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Forgotten Cemetery

 

My experiences with the paranormal began when I was about 6 years old. Nothing major like seeing an apparition or anything, but mostly things moving around or feeling someone sitting at the end of my bed. It never really bothered me much so I never really feared it.

Except for one experience. Back when I lived in the Bay Area in CA around the fall of 2006 I had a few friends that had a paranormal investigations group. One of my friends let's call her Jill (I am refraining from using their real names since I am posting this of my own volition) introduced me to John the leader of the paranormal investigation group. He liked my attitude of being a skeptic but still having some belief and asked me to join the group.

The place these guys liked to go to train new people was an abandoned ocean side cemetery where they had gotten good audio evidence and all of it was very positive. We make the drive out there with Jill, John, John's brother, and I. Everyone was excited to see what we could get. When we got there we started setting up our equipment before we took the path into the cemetery, but we were interrupted by heavy sounds of rustling in the bushes outside of the cemetery. We grabbed our flashlights and looked to see if we could see anything in the brush but no luck. All this time there is a very heavy oppressive feeling in the air, almost like the air was thick like soup but pushing down on you. So we went back to the equipment. I was working with an IR illuminator and for the life of me I couldn't get it to power on, new batteries; I even tried another one we had but no good. Finally I gave up on it, and all the while we still hear rustling in the bushes. We got our voice recorders, flashlights, and cameras ready and started to make our way up the trail.

Once on the cemetery grounds we could hear the rustling in the bushes very clear but it was heavy like a person or a very large animal, but we couldn't see anything. Once we walked on to the main section of the cemetery we noticed someone scratched into the concrete a pentagram and you could see melted wax around the circumference of the circle. Jill at this point was looking at it while John and I start looking around, and we noticed one of the tombstones had a hand print of a small to medium sized hand scratched in to it. From the moment we stepped on to the cemetery grounds we felt like we were being watched but tried to continue investigating. Soon enough we found all four of us back to back in the center of the cemetery. John had told me that normally they are in the cemetery for 2-3 hours, but I think we lasted a whole 30 minutes

We finally had enough of this crazy scary feeling in the cemetery so we start packing up. The odd part was we could all hear with our ears what sounded like a conversation but in words we couldn't understand, and at this point we start packing up quicker. We get back to the path and as we are going down it we could hear the rustling of the bushes just to our left as we are coming down but we continued to calmly but quickly get back to the road.

Once we hit the road we started walking down to the car, and about half way down the road John and I stop and look into the bushes where the noise had been coming from and I saw one of the oddest things in my entire life. There looking directly at us was 2 sets of huge pale orange glowing eyes. One was about 7-8 feet high and the other set was about 1-1.5 feet off the ground, and when I say huge I mean the size of a baseball or larger. Once John saw the eyes he started running to the car as did his brother, but I stood there for what seemed like minutes trying to figure out what the heck these eyes could belong to. Jill was walking behind me and when she saw John and his brother run she started running but then looked back at me standing there and ran back grabbed my arm and started pulling me to the car. John and his brother get to the car John's brother gets in the car but somehow John is locked out, he tries using his keyless entry but it wouldn't work, finally when Jill and I get to the car the doors unlock and we all pile in. Mind you as we are coming out of the cemetery John's voice recorder stops working but mine and Jill's are still running. Once we get into the car and start driving down the road to the highway John's voice recorder all of a sudden turns back on.

The drive back to Jill's where we all met was kind of quiet as we are all processing what just happened. We get to Jill's house and John, Jill, and I start listening to the audio from our voice recorders. Mind you we deleted everything off the digital voice recorders before we left. John was the first to find an EVP, all it said was "Get out" in a voice that was alarmed but not angry. As Jill and I listen to our voice recorders we here 3 more "Get out's" in male and female voices. I caught a voice saying something that sounds like it was in an eastern European accent (this area where the cemetery was founded by eastern Europeans) but we can make it out clearly. Once we listen to all the audio we come up with 6-8 class A and B EVP's, but all of them were warning us or telling us to get out. We listened to John's recorder and it sounds like a whip crack few seconds before it randomly shut off.

