Haunted Volcano Cemetery

[judyrad]

The evening fell upon our group as we stood in the desolated cemetery in Ione California. Nothing but the wind and the crunch of our feet trampling the leaves could be heard. Ben, Rhonda and Rhonda's daughter Sandra and I explored our surroundings. The small town had two cemeteries that peek out through the trees and lay across the street from one another. The town of Ione is famously known for the spooky brick building known as Preston castle. The castle was an old Boarding school for boys and some paranormal investigators believe that an evil spirit lay in wait for visitors to come. We left the cemetery and approached the castle. The sun began to descend from the behind the building and it cast a light so ominous; it looked as if the brick was on fire. No soul was around the closed down facility. We got out of the car and took pictures of the small green buildings that lay on the property and of the castle it'self. Ben, who had driven us up the one way road told us then of a place he had traveled to before. He told us of Volcano. " I have been to Volcano once and I remember feeling as if something lingered in the town, as if I were being watched." He continued , " I went by this Hotel there and it was closed, but maybe now it's open now. We should go check it out." So we all piled back into the car and drove another 30 minutes. Turning onto a long one way road we saw the old hotel. It said "Volcano Hotel" in big bold font on the building. It was dark and only one light was on. It came from a window on the right top room. It did not look as if anyone was there and the doors seem to be closed tight. We continued and went further down the road. Approaching the gravel road we slowed down and turn left onto it. It was pitch black out side other than the stars and the moon. To the right we see the cemetery that stretched over a small hill. As we drove down the gravel road " Highway to hell" began to play on the radio. We stop at the gates of the cemetery and turned off the car. We all sat in the darkness for a minute looking into the cemetery not saying a word. I have never been hesitant to walk into a cemetery at night so this feeling was strange to me. I took a deep breath and began to hop out of the car saying "The ghosts aren't going to entertain themselves so lets go do our job!" Everyone else got out car slowly. I grabbed my video camera and opened it, preparing to take video. I turn it on and proceed to enter through the cemetery gates. "Damn!" I said, I look down at the camera. The battery went dead. "Whats wrong?" Rhonda asked. " Ah my stupid camera just died." I replied. I put the camera back in the car and grabbed my phone. This was my only light source and my only way to take pictures so that would have to do. Sandra and I went in first. We walk up to the hill that we had passed in the car. We see Rhonda looking at another grave stone close by us. Sandra and I began to take pictures of the grave stones and continued to walk further away from the gates. Suddenly we stop. We hear a hissing sound. Then a very loud "SH..." sound came from behind us. Both of us spun around to look. Then we heard the sound, sprinklers . "Damn!" We laughed and thought it was funny how startled we got over nothing.

Sandra and I then went back towards the gate to tell Rhonda. We then notice Rhonda is with a light down by a grave stone on the other side, away from the gate . So we began to walk towards the light calling her name. "Rhonda! Rhonda." The light shut off from her flash light and all we can see is her silhouette, then nothing. We called as we walked towards the grave. Sandra got to the grave first.

"Were did she go?" Sandra asked. "I don't know?" I replied. We called again and finally hear her call back, but from behind us. There Rhonda stood with Ben having flashlight in hand out side of the cemetery gates. We walked up to her. " What the hell man? Were did you go and how did you get over here so fast? " I ask. " What?" Rhonda looked confused so I said. " You were by the grave over there and then your light went off and we couldn't find you." She stared at me with still the confused look on her face. Ben says " What are you talking about she's been talking to me the whole time. " Now Sandra and I had the confused look on our face. "No you weren't!" Sandra yelled. "You were down there and then you were gone! " Rhonda defensively said. " I was not. I was heir the whole time while you guys were taking pictures on the hill way over there." My mouth opened. " What the hell just happened? So if you were over heir with Ben the whole time, then who was with us in the cemetery?" Ben looked nervous, but Rhonda pulled out a recorder from her back pocket and said "Show me where?" We walked her over to the spot and she turn on the recorder and lay it down on the grave.

We walk away out of the cemetery and let it run. Meanwhile Ben had stayed behind and did some exploring. We caught up with him behind a cast of black shadow of trees leaning on at a gate. We looked into the closed gate and could only see the shadows of the grave stones. It was another cemetery. We took the flashlight and look down on the gate at the sign. It read " Catholic Cemetery". Ben then said. " There is a building way over there on the property, but I don't think we should open this gate, it seems a little too squeaky. We might wake someone." There were homes not too far from this cemeteries, but I doubted that they would hear anything. Although the sound did carry and the wind had died down. So we all decided not to go in. We went back into the other cemetery and picked up the recorder. We played it back listening intently. The only thing you could hear was our own footsteps.

Check out all the pictures here

[Keel M.]

According to the website for the Castle, they give tours both day and night, though you can book private time, so I guess that's when the investigators go.

It functioned as the administration building for the Preston School of Industry from 1894 to 1960. This was California's first attempt at trying to rehabilitate young boys for crimes they committed rather than tossing them into prison. It sat in disrepair til 2001 when the Preston Castle Foundation was begun and efforts started on restoration.

The alleged hauntings are of former wards of the Castle as well as a housekeeper who was said to have been bludgeoned to death.

Edited September 24, 2013 by Child of Bast

[Herobrine123]

Any chance giggling was heard?