It's a crisp October night and the moonlight casts an eerie glow over the crumbling, old tombstones.
I step lightly around the graves, clutching my flashlight and praying I don't trip, or lose my way in the darkness.
Or worse, be confronted by one of the spirits said be to lurking in this Mon Valley cemetery.
That's when Joe Ciferno Jr., founder and Web master for the Southwestern Pennsylvania Paranormal Society informed me that spirits aren't confined to just cemeteries.
They can follow you home.
Great.
Despite this admission, I continued on my "hunt" with Ciferno and other members of the society as they shared tales of meeting spirits from the other side and how being in this business shouldn't be taken lightly.
Ciferno, of Fayette City, formed the group in 2005 under the name Fay-West Paranormal. It was changed again to Haunted Fayette County, but they decided to change it yet again to Southwestern Pennsylvania Paranormal Society to broaden their reach.
Team members are Bret Fine, public relations and lead investigator, Wayne and Mae Fine, Kathy Watson, Mike Baker, Todd Oliver, Kelley Sparks and Patrick Snyder.
The team conducts investigations and promotes the study and understanding of paranormal phenomena.
On this trip to a local cemetery, we were joined by Brett Fine, of Washington, Pa., Baker, of Belle Vernon, and Sparks, of Burgettstown.
Ciferno feels cemeteries are perfect spots for their research and capturing evidence of phenomena.
After all, not everyone believes in the supernatural.
"Collecting scientific evidence is very important to what we do," Ciferno said. "I've been touched in cemeteries. I've seen shadow figures."
During our cemetery visit, Ciferno attempted to record electronic voice phenomena, otherwise known as unexplained voices that are captured on audio tape or digital recorders that were not heard by human ears at the time it was recorded.
"My name is Joe; can you tell me what your name is⢠We're not here to hurt you, harm you or disrespect you in anyway. We just want to document your presence. What year is it⢠Are you male or female?" he asks the dark, eerie graveyard.
In the meantime, other team members shoot multiple photographs, hoping to document something lurking in the shadows.
The team uses this evidence to research the paranormal and takes the experience to actual homes where its occupants believe they are not alone.
The group provides its services free of charge to people with real cases. Everything is kept confidential.
"We promise to bring professionalism and confidentiality to each case that we investigate. We understand that it is tough to call investigators like us," Ciferno said.
Ciferno says Halloween season often brings a myriad of callers seeking help for ghosts living in their homes. He has learned to weed out the serious calls from the thrill seekers.
"We had a call from a woman saying she was just so terrified and couldn't sleep, she was so scared," Ciferno said. "But when I asked her when she wanted us to visit, she said whenever we had time. So, that sent up a red flag right away."
Before the group looks for spirits, they first rule out anything natural causing the weird happenings, such as old pipes or rodents in the walls. They have even investigated cases where sleepwalking is the reason behind one resident's unusual scratches and marks.
The group does not conduct seances nor does it use Ouija boards. Ciferno also warns that the field is not for everybody.
He said they had a former member who was so excited about the group she spent hours studying books and researching phenomena.
"On her first night out, we saw a shadow figure breeze by," Ciferno said. "It scared her so bad, we never heard from her again. It's different from seeing it on television, or in a book."
Fine says the popularity of such cable television shows as "Ghost Hunters," have many people jumping on the bandwagon for the wrong reasons.
"They don't know what they are getting themselves into," Fine said. "This isn't something to take lightly."
But for the group, having experiences with the supernatural is well, almost second-nature.
"I've had a lot of things happen to me. I've been pushed and something dragged its fingers across my face. I was told to 'get out,'" Ciferno said.
Sometimes the people telling them to get out are local law enforcement.
Ciferno says they have often found themselves confronted by police officers questioning why they are visiting cemeteries and other historic haunts after hours.
He admits their explanations are often met with skepticism and strange looks.
But the group believes in what they are doing and the importance of conducting research.
While we didn't encounter anything of the paranormal nature on this cemetery visit, Ciferno reminds me that sometimes the spirits like to follow their visitors home.
"When it gets cold, you can hear the crunch of the grass as you are walking," he said. "But when you are the last one out and you hear crunching behind you, there's a good chance something could be following you around."
Car keys in hand, I positioned myself safely in the middle of the group as we left the cemetery.
Time will tell if anything followed me home, but just in case, I slept with the lights on that night.
For more information about the Southwestern Pennsylvania Paranormal Society, go to www.swpps.net.
