Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Finale: Bartonville Insane Asylum Part 1
Fuck the Cardinals...Part 1
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Name: Lemp Mansion
Location: St. Louis, MO
Research Conducted: N/A
Hours Visited: 1:16 pm - 1:45 pm
Forms of Evidence: Psychic Energies
Conclusion: Level 1 - Casper is... Staying in his Room
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Our next stop on our hunt was the Lewis Center in University City, MO just outside out St. Louis. The Lewis Center is a residence facility and office for Washington University in St. Louis, and is said to be haunted by a woman in a white dress who walks the floors sobbing and calling out for her husband. People who visit here claim to have heard knocking, doors closing, whispers, and footsteps all within the walls of this building.
When we walked up to the gates of the Lewis Center we realized that one side of the building was abandoned, while the other side was still an operating facility...very strange. Unfortunately, we could not find a way in as all the doors were locked and there didn't seem to be anyone that we could ask questions to; however, we did find one resident of the building studying outside in a small park next to the building. When I asked her if she knew anything about the haunting, she gave me a puzzled look and told me that she "had no clue". Because of this, and the fact that very little information could be found about a haunting at this place, we decided that there just wasn't enough evidence to make this one plausible. If a resident, that has lived here for a while, not only hasn't had an encounter with a spirit, but also hasn't even heard of the possibility that there is a ghost...I would say that this is Busted.
Name: Lewis Center
Location: University City, MO
Research Conducted: N/A
Hours Visited: 2:06 pm - 2:35 pm
Forms of Evidence: None
Conclusion: Level 0 - Casper is... Non-Existent
Part 2 of our St. Louis hunt will be posted soon, including our drive through two cemeteries and a small look at one of the creepiest places I have ever seen.
Off to hunt,
TPB
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Original Springs Hotel: Part 2-wrap up and conclusion
As we went through the audio recordings again and again there seemed to be no explanation for these disembodied voices. The feeling that caused me to shutter in hall has become something beyond explanation. We reviewed the remainder of the recordings to find nothing else of value on the tapes. With this audio evidence we immediately wanted some physical evidence to back it up. In hopes that there may be something up there that our eyes simply couldn't see, much like the voices that could not be heard by human ears, we brought the video camera along with us this time.
We had settled on the idea that the male voice belonged to Ben and the meek female voice had to have been Alma stricken with grief. With this decision in the back of our minds we reentered the third floor. Armed with the video camera and our often effective audio recorder we round the corner. Koray begins to call to Ben again asking if he was with us and looking for a sign. After a few minutes the cold chill came over by back again. Knowing what to expect I was able to maintain my composure and make mental notes of what was going on. Ben seemed to draw on me more this time almost as if he had asked and I had given him permission. This was repeated a couple of times but would subside in between each visit. Each wave of a visit was a little stronger then the one before but Ben would not stick around for long almost as if he was checking the hallway for someone or something and when he saw they weren't there would continue on his way down the stairs.
After a few encounters I was ready for a break. We head down to the pool area that we were informed by the trusty Burger King manager Jenn was filled with the mineral water that the hotel is so famous for. If this is true then this pool would be another excellent draw for paranormal energy. we went around and took a seat in the pools game area. The air was cooler and much lighter down here. Although the feeling of being watched was still very much present the continuous crushing feeling had let up. Thats not to say that it had subsided completely but let up none the less.
We then decided to do a quick video blog on the camera to catch the feelings that had been present on the third floor. All seemed to be going well and we had almost come to the conclusion that this pool area was the closest thing to a "safe zone" we could come to. However, during our discussion both the video camera and the digital camera were capturing video. The Digital captured an unexplained shadow move across the table around the time of our "safe zone" discussion almost as if to prove us wrong in the instant. A few short minutes after that I felt a pull of energy from the middle of my back. This was not Ben. There are few things that I am certain about after last night but of one thing I am sure. This was a completely different presence. Like I had said before Ben's presence could be described as a cold sheet over your entire back. It was there, you could feel it, but it was gentle. This on the other hand was a forceful grab of energy. The best visual I have is to compare it to the Ka-li-ma hand from Indiana Jones except pulling something out of your back.
This was not a kind thing.
