Christina Hackett @thechristinahackett - Tumblr Blog

In His Basement

I needed a new beginning, something new. I was asked to relocate 2 hours away from home and I was ready for it. Career was something I was really focused on, everything else would simply come together eventually – The optimistic in me.

I didn’t know anyone and I had exactly 2 weeks to find somewhere to live before I started my new job. Finding a roommate didn’t work out and after living with many…

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In His Basement

I needed a new beginning, something new. I was asked to re-locate 2 hours away from home and I was ready for it. Career was something I was really focused on, everything else would simply come together eventually - The optimistic in me.  I didn't know anyone and I had exactly 2 weeks to find somewhere to live before I started my new job. Finding a roommate didn't work out and after living with many questionable roommates, I needed my own space.   I just came out of a crisis, I was missing something. A sense of adventure, I was looking to learn something new, gain new experiences. I was optimistic and ready to go.   I came across a quaint apartment on Craigslist and e-mailed stating I'd like to arrange a time where we could face time so I can virtually see the place. It was all inclusive and 10 minutes from work. This was exactly what I wanted after having terrible roommate experiences for the most part of my 20's.   We arranged a time to chat - A gentleman around his late 40's answered the video chat. His name was Ron. He explained to me what the apartment building itself was like and made it sound like he lived in a separate apartment in the house itself.

He showed me the basement. He quickly went over the kitchen and storage room but really empathized the newly upgraded washroom and bedroom.  The room was quite large - largest room I would ever live in were my thoughts exactly.   I told him I'd be interested in renting the unit.   A week before moving day, I finally got to visit the unit.  I already paid first and last, so there was no going back. This trip was for decorative measures.   He brought us thru the front door and showed us his living space - where I later found out he would share with 3 university students upstairs.   He also brought me up to his room, just to show off his part of the house. He lived in the attic, with a single bed without any sheets on the mattress with multiple stains on the comforter. He also had a little make-shift loft for his son who would come to visit once a week.  After his personal house tour, he took me to the basement. It didn't look like the layout I saw on face time, he had wonderfully played off the kitchen- one that didn't have a sink nor a hood over the oven.  The space I wanted to call a living room ended up being a place where all the other tenants were to store their items.  In the washroom, there was a door to a wine cellar, he didn't show me this door via facetime so when I opened the door I was a little push back with a dark, cold and empty cellar was right there beside the place I'd shower.  The hallway that led me to my bedroom was also the laundry room where it was stated that it was a common space.  I was very disappointed leaving my new home after my initial visit, but I was so ready to leave everything behind and try something new. Plus I spent all my money on first and last so I was stuck from the get go.    Fast forward to September 1st, move in day. Nobody was home, but I received a message saying the keys were in the BBQ. As I finally unlocked the door for the first time, I realized how old and unstable the lock felt. In the bbq I found 4 keys - which I had no idea what these keys were there for.   I went to close the door behind me but the door wasn't closing. I noticed if I wanted to lock the door behind me I had to use one of the keys. After trying all 3 keys, of course the 4th one worked. I walked into the basement to analyze my new situation, I noticed a few dents near the bottom of the stairs to the front door but didn't think anything of it.

Curiosity had the best of me, so I checked the cellar. I noticed red stains that I didn't notice before.

At the time, I realized I was in some sort of euphoric state of mind because there were so many red flags starting off the bat.

Within the first two weeks, I had a wasp infestation and literal human shit come up the drain. Eventually, the wasp went away (thank you winter) and I didn't see any more literal shit come up, so I thought the nightmare was finally over. - When I brought this up to him, he brushed it off his shoulders and put the blame on me.

Flash forwarded to Christmas time  Everyone left for the holidays besides Ron and I. A few times, he asked if I wanted some company and to have a drink with him. On multiple occasions I said no.   A few nights before Christmas, Ron had a friend over.  Him and his guest were having some drinks and talking quite loudly. I decided to watch a movie and head to bed.   I woke up around 3 am to a woman screaming. I messaged Ron, to see if it was from inside the house or if I was delusional.   The next morning, I woke up and I noticed a bottle of wine in my kitchen with a note attached "Sorry for being loud last night."   I chuckled, thinking it was for sure a woman screaming from pleasure and not from terror.   Since that night, I had an eery feeling about him something wasn't right.  I had nightmares that felt so real of him standing over my bed watching me at night and coming into my room and trying to touch me while I slept.   Eventually, he started dating a girl - The girl I assumed was screaming horrifically around Christmas.   Winter hit hard and Ron had been quite manipulative in the way he spoke to myself and by the sounds of it with the other girls in the house too.  He went away for 2 weeks and within that time the heat didn't work and we experience multiple power outages. I was sleeping in a unit that was as cold as the -25 weather outside. I slept with a coat on.   A man came to inspect our boiler, as he inspected it he observed the size of the heater. "There is no way this small boiler will heat your entire home."   Great. The ground hog didn't see his shadow so no doubt there were 6 more weeks of winter left.

