ArtRojasDesign

While in Lake Arrowhead California, Zak is going to investigate two locations at once that happen to be right next to each other. On one side is the Bracken Fern Manor and on the other is the Tudor House. These two locations were built during the 20s Prohibition era and were known to be a playground for celebrities who wanted to escape the public eye. They indulged in gambling, prostitution and bootleg liquor. There is even talk that Bugsy Siegel may have been involved with the operation. However, the local historian dismisses these claims and says the mob wasn’t involved. He does agree there was plenty of liquor, women and gambling. He also disagrees with Zak that there is a network of tunnels linking the buildings and fanning out in all directions. Zak is quite convinced of these tunnels and isn’t willing to take no for an answer.

As he talks with some of the local staff, he meets with a housekeeper who says she was grabbed while cleaning one of the rooms. They also speak with her son Robert who says he was scratched by one of the spirits and the experience has changed him, and not for the better. He insists the encounter made him violent and aggressive toward people. The mother happens to agree. As they take a tour with Robert, he becomes very agitated. At this same time, Zak and Aaron get an odor of sulfur which they say is the smell associated with negative and demonic energy.

They meet with another man who claims he was down in that same area and smelled rotten eggs. He also claims to have seen a Native American woman, and the spirit walked right through him.

Since Zak didn’t believe the local historian about the tunnels, he brings in a ground penetrating radar specialist and they scan the ground between the two buildings looking for the remnants of a tunnel. While GPR doesn’t actually show tunnels and the like, it does show ground disturbances. As they scan, it looks like there might be something that could form a tunnel between the two buildings. It seems to head in the right direction and be the right width. However, it’s a big if. Even the specialist says it’s only 50-50 to be a tunnel. He’s only able to show the ground is different in locations. However, as they continue, Zak feels they get the best evidence yet that something was dug and then caved in. This might be confirmed by some sinking home foundations in the path they are walking. The radar specialist is willing to up the percentages of a tunnel, but, since they can’t dig anywhere nor do they find any sort of entrance, they are still mostly guessing. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time tunnels were built for the purpose of smuggling liquor and women.

As they begin the investigation, they focus on the story of Violet, who is said to have killed herself after her lover was killed by the mob. We don’t really have a link to the mob, but the idea is certainly plausible. They investigate her room and Zak feels the presence of a woman come up to him. While working with the Ovilus, they get the words Gateway and Lasting. Zak feels strongly this refers to the tunnels they found earlier.

In another part, they set up the Rem Pod and with the help of the SLS they detect a figure moving around. They feel it is a woman sitting across from Zak. During this time they also hear footsteps and get the smell of rotten eggs again.

While trying to communicate with Violet and ask about the details of her death, Zak gets the words Axe for how she was killed and Money as the reason. It’s hard to say if that’s a mob connection, but it certainly sounds like their method and style. Along with this, Billy feels something sneak up on him while down in the lower part of the house. He also gets the words Found and Malicious on his device as though they have found a malicious spirit. The word malicious is coming up a lot lately.

While a Speakeasy with mob connections makes for a good story, there are a whole lot of assumptions associated with this. It’s sort of hard to dispute a mob connection with this sort of place, but they are really reaching to make it happen. And of course, there is always the hard luck story of a prostitute who kills herself. How many times have we heard this snippet before?

As far as evidence goes, it’s pretty hard to latch onto anything solid. Phantom smells aren’t really evidence even if you do think it’s the devil showing up. That SLS camera is somewhat interesting, but who knows what the devil that thing is locking onto. And footsteps in an old building? I think we can come up with some earthly reasons for those like the ever popular expanding and contracting of wood. The scratches on Robert? It’s interesting, but the guy works in an old building, that could be from anything. His aggression? In today’s modern age, that too could be from anything and perhaps he should see someone about it. There might a simple medical explanation.

