What induces a nightmare?

Some professionals in the medical field would perhaps suggest that nightmares could be triggered by moments of stress, depression, trauma or anxiety. Certain unfavorable memories could also trigger nightmares. Mix these ingredients into a Ninja crock pot and add a pinch of sleep deprivation into your recipe and BAM, you’ve got yourself the perfect storm of chaos.

What if we unconsciously gave these triggers a power over us and and they morphed into our worst fears, coming to life to terrorize us?

Allow me to tell you a tale about my nightmare and it begins with a house…

In an old Italian-American neighborhood are houses on both sides of the street. Families have settled onto this block from the early 1930’s and the mentality that was structured was that “everybody here is one big, happy family.” All the families on this street have watched each other’s children grow up and have their own families. As the elder generation passed away, the properties were sold and younger people moved in or rented the houses. That “family mentality” that was once shared and expressed throughout the neighborhood has been replaced with the “keep your head down and look after yourself.” Ah, things are not as they were. Walking through this neighborhood in the present day is a true experience. The houses are rather unique in architecture and you will get a glimmer of what life was like back in the 1950’s as some of the exterior of the houses have not been updated.

There is one house in particular within that cluster of houses that stands out and it has captured the attention of the neighborhood. This house, the Nightmare House, has been left to rot on the street. People who walk past this house often run past it or avoid walking past the dilapidated ruin all together. Neighbors on either sides of the property have been keeping an eye on things, as this is the most interesting ‘thing’ to happen on this street.

With its dark, dirty windows, cracking stone exterior, crumbling steps and rotting tree out front of the house, the property just screams, “Run away, and run away now!” The house not only looks creepy but something that has been observed throughout the entire neighborhood is that no one ever goes in or out of that house.

“Is there even anyone living in that house?”, a noisy neighbor whispers to another. The thought of someone potentially living in that house sends shivers down the women’s backs as they walk quickly on the opposite side of the street and out of view of the Nightmare House.

People who pass by the house make the sign of the cross as a way of bringing God’s protection onto their souls.

Joey, the next door neighbor, swears that someone is living there because he can hear the television blasting at all hours– day and night. Sometimes, he and his family can even hear screaming. Needless to say, this ‘gossip’ has the entire neighborhood flapping their gums.

The neighbors have drawn straws and have taken bets with each other to see who would be brave enough to knock on the door to see if anyone was in fact home. The going bet now is set at $450 and goes up by $5 each week.

One neighbor, Butch, the Block Captain said, “Nah, man. There are some places you just have a feeling that you shouldn’t go into and that’s one of them. I got me a cousin who’s a Priest over at the Parish a few blocks down. Maybe I will call him ’em and he will come and give a blessing outside!”

Rosalie, another neighbor said, “That house is just creepy. I can only imagine what it looks like on the inside.”

On one occasion, the house emitted a foul like odor and when the wind blew, this odor spread throughout the entire block.

At this point of this story you are most likely asking yourself a few questions:

1.) How does she know about this property?

2.) Is this real?

Aye, it is all real.

I am the property’s caretaker. The neighbors stories are all real testimonies. I, of course, changed their names in my story.

The additional tales that I will be adding to this ‘story’ are all real accounts from my experience at ‘The House of Nightmares.’

Do you have a strong stomach? I hope so because you are going to need it to walk through that front door.

Oh, and watch your step. That is, in fact, mummified cat shit…

Let’s go.