This was not simply the borrowing of energy that, although can be disconcerting, I had almost become used to. I wanted out. I suggested that we head back to the room to continue reviewing the research as an excuse to get out of there. Without waiting for Koray I was out of there. Back in the room I was attempting to shake off the residual feeling from the incident when Koray, now on the opposite side of the bed then he had been all night, felt a sharp chill run up his spine and radiate out through all of his limbs. The shock and force of this presence was unlike anything we had experienced in the room all night. immediately on the other side of the bed Koray said he simply
did not like what happened in that spot. Standing in the same spot I could feel a slight chill in the air but nothing was taking me the way that it happened to him.
It was then that I realized that though the room had been heavy, hot, and humid the entire night at this point it was actually kind of chilly. In my haste to get out of the pool area and Koray's immediate experience it wasn't until the room started to warm back up did we notice that he had actually walked right into the lions den.
After reviewing the data collected with little to no results we decided to visit the third floor one last time. This time we were focused on room 28. This is the room that several people say makes them extremely uncomfortable to be around and understandably so. To Koray and I the doorways are what makes this hallway so unbearably uncomfortable. The doorway to room 28 seems to only be half there. While all the other frames reach to the ceiling this one barely brushes past your head. Conversely, room 230, directly across the hall, seems to have been made into one large room out of three smaller ones. The problem with this lies in the fact that instead of tearing out the old doorways they seem to have simply bricked them up. It gives the area a trapped feeling and is extremely unsettling especially in combination with the Victorian vanity mirror that doesn't have a straight reflection and the floor that sinks around these doorways.
After this final trip nothing else of note seemed to have happened. After a long day and some help from a TV we were finally able to fall asleep. In conclusion, in our opinion it is safe to say that there is definitely something here that is not of this world. Wether or not it is benevolent remains to be seen, but as for the bandits we are considering this location CONFIRMED and are on to the next raid.
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Rating of Haunted Zone:
Level 0 - Casper is... Non-Existent = No signs of haunting...myth busted.
Level 1 - Casper is... Staying in his Room = It hasn't been debunked or confirmed yet, so there may or may not spirits/ghosts here. Possible/doubtful signs of haunting.
Level 2 - Casper is...Forgetting to call us after our first date = We encountered a spirit/ghost at some point, but made no connection past that. Perhaps one small sign of haunting.
Level 3 - Casper is...Making Scooby bark uncontrollably = There were at least a few small signs of a haunting...something that would disturb a puppy. Possibly one strong sign of haunting.
Level 4 - Casper is...In need of a US Census Form = Something definitely lives in this building/area and is making it's presence known. Many small signs and at least a few strong signs of haunting.
Level 5 - Casper is...THROWING shit at us! = This place is extremely haunted. The spirit/ghost is a powerful force and isn't scared to show it. Many STRONG signs of haunting, both physical and psychic.
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Name: ORIGINAL SPRINGS HOTEL
Location: Okawville, IL
Research Conducted: 10:15 pm - 4:30 am
Hours Visited: 9:36 pm - 11:00 am
Forms of Evidence: Audio (voices/sounds), Photos (orbs), Video (shadows), Psychic Energies (Cold Spots, Intense waves of energy)
Conclusion: Level 4 - Casper is...In need of a US Census Form
On the hunt,
TPB
Arrival: Original Springs Part 1
Ready to make Casper my bitch!
A minute and 44 seconds after we leave there is a sound captured that can only be described as being the rattling of the old door handle still left on the door after the replacement handles had been added for the new locks. Further analysis of the recording found nothing beyond the sounds of a distant vacume and unless we have a ghost with OCD I don't think that was ment for us.
In our second round theough the building koray and I spent an extended amount of time in the third floor corridor. This is the floor and wing that several employees refuse to go to. After some time we got the feeling that you get when standing between two people in an argument. At one end of the hall were sobs and the one near us were deep sighs of exasperation. The air was so thick at times it was as if you could swim through it which made the chill feeling that followed all the more intense. The air grew not freezing but decidedly cooler and at one point I felt the chill of a harsh stare run through me.
Interviews with the desk clerk came up empty handed as he seemed to not know much beyond how to level his level 14 dark elf in WOW.
The lights are out. The flash lights are on. The investigation continues.
On the hunt,
TPB
P.s. although most posts are a team effort on this blog we will sometimes blog individually to account for different perspective.
Monday, March 22, 2010
We're Bad People...
- Fastball
- Motion City Soundtrack
- GhostBusters Theme Song (video to come)
- Attack! Attack!
- Say Anything
- Panic! a la discoteque
- Journey
- Earth, Wind, and Fire