I was out most of the time, either crashing on the couch at a friends place or staying late at work.   The girls and I kept in contact while all of the heating/power issues were going on.  Ron arrived home, angry and frustrated that we ruined his vacation by simply implying his house was unfit to rent. He would play his guitar late into the night and slam every door in his path. He would make crude comments and constantly put any problems we brought up aside.  One of the girls mentioned that there was a girl living in the basement when they looked at the house but she quickly decided to move out as they were moving in.

An anonymous tip was sent to the fire marshal and he showed up at the house. The fire marshal gave Ron a large list of things he had to fix. He was angrier than ever not knowing who made the anonymous tip.   He made a point saying that his house was the best house on the street with the latest and greatest technology - Meanwhile the thermostat had batteries that actually were corroded which made sense why the heat wasn't working for so long. Even after he changed the thermostat, the basement never went above 20 celsius.   He was more uptight than ever afterwards. I was instructed that I was no longer able to make toast, cook on my stove nor could I even use the microwave.   The other tenants, didn't feel right with sharing their kitchen with me (mostly because they wanted to make the "we didn't sign up for this" point and I agreed.   I was too afraid to mention anything about my rent and how I was still paying the same price and had nothing but problems. I had a feeling that he wouldn't like it very much.

Spring hit, I found out the girls upstairs had an 8 month lease and were leaving in a few days. I had just dealt with a minor flood in the basement, luckily in the kitchen space I wasn't allowed to use anymore.

Ron offered me cheaper rent to live upstairs since i've had nothing but problems downstairs. I had a feeling I should stay where I am comfortable and that was not living around him.   After the girls upstairs moved out, Ron offered to leave the door to the living space so I could actually cook food again. At first I was hesitant, but I was over spending $40 a day on breakfast, lunch and dinner for the last two months.   I had a feeling I was scammed, being dishonest and I should stay away.  After the girls left, things got worse.  Ron and his girlfriend broke up and he was drinking every night. I would go to cook dinner and he'd be drunk on the couch trying to start a conversation with me. I was nervous around him.

One night I wanted to make home made spaghetti and I dropped a few pans coming up the stairs and he yelled at me for an hour and a half for being more careful and more respectful in his house.   The next day, he noticed a chip on the stairs and assumed it was from me dropping my pans. I was coming out of a shower and he was filling up the laundry machine with clothes. He saw me walk by and asked about the chip - To say the lease about the stairs, they were old and he had just painted them a bright Christmas green. He proceeded to yell at me while I was in a towel. I eventually started crying and told him I couldn't have this conversation in a towel.   I went into my bedroom and felt humiliated. I cried until I had to go to work. His car was blocking mine in so I had to talk to him again to move it.  I went up to the front door and knocked. When I heard the door turning my stomach went into a huge knot.  I asked him to move the car, he smiled at me.  "Not a problem" was his only answer.   That night the nightmares were back. I had woken up 3 times during the night thinking I saw him at the corner of my bed. I would cover myself with two pillows, suffocating me until I went back to sleep.  I started to do investigating every night wondering how I could escape this lease. I would spend hours trying to find out everything about him and the history of the house. I became an insomniac.

Throughout the night, I would hear the floor creek, doors open and close.  I went to City Hall the next morning after finding an article on rental licenses and basements. Turns out it's quite hard to meet the requirements for a basement let alone a whole house.   I went up to the clerk at city hall and asked to see documentation from previous house inspections. The report from the fire marshal was the most surprising, it simply states that the basement was a fire hazard and in-fact nobody should be living there. The clerk also brought to my attention that he doesn't actually have a rental license.  I was furious, I went home to speak to Ron about my finding and inform him that I will be taking legal action.  The second I finished my sentence, he smiled at me and said that's fine and that he would be reference for my next place and provide me with last months rent back. He than offered me a drink. I was so nervous about having this conversation with him especially from the previous interactions. I thought I should take him up on his offer.  We chatted about life, his line of work and the business I was running. We talked about life and his relationship that ended a few weeks ago.  I had two drinks before I decided to get ready for bed.   Finally, a moment of relief I thought to myself heading down the stairs. I was finally ready for bed and was quite tired. Within 7 minutes I was completely knocked out.

I woke up in the middle of the night and saw a figure in the corner. This time, I felt the need I had to pinch myself. It felt very much like the previous dreams i've had that felt so real. I wanted to make sure it was actually a dream.   I pinched myself, I was awake. I turned on the light and Ron was standing right in front of the door with a knife, smiling.

