A House in North London - Part 2 | Beetle's humour

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A House in North London - Part 2

posted by Babs on Wednesday, 19 November 2008

If you haven’t already, you might want to read part 1 before reading this.

Part 2

Somehow we managed to clean the flat up and make is habitable. Once we got our furniture in, it looked OK, though not as nice as our first flat. We had made all our furniture to fit our previous flat and these rooms were much larger. Still it didn’t look bad. It was modern funky sixties furnishings and it brightened the place up - at least for a while.

Friends of ours were looking for somewhere to live, and as we had a spare bedroom, Jim suggested they move in with us. A few months after Jim and I had moved in, there were four of us. I would later realise the mistake in this, but it was fun for a while.

It wasn’t long before we decided to investigate the bottom half of the house. All four of us descended the stairs with a certain amount of childish excitement.

It was vary dark and dismal downstairs, and for some reason, and to our disappointment, the doors to the rooms were all locked. We did find one door that wasn’t locked so we all crowded round with anticipation. It opened at the top of a flight of stairs going down into a dark, very large cellar. We switched on the light and were totally amazed. It was a massive games room. Right in the centre was the weirdest, full sized Billiard (Pool) table. It had been built from trees. Four large tree trunks had been cut to size and laid on their side with the large twisting branches trimmed neatly to the same height. Perched on top of what looked like a lot of arms, was the flat table top. It looked quite grand, but a very creepy. The cues and balls still lay on the smooth, green table. There were boxes, stacked all around the walls. While rummaging through one of them we pulled out a large bag, full of something soft. On closer inspection, we discovered it was a bag of human hair!

As if this wasn’t unnerving enough, somebody said “Oh my word! Look at that!” I was already feeling a little nervous by the hair, but I looked. There was a dart-board on the wall. The kind with doors that you open to keep scores on. The darts were still in the dart-board, the doors were open and scrawled, in white chalk, on the left was the word ‘Me’ with the scores underneath, on the right was written ‘Them’ with the scores underneath! A chill went down my spine, and I expect the others too. I don’t know what was said but we promptly left the cellar, never to go back down there again! I have no idea who won. We didn’t stop to check! There could have been all sorts of treasure to be found in an old cellar full of boxes, but we were not ever going down there to search for it! There was a bad feeling on that whole lower floor.

We had to go down to the ground floor in order to get out to the beautiful garden, but I always made a sort of nervous dash to get outside, and the same nervous dash to get back upstairs. Never lingering. The garden was very large but terribly overgrown. The grass was waist high and laid down flat. Jim and I had cut it all back and mowed the grass, when we lived there alone. When it was done it was unbelievable. There was all sorts of plants hidden from view, including massive strawberries. An old, hand made, child’s swing hung from a large tree. There was, what once had been, a large and beautiful Victorian style veranda. Now old, rickety and peeling. If you looked at it for any length of time, you could see, with your minds eye, a Victorian family sitting on it, drinking tea, children laughing and playing. Then reality hit and all you saw was a broken down old thing with no life on it at all. It was quite sad. Who lived there? What happened in that house? If I ever caught a glimpse of the downstairs windows at the back of the house, I would look away quickly. I never peered inside. The windows looked like two large black eyes, watching me. They unnerved me - a lot!

One night, on arriving home late, Jim and I were climbing the stairs in the dark when my foot hit something and I almost fell. Jim quickly put the light on and there were three or four baby rats on the stairs. Apparently the brown long fur denotes that they are baby rats. I can’t believe it but we just stepped over them and continued on up the stairs! We had no doubt that the cellar, and probably the bottom half of the house was running alive in them.

The mood of our home slowly changed. It didn’t seem as happy and carefree. Jim often took himself to bed early. Something was changing, yet we didn’t seem to be aware of it. Our friends were beginning to take our home over, as if it were theirs. Jim didn’t seem to notice. I just put up with them breaking and damaging everything they touched. My home had lost it’s original meaning to me now.

What was the history of this house?

Stumble it!

48 Comments for “A House in North London - Part 2”

Lauren | 19 November 2008 at 1:21

You always tell the best stories!

Lauren´s last blog post..America Is A Racist Nation?
Eric "Speedcat Hollydale" | 19 November 2008 at 1:54

I thew the darts
Comedy Plus | 19 November 2008 at 2:36

This is getting creepier and creepier. I’m new to your stories, but I’m hooked. Can’t wait for the next part.

Hi Speedy.

Have a great day.
Comedy Plus´s last blog post..Veteran’s Day
beetle | 19 November 2008 at 2:38

Lauren: Thank you, I try

Speedy: This is supposed to be serious! Ha ha! Only you could say that! It did make me laugh out loud though - more than once!
beetle | 19 November 2008 at 2:42

Comedy Plus: I was feeling creepy when writing and remembering it! I’m glad you’re hooked
Jeff | 19 November 2008 at 4:43

Heh… one sign of rats and I would have been OUT! {{{shiver}}}

(p.s. If you can’t tell, we don’t get many rats around here)

Jeff´s last blog post..It’s a bit drafty in here - Volume II
Ana | 19 November 2008 at 11:35

oh my Babs, I have ust read part and part 2 now and it sounds like a psycho thriller! Wow, I am so excited for the rest!
Eric and Flynn | 19 November 2008 at 13:08

When we read part one we said we thought it was spooky, now we know it is! Great read though.

