I lived next door to a haunted house

I live in a rich neighborhood. It's an older neighborhood with cookie cutter pre-fab houses that are all reaching roughly the 10 year age mark, but it still seems to carry around a reputation of being on the snobby side--mostly because of that that flashing neon "Bellevue" address tacked onto the end--though technically its pretty damn close to Renton (pronounce "Rent-uun" --its ok, I work there).

People usually get the wrong idea about my bank account when I mention where I live, so I always need to set the record straight by explaining that I rent a daylight basement with a roommate.

Everyday as I drive to work past the rows of "burnt beige", "charcoal beige", "tan beige" and "beige beige" houses, I always smile as the overpriced monotony is broken up by the one old house in the middle. Set amidst a big grassy field with apple trees is a big, uh...somewhat older house, with pretty trim, leafy garden trees, and to top it off--a tiny, furry, white pony snacking on fallen fenced in apples. Its so cute it makes me want to purchase a Mary Englebright magazine and go feed it to the pony (maybe along with some sugar cubes for good measure).

One day I noticed the pony was missing. I felt a brief rush of anxiety and discontent--but soon it was over as I gazed around with a sigh of content at the fat, wispy money trees firmly planted throughout the rest of my neighborhood (though, I don't have one of those in my yard, oddly enough).

But time wore on, and still no sign of said cutest pony. So one day I looked a little further (house is nestled behind tall trees) while passing and noticed the frilly white curtained windows had been boarded up. Shock and awe!

I promptly talked Matt into racing over. I grabbed my camera and off I persuaded him to go with me, investigating this mysterious house. I have an unhealthy infatuation with abandoned houses. And though weekly I am tormented by nightmares (could this be because the only band I listen to is Slayer??), I am nonetheless obsessed with finding one of these houses to be haunted, and am determined to capture it on film. Maybe I watch too many movies.

So we checked it out. Its quite creepy, really, as it looks like the previous residents were living in filth, and then suddenly moved out and left it all behind after some abrupt and traumatic event. Windows were kicked out, doors left swaying open on hinges, and trash, pieces of furniture, knick knacks and washers and dryers were left strewn about the place.

I ventured in as far as the living room, daring to stand still long enough to get lengthy exposures of the strangeness. But I took one look down the dark creaky stairs into the underground basement, and thought "I think we should go now", realizing that perhaps I don't reallllly want to happen upon a haunted house--or a 'Silence of the Lambs' scene. I peaked up the hallway to the top of the stairs, and heard some creaking noises just as I finished my long stair exposure. That's when we ran!





Here are the pics. The top one above this post is a broken mirror piece we found in the yard. I took a picture of our reflection in it, and somehow it completely came out looking like I have a creepy "Scream" mask on.....ooooooh.