My heart instantly dropped to my stomach. I had a tool box near my vanity table with a heavy duty hammer. I lunged towards my vanity table, opening up my tool box as he quickly made his way to stop me.   He grabbed my foot and tugged me away from the toolbox. My hands grasping the open tool box trying my hardest to reach for the hammer.  He slashed my right shoulder with the knife and hopped on top of me while I screamed. With my left hand, I clenched the hammer and started swinging. I swung my hammer towards his left hand - the hand holding the knife. He dropped the knife, I hit him so hard I could already see the bruise forming in his arm. I swung again, this time hitting his throat - missing my main target - his head. He was breathless. I had no intentions of killing anyone. I just wanted to escape.   I frantically looked around my room for my keys - which were completely out of sight.   Ron started to get back up, I had no choice. I swung my hammer at his head and he was knocked out.  I checked his pulse, it was still going.   At this point, I was looking for my phone and keys. My heart was pounding not knowing how much longer I had before he woke up.   I decided to go into the washroom in hops i'd find my keys between the three places I usually place them and break the window in the washroom to escape. I locked the door behind me. The windows had a foggy layer - for privacy. Once I broke thru the first layer of the window, I noticed bars. I officially felt like a prisoner.   I knew if I wanted to escape I would have to find the key. I went to my kitchen and grabbed a fillet knife. I was dizzy from the loss of blood. My right shoulder growing more and more sore as I tried not to move it much.

I went back into my room, Ron was gone. I locked my bedroom door, clenching the fillet knife. I opened my bedroom window and cut threw the screen, I dragged the chair from my vanity table to allow myself to hop out of the window.   I started to climb out the window and then all the sudden, I heard Ron use all his body force against the door.   I threw the knife away - because I'm not an animal who runs with a knife.   I had no idea where I was going. It was around 5:30 am in the morning on a Tuesday night. The dark sky started to lighten up, yet nobody was around.   I knew I was safe because I parked in front of his truck. There was no way he'd be able to get out to find me.   My feet started to hurt from sprinting on the concrete with no shoes on and possible glass shards shooting thru my foot. I was bloody, cut up and screaming at the top of my lunges hoping someone would hear and call the cops.   I came across a park, I decided to walk on the grass to give my feet a break and maybe i'd run into someone with a phone - It's common to see joggers this early, I thought to myself seeing people do that in movies.

I caught my breath.

I was limping, the adrenaline from what I had just experience and the lack of blood in my system, I fell to the ground.   I woke up in a dark, cold room.   All I had was a thin pillow and one granola bar, a cup of trails mix and a bit of water. How humane as I laughed at the satire that had became my life.  Where was I? How did Ron get ahold of me?   I tried to open the door but it was completely locked.

The room was so small, narrow and yet, so familiar. This must be the end. I was confused, scared and ill.- I didn't have enough energy in my system to scream again.

I fainted from taking it all in.

The next time I woke up was from the heat. Can't I finally just die already? The room was humid, I couldn't breathe. I crawled over to the door and felt the door. I could feel how intensely hot it was getting.  If the house was indeed on fire like I presumed it was - I was thankful some how the smoke never got in.   I took my very thin pillow and curled up into the furthest corner from the door. I used the very thin pillow to cover my face and cover my ears.  I weeped in his basement one last time.   I woke up 2 months later in a hospital bed, day by day trying to recall everything that happened, every red flag I missed, every mistake I made.

Where is he now? Is he alive? How did I make it out alive? How did he find me? How long was I out for?

Sometimes, we experience things to learn from their mistakes, to see signs more clearer, to observe more keener and to take action before the consciences.

#horror #creepypasta #horrorstories #amwriter #askagent #askeditor #wip #thursdaythoughts

Nunchaku By UWELL | First Mod Made By UWELL

After weeks of debating if I wanted to go back to a one battery mod, I decided to say screw it and finally bought the Nunchaku. I never thought I’d go back to a single battery mod. My Asmodus Minikin changed my vaping experience and I’ve successfully quit smoking because of it. It would last all day and I could vape at higher wattages. However, since the switch, my carrying load is a lot lighter…

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#Canada #Nunchaku #Toronto #Uwell #Vape #Vape Review #Vapes

The Breaking Points Turn Into Life Changing Decisions

I’m grateful that I fail, as it teaches me to be stronger as a person. It allows me to see where I’ve gone wrong as a human being. Today was a lesson that needed to be taught, I reached such a low point where I had two of the biggest panic attacks of my life. Early mornings are fantastic when you get 8 hours of sleep, but not when your woes had you up all night. Lately, it’s been woes is me and I…

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#Blogger #Life changing #mental health #Motivation