A few months later a few of us went back to see if the oppressive feeling was still there, but instead it was a calm, warm, and almost welcoming feeling. When we left that night we heard children giggle outside of the car before we left. This time the EVP's we captured were more pleasant and less distressed. Whatever was there the last time we were there had gone. We continued to go back several times and we never encountered anything like we did my first time there. I don't know if we ran into a pair of demons or just a malevolent presence that night but it was an experience that I will never forget. If anyone would like to hear this audio we do have it on a Youtube channel and I would be happy to share it.

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Comments about this paranormal experience

The following comments are submitted by users of this site and are not official positions by yourghoststories.com. Please read our guidelines and the previous posts before posting. The author, Tenelen, has the following expectation about your feedback: I will read the comments and participate in the discussion.

MelLundquist (8 posts)
 
10 years ago (2014-07-22)
I'm interested in hearing the EVP's as I have near heard any before and I really into this how would you share the EVP's?
Tenelen (1 stories) (6 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-04-18)
[at] TalonWalt

No its off of HWY 1 close to the coast in Northern CA.
TalonWalt (3 stories) (69 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-04-17)
Tenelen, Is it one of the cemetaries located out on route 66?
Tenelen (1 stories) (6 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-04-17)
So rookdygin, Martin, francyne1031 I appreciate your comments. After I was initiated with scrutiny from some users I was very discouraged to share my experiences here again thus my absence. My reasons for not using real names is that yes we all shared the experience but this is me sharing these experiences and since I cannot assume that they would be ok with me sharing their names I refrained from doing so.

As for my experience, I was here to share what happened we can sit here and speculate if's and what not's but this is what I know and what my group and I felt and I would appreciate it if that could be respected as I see it is with other person that chooses to share their experiences here.
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2013-01-31)
Martin,

I understand completely. The names are unimportant as long as the rest of the details in the experience are TRUE. This is not a site for aspiring Fiction Authors.

Members here have come to share their strange and/or unexplained experiences and hope to find or perhaps give answers or aid.

Those who come here to lie or play 'make believe' or to peddle Fiction as Fact need to apply someplace else as we have very little tolerance for it (Can you say Miss Demeanor? I thought you could... LoL 😉).

Respectfully,

Rook
Martin (602 posts) mod
+3
12 years ago (2013-01-31)
rookdygin, I actually discourage people in the sign-up page to use their real names since I started to have too many requests to change it because they suddenly ended up in a field of work or branch of society years later that look down upon people who believe in the paranormal. That's also why I don't use technologies like "sign in with facebook", etc. Real people's names don't matter on this site.
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-01-31)
bizzjoe,

Some people are uncomfortable shareing their personal information in such a public forum such as YGS. Add this to the fact that they are concerned people may think they are 'nuts' for believing in the Paranormal who can blame them for 'changing the names of the innocent'.

Just a possible reason for the 'name changes'.

Respectfully,

Rook
francyne1031 (49 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-01-30)
* It seems when people do, others can't wait to jump on them.
Sentence correct *
francyne1031 (49 posts)
+3
12 years ago (2013-01-30)
Geez guys I thought this site was to let people share their experiences. It seems legend people do others can't wait to jump on them. I don't know...? I thought we were here for support. Tenelen, I have not read your account yet, truthfully I didn't need to, I thought your comments were very rational. Everyone is different, given this as fact, we all react differently. I think it's great you guys cleaned up that cemetery, it shows me that you guys were thoughtful and caring. Qualities that people lack in this day and age.:)
zzsgranny (18 stories) (3329 posts) mod
+1
12 years ago (2013-01-30)
*whispering back* I don't either! 😆

50505050characters
5050
bizzjoe (1 stories) (162 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2013-01-30)
ok fair enough... Still don't get it though (he said with a whisper)
zzsgranny (18 stories) (3329 posts) mod
 
12 years ago (2013-01-30)
bizzjoe: " (some of) the stories you read here are true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent" dun dun duuuunnnnn 😆
bizzjoe (1 stories) (162 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2013-01-30)
why change the names of the people in the story? A lot of people who submit stories seem to do it, I mean it would be differant if the people in the story were carrying out a bank job... I don't know I don't get it... Sometimes it keeps me up at night... But the story was rather good...
Tenelen (1 stories) (6 posts)
 
12 years ago (2013-01-10)
[at] mamachong

We didn't delete the EVPS. We never delete EVPS even if they are class C or lower. What I was saying is we clear the voice recorders like we do anytime we do an investigation. The previous recordings are always uploaded to our server so they are backed up.
mamachong (11 stories) (228 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-11-12)
Tenelen,
You said you deleted the evp's. Did you just delete the bad evp's, and keep the good ones? I'm a little skeptical too. Why would you delete the bad ones but keep the good ones? Kind of takes away from the validity of the story. Sounds made up. Children laughing? When I did evp's in the past, I got more than just "get out" Please explain why you would only keep the good evps but not the bad. I would prefer that people believe the whole story.
Worried_Brit_Chick (6 stories) (108 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-10-30)
Tenelen,

You said you have EVPs and would be happy to share. Can you please?

