Something Spooky This Way Comes Hosting a Holloway & Graves Ghost Night Investigation
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Blog 7: Something Spooky This Way Comes Hosting a Holloway & Graves Ghost Night Investigation
By Sophia Salazar, Editor-in-Chief
Gather round, aspiring paranormal investigators. We're going ghost hunting.
Not the kind with cheap gadgets and shaky cameras and hours of footage showing absolutely nothing. The kind that matters. The kind that Dr. June Holloway would approve of—if she approves of anything, which is debatable. The kind that might just lead you to a Dwen in the drawers, a wish tree with attitude, or a ghost wedding in need of a planner.
This is a Holloway & Graves Ghost Night Investigation.
And you're going to set it up yourself.
Why a Ghost Night?
Let's be honest: ghost stories are better in the dark. They're better with friends. They're better when you're not entirely sure if that creak was the house settling or something else entirely.
A Holloway & Graves Ghost Night takes that energy and gives it a mission. You're not just listening to spooky tales—you're investigating them. You're following clues. You're interviewing witnesses. You're figuring out what's really going on in Dickey Trace, or Palo Seco, or Fyzabad.
And like any good Holloway & Graves case, you'll probably end up solving the mystery, helping the spirits, and having a ridiculous amount of fun along the way.
Before You Begin: Know Your Cases
We have three Holloway & Graves cases to work with. For your Ghost Night, you have options:
The Dwen in the Drawers is perfect for a first investigation. It's spooky but not terrifying, chaotic but contained, and ends with a tailor's tent instead of an exorcism. The stakes are low—stolen laundry—which means the tension stays fun.
The Wish in the Hog Plum Tree is darker. A cursed school, a vanished vice principal, a tree that grants wishes in the worst possible way. This one is for investigators who want a challenge and don't mind a little existential dread with their ghost hunting.
Till Death Say We Do is the wild card. A ghost wedding, an objecting spirit, a community that rallies despite its fear. This case is less about solving a mystery and more about helping something beautiful happen. It's perfect for investigators who want to feel like they've done some good in the afterlife.
You can run one case in a single night, or stretch all three across multiple gatherings. The choice is yours.
Setting the Scene: Transform Your Space into Holloway & Graves HQ
The agency operates out of 17½ Palo Seco Beach Road—a hilltop house that is "equal parts Victorian asylum, botanical crime scene, and architectural suicide note." You don't need that. You just need a space that feels like somewhere mysteries get solved.
The Basics:
Dim the lights. Ghosts prefer shadows. So do investigators who want to feel like they're in a real case.
Set up a case board. A corkboard, a whiteboard, or even a large sheet of paper. Pin up the case details, witness statements, clues. Draw lines between them. Make it look like June herself has been working on it.
Gather investigation supplies. Notebooks and pencils for everyone. Magnifying glasses if you have them. A "satchel of seeds" (any small bag will do) for whoever plays June. A "revolver that's never loaded" (a toy gun or even just a holster) for whoever plays Duncan. A pocket watch for Edward. A fancy handkerchief for Finney. A stuffed dog for Toby.
Play atmospheric music. Something with a little Trinidadian flavor—steelpan, calypso, or just ambient sounds of wind and night.
For the Full Experience:
Create a "crime scene." If you're doing The Dwen in the Drawers, set up a clothesline with some missing items. If you're doing The Wish in the Hog Plum Tree, create a corner that feels like the school—desks, chalkboard, a sign that says "DO NOT FEED THE TREE." If you're doing Till Death Say We Do, set up a "cemetery" with cardboard headstones and some lanterns.
Prepare evidence bags. Small envelopes or bags containing "clues"—a sock, a hog plum leaf, a wedding invitation written in blood (ketchup works fine), a cravat that Toby might have licked.
Assign roles. More on this in a moment.
The Characters: Who's on Your Team?
A Holloway & Graves investigation needs the full team. Assign roles before the night begins, or let people choose based on personality.
Dr. June Holloway is the leader. She's brilliant, exasperated, and armed with a machete (a stick or cardboard cutout works). She sees ghosts, hosts them without consent, and has zero patience for nonsense. The person playing June should be comfortable taking charge and making decisions under pressure.
Edward Alistair Graves is the ghost. He floats, he sighs, he complains about humidity. He provides historical context and polite criticism. The person playing Edward should practice a posh accent and perfect their ability to look deeply unimpressed.
Aloysius Frank Duncan is the disgraced cowboy. He's grizzled, charming, and absolutely useless with a firearm. The person playing Duncan should perfect a Southern drawl and practice looking like they just wandered in from Montana and can't believe they're still here.
Finnegan "Finney" Montague III is the chaos magnet. He attracts ghosts, speaks Middle English, and has accidentally proposed to a banshee. The person playing Finney should be willing to be the butt of jokes, the one who trips, the one who somehow makes everything worse and better at the same time.
