Last night I visited an abandoned house near Heidelberg, Germany. The dilapidated building belonged to a family that disappeared a more than 30 years. Nobody knows what happened to the family. Neither neighbors, nor close friends nor the police.
Through a broken window, I first reached the basement. The light of my flashlight fell on an old wooden staircase that led upstairs. Carefully, I climbed over the rubbish on the floor and worked my way through the cellar. The musty stench of rot and decay almost took my breath away. Glass shards lying on the ground were threatening to slit my feet.
After marveling at a curious arrangement of tin cans, I tried to reach the old wooden staircase - and spotted a cry for help painted on the wall.
With red paint someone wrote the words “Help me!” On the opposite wall I found the word SOS, painted on the wall with the same red color.
Then I climbed up the old stairs. On the ground floor was even more garbage. I discovered a radio that had to come from the fifties. On an old table was a photo album that showed the Eiffel Tower and a few other sights. But no pictures of the missing family.
I found it strange that someone left precious holiday memories, a radio that was certainly valuable at its time, and other items behind. In the middle of the photo album was an advertisement for a gospel concert held in a church at Leeds, UK.. But no pictures of the event. What the hell was the advertisement doing there? And why a church in Leeds?
On the ground I found a ticket. Issued because of exceeding the maximum speed. Curiously, this ticket came from the year 1991. The family disappeared in the 70's, after that nobody lived in this house anymore.
With the help of the ticket I found a family name: Symiek. I also found evidence of a partnership with the Church in Leeds. And timetables of the London Underground. Maybe the family who lived in this house in the 70s went to England and did not return from there. Mr. Symiek had lived perhaps after this time secretly in the house and left there the ticket.
I could not find more clues. That was because from that moment on the real horror in this house started for me.
Someone is here
When I heard the sound for the first time, I thought it was an animal that had lost its way into the abandoned building. But soon I realized that I heard the steps of a human. I turned off my flashlight as fast as possible, hid behind a cupboard, and listened.
For a while I only heard my own heartbeat and my own breathing. Then the steps grew louder. I heard someone looking for something. My heart pounded faster. Goosebumps crawled over my back. I got the feeling that someone was standing right behind me, touching me with icy dead fingers every moment.
I did not dare to breathe. Was afraid that the unknown could hear the noise. The nightmare lasted about ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity.
I decided to leave the house through the cellar window, through which I had entered. Carefully, I felt my way through the darkness. I had not heard that the intruder left the house. He could ambush me practically anywhere. Still, I wanted to get out of this eerie house as soon as possible.
I stopped at the stairs to the cellar and listened.
Nothing to hear. As fast as possible, I worked my way to the basement window. At the same time I shined with the flashlight in every corner. Expected every moment to meet the intruder. Maybe a ghost, maybe even a demon. Or just a bum who wanted to make himself comfortable in the house.
I climbed out of the window. I almost cut myself on one of the broken glass shards that stuck out of the window. A little further away from the house I tried to rest. Took a deep breath and thought.
I can only guess who the person, staying together with me in the house was. One explanation is as good as any other. Maybe it was just another ghost hunter. Or a teenager who hid from me in the upper floor because he thought I was from the police. Or was it one of the deceased family members whose soul still haunts the house at night?
I'll probably never find out. I do not search further. The thought that something or someone was with me in this house and might have been watching or ambushing me is scary enough.