Thanks
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
-1
12 years ago (2012-10-24)
Tenelen,
Back to the assumption it could have been someone in the bushes... And yes, I still feel that is one alternative. However, since you and the group fled the area before investigating this sound, there truly is no way for you to know that there was no one else there. Any supposed evidence can be seen as corrupted simply because you ran from it And if you want to be taken seriously on points like this one you must go by the commonly accepted rules of the hunt. The first rule being, if there is any way the event could have been caused by a natural source, it must be tossed aside. Using untested and possibly corrupted evidence as proof is not the sort of reputation a group wants to have if they want to have any credibility at all.
You also stated this about those sounds you heard:
"Once on the cemetery grounds we could hear the rustling in the bushes very clear but it was heavy like a person or a very large animal, but we couldn't see anything"
Can you see how easily that can be interpreted as anything but paranormal? Just because the noise came from that direction once you entered the cemetery does not prove it was not a human source. Whoever or whatever made the sounds could have entered from any direction and run away from you in another.
I won't even get back into the two sets of orange glowing eyes. (sigh)
When you go from that to pondering if it were a demonic or malevolent entity, that's where reality checks out and fantasy checks in. It makes it seem as if you wanted it to be so badly that you have tossed the rules for the satisfaction of having a good story to tell.
Sorry, but you were so insistent about your EVPs and your experience working with audio that I feel I should ask you what exactly you meant by this statement:
"I work with audio for a living and the frequencies the EVPs were caught where clear not wispy where you have to guess what's being said."
Please be as concise as you can in this as I can have it checked for inconsistencies (brother in law was the vice president for post production sound at Warner Bros). Of course you can simply ignore my requests for further information, that is entirely up to you. I certainly won't be making this into a project. To much work.
The other comments on the thread suspected your friends were pulling a prank on you. Funny how you did not address that at all, but saved your wrath for little old me. I don't particularly care what your reasons were for that, but you certainly got my attention.
Happy now?
I can go on like this on just about every point you have made, but I won't. At least not in this post. But advising me to show the same respect for you as the other posters made me laugh. That was funny. Maybe they were right after all and your friends did prank you, eh?

Jav
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
-3
12 years ago (2012-10-24)
Tenelen,
First off, I love the way you single me out as the one and only person here that disrespected you.
Second, my exact words were:
"And it doesn't even have to be foggy, if the wind isn't blowing, the air is thick. Simple as that."
That's right, it doesn't need to be foggy, if there is no breeze, which you state there was not. I am from California as well, so I am familiar with some of the areas you are speaking about.
Third, whether you want to admit it or not, when crunch time came, rather than trying to capture that on video, audio, etc, you all fled. And by the way you described that moment it was pretty much a race to get out of there.
You may not like the assessment of myself and others, however, this new information could, and should, have been at least partly included in the main text. The way it was given to us does make it sound like a bunch of kids playing at being ghost hunters. I always get just a bit more skeptical of someone's claims when the most interesting parts of the account are only given after it has been critiqued. Something here or there is one thing, but as much info as you have added today only gives me pause. I'm sorry if you are not happy with that.
If you don't want to be referred to as kids, don't lay the situation out as if you were.

