Preston Castle, Ione, CA - August 16, 2008

No matter the pictures you have seen, your first glimpse of Preston Castle will make you hold your breath. It really exists, and it really does resemble Rose Red.

A day time tour provided us with summary and familarity of the castle, the basement and the first two floors. The third floor is blocked off, the fourth has no actually flooring at all. The house looks confusing, but is a basic T shape, front wings with a back hall leading to the annex. Outside the castle is the current juvenile prison next to the castle with its formidable concertina wire perimeter and huge guard towers.

The group gathers that evening on the front steps, set up their beds in the two rooms, then migrate back to the front steps. Snacks and drinks would be served in the basement, which had lights and electricity where we could charge our equipment. Surprise, surprise, the lights aren't working. At all. A full moon against a mackerel sky, bats flying out of the towers followed by white owls. Absolutely classic Stephen King.

We head to the big room in the second floor annex. Anne's attempt at Julie's wands resulted in nothing but confusion, and these went a bit insane in her hands as well. David experienced his first hair raising near the steps to the third floor. Repeatedly, his arm hair would rise on solid goose bumps.

Julie and David take a break and Anne headed out to the infirmary on the first floor annex with two other players. Sitting in a chair with her back to a wall, she brought out the wands. The wands crossed at several questions, and went bonkers at others, concluding they were being played with, receiving only a few concrete answers.  The session ended abruptly when someone touched the back of Anne's neck. The EVP was odd. At the beginning, Anne sounded actually drunk, her words were extremely show and slurred.

David and Julie participate in a group seance in the kitchen with no result. Julie and a Ruth had been in the nurse's station in the infirmary where they got odd responses in one spot, then sharp and clear answers in another.

The kitchen is where Anna Corbin, the housekeeper, was killed and stuffed in a corner. The cupboard room itself is sad, but not angry. One of the apartments on the second floor was supposedly Anna's, the past decor of the room was also loud and clear: a perfect, victorian San Francisco sitting room, filled with clutter yet organized and very homey.

The biggest event was in the library when David and Anne head back up to the second floor. Anne has a need to go see that room again, as well as a peek into the third floor through the ceiling. David entered the room and stood near the front windows, Anne stopped about halfway into the room. Bats respond to their presence by flying around and past them. As clear as can be, the sound of someone walking down the hallway from the right and past the library door. The sound continued directly in front of the doorway and continue down the hallway to the left of the library door, yet, no one was there. Whirling dervish?

Back on the front porch with the group, the story is briefly told, everyone discusses returning to the library. We gather Cheryl, Jill and Jim, and Gary. Jill had been in the dark dorm after hearing a similar sound around the hallway, and was leaving that room when she saw David and Anne go down the stairs. The room is now quiet, and David easily detects the lack of activity. We wander down the hallway to the end round room, and return to the library. David and Gary are first to enter, laughing and comparing their arms in the flashlight beams; arm hair straight up and covered with goose bumps. Then it subsides, and David can tell the activity has ceased.