into our latest spectral stakeout (location is still classified pending legal issues surrounding “trespassing” and “breaking and entering” allegations .. don’t worry, we’ll win).

1200 Hours - Wake up early to get a jumpstart on the day.

There’s nothing I hate more than waking up at the crack of noon, but when duty calls, we must act with the swiftness and agility of a gazelle. You can see Tucker is awakening with the swiftness and agility of a tranquilized grizzly bear. Don’t let the grogginess fool you, when he has had his Grande ÜberMocha Crack-a-Chino, he is a force to be reckoned with.

1400 Hours - Prepare the Spectral Utility Van

Every master craftsman has a toolbox - ours is on four wheels and is ready to chase down any paranormal activity at a staggering 13 MPGs.

I know this might look like your standard VHS / DVD combo, but this section of the van has been tricked out to automatically record anything captured by our cameras or microphones throughout the entire stakeout. It’s almost like we don’t even need to be there. We could be out getting more supplies. Strawberry frosted supplies .. with sprinkles..

2100 Hours - The Stakeout Commences

Our client had told us that she had been hearing strange noises coming from her bedroom (which apparently had been the location of a brutal murder-suicide generations ago). It was time to gear up and exercise some demons.

You can see Tucker preparing to wield the Sound-Capturer-Audio-Reader-Extravaganza (SCARE for short). Once all of our gear is in place, we begin the arduous process of waiting for the activity to occur. This is why we keep stocked with top notch brain-food to keep our wits quick and our trigger fingers quicker.

2338 Hours - First Signs of Activity

The SCARE started going berserk at exactly 11:38 - the same time that the murder-suicide was said to occur. Coincidence? Yeah, I think you know the answer to that question.

Obviously Tucker is no where to be found, so I go to investigate. I’ve got the Ghoul Detector 5000 in one hand and this camera with night vision attachment in the other. Tucker had the Yasiya 2.0 so here I am with the wrong capturing equipment. Oh well, I made due.

0145 Hours - Day 2 - Proof of Paranormal? You decide.

Even though I didn’t have my Yasiya 2.0, I still found a way snap this shot. I was turning the corner through the dungeon door leading down into the basement. As soon as I entered the room I felt the presence of another. As my hair stood up on the back of my neck, I heard a series of cacophonous screams so petrifying that I almost passed out. Luckily my spectral training taught me to focus on my breathing and trudge onward.

It was at that moment that I felt a hand on my shoulder, I whip around and snap this shot with my camera as the Ghoul Detector needles skyrocket into the danger zone. Unfortunately, Tucker flipped the lights on right after the entity managed to slip through a crack in the wall.

I asked him where he was, he said he was “getting readings in the van” - he was probably catching some Z’s. Maybe we shouldn’t take jobs that force us to wake up so early.

-Specs

Coincidence? I Think Not: Bedroom Investigations Crank Up Suspicion of Ghosts

What a creepy little moment in an otherwise normal day. On a routine investigation into a potentially afflicted residence, we opened the bedroom door to find obvious entity involvement. At Spectral Sightings, our policy says we must first survey the scene. Let’s see…

1. The silk gown hanging from the wall seems oddly placed to me. I’m guessing granny didn’t put it there herself as there’s a closet right inside the doorway. But what would a ghost want with an old nightgown? Hmm…

2. Those books look oddly stacked (if you can call it that) in the corner. Not to mention the shreds of paper all over the floor. Very peculiar…it’s like whatever was in this room didn’t want someone to read whatever was in one of those books. Putting those scraps of paper together would take forever. Maybe the destroyed book’s cover is around here somewhere.

3. Don’t most rocking horses have pieces bolted to the hooves so they can actually rock back and forth? The blue-gray horse in the crib seems to have been ripped from its frame and hastily thrown aside. This tells me the scene here is no coincidence. It appears personal.

4. It’s odd that there’s one drawer missing from that chest sitting in the rocking chair, but whatever was in here was clearly looking for something specific. Maybe it found it, maybe it didn’t and ransacked the place. One thing’s for sure, though – that entity was on a mission.

5. I’ve never seen a mannequin without arms. This looks plain creepy to me, and I don’t like it one bit. The creepier bit is the mystery of where the arms went. They’re not in the room, so someone/thing took them for one reason or another. Your guess is as good as mine.