Eric and Flynn´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday
Daisy the Curly Cat | 19 November 2008 at 14:02

Wow, it’s so mysterious and spooky! I wish I knew what went on there before you moved in!

Daisy the Curly Cat´s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday: Peek at my Underneath!
Nova | 19 November 2008 at 14:16

hmmmmm… that house looks like in the movie… looks scary to me because of the edits you made…

thanks for the visit and hope to see u in my page too…

blessed be

Nova´s last blog post..Jewellry
beetle | 19 November 2008 at 14:44

Jeff: We didn’t know they were rats at the time. It was only when we told somebody that we had seen big brown mice with long fur, that we were told they were baby rats!

Ana: Ha ha! I suppose it was, but we were so young and naive at the times that we didn’t really grasp it.

Eric & Flynn: It was very spooky at times, not so bad at other times - except downstairs!

Daisy: It must have had about 100 years of history in that house at the time.
Evie | 19 November 2008 at 15:58

Ohh I do not need to say how excited I am for the next part!!!

Did you get to keep all the wonderful old things you found??
LOl possessed or not friends do take over if you let them live their long enough..unfortunately…
We let friends “stay” with us but only as long as they need to “get out” hehe we know better

V-V
beetle | 19 November 2008 at 17:04

Evie: No, I didn’t keep a single thing! And I would never have friends move in to stay again. That’s for sure ;O)
Ivanhoe | 19 November 2008 at 17:34

I wonder if somebody was killed there…
If my hair was standing up like yours, I would probably run…Run away from the scary house.
I’m already scared to read more :o)

Ivanhoe´s last blog post..Sharing a Story
beetle | 19 November 2008 at 19:22

Nova: Welcome, and thank you for your comment. It was a scary house

Ivanhoe: Oooh, don’t scare me ;O) If somebody was, it would have been in the bottom part of the house, that’s for sure!
Shinade | 19 November 2008 at 19:29

Oh my this one is getting better and better. Babs I never read online stories and you have me absolutely captivated.

And Speedy you did not throw darts…silly you!!

Oh I can’t wait. Can you just tell us now?
beetle | 19 November 2008 at 19:38

Shinade: I am not prolonging this one. It will be posted very soon Speedy is very silly, but he made me laugh!
David | 19 November 2008 at 19:40

Very Spooky! Human hair isn’t that some sort of fetish? Did you ever dig in the yard around the house? It sounds like a job for Ghost Hunters. You two were very brave after human hair I am gone baby.
Max Coutinho | 19 November 2008 at 20:41

Hi Babs,

I see the new SlogBite badge: it looks great!!

On with the story…
This is creepy….bag of hairs!? Human hairs…man!!!

Babs, what the bloody hell happened in that house? It is obvious that it had some weird aura…
Do you think it was haunted, and it was beginning to change everybody’s mood? I have heard of cases such as this…

Wow…

Max Coutinho´s last blog post..The Rendez-vous…
jay | 19 November 2008 at 21:18

Gosh.. I don’t think I’d have wanted to stay there for very long!

What happened? Did you ever find out why the downstairs part was out of bounds? And how did they teach the rats to play darts?

Can’t wait for the next instalment!!
grannygrimble | 19 November 2008 at 22:09

I read this just before I went to bed last night - Not a good idea!
You are really keeping the suspense going without hamming it up. I can’t wait for the next episode. Well done!

grannygrimble´s last blog post..THE GREAT DAY ARRIVES
beetle | 19 November 2008 at 23:02

David: No, we never did any more than mow the grass! I think, maybe, we were more stupid than brave

Max Coutinho: You need to read the last part to see if you are right

Jay: Oh I like it … How did you teach the rats to play darts! Ha ha ha!

granny grimble: I wrote it just before going to bed! That was scary
liza | 19 November 2008 at 23:23

it’s getting creepier, can’t wait to read part three.

liza´s last blog post..Excessive Sweating
Lidian | 19 November 2008 at 23:56

Babs, what a treat to come home after a very long day and get to read part 2! An amazing story and you are such a fabulous writer.

Lidian´s last blog post..The Prefect Voice
Sandie | 20 November 2008 at 0:29

I am just off to bed and feeling a little uneasy now! I have to get up to visit the bathroom during the night, and although it is en suite, I shall be hot footing it back to bed pretty sharpish I can tell you! Hurry up with the next instalment please:0)
beetle | 20 November 2008 at 1:17

Lidian: I’m glad you are enjoying it, and thank you so much for the compliment

Sandie: This post has brought all the feelings back to me. I have more knowledge of these things now, so it’s more scary than I thought at the time.
Lux | 20 November 2008 at 3:40

This is kind of spooky - I love your writing!
Maureen | 20 November 2008 at 4:18

That’s just creepy… I wouldn’t have lasted one day in that house. You’re far braver than I!

