Amazing Stair Climbing Speed

When I was 7 years old we moved into a house on Glider Lane in Sandy, Utah.  One of our neighbor friends, Phillip Kimball, was over and was sharing with us information about the home that he had learned from the family that lived there prior to our moving in.  Phillip shared with us that there was a green rat that lived in the basement of the home.  In my mind all I could picture was some neon green glowing rat that had free reign of the basement and tormented and who dare lay foot in his territory.  I was deathly afraid. 

After we lived there for a time my parents had a portion of the basement finished and Jim, myself and Pete were moved down into our rooms.  Outside of the door of our room was a hallway to the stairs and an open area along side that hallway that housed the furnace.  On cold nights when that furnace would run the glow of the flames would shine under the door to our room.  I knew there was a glow from the furnace because I had seen it many times but in my young, terrified state I always suspected the green rat was outside my door just waiting to get in and finish me. 

When I would head upstairs I always did so with a feeling that there was something in the basement that would come after me when my back was turned and I was heading up the stairs.  Surely I am not the only one who has freaked himself out over such illusions.  Regardless, when I hit those stairs and began climbing another gear would kick in and I would fly up those stairs, freakeshly fast.  Once at the top the momentum created would carry me a bit further and then I would settle a bit. 

Oh, the power of the green rat myth.  I hated that basement.  I didn't have a problem with any other basement but that one, not my favorite. 

This morning at the LBH some customers were in.  They are semi-regulars and as I was helping them check out I mentioned to them that we were moving.  They asked where and I told them.  Turns out they used to own the Cedar Creek Restaraunt that was in that same location.  The wife then says that basement is haunted.  The husband says there were many times when he would step off the last step and that hair on the back of his neck would stand up.  There were also supplies in the dry storage area that would randomly fall off of shelves.  Now, I have been down in that basement a few times.  I have not had any hair-raising experiences but wonder now if I will have that feeling in my head that this place is haunted ?  Well, I don't quite believe in that stuff but do think we could use the idea of a haunted basement to our favor and host a haunted house in the basement... next year. 

Perhaps between now and then I will tackle the stairs up from the basement in record fashion.  Either that or i'll discover some mysterious green rodent and will shatter any previous speed records.