My guess is we have more work to do. Whatever did this is still out there, and to be honest, we have no idea where – and that’s the creepiest part of all. However, at the end of the day, we’re professionals and we’ll find this thing.

Gear Specs With Specs: Yasiya 2.0

An homage to my mentor in Spectral Sightings, this is a device I’m really proud of for a couple reasons. First off, this may be the most effective piece of equipment we use as it serves multiple purposes – audio, visual and communicative efforts are all wired through this device and it easily alerts both of us when we’re on the job. More on that in a bit. Second, the whole thing was built from old electronics I’ve either inherited or bought second-hand, so I have to pat myself on the back for constructions sake. It may not look like much, but looks are so deceiving with the Yasiya.

1. Customized Mamiya C33

The component on the left is an adapted Mamiya C33 – an old medium-format camera my father gave me. I think it was originally made in the ‘60s or something, but it’s best for close-up images. However, it’s been modified so it not only records video, but we ripped out part of its guts to create a new storage and sensor system so it can save files directly to a card. It also works with the middle device to transmit a signal to our headsets that alerts us when apparitions are in the vicinity. This comes in extra handy when we’re on the job and don’t happen to see the apparition ourselves and need to be alerted of its presence.

2. Standard Audio Transmitter

The machine in the middle is a standard audio transmitter, which pretty much just relays messages to us both. Super simple. No modifications made here. The eight dials are for different mics we can sync to the Yasiya in order to bug an entire location. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – this thing saves lives.

3. Yashica Super-8 with Special Edition Film

On the right, we have an old Yashica Super-8 film camera. Also found in my father’s closet – okay, maybe he didn’t exactly gift us these – this is a camera of nearly equal age and similar function. Where digital misses, this thing does not. It’s been reconfigured to shoot a special kind of film that has similar properties to an x-ray machine. While on a mission, this film determines the composition of its subject –whether an apparition or not – and, when we’re back in the lab, we can tell what it was and further investigate. So far, it hasn’t found anything conclusive, but we’re not about to let that stop us.

Typically, the Yasiya is mounted in a central location of the place we’re working and pointed in the direction our client believes to be haunted. Sometimes they’re off, though, which makes our job difficult and sometimes the Yassie (sweet nickname, huh?) misses the apparition entirely. I swear I’ve seen them, but our cameras haven’t captured it…yet. Stay tuned as we’ll be sure to post pics of apparitions as we spot them.

Ghost Proofing Your Home: A Vital How-To

Trust me, the worst thing that can happen to you at home is having a ghost problem. Relatively speaking, a rat infestation is child’s play. I won’t go into the differences between the two, but I will say it’s harder to capture or kill what you can’t easily see. Luckily, there are exactly five steps you can take to ensure a safe abode. Also, consider yourself warned that while some steps may sound odd, they’re foolproof. We’ve never encountered an entity at a place that has taken these precautions, and we’d hate for you to be the first.

Step 1: Inspect your property’s history of murder.

This is the most important step. Should a murder have ever occurred at your home, there’s a good chance of it being haunted, as there’s nothing a ghost loves more than sweet revenge. Ask previous property owners, tenants, neighbors, anyone. If there has been an incident, move to Step 2 immediately.

2. Blockade points of entry.

Do not allow any outside objects to enter your house nor any objects currently inside to leave. While this doesn’t necessarily apply to entities, you don’t want them taking control of your home as it can wreak havoc on your life and loved ones. We’re pretty sure they can terrorize you regardless of entryways being blocked, but let’s aim for safety here. Cool?

3. Use custom spectral bulbs for lighting.

As you may have seen, our Ghoul Detector 5000 has a light at the end. This is the bulb we use so we’re able to highlight any possible entities in the area. Take extra measures to ensure these specialized bulbs can illuminate all areas of your home. Don’t give them an inch! Super important!

4. Play audio of prayers/holy mantras throughout the house daily.

Entities have no religion. Everyone knows this. It’s their kryptonite like garlic is to vampires, so we recommend playing a mix of indistinguishable prayers and mantras on low throughout the day, all day. Keep it low so you can hear any subtle movements, but audio must be loud enough to be heard anywhere in your home.