Again, paranormal is for things that don’t have a regular explanation. There is nothing in this investigation that suggest these events defy explanation. Hell, that sulfur smell could be from a bad lunch and someone just didn’t want to fess up.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – The National Hotel – S06E04
• Ghost Adventures – Nopeming Sanatorium – S10E07
• Ghost Adventures – Heritage Junction – S09E06
• Ghost Adventures – Salem Witch House – S04E19
• Ghost Adventures – Commanders House – S16E12
• Ghost Adventures – Dakotas Sanatorium of Death – S13E12
• Ghost Adventures – Astoria Underground – S16E10
• Ghost Adventures – Sacramento Tunnels – S04E23
• Ghost Adventures – Lechtworth Village – S05E06
• Ghost Adventures – Portland Oregon – Shanghai Tunnels – S06E01

For this episode, Zak and team are visiting Casa de Rosas which has been used as a school, housed soldiers during war time and for a short period was the compound for Dianetics author and founder of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. It was built in 1893 and has now fallen into complete disrepair. The building is a wreck with broken walls, graffiti, vandalism and who knows how many animals now call the place home. But those who have paid the location a visit claim to feel dark energy, see figures, have a sense of dread, feel that the walls are closing in and feelings of claustrophobia. What started off as an experimental kindergarten has basically turned to rubble. It’s even said that a woman was found dead on the third floor.

The main hook for the location is the link to L. Ron Hubbard, who worked at the compound during the 1950s. To that end, Zak interviews Jeffrey Augustine, a former member of Scientology who has some revealing stories to tell. He claims that Hubbard was a Satanist and one of his main goals was to bring the Antichrist into the world. He accuses him of locking people into small rooms and emotionally abusing them with the intent of bending them to his will. He also claims that Hubbard borrowed many of his teachings from Aleister Crowley and Themela.

The investigation starts with the SB7 box. Aaron gets what he believes is a female voice at the same time that Billy feels cold spots above the bed. This could be the same location where Essie died. Zak also believes he sees an orb moving around the room. The activity seems to hit a frenzy and a mysterious doll appears out of nowhere which Aaron feels was thrown at him.

In another part of the house, Jay puts aside the handheld camera and instead puts on a GoPro camera around his neck with UV lights to pick up images. This serves to make it impossible for Jay to actually see where he’s going, so he will need to feel his way around in the dark. I’m not quite sure I understand the purpose of this method. I like the idea of the camera around the chest, but why put one of the guys in total darkness?

During their investigation they hear a lot of banging, a lot of knocks, the sound of what might be doors closing and when all is said and done, Jay walks out of the house with a large scratch along his neck. While it’s not that likely, the red streak points toward a tattoo with a pentagram in it.

While the idea that L. Ron Hubbard hung out at Casa de Rosas, when all is said and done they really don’t capture any evidence I would say is compelling. Regardless of how dramatic Zak is with his comments on dark energy and Hubbard practicing Satanism and trying to conjure up the Antichrist, let’s look at a couple of things. What did they really capture? An orb? Hmm, that’s usually headlights from cars out on the road. The voices? Garbled noise and could be anything. Having Jay wander around in total darkness? All that does is cause sensory deprivation and who knows what he is going to experience. That is hardly reliable and far from a scientific method of inquiry. And the red mark on his neck? You lock the guy in the dark and he has to fumble around. He ends up with a scratch on his neck? How shocking! How could such a thing ever happen? No one crawling around an abandoned building in the dark has ever scratched themselves before, this must be the work of the paranormal!

Let’s also not forget that right at the beginning, Zak not only says and shows the place is riddled with dead animals, what abandoned building isn’t going to be home for all sorts of vermin and small animals? I’m sure they have nothing to do with the noises they hear. It’s certainly not going to be boards creaking an expanding through heat or simply crumbling to the ground.

Another thing that was interesting is how the term "fun house effect" was thrown out. If you get a building that’s starting to sink, has crooked walls, cramped spaces, odd angles and strange slopes to the doors, you’re going to feel out of sorts. This has nothing to do with the paranormal and is something you can experience during the day. How interesting they bring up the idea themselves then completely ignore it.

Finally, before Zak even steps foot in the place, he has already convinced himself the place has dark energy, is the home of the demonic and buys into the idea that Hubbard was practicing Satanism. He doesn’t need any proof and because of his preconceived notion, everything he sees and hears supports his ideas. That’s the same as making the data and the experiment support your hypothesis before you even start. It might make for good television, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t bunk.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – Return to the Riviera – S12E04
• Ghost Adventures – Poveglia Island
• Ghost Adventures – Clovis Wolfe Manor
• Ghost Adventures – Nopeming Sanatorium – S10E07
• Ghost Adventures – Sin City Exorcism – S15E15
• Ghost Adventures – Heritage Junction – S09E06
• Ghost Adventures – Lechtworth Village – S05E06
• Ghost Adventures – Leslies Family Tree Restaurant – S12E07
• So That Leaves …
• Ghost Adventures – Chinese Town of Locke – S12E05