Jav
Tenelen (1 stories) (6 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-10-24)
Redwolf and Rook - They used this site because it was a forgotten place. We didn't just investigate we also helped clean it up and take care of it. The cemetery was part of a seaside township that was flooded and destroyed. The only reason they even found the cemetery was my friends pastor told him a story about the little town and that all was know to remain was the cemetery. It's a good 20-30 miles away from any civilization, and the first time they went there it was completely overgrown and no paths into it. It started when they first went there to clean up the cemetery and they were snapping pictures of the work they had done and got some crazy images. The only reason they used as a training ground because they knew there was consistent positive activity there. The group is very respectful with that site and cherish it as not only a paranormal hot spot but to remember those who everyone has forgotten this is one of the reasons I haven't given the name of the township as with a little research you can find the location of it. As for the events of that night if you believe me or not it did happen to the four of us and with the EVP's we got I know it wasn't anyone in the physical realm. I work with audio for a living and the frequencies the EVPs were caught where clear not wispy where you have to guess what's being said. As for the scratches in the stone and wax we never saw it there again. I am sorry if I didn't provide too many details as this is a place I don't want people to go out and try to find this place. Since my old team has cleaned it up and started taking care of it, it is now under the protection of the county and they do not use it to train people.

Zeta - They weren't things I could see. My mom explained the feeling someone sitting at then end of my bed as my great grandmother watching me sleep like she did when I was 2 before she died so I thought nothing much of it. As for the things moving around it happened to my mom and stepdads room so all I heard was noises in an old Victorian home so without seeing it happen I can't really say one way or another. It makes me wonder and ask questions but doesn't make me a full believer. After that night in the cemetery I am a believer to an extent, but isn't that why we talk about our experiences to gain validation to our skepticism or beliefs?

Javelina - There was no fog that night it was clear and there was no real breeze. I lived in the part of the bay area for 17 years and there was rarely fog. The bay is more common for fog not the south bay. As for you assumption that someone was in the bushes, that is doubtful you would have to climb to get up the side of the hill where the noises were coming from which is also dense with brush. Haven't you ever had the feeling that something was not right? Wouldn't it make sense for you to leave? If not then you must have balls of steel because if I sense danger I get out, and when I say danger we felt as if we were going to be attacked. As for utility reflectors not likely since we shined our 1000-1200 lumen flashlights in that area before we went in and there was nothing there. I make a living dealing with audio and visual equipment for the last 15 years and I know when something has been tampered with or not. We were not trying to raise the dead and I would appreciate that you show the same respect as others do and not just assume that we were some dumb kids.

In addition none of us are or were kids. All of us were in our late 20's +.
scarlet_island (1 stories) (6 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-10-23)
This is a very interesting read and yet terrifying at the same time. I often go to the local cemetery, in day light of course, to do homework. Yes I know that's weird but it's quiet and peaceful there and I've obviously never had an experience there or I would have never gone back. So maybe that cemetery was abandoned for a reason. 😨
Also, you say that this investigation team takes all their new trainees there, correct? Well have they ever had any other ominous experiences prior to that night?
Worried_Brit_Chick (6 stories) (108 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-10-23)
can you share the EVPs? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it through the gates into a cemetary after dark as I'd have peed my pants, but then I'm not a self proclaimed paranormal investigator! I do think you were dealing more with the fears in your head and wildlife in a bush than demons in a cemetary...
Unexplained (2 stories) (122 posts)
+2
12 years ago (2012-10-23)
A good, well-written account. I've read a lot of stories on this site where curious groups of people visit cemeteries after dark and so long as they don't vandalise the gravestones or disrespect the graves, then I don't see it causing too much harm having a bunch of kids running about with recorders. The running away seems to be more about kids playing about than serious paranormal investigators.
zetafornow (4 stories) (447 posts)
+4
12 years ago (2012-10-22)
I have a couple of questions for you and no disrespect intended but just for my own curiosity.
1. You state that your first paranormal experiences began when you were around six. You state that it didn't really bother you much... Things moving around and the feeling of someone sitting on the end of your bed. Why then would you become a skeptic? Just curious. I start experiencing things when I was about that age also and it didn't make me a skeptic rather it made me intrigued and not very fearful. Albeit... Everyone is different.
2. Why did all of these investigators run away when they had finally come across some type of validation? Isn't that was all paranormal investigators are looking for? It seems odd that they would run away and not return for a few months.

Thanks. Once again, no disrespect intended. Great story.

Zeta.
snowhite (203 posts)
 
12 years ago (2012-10-22)
I don't see any fun part in this story. Whenever there might be some ghosts there, you all ran away like chciken. What did you go there for?
Raftingirl (2 stories) (113 posts)
+1
12 years ago (2012-10-22)
I'm sorry. I must agree with Javelin.

Cemeteries are meant to be resting places. Unless someone has specifically asked for your help in one, I would steer clear of them and leave the dead to rest in peace.