5. Contact Specs and Tucker for consultation.

If you really can’t put a finger on the problem, and you’ve covered Steps 1-4 already, don’t hesitate for a second. It’s time you got some professionals on the job, and we’re here for you. Day or night, we’ll take care of your ghost problems. Trust us, when your safety’s on the line, you want us in your corner.

Coincidence? I Think Not: Who Trashed This Kitchen?

First things first, this house reeked from the beginning of the driveway. Plenty of our missions are to old, decrepit places, but this was a step above (below?) the norm. As you can see, it has been boarded up for what seems like a while, but the destruction in this picture suggests recent involvement. Fair to say we’re both sufficiently creeped out and intrigued. Here’s what caught my eye after the whole kitchen rocked my nose.

The first thing I saw as I entered the kitchen was the high chair. Both the peculiar angle it faces and the things on its tray struck me as odd. From the entryway, it was tough to tell what that was, but as we got closer, turns out it was a baby bib and an old-time iron. Definitely an odd couple of things to find in the kitchen and an even weirder thing to find on a high chair. Whatever happened in the kitchen before we got on the scene looks to have been a little messed up…if not really messed up. Whatever the case, there’s no hard evidence staring us in the face.

Oddly enough, there’s a sink full of dirty dishes that have a collection of leaves, dirt and old food crusted on them. Probably the source of the rank smell throughout the place, we concluded this was probably not the doing of an entity but rather a lazy tenant/homeowner. But then again, who’s to say?

From there, my eyes go to the floor where there are remnants of smashed dishes all over the place. I immediately suspect foul play and assume no coincidence in this room. Given how neatly everything is stacked in the sink, an outside force probably threw a tantrum and those now-broken dishes were on the wrong end of it.

Last, the ravaged curtains on the left of the counter space made me raise an eyebrow. This struck me as a chicken-and-the-egg kind of scenario where it’s unclear whether the broken window or the torn curtain happened first. So many questions left unanswered here, and from that, there are so many possibilities as to who or what might still be in the house. It’s that kind of uncertainty that prompts people to call us, as they should.

Upon leaving the kitchen, we looked at each other and it was clear what happened here was no coincidence. There’s simply too much going on to shrug and move on to the next mission. While it definitely seems like we have an entity on our hands, we also haven’t seen it…or them. Yikes. We’re in for something, and I don’t know what. This is where our jobs get a little freaky.

Gear Specs With Specs: Ghoul Detector 5000

The Ghoul Detector 5000 is a vital part of our ghost-fighting gear collection. Without its unique set of abilities, we definitely wouldn’t be here today. And while it may look a tad janky, I assure you this is top of the line equipment – better than whatever else is on the market. I’ve fashioned the best parts into one high-powered apparition finder. Basically, I’m an all-knowing, all-seeing master ghost hunter with this in my hand. As the mastermind behind this beauty, let me break it down for you real quick.

1. Spectral Danger Meter

If you’ve never had a spectral sighting, you wouldn’t know how important this first part is. When you’re out in the field, the Spectral Danger Meter is your best friend. When in a haunted area, this meter will alert you of the level of danger nearby. This is measured in spectral intensity and can be gauged as either Bad (Red) or Good (Green). Pretty straightforward, right? Let’s hope it’s always that clear cut.

2. Possession Vulnerability Meter

In my experience with entities, they can be docile and harmless or they can be on the prowl for souls. Trust me, when they’re out for your soul, you shouldn’t be anywhere near them without this gadget. My trusty dusty vulnerability meter provides a read out of the energy in a given area, determining whether the apparitions nearby are calm or whether you’re in serious trouble. Green indicates safety, yellow means get out now, and red…well, I haven’t seen it hit red yet. I don’t think I want to.

3. Tactical Flashlight

Pretty simple, really. When Feature 4 is engaged, the flashlight turns on and apparitions (and their path of destruction) are exposed. I’m 99% sure I’ve seen a few, but I’ve never hit them directly with the flashlight. I’m excited to nail one with this feature.

4. Mount with Kung Fu Grip and Action Button

This is the glue that holds the Ghoul Detector 5000’s badassness together. I wrapped some electrical tape around the mount so it’s slip resistant. But that’s not really a problem because I’m super dexterous and my kung fu grip is airtight. The action button must be held down to operate all three functions, and they do work simultaneously. When the Ghoul Detector 5000 is fired up, this baby is a sight to behold.

Watch out, ghouls. We’re comin for you.