I jumped right back into exploring today by going to some walking trails in Portsmouth to warm up for finally getting down into the basement of the Mater Spei Church to take some pictures (see this post if you're unfamiliar with the church). With my waist-high rainboots, I set off alone, for all my friends were busy.
I entered without difficulty, cutting around the "No Trespassing" sign. As I walked up the road, I noticed that large portions of land had been mowed and marking sticks had been put up all around the church. It seems that, as I predicted, the construction in the area will soon reach the church itself, and it'll go down as the condos go up around it.
Anyway, I went inside through my favorite entrance and soon got up to the second floor just to make sure I had no company before I went down to the basement. Just as I was about to leave this floor, however, I heard voices below me from outside. I rushed over to see two men coming up the path. They wore black shirts, but I could not see them very well (I'm near-sighted and was not wearing glasses). It was obvious from the start that they were interested in finding me when they began to stare through the window from a distance and move around, trying to make out a figure. These were definitely not some middle schools boys just wandering around.
Seeing they had a certain air of authority, I quickly turned to make a decision--either go up the stairs and hide on the highest place on the roof (fairly difficult to access) or go all the way down and hide in the flooded basement.
I made my way to the basement and had my rainboots on soon enough, stepping around and hiding behind a metal box in a dark corner of the basement. The water wasn't so deep as it's been pretty dry lately, maybe only about 6 inches deep at its deepest. Nonetheless, it was murky and uninviting.
I sat there in the musty cold dark for a few minutes before I heard the footsteps and voices of two or more grown men. I also heard the distinct clicking of flashlights. I now believe that these men were police officers watching over the area because (1) they were very interested in making sure I was found; they came around just above me on the stairwell three times, saying things like "they're not here" or "did you see/hear?" Any ordinary person would not have cared enough to pursue me with such motivation; (2) they were equipped with flashlights, which I imagine even all construction workers wouldn't have on their person at any given time; (3) they sounded like two confident men in about their 30s, and I did not get the impression that they felt they were entering some place they didn't feel they were supposed to be, just by how loud and disruptive they were.
I waited there in the dark for over an hour as they continued to pass through, walking around several floors above me. Every time I heard their footsteps or voices nearby, I swayed with my pounding heartbeat. It was pretty scary for me being cornered at that point, having no real escape besides up into their hands. You'd be surprised the lengths police will go just to ensure their decaying pile of junk (soon to be demolished anyway) is not disturbed by a curious guy trying to take pictures.
Also, did I mention the building is said to be haunted by the ghosts of nuns? I'm not very superstitious, but this only compounded the situation, as I sat alone with no service, unable to use my flashlight, in a creaking old basement. The basement was by far the most unsettling place, but pictures will have to wait for another time.
After about an hour, I slowly crept up the stairs and throughout the (dark) first floor, not using a flashlight lest it be seen. Fortunately for me, I know this place very well and the police officers seemed to be completely on foreign ground. I knew of an exact spot on the lower floor where I could climb up to a window, sneak around the side, and go straight into the woods nearby where I would find a path (albeit a prickly and long one) that would bring me right to where my car was, far away from the church--and that's just what I did.
As I was leaving the church I kept it very low-key, only looking around my immediate area. As far as I could see over there, they had given up and no police officers were to be seen, but it was more likely that they would be on the opposite side of the building, where they had seen me. Either way, I had a very close call today. I hopped in my car and drove off before I even took off my massive rainboots.
Unfortunately, I only got two pictures of the prep work they're doing around the church, and none of the basement. Taking pictures would require lighting the scene, which I couldn't do for obvious reasons. I plan to go back another time in the blackness of night where I don't have to worry about being seen as easily, though this will certainly make the place more unsettling. For now, here are my pictures:
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| On the left here you can see a field in front of the church. The last time I was here, that was all tall grass and there were no markers around it. |
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| "NGRID EL"--National Grid Electric, I assume. This was among the marking sticks by the church. |
