Basement of house No. 13

My husband then went on a business trip for a month, my son and my cat Sue stayed on the farm.

That's when my washing machine crashed. You know, such a thing, not yet similar to modern ones, but with a spin in the form of two rollers and a curved starter.

I called the local foreman. Adam was in the local office for both an electrician and a locksmith, and also worked as a turner in a mechanical workshop of a military unit. An elderly man with round glasses and a neatly trimmed beard came up to us - well, just the spitting image of Dr. Watson, in my opinion. He disassembled my washing machine, picked something in it and did not refuse a cup of tea. And in the subsequent repair process, he told one case.

"Do you see, daughter, in front of your house there is a house with an extension? It was built shortly before the war, for the command staff of the unit, and therefore the basement there is not a basement, but a whole shelter. Did you see the door to that basement? Everything is iron, forged!

After that incident, I'm afraid to go there. And there was something like this. That summer I was given a partner, Stuart - a young guy, he was about to be taken into the army, he got a job as a locksmith in our house management. And then the grandmother, who lives on the first floor of the 13th house, complained about the noise from the basement - whether someone was howling, or crying, or even rattling something. Well, Stuart and I went to check the basement - you never know, the kids somehow got through, or some animal got caught, but it can't get out. We took flashlights and set off around three o'clock in the afternoon.

The basement is solid - deep and divided into compartments. The floor is concrete, echoing - you walk, and your footsteps echo off the walls for many. I walk slowly, illuminating the corners with a flashlight. Stuart can't wait - he ran forward, all I see is the beam of his flashlight fumbling on the concrete, and I hear his quick steps. Suddenly I look - the floor cracked in the corner, I went to look - well, I need to fix it a little, I think. I came around the corner, but I couldn't see Stuart's lantern, and I couldn't hear his footsteps! I reached the end of the basement - I checked the second exit, everything outside is closed. I go back, look around the corners, I've already started calling

"Stuart, Stuart, where are you? Stop fooling around, answer quickly!"

The echo is booming from all corners, even scarier! I then walked around the basement twice - there is nothing and no one there, and Stuart is also gone. Well, I guess I probably didn't notice him slipping past me into the street. I came out of the basement, I think I'll tear off my partner's ears for such jokes. And he's not outside. I went back to the basement - I walked, screamed, tore off my voice - but there is no guy, where did he fall?! I searched all the corners.

It's already evening, I closed the basement, went to the office - I'll check, I think maybe the scoundrel went there, or ran home. Nothing! Not anywhere! There is no one in the office, he got a call home from the office - his grandmother said that Stuart was at work! The boss and I returned to the 13th house, opened the basement, went around everything together - but no traces! We went outside, closed the door and sat down to smoke. We are discussing what to do next - we need to go to the commandant's office to report that a man has disappeared in the basement! Exactly, we think, after such a statement, they will put us where we need to be.

As soon as the cigarette butts were extinguished, someone hammered on the basement door from the inside. And Stewart's voice is a heartbreaking "Adam! You old devil, did you decide to make a joke or something like that?!"

With shaking hands, I took out the key, opened the door and let's hug the guy. And of course he's yelling obscenities at me. And my friend and I look - Stuart's head is all gray! I touched by my hand - and it's not gray hair - it's frost or snow, cold snowflakes are lying on his hair.

I told Stuart everything-that I had been looking for him for three hours, both in the basement and everywhere. And he shouts, does not believe, says "We just entered with you, I reached the end and turned back, and then the door closed."

And on his watch - it's only been half an hour. And it's already seven and a quarter hours on mine.

The next day, Stuart did not come to work - he came down with a cold. Well, however, nothing, he was ill for two weeks and went on the mend. And in the fall we took him into the army.

Since that day, I try not to go into the basement of the 13th house, I do not know what is there."

***

Adam then fixed my washing machine and didn't charge me any money.

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