My Adventures at Zak Bagan's Haunted Museum

Chapter 12-The Gypsy Room

We caught up with the rest of the group, finally making the last turn around the small corridor and into a room with a huge gypsy cart and a man standing next to it. It was styled into a side-show stage, with creepy looking plastered walls and a railing to separate us from the man standing on the stage next to the cart. Strange clowns and other side show signs dotted around the room. Posters of side show ads were plastered on the black walls. The lighting was dim around us, but a spotlight on him held our attention as the tour guide drew us all into a line along the railing.

"Did you all survive the fun house?" The tour guide asked as we all entered and shuffled to fit into this room.

People were quietly talking, whispering about the clowns. One person said, "Yeah. It was very circus-like."

"Zak wanted to convey some of the sense of uneasiness he has about clowns. Hopefully, you got to experience some of that," the guide added. I saw a lot of heads nodding. The tour guide turned and motioned towards the man next to the gypsy cart. "This is John Shaw. He's here to entertain and mystify you."

John Shaw. I recognized him from some of Ghost Adventure's episodes. He was a freak show performer known for putting hooks and a drills in his nose. He was dressed all in black, with a silk burgundy brocade vest. He had a black goatee beard to match his black hair. His dark clothes and painted black nails seemed to make him part of the museum. John looked the freak show performer part. This should be interesting.

"Welcome to the Gypsy Room. I'm hear to entertain you if that's all right." He was answered by quiet nodding. "What, cat has all your tongues?" He laughed at this, and started to ask people where they were from. The casual banter seemed to break the ice. I could see postures near me starting to relax. Even my shoulders went down.

"Where are you from?" John's voice drew me away from observing everyone else. I saw his gaze directed right at me.

"Lot's of different places," I answered. Okay. I just couldn't resist.

"Ah, a Highlander fan. I get that answer a lot." He winked at me. I was impressed that he recognized my reference. It was a classic movie after all. 

He continued, "Now that the pleasantries are over, I will present to you some feats of ball busting illusions." He raised his eyebrow for effect. "Nah, just kidding. I'm going to do some really fantastic stuff that will hopefully make you all sick." He clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "If you'll observe..." He reached behind him and pulled two chains and hooks from a wooden barrel sitting next to the gypsy cart. He handed them to a man by the railing near him. " Can you check these hooks and chain. Are they solid and real?" 

The man checked them by stretching them. 

John added, "Be careful of the hooks." 

The man handed them back to John. "They seem solid."

John held them out for all to see. "I will use these hooks and chain to lift a paint can with nothing, but..." He paused for dramatic effect. "MY EYELIDS." 

There was a lot of repulsed sounds of "yuck" "oooh", and "No, not going to be real."

John answered, "Wait and see." He held up the hooks, walking down the railing to show everyone. To our left, there is a rusty, old paint can sitting on the barrel. I hadn't really noticed it until now, but John grabs the paint can by the handle for all of us to see. He places the can on the ground, and then the chains to the handle of the can. Then, leaning forward, he places the hooks he had shown us, into his bottom eyelids. "Count for me. One..."

We all echoed, "One" as a crowd. Joining with John on "two". On "THREE!", he stands up, lifting the can by the chains attached to his lower eyelids. All sorts of reactions radiate out of the crowd from "Aahhhh", "Yuck!" to "Cool!" and "Wow". My reaction was just, "God, that has got to hurt."

It was only for a few moments, but he did it, and lowered the can down. He unattached the hooks, dropping them on the can, clapped his hands again,  and posed for a moment to allow our claps to echo his. He followed up this performance hammering a nail into his nose. I wasn't really one for side show acts, but I had to give him props. It was gross and mesmerizing to watch. 

"Now, that I've throughly grossed you out, are there any questions about the museum?"

If I had known he was going to ask that, I would have written out a list. All I could think of was if there was any activity in this room. But someone beat me to it, and asked from behind me, "Has anything strange happened in this room while you've performed, John?"

He took a moment to scratch the side of his chin. "Not as much as you would think. I haven't experienced anything myself, but there has been orbs captured on the cameras in this room. I did have someone collapse while I was performing though. Just after they fell, a cam captured an orb escaping out the room."

"Yeah, I saw that video on Twitter," answered another girl near me. Michelle was next to me, and just shrugged her shoulders. 

The man that checked the chains asked, "Isn't that where Aaron got some voices in one of the Ghost Adventures episodes on the museum?" He pointed towards the gypsy wagon.

"Yes, the gypsy wagon is up against a secret room, and there were some voices captured in there. I've not really experienced much myself, but other people say they feel creeped out in it."

I took another look at the gypsy wagon. It seemed like a stock wagon, round roof and a backdoor opening. It had the bright painted colors and a small door that opened into it. It kind of looked cool in a way that I wouldn't mind having my palm read in it. 

Before I could think much more, John was thanking all of us for visiting the side show room, and we were being ushered as a group into the next space ahead. Of what that could be, I didn't know. I was losing all sense of time and place on this tour, and was really starting to look forward to getting near its end. We shuffled along the railing and I looked back to see John giving me a wave. I waved back. It must be cool to work here.