The Ghost Chick Diaries

Sarah LaBrie is a model by day, paranormal investigator by night. She joins us to share stories about life in front of the camera and behind the IR.

A new photo shoot! I was thrilled. I got to dress up (and down) in a rustic vintage setting.

I applied some smokey eyeshadow and makeup, and headed out to drive into a bad part of town, just two streets over from million-dollar neighborhoods. I pulled up to a small studio that sat next to a dilapidated house and knocked on the door.

A very friendly face opens up and lets me in. The photographer. He was slightly older with curly grey wild-artist hair and had a studio filled with amazing art work. I followed him into a room that was unusually cold for the ninety-plus degree weather and cooled by only two desktop fans.

Time to take it off!

The Ghost Chick Diaries: Emily's Bridge

Sarah LaBrie is a model by day, paranormal investigator by night. She joins us to share stories about life in front of the camera and behind the IR.

It was a warm august night; my guy friend and I decided the best way to spend the weekend night was creeping through the dark woods to hunt at the infamous Emily's Bridge in Stowe, Vt.

After an hour drive, we rounded a corner on a dirt road and the ancient covered bridge loomed in the dark. It was already well worth the drive. We parked around back and stepped out into shining moonlight in a clear, open sky. But the bridge, even though well lit, was eerily dark.

The story of the bridge goes like this: A woman named Emily met the man of her dreams. They planned to elope, but when her father found out, he hunted down the young man and had him beat. In the morning, when she was supposed to meet him for their escape, he was nowhere to be seen. Plunged into sorrow over her lover's absence, poor Emily hung herself inside the bridge. Now the legend has it that any couple who enters the bridge will be met with hatred by Emily's ghost.

So of course we decided to put it to the test.

The Ghost Chick Diaries: The Afterlife Affect

Sarah LaBrie is a model by day, paranormal investigator by night. She joins us to share stories about life in front of the camera and behind the IR. (Photo courtesy Prodigy Images)

The Afterlife Affect On My Life

Being able to see and sense spirits definitely makes “fitting in” quite a task. As a child growing up in a Christian home, I was taught spirits are either evil, or even the devil himself. For many years, as spirits would come to me late at night, creeping through the darkness of my room, I was terrified I was being haunted by evil spirits.

It wasn't until many years later, in the quiet downtime during an otherwise hectic photoshoot, that the thoughts of all these "dark encounter" rushed back to me. 

Despite the religious warnings of my family, I realized these visiting spirits never once caused any harm. They never came to me in a violent, angry way. As an adult, I discovered how wrong my family was. If these were demons, why weren’t they hurting me?

Later that same night after the grueling shoot, I laid in bed with confidence during the witching hours. I threw the covers off me and sat up to wait for the usual nightly encounter ... and face it head on.

The Ghost Chick Diaries: Dark and Stormy Night

Sarah LaBrie is a model by day, paranormal investigator by night. She joins us to share stories about life in front of the camera and behind the IR. (Photo courtesy Prodigy Images)

Dark and Stormy Night

A tornado warning flashed across the TV screen as I packed the last outfit into my bag and fixed my hair. I looked out the window to see pouring rain and branches flying across the yard.

Through the downpour and into the car; I made my way to a photo shoot. What was supposed to be 20 minutes away turned into a long and very wet 30 minutes. As I was pulling onto the street, a branch flew down and hit the side of my car. I screamed and swerved, trying to miss the on coming traffic.

Glancing down at my directions, then up at the road, I was trying to find the house that matched the description jolted down. Found it.

I grabbed my stuff and ran through the rain to be welcomed by a man my own age. He welcomed me into his home, where the white screen and lights were all set up - and where a Monster Energy drink was already waiting for me on the table. But the indoors shoot quickly changed pace and we packed our stuff to head out into the storm and shoot in the rain.

The Ghost Chick Diaries: The Big Date

Sarah LaBrie is a model by day, paranormal investigator by night. She joins us to share stories about life in front of the camera and behind the IR. (Photo courtesy Prodigy Images)

The Big Date

It was early summer in sunny Florida. My cell phone beeped and I looked down at the text.

"I'm sitting outside," it read.

My new date sat waiting in the driveway. I threw on a summery pair of heels and left the house. The sun was hot on my bare shoulders as my tube top-style summer dress flowed in the light breeze.

We went about our day and stopped for my favorite (iced white chocolate mocha coffee from Starbucks). Like the typical date progresses, we chatted in chairs outside and got to know each other while I continued to sip away on my smooth, sweet drink.

Sweat began to trickle down my face and we decided to head towards air conditioning.

"What do you want to do?" I asked. He replied with an indecisive, "I dunno, what do you wanna do?"

After several minutes of this, we agreed on going to a movie. No, it wasn't completely original, but things were going good, and it was nice to cool off in the dark theater. By the time we got out, the sun was setting and we headed back to his house for a late dinner.

The Ghost Chick Diaries

Sarah LaBrie is a model by day, paranormal investigator by night. She joins us to share stories about life in front of the camera and behind the IR.

The Beginning

Jerry and Denise Photography

I gaze into the eyes of the woman staring back at me, confused at how she got to where she was now. From a life seemingly like such a mess to a model.

Her hand reaches up and brushes the dark brown/black hair away from her green eyes, as my hand follows. I pick the black eye liner off the dresser then watch her apply it. She grabs the blow dryer and I feel the heat as it blows my hair.

The reflection seems like I am staring into the life of someone else, but it is indeed me: a divorced, single mother, unable to stay keep a hold of anything. I am the same woman who felt helpless as things continuously slipped through her fingers.

And when I thought I had finally hit rock bottom, the floor beneath me collapsed and I continued to fall.

This was all too surreal.

With all things seeming to hold me back, I succeeded. But it has been a long path.  Yet through it all, through the trials and tribulations of my personal life, has been my life within the paranormal.