Toby is the bloodhound. He's lovable, floppy-eared, and terrible at his job. The person playing Toby (or the designated stuffed animal) should be prepared to chase chickens, lick evidence, and sleep through danger.
If you have more than five people, assign additional roles: witnesses, villagers, the Dwen itself, the vice principal, the objecting cousin. Everyone gets to be part of the story.
How to Run the Investigation: A Step-by-Step Guide
Step One: The Briefing
Gather your investigators at HQ. Lay out the case.
Read the case file opening aloud. Set the scene. Describe the village, the complaints, the panic. Show them the evidence you've prepared.
For The Dwen in the Drawers:
"It began, as most small West Indian tragedies do, with a missing pair of polka-dot socks, a line of suspicious footprints, and one very dramatic old lady yelling into the street, 'Somebody tief meh drawers!' By noon, two socks and one underpants had vanished. By evening, five neighbours were reporting similar thefts. The village is under attack—not by a bandit, not by a breeze, but by something barefoot, backward-footed, and very, very bold. The village council has called for backup. That's where you come in."
For The Wish in the Hog Plum Tree:
"At the edge of the netball court behind Palo Seco Secondary School, wrapped in chicken wire and too many rumours, grows an old hog plum tree. No one remembers planting it. No one dares cut it. The janitor says it hums when rain is coming. And every once in a while, someone makes a wish. The tree listens. It always answers—just not how anyone expects. Then a new vice principal arrived. The bell started ringing backwards. Pens leak black ink in the shape of tiny hog plums. A bookbag grew legs and tried to eat a teacher. The school secretary made the call. You're up."
For Till Death Say We Do:
"A knock at the agency's door. A boy from Fyzabad, no older than nine, holding a wedding invitation written in elegant script... and blood. 'They say the bride glows when the moon full,' he whispers. 'And the groom walk backwards. Granny say they planning something big in the cemetery.' Two ghosts. One wedding. And a list of demands too long for the afterlife. Fyzabad is counting on you."
Step Two: Gather Evidence
Send your investigators into the "field"—the rest of your house, the backyard, wherever you've hidden clues.
Plant evidence in advance:
For The Dwen: a sock caught on a branch, backward footprints (make them with your hands or draw them on paper), a stash of stolen items hidden somewhere.
For The Wish: hog plum leaves, a leaking pen, a possessed copybook that shrieks when opened (you'll need to hide nearby and make the noise yourself), a student who saw something.
For Till Death: a wedding invitation, a floating veil (a piece of fabric on a fishing line), a witness who saw the groom pacing between graves.
Investigators should take notes, collect evidence in bags, and interview any witnesses you've planted.
Step Three: Interview Witnesses
You'll need friends or family members to play witnesses. Give them a few lines and let them improvise.
For The Dwen:
Mrs. Daphne-Ann Persad: "I hung meh laundry just after sunrise! Freshly bleached! Fragranced with blue soap and rain water! And now two socks and one underpants gone! Is bandits! Is spirits! Is something!"
Auntie Gertie: "I saw it! Running through meh pepper patch wearing meh late husband's boxer shorts and a Carnival feathered headband! Backward feet! No face! A hat too big for its head!"
For The Wish:
The school secretary: "The vice principal arrived last month. Gold watch. Very tight shoes. Since then, everything gone strange. The cat disappeared and came back bilingual."
A student: "I wished for a bicycle last year. Got a wheel. Then got hit by a delivery bicycle and got to keep the frame. I'm not wishing again. Ever."
The janitor: "The tree hums. You hear it? Humming now. Means rain coming. Or trouble. Same thing, really."
For Till Death:
The boy with the invitation: "They say the bride name Miss Rita Ramnarine. The groom Mr. Cyril Baptiste. Both buried in the cemetery since the 1940s. They want to marry. Proper. With cake and music and everything."
Mrs. Mootoo, retired pastry queen: "I not baking cake for dead people! They go eat it or possess it?! No. No cake. Not for any price."
A neighbour: "I saw the groom last night. Pacing between graves. Borrowed tuxedo. Muttering about boutonnières. Feet not touching the ground."
Step Four: Form a Theory
After gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses, the team should huddle and discuss. What's really going on?
Is the Dwen a threat or just a spirit with fashion sense?
What did the vice principal wish for? And what does the tree want in return?
How do you throw a wedding for two ghosts, and who's going to object?
Theories can be wrong. That's fine. Part of the fun is changing your mind as new evidence appears.
Step Five: Take Action
Based on their theory, the team must decide what to do.
For The Dwen, they might:
Set a trap with Finney's underwear as bait
Chase the creature through backyards and over chicken coops
Host a Paranormal Pop-Up Tailor's Tent
For The Wish, they might:
Find the vice principal and confront him
Offer something to the tree to restore balance
Sing an old calypso off-key (this actually works in the story)
For Till Death, they might:
Find a priest willing to marry ghosts
Track down the objecting cousin
Plan a reception with rum punch and black cake
Whatever they choose, roll with it. If their plan is ridiculous, make it work in a ridiculous way. If their plan is brilliant, make it work brilliantly. The goal is a good story, not a perfect solution.
