Paranormal Research Ghost Investigations Tackles Read House, Polk County Fireworks Explosion Site

Some people love a good scare, like the crowds checking out the new movie "Paranormal Activity."

But for others, it's all about the science behind the things that go bump in the night.  Mark Holland, co-founded "PRGI, that stands for paranormal research ghost investigations."

Members of this team of Tennessee Valley paranormal investigators say over the last year and a half, they've documented some pretty strange stuff.  A.J. Antuna says "the Read House was crazy."

The stories vary about the history behind room 311, but legend suggests during the 1920's, a woman spurned by her lover died here.  Tony Siordia says "a lot of people that have stayed there have woke up in the middle of the night to find the faucet running, or the shower is on, but nobody's in there taking a shower. You know."

PRGI recently took it's equipment inside, encountering several blue and black orbs -- and what members call free floating energy, spinning through the room.  Then they tried an interaction.  Holland says "we challenged her, the supposed entity to make a noise, and I started making fun, saying you don't have the power, you're not really hear you're just a made up story, and then we heard the footsteps and at that time we have a photograph of a light anomaly that cant be explained."

The group also ventured into Polk County to document unexplained phenomenon at the site of a fireworks explosion that killed 11 people in 1983.  Several PRGI members think they saw a demon-like apparition in the mist, watching them.  Dawn Bennett says "one of the two pictures actually looks like it has a head and shoulders."

They also felt cold spots on a 60-degree evening.  Antuna says "its dropped from 40 to 30 to 20 down into the teens and I asked it for a specific reading of 13 degrees and it gave me the 13 degrees and then dropped down into the 20s."

Antuna says he's not looking to prove anything, just document the unexplained, and let others decide for themselves.  That -- and there's always the thrill.  Bennett says "you know, so I should probably be running the other way but its just exciting."

Next up for PRGI, an old hospital in South Pittsburgh.

Members also want test a theory about whether portable power, like a car battery, could boost the occurences of unexplained phenomenon.