Also Rook and Jav - you had many good points on the possible flaws in said 'investigation' ~ seems like not a lot of things got ruled out before conclusions may have been drawn.

With due respect - just my quarter cent's worth.
Javelina (4 stories) (3749 posts)
+5
12 years ago (2012-10-22)
Tenelen,
I agree whole heartedly with Redwolf and rook. This whole thing sounds like a bunch of kids playing trying to scare themselves.
Here are a few alternatives to what you say you saw, felt, and heard.

~You stated this about how it felt that night:
"All this time there is a very heavy oppressive feeling in the air, almost like the air was thick like soup but pushing down on you"
~~Of course it was. You were in the BAY AREA! Fog. Ever heard of it? And it doesn't even have to be foggy, if the wind isn't blowing, the air is thick. Simple as that.

~The rustling in the bushes and hushed conversation? Someone saying 'get out'?
~~I'm guessing you walked in on a couple trying to grab a quickie in the cemetery. It's stupid and creepy, but people do it all the time. I am also guessing they left something behind that they were hoping you didn't find, and you didn't.

~Here's a lovely little gem:
"We finally had enough of this crazy scary feeling in the cemetery so we start packing up"
~~ Aaah, the intrepid ghost hunters run from the monster of the oppressive feelings. Forgive me, but aren't ghost hunters supposed to posses a modicum of backbone? Isn't that a requirement? Geez, what's going to happen when they step into a clients home? Besides raiding the fridge, I mean?

~The huge orange globes? One up very high, one down low?
~~Paddle posts. Could be from a survey crew or utility company. Used for several things. It marks off areas that have already been covered, the location of a master valve, or utility meter. The reflectors are attached to make them more visible. They could very well have been mile markers. But I seriously doubt they were eyes.

! Stop with the cemetery stuff!
You kids are going to end up getting yourselves busted for grave robbing or necrophelia or some other nonsense like that. The judge will want to make an example of you and your friends. You keep this up and that reality will prove much more frightening than a little noise in the bushes and a reflector post on the side of the road, I promise you that.
And stop trying to raise the dead! Those people did nothing to you and they didn't pass out invitations to their final resting place. They aren't bothering anyone, and they certainly don't need a bunch of amateurs running around with their fancy toys trying to get them to speak up. They're tired, they deserve the rest. Leave them alone.

I can't go any further... It's simply too shameful...

Jav
Isolde (guest)
+2
12 years ago (2012-10-22)
Well, in all I'm sure it was a great test for your nerves... 😆
rookdygin (24 stories) (4458 posts)
+5
12 years ago (2012-10-22)
A cemetery as training ground? REALLY? Why do people think cemeteries are good places to conduct investigations at all? You are outdoors so 'contamination' of any possible EVP's is a great risk. Animals in the trees, birds/bats/bugs can all give various 'false positives'. Not to mention the fact that not many spirits (souls) remain attached to their physical remains...I'm not saying this doesn't happen... But it's an exception... Unless an item was buried with an individual... Something they were attached to... Or maybe they were very 'narcissistic' and 'so in love' with themselves that they couldn't 'let go' even in death.

A couple of questions for you... How do you know this cemetery is abandoned... Is it all overgrown and un-kept?

Have you ever found the candle wax and 'other things' you observed there again... Or just that one time? What time of year was it that you were there and found these things (time of year of this experience) you mentioned 'fall' can you be more specific?.

Respectfully,

Rook
RedWolf (31 stories) (1292 posts)
+5
12 years ago (2012-10-21)
A paranormal group using a cemetery as training ground? Why would they do that? It's disrespectful whether the cemetery is abandoned or not. No real paranormal group would investigate in a cemetery unless they were asked to. Why would you agree to go?
The rustling in the bushes could have been other friends of your friends running around trying to freak you out or animals you disturbed. The huge pale orange glowing eyes could have been another "prank". Equipment failure is very easy to fake as were your EVPs.
Please stay out of cemeteries as I said it's disrespectful. Find a real paranormal group to join. This sounds like one big hoax to see your reaction.
Isolde (guest)
+2
12 years ago (2012-10-21)
Sounds to me as if someone has been meddling with some dark magic before you arrived.
Glad you made it out in one piece (with the help of the kinder spirits) 😁

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