After some years, I really didn’t think about the Opera House that much. I would only sometimes look back on the memories of those past investigations. Every now and then, my team members and I would reminisce on our adventures there.
One person on my team in particular, Paul, absolutely loved Marta Beckett and the Opera House. He had seen her live performances and had a small collection of memorabilia from the Opera House.
Paul inside of the Goldfield High School after one of our investigations.
I always felt a connection to Paul because we were the only Aquarius people in our paranormal team. We were both pretty goofy and had a streak of independence, even within the group.
After a few years of investigating with him, he ended up letting us all know that he was battling with cancer. Even though he was going through all of that, he always brought so much joy and laughter to the group.
Towards the end of his battle, I went out to dinner with him and his wife. He gifted me his memorabilia from the Opera House. It was emotional for me to receive it because I knew why he was feeling the need to pass it on to someone else.
Paul passed away in 2020 and I held tight to our memories together and the gifts he gave to me. One of the items he gave me is a signed art print by Marta Beckett called “The Spirit of Amargosa”. In it, is the colonnade of the hotel and ghostly dancing figures blowing through it like the wind. I had it framed and I cherish it.
Paul during our investigation inside of the old garage building across the street from The Amargosa Hotel.
At the same time, I was going through a lot in my personal life. The decade long relationship with my partner was coming to an end and I knew it. I was still in this difficult phase of accepting that I would soon need to move on and change everything about my life.
In 2021, on my Birthday, I was feeling this heavy sense of grief and personal transformation. That day, I drove out to the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel alone (which was closed at the time due to the pandemic) and I sat out on the picnic table.
Me leaving a message of Paul at one of his favorite places.
I was thinking about my life and I was missing Paul. I talked to him as I sat there being all emotional, hoping he was okay on the other side, wishing him a happy birthday too, and wondering what advice he might give to me about my situation. I drew Paul’s name in the dirt and put a heart with it and then I went home.
A couple of months later, my relationship was at its official end and I was starting a new life on my own. I hung the print that Paul had gifted me in the middle of my living room of my new place. It was the centerpiece of my haunted places themed wall.
So the colonnade of the hotel and the Spirit of Amargosa had been looking upon me in this new phase of life for months before finally things would come full circle.
“The Spirit of Amargosa” by Marta Becket hanging in my living room.
In my new phase of independence and recreating myself, I needed a new job. It felt like crazy luck when I saw a position for front desk clerk and tour guide at The Amargosa Opera House and Hotel come up.
This felt meant for me! No, I never worked at a hotel before and no, I was never a tour guide, but oh my god! I have to work in this haunted place that I used to investigate at. I just have to.
So, I talked to Paul again and I asked him, “Paul, if this is meant for me, please help me make it happen.” I went down there and interviewed and I got the job! It felt so easy.
I decided not to mention any of my past history there as a paranormal investigator just incase they wouldn’t like that. I didn’t want them to think that’s all I was interested in and that I’d be crappy at my job because all I care about is the ghost. Also I just didn’t know yet how they felt about their haunted reputation.
Views from my drive out to the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel.
I kept my past experiences there a secret the whole time I worked there. There was only one other employee and a couple of guests I told about it. To this day, I don’t think they know.
It was funny at the time of me starting there and getting a tour of everything and acting like that was the first time I’d ever seen it. It was silly to me that certain areas were so off limits to me as an employee because I had already been there before. It was no big secret to me.
I didn’t investigate much at all while I worked there though. I didn’t need to. The paranormal experiences would just happen naturally. I kept a haunted log from my very first day of employment and I did my best to write down every strange occurrence that happened to me there and trust me… it gets weird.
Stay tuned for part 3…
-Tabitha .Z.