Moving into your first home together should be exciting. For one young couple, that dream quickly turned into a nightmare after finding a strange note left behind by the previous tenant.

They thought they had found the perfect place. A spacious two-bedroom apartment in a city tower block, complete with a balcony and park views. It was within their budget, which was a huge relief. The landlord even offered a deposit-free option and an open-ended tenancy, which seemed too good to be true.

But sometimes, the best deals hide the darkest secrets. This is the story of a discovery that turned a dream home into a place of pure fear.

The Unexpected Welcome Note

After a chaotic move-in day, the couple finally settled into their new flat, Flat

42. Exhausted but happy, they looked forward to starting their new life together. The next morning, while making coffee, the new tenant explored the kitchen cupboards.

She found a collection of useful items left by the previous resident. Among them were spare keys, window locks, and a folded piece of paper. It was addressed to the "New occupier of flat 42" in elegant cursive handwriting.

Curiosity piqued, she opened it. What she read next would change everything she thought about their new home. The note was from a Mrs. Prudence Hemmings, who had lived there for 35 years.

A Ghostly Tenant's Warning

Mrs. Hemmings' note began with a welcome and a sad explanation for her departure. Her husband, Bernie, had recently passed away, and her sister felt she could no longer manage the property alone. She described the flat as a place she knew intimately, like a person, and felt compelled to share its secrets for the new occupier's survival.

Her advice was laid out in a numbered list, starting with the landlord. He was rarely seen or heard from, but timely rent payments were crucial. Repairs were to be handled through the agent.

Then came the warnings, some of which were incredibly specific and unsettling.

The Rules for Survival

Mrs. Hemmings laid out twelve rules, each more peculiar than the last. The most alarming was rule number two: DO NOT use the communal lift between 1:11 and 3:33 am. She stressed that this was a matter of life and death, costing her and others greatly without elaboration.

She also advised:

• Not to question strange animal noises from flat 48, where a man named Mr. Prentice lived.

• To ignore a persistent window cleaner who might knock on the balcony door, and under no circumstances offer him anything.

• To immediately dispose of food scraps, especially if small animals were present, as they seemed to love animal feed and would try to get into the flat.

• To avoid any neighbors claiming to be from flats 65-72, which had suffered a devastating fire years ago. They might ask for sugar, but the door should be shut and locked immediately.

• To keep a weapon in each room, as sometimes, despite following all rules, something could still happen.

• To be wary of babysitting Terri's children from flat 26, even though Terri was a good neighbor.

• To grab and lock stray hairless cats inside if encountered alongside neighbors from the fire-damaged flats, noting they would burn the skin slightly.

• To ignore a persistent damp patch on the bedroom ceiling that sometimes turned crimson, as it could not be fixed and had been there for years.

• That the postman, Ian Flanders, could be trusted and would help with questions.

Mrs. Hemmings concluded by saying the first few weeks were the hardest but that happiness was possible if her advice was followed.

The First

Signs of Trouble

The new tenant initially hoped the note was a bizarre joke. However, she couldn't ignore the large damp patch in the bedroom, which she and Jamie had already noticed. She also recalled seeing a beautiful Sphynx cat, a breed known for being hairless, during the move-in. A chill ran down her spine.

She checked the time: 9:14 am. Too late to catch postman Ian. She opened the door and, sure enough, two letters addressed to Mrs. Hemmings were on the doorstep.

Later that morning, around 11:15 am, her worst fears began to materialize. A friendly-looking man with window cleaning equipment knocked on her balcony door. She ignored him, too scared to engage until she spoke with Jamie. She had already texted him to come home immediately.

He stayed for a total of 30 minutes exactly and never once did he stop looking at me or knocking. He shouted the occasional ultra friendly line or humble request for a beverage in the heat through the door but I did my best to avoid eye contact.

She felt exposed and terrified as he persistently knocked for half an hour. When he finally left, she checked all the windows but saw no sign of him or his equipment. He had vanished as quickly as he appeared.

The Unanswered Call

Jamie was due home in about an hour. The new tenant spent that time rereading Mrs. Hemmings' note, desperately hoping Jamie would arrive and tell her it was all a prank. She clutched onto that hope, needing reassurance that their dream home wasn't a nightmare.

But Jamie never came home. His shift was supposed to end around midday, but by 2 pm, there was still no sign of him. Panic set in. She called his phone repeatedly, leaving over a hundred voicemails, but got no response.

Finally, she called his work. His boss informed her that Jamie had never shown up for his shift that day. A horrifying realization dawned on her. Jamie's shift started at 4 am. He would have left the flat around 3:15 am, likely taking the communal lift.

A Decision

Made in Fear

Now, alone and terrified, she tried to convince herself that the note was a joke, perhaps even orchestrated by Jamie and his boss. But a nagging voice in her head reminded her that Jamie couldn't write like that. The sun was setting, and he was still missing.

What if Mrs. Hemmings' warnings were all true? What if they had made a terrible mistake by moving into Flat 42?

The dream of a shared home had dissolved into a terrifying reality. The advice that was meant to ensure survival now seemed like a roadmap to disaster. The silence of the apartment, once comforting, now felt heavy with unspoken dread. The question loomed: could they ever truly be safe here?

She was left with a chilling uncertainty, wondering if she would ever see Jamie again and if she herself could survive the secrets held within the walls of Flat 42.