Step Six: The Resolution
Guide the investigation toward an ending. It doesn't have to match the original story exactly—your investigators might solve the case differently. Celebrate their creativity.
For The Dwen, the resolution might involve the creature finally getting the wardrobe it deserves, twirling proudly in its new outfit while the villagers applaud.
For The Wish, the resolution might involve the vice principal vanishing, the tree dropping a single ripe fruit, and a new sign going up: "DO NOT FEED THE TREE."
For Till Death, the resolution might involve the "I do's," the shimmering dissolution of the ghosts, and a conga line through the headstones.
End with a case status report. Have someone write it up, Holloway & Graves style:
"Case Status: Resolved. Spirit behaviour: [adjective]. Community impact: [adjective]. Filed by [your name]. [Inside joke about Toby]."
Bonus: The Paranormal Pop-Up Activity
If you're running The Dwen in the Drawers, you can extend the night with a crafting session. After the Dwen is caught, have your investigators host the first ever Paranormal Pop-Up Tailor's Tent.
You'll need:
Scraps of fabric, ribbon, elastic
Safety scissors
Dolls or stuffed animals to model the outfits
Markers and decorations
The mission: Design an outfit for the Dwen. It needs to be fabulous. It needs to have options. It needs to make a faceless forest spirit feel seen.
Work together or compete for best design. Present your creations. Let the Dwen (played by someone) choose a favorite.
This activity turns a ghost investigation into a fashion show, which is exactly the kind of energy Holloway & Graves brings to the supernatural.
Tips for a Successful Ghost Night
Keep the mood. Lights low, music atmospheric, voices hushed when appropriate. But don't be afraid to break the tension with laughter—these stories are funny, and your investigation should be too.
Embrace the chaos. Things will go wrong. Plans will fail. Evidence will get licked by Toby. That's not a problem—that's the point. Some of the best moments come from unexpected disasters.
Let everyone shine. June gets the leadership moments. Edward gets the withering comments. Duncan gets the Southern swagger. Finney gets the accidents. Toby gets the evidence-licking. Make sure every player has a chance to be their character.
Use the language. Sprinkle in phrases from the stories. "Somebody tief meh drawers!" "Consarn it!" "This is why I never enrolled." "He got taste." The more you sound like the characters, the more your investigators will feel like they're in the world.
Take breaks. Investigations are intense. Have snacks. Have drinks. Talk about what's happened so far. Let the theories percolate.
Document everything. Take photos. Record video. Write up a case report afterward. Your investigators will love seeing their adventure preserved.
Sample Script: The Dwen in the Drawers Mini-Investigation
Here's a condensed version you can run in about an hour.
Setup: A clothesline with missing items. Backward footprints leading away. A stash hidden behind a sofa or under a bed.
Characters: June, Edward, Duncan, Finney, Toby, and at least one witness (Mrs. Persad or Auntie Gertie).
Clues:
A single polka-dot sock caught on a branch
Backward footprints
A witness who saw "something" running through the pepper patch
The stash: 23 socks, 14 pairs of underwear, 2 neckties, 1 sequinned bra, 1 beach towel that says "Best Dad Ever," and Edward's missing cravat
Investigation: The team follows the footprints, interviews the witness, discovers the stash. They set a trap with Finney's underwear as bait. They wait. The Dwen appears (played by a friend or family member in a mask and backward shoes). Chase ensues. They catch it.
Resolution: They realize the Dwen just wants clothes. They host a tailor's tent. Everyone contributes fabric. The Dwen chooses an outfit. Case resolved.
Case Report: "Case Status: Resolved. Spirit behaviour: Fashionable. Community impact: Surprisingly positive. Filed by [your name]. Toby licked the cravat. It is now evidence."
A Final Word from the Agency
At the end of every Holloway & Graves case file, there's a little note. A joke. A moment of humanity in the middle of the supernatural.
For The Dwen: "Toby licked the cravat. It is now +evidence."
For The Wish: "Edward has formally petitioned for ghost hazard pay."
For Till Death: "Toby ate half the bouquet. We're letting it slide this time."
These small moments are what make the agency real. They're not just solving cases—they're living. They're bickering and laughing and covering for each other. They're a family, however strange and broken and wonderful.
Your Ghost Night investigation should have those moments too. The inside jokes. The disasters. The memories you'll laugh about for years.
Because that's what Holloway & Graves is really about. Not the ghosts. Not the cases. The people who face them together.
Next in Blog 8: "Something Wild This Way Comes — Bringing the Outside In: Nature and Storytelling Adventures"
Until then: keep your satchel packed, your revolver unloaded, and your suspicions about marmosets appropriately high.
Look, Listen, Linger, Laugh, and Love.
— Sophia Salazar, Editor-in-Chief
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