Getting In Touch With Myself With Tarot Card

Tonight, I arrived home, my place was a mess and it was extremely hot. I opened the balcony door, turned off the heat and cleaned up my roommate’s mess (he’s a slob, especially when his girlfriend is over.) My original plans were to come home and write a cover letter (cause a side hustle seems fun). I was already exhausted from working all day but I sat down and started to write. While debating…

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#happy #Spirituality #Tarot #Tarot card

Joytech Penguin Atopack Review - E-Cigarette Review

Joytech Penguin Atopack Review – E-Cigarette Review

Over the past few months, my on the go vape has been the Joytech Penguin. I personally find this device is perfect when I’m rushing around in the mornings, heading to the subway. I especially love the penguin for those reckless nights, it provides a fantastic hit and I never feel like taking a drag from anybody’s cigarette. I’m also never too worried about losing or breaking it as it’s a fairly…

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#Canada #E-cigarette Review #Vapes #Vaping #Vaping Canada

My Mental Health Issues and My "Coping Mechanism"

This evening, I arrived home. I wanted to make a video stating how I was doing. I know that people rather watch videos than reading a simple blog post. After many attempts, I couldn’t really find the words that would orchestrate the message I wanted to purvey. Lately, I’ve been upset, un-motivated and angry. Not only those emotions have tormented me, but those seem to be the most present in my…

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#Anxiety #Barbara Arrowsmith-Young #Depression

Often enough, I find myself discussing this topic with my girlfriends. Some of them express their woes about their single lives or how they want to be in a relationship. I often remind them that th…

Coming to terms with who I am supposed to be right now.

#Girltalk Blog Writer GirlPower

Posting With Anxiety - My Experience

Social media can cause a lot of anxiety, but where is that anxiety coming from?

I’ve came across some click bait post the other day stating that using social media can trigger anxiety… I’ve had a few friends who stopped using certain/most social media because it caused them so much anxiety.

Something everyone needs to realize and understand is that when it comes to you posting or publishing something , you might find that you hold yourself to a certain expectation such as…

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#Anxiety #Canada #experience #Learning #Life #Personal #Social Anxiety #Social media #Toronto

How To Be An Adult

Today, a few friends and I were discussing the classic topic of “being an adult”. I was inspired to write this post tonight since being an adult is difficult sometimes and we forget about the little things. However, I thought of a few things when it comes to being an adult… I know that being an adult is more than 10 short points however, these are a few things I respect and associate someone who…

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#Adult #Advice #Anxiety #Blog #Canada #Family #love #Personal #Writing

How I Deal With My Social Anxiety

No matter what you do in life, good or bad, people will always have their own opinions, hell some might not even care enough to have an opinion. I know for years, I cared way too much about others opinions and especially what they thought of me. A few months ago, my anxiety of how I presented myself and what others thought of me, created so much social anxiety and I became very paranoid. I was…

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#Anxiety #Blog #Lessons #Life #Personal Growth #Self Worth #Social Anxiety #Spiritual

The Worst Taxi Ever

A few months ago, I was walking along Queen Street West alone, at 3 am in the morning. When I was walking passed Queen and Bay, a Beck cab driver pulled over.

He yelled out “Do you need a drive?”

At this point in my life, I was barely making enough to cover rent… I was broke and living off bus tokens… However, a little pity goes a long way.

I looked at him and said “I literally have nothing, i’m…

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The End Of Pride Month

June went by way too fast, sure it was busy and I had a lot of fun but can we extend pride month to pride season puuulllleaaaasee!

This month was amazing. My roommates and I attended so many events his month, we went to pride karaoke at the Gladstone, danced our butts off at crews and tango, enjoyed the work of many talented LGBT artist at nuit rose, we continued the celebration by attending…

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Why I Won't Celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday

Why I Won’t Celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday

This year Canada turns 150 and I don’t want to celebrate.

The one thing that irks me personally, is that the land we live on today was stolen from indigenous people, people who were living in peace before Europeans showed up and took over their land. Throughout my life, I’ve indulged in educating myself about Native people and their culture. They represent peace, nurture and I love everything…

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#150 Canada #Canada #Canada day #Indigenous people

Art Gallery Of Ontario

Wednesday nights has free admission from 6pm -9pm

Highly recommend checking it out, I also recommend checking out the food truck that’s usually outside. $5 for a huge serving of french fries.

https://videopress.com/embed/b5YEz2g4?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0

Nothing like Art And Fries

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Videos

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Monday Motivation

Alright, it’s Monday again.

This morning, I meditated and set my intentions for the week – Mostly to get through it without any hiccups…

I was reading some Wayne Dyer affirmations and this really hit home

“One who would guide a leader of men in the uses of life will warn him against the use of arms for conquest. Weapons often turn upon the wielder. Where armies settle, nature offers nothing but…

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Christina Hackett