Still Underneath

I've lived in this house over 12 years now. I've only been down here, underneath the house, once and that was to retrieve my coat that some workman had knocked down, trampled on and left to die. I barely left the ladder on the wall and scampered back up in a hurry. I never had two feet on the ground.

So why am I down here today? No-one else in the house, my fear of the wall ladder being ripped off as I try to get up still with me, and my heart pounding like mad. I'm alive - I know that!

When we moved in our children were very young - we never let them know we had a hatch to underneath the house. I had never looked down until after we were in. One day, when everyone else was out, I lifted back the carpet, pulled up the hatch, felt a cold draught of air hit my face and kneeling beside the hatch, stuck my head down to have a look. I couldn't see a thing, but could feel the sense of space from the amount of cold air circulating. I put the hatch back down, replaced the carpet and stood up.....

'Bill, is that you? Bill, Are you there?'

The voice was clear although slightly muffled. I jumped and ran. There were definate signs of being alive then too.

My neighbour must have been standing on the other side of the wall directly opposite me shouting up to someone in her house.... Or was she? Do I have a lady who lives Underneath my house? She wasn't showing herself today, but then I wasn't stopping long enough to find out. Geezo, the things Blip has you do.