I am a member of the Orange County Paranormal Society (a.k.a. Adele is an uber geek). Investigating the paranormal has been something I have been interested in since I was 4-years-old; when I had my first, and only, experience. We lived in Redlands, which has been called one of the most haunted cities in the United States due to the number of Victorian houses. Each night I would go to sleep and feel someone sit on the end of the bed by my legs. On the rare occasions when I was brave enough to look, no one was there except an imprint on the bedding. Since I was 3 or 4-years old, there was no way I was imagining this.
When the OCPS said they were investigating a “haunted” mansion in Redlands, I immediately said I would investigate. I was so excited to take part in the investigation and have the potential to experience something for the first time in my adult life. Good lord was I wrong:
4:00 p.m.
Arrive at Morey Mansion in Redlands. It is 98-flipping-degrees. I silently, and wholeheartly, thank my parents for moving to Garden Grove.
4:15 p.m.
We meet the owner’s son who takes us on a tour of the house – in the why-is-the-air-conditioning-off-it’s-flipping-89-degrees-inside-the-house house. We ask, “Do you think it is haunted?” His reply, “Meh.” First sign of no-goodery.
5:00 p.m.
We venture throughout the house on our own. In the basement a thick, skunk smell is making us gag so we keep our mouths closed. As I continue looking through the basement, I am startled by the doll-from-hell. I open my mouth to gasp and then inhale skunk funk. I am about to puke. We turn a corner to find a little walkway that we cannot get through so we decide to go back upstairs. Mike (a.k.a. Rainbow Bright) says “What does this switch do?” and turns out the lights in the basement. I open my mouth again to scream and instead inhale more skunk funk.
evil-loving bitch
5:10 p.m.
Chris wants to know what is making the horrible smell in the basement so he grabs a flashlight and goes down into the basement. By the walkway we couldn’t get through, there is a dead skunk, weeks old, being eaten by maggots. When he tells the owner’s son about the horrible discovery, he replies “Oh that’s what’s been making that smell.” Second sign of no-goodery.
5:30 p.m.
Tour with the owner ends. We ask the owner if there are any excellent restaurants in the area. He says there is a Chili’s down the road. Again, I silently thank my parents for moving to Garden Grove.
5:40 p.m.
Before dinner we decide to take our group photo in front of the house. Mike, the photographer, asks “What’s that?” That, happens to be a bee hive on top of the house with the angry bees starting to swarm toward us. Third sign of no-goodery.
6:30 p.m.
After dinner we stop by Stater Brothers for snacks. I decide that my ghost hunting snack of choice will be XXX Vitamin Water and a mega bag of Skittles.
7:00 p.m.
Ready for the game plan: 8:00 setup, 9:00 thermal sweep the entire house, 9:45 start investigation, 1:30 second thermal sweep, 3:00 wrap up, 3:30 meeting, 4:00 sleep.
7:45 p.m.
We enjoy the 80-degree weather on the back patio with bonus bugs. Every person that walks outside is almost killed by the owner’s dog sleeping in front of the door. We still do not feel the need to share to the others that the dog is laying in front of the door and just giggle instead.
8:00 p.m.
Setup starts. The guys feel that they should be setting up the equipment since “they know what they are doing”. I do not argue and sit in the cool kitchen and eat my Skittles.
8:50 p.m.
When they finish setup, the guys are dripping with sweat and already tired. Feeling good I played the woman card.
9:00 p.m.
Lights out and Nolan, Chris and John start a thermal sweep of the house. Part of the investigation will be debunking what the little shi**, The Othersiders, claimed was haunted.
9:02 p.m.
Already successfully debunked what the little shi**, The Othersiders, claimed was haunted with the thermal camera.
9:30 p.m.
Nolan radios Brigid and me to start investigating the first floor. We have high EMFs in the second sitting room toward the floor. We realize it’s the machines in the basement. We start EVP work and ask questions: “Are you Sarah or David Morey? Are you related to the Cheneys? Do you have a connection with the house? Do you like what the owner has done with the house?” Nothing. No weird feeling. I am actually quite comfortable even though I am in the pitch, black dark in a creepy house. Forth sign of no-goodery.
10:00 p.m.
Brigid and I decide to go into the basement. It is freezing and the skunk funk is still in the air. In the middle of the basement we hear creaking and footsteps. We ask if anyone is in the kitchen walking around. No one is. I take a photo and notice the doll-from-hell on the table next to me. I get a wee bit freaked out. Brigid feels something pull at her pant leg. We decide to move to the other side of the basement. Nolan joins us with a video camera. I realize I have been video taped this entire time – something I am not used to, but it felt natural (are you paying attention SciFi?) We get a weird vibe on the other side of the basement. I feel something lightly graze my shoulder. At the same time Brigid felt something lightly brush up her arms. I suggested that we switch places in case she was under a vent. She gets the same feeling. We hear a bang in the corner, and like the little girls we are, yelp and grab each other. I am officially freaked out. We ask the ghost to make the same noise – nothing. We get upstairs and I need a drink. I settle with Vitamin Water and a lemon Skittle.
11:00 p.m.
Ready for the second sweep. Nolan and I go up to the second floor of EVP work and begin in the Billiard Room. We ask the ghosts if they can light up the K2 EMF meter. Nothing. We ask questions. Nothing. We hear nothing. Nolan says this is bull shi*. I can’t disagree.
11:30 p.m.
We go to the most haunted room in the mansion – the Blue Room. After 30 minutes we decide to rename it this-is-starting-to-piss-us-off room.
1:00 a.m.
My Skittles have betrayed me and I am starting to get a headache.
1:15 a.m.
I think I see a shadow on the stairway. We stand on the stairs for a good 10 minutes asking questions, but hear and see nothing.
1:35 a.m.
Apparently Nolan does not like flashlights because we walking blindly in the dark. I cannot see a thing once I look away from the video camera. Found the banister with my thigh and my knee later found a chair. I officially have battle scars.
2:45 a.m.
After a whole lot of nothing we decide to call it a night. Again, the men think it’s best if they wrap up. I could not agree more and eat grape Skittles.
3:30 a.m.
We start our wrap-up meeting. Three things we did well are: groups worked well together, people were silent at HQ and everything ran smoothly. Two things we could improve: need to talk less so the EVPs are not distorted and more photos. For my first investigation, I thought I did very well and had a lot of fun.
3:45 a.m.
I get to my room and discover I share my bathroom with anyone on the second story. You cannot lock the door from my room; therefore someone could enter my room from the other bathroom door. I immediately think of opening my own B&B in Redlands just to take this place down.
the only person in the world who i would want to come into my room from the bathroom
4:00 a.m.
Finally get to bed. I am not feeling anxious or scared at all, but so calm I turn off the lights. I’m disappointed we didn’t find anything, but am glad I had the experience.
8:00 a.m.
Awoken by someone in the front yelling “This is a Folder’s coffee morning!” Nolan is an ex-Marine and apparently a morning person. This is not stopping me from wanting to bash him in the head with my iPod.
8:45 a.m.
Get downstairs for the breakfast portion of the B&B Bagels (no cream cheese), warm fruit and Minute Maid orange juice awaits us. The meal is overcooked scrambled eggs with both large and small sausage. The owner’s sister drove all the way from Mission Viejo to cook for us. She asked if we had plans to check out Redlands while we were here. I quickly stuffed my face with an egg to cover up my laughter and silent prayer, once again thanking my parents for moving to Garden Grove.
9:00 a.m.
It already feels like 95 degrees as I start the drive home. Whatever Morey Mansion!
1 comment:
Brilliant!! I want to join the next "Ghostbusters" party!
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