Maureen´s last blog post..Set The WayBack Machine To 1990 Sherman
beetle | 20 November 2008 at 5:34

Lux: It was very spooky, but fortunately we didn’t realize just how spooky it was at the time.

Maureen: Not really brave, just not very aware I think In those days we were not as clued up on such things. If it was now it would be a very different story!
Natural | 20 November 2008 at 12:20

scared the bleep outta me. the bag of hair? oh no. i would have ran so fast i would’ve left my own hair behind. creepy indeed. them/us? no way could i have stayed.
beetle | 20 November 2008 at 15:32

Natural: We didn’t have all these scary movies back then, or the stories in the media about such things. We were not really tuned in to the possible dangers, I’m glad to say!
Susan | 20 November 2008 at 16:43

This is a great read! I am thoroughly enjoying this story!

Susan´s last blog post..Hot Rocks Open House
Max Coutinho | 20 November 2008 at 20:12

Babs,

I will be back for that last part, then ;D!

Cheers

Max Coutinho´s last blog post..The Rendez-vous…
ScanDigital Staff | 20 November 2008 at 23:42

I must agree, this quite spooky. I can just imagine the picture in my head. Staying tuned.
beetle | 21 November 2008 at 0:47

Susan: Welcome, and I’m glad you’re enjoying it.

Max: Hello again. The last part will be posted tomorrow

ScanDigital: Welcome, and I’m glad you’re staying tuned
Ana | 21 November 2008 at 13:02

While we are waiting in total excitement for the upcoming part(s) we have given you an award - for the lady with the best stories which gives us shivers and standing hairs Com on over and grab it!
Ana´s last blog post..Do the Kitties deserve a gift after all that?
Omer | 21 November 2008 at 13:33

Yep quite spooky but at the same time exciting. These stories are worth publishing in a book! Have a great day
Omer´s last blog post..Barbary Lion Video
beetle | 21 November 2008 at 14:07

Ana: Thank you very much I definitely will come over and grab it!

Omer: I didn’t really think of the excitement factor when I was writing it, but I’m glad you are enjoying reading it.
Swubird | 21 November 2008 at 18:33

Babs:

I’m trying to figure out whether this story is sad or spooky. Rats? Rats! Rats? Stepping on baby rats in the dark stairwell is definitely spooky. But having a gang of the little devils take over your house is sad.

Great sad spooky story.

Happy trails.

Swubird´s last blog post..911 CALL!
Jenn Thorson | 21 November 2008 at 18:50

The billiard table sounds fascinating! It’s always interesting to see what items are left behind in a place. I’d expected, when I moved into my small Victorian house, that I’d be finding all sorts of unique things. Turns out, my house was very non-mysterious. But probably just as well! :O)

Jenn Thorson´s last blog post..Growing Up Personist
beetle | 21 November 2008 at 20:11

Swubird: I have to say that is was most definitely both at the time.

Jenn: I think I’d far sooner move into a clean, empty house! It’s always spooky finding stuff around - Especially when it’s very old :O)
ally | 21 November 2008 at 23:30

hi!!!i’m waiting for the 3rd part of the story… hehehe… nice one you got here! take care!!!

ally´s last blog post..November Recognition Event
beetle | 22 November 2008 at 0:26

Ally: You don’t have to wait long now. Tomorrow it will be posted sometime
Laura | 22 November 2008 at 6:47

Love the picture you used. Will be back to read and catch up when it isn’t so late.

Laura´s last blog post..My Opinion of Rogers Hi Speed Cable(s)
beetle | 22 November 2008 at 14:44

Laura: Hi Laura, you were up late It was just a bit of Photoshopping.
JD at I Do Things | 25 November 2008 at 1:23

Oh, man! When you got to the part about the bag of human hair, I almost screamed out loud. I’m home alone, it’s dark, and I have to go in the BASEMENT to get my laundry. Maybe it can wait. I don’t mind wrinkles.

EXCELLENT story, Babs! You’ve had the most interesting life. I can’t wait for the next part!

JD at I Do Things´s last blog post..I Fantasize About Tim Gunn so you don’t have to
beetle | 25 November 2008 at 4:25

JD: I know what you mean. I got a bit unnerved when I was writing it! It stayed with me for a few day
Lee | 27 November 2008 at 20:58

Yikes! I was waiting for my feed reader to tell me you had published the next installment, but it didn’t update. Glad I came back and checked…I think. This is one of the creepiest stories I’ve read in a while. So, guess I’ll go read the final installment now!
Lee´s last blog post..Pilgrim’s Progress