The Living Heart of London
The London Stone, one of the city’s most ancient mysteries. Standing within the Museum of London, it exudes an eerie aura. Its origins are unknown. The stone has sat within the heart of London since the beginning, a monument that has mysteriously withstood the erosion of time. Thought to be the beating heart of London, keeping the city alive, its true powers are unknown to the world. It's speculated that it was used in otherworldly druidic rituals, rituals referring to bloody demonic sacrifices. It's said that people can occasionally hear the groans of those sacrificed on the stone, that their souls still remain tethered to it. Other stories assert the stone must remain in its spot, undamaged. Otherwise, dreadful times shall fall upon the city. The foreboding rule has since been broken. The stone moved many times over the past hundred years and has been damaged by war. What consequences this may hold for the city are yet to be seen, or maybe it's already spelt the doom of London. The Highgate Cemetery Mystery North of London, just a few miles away from the town center, lies an enigmatic place. Highgate Cemetery is shrouded with a cryptic past. Therein lies bodies from centuries ago to today, yet that’s not the only thing that has laid there. The first appearances began in 1808. People who visited the cemetery mentioned seeing apparitions stared back at unfortunate victims with dark brooding eyes and brought about a sudden chill. Alongside such sightings, reportedly, on one Halloween night, flowers taken from graves were formed into arrows pointing followers down a path. At the end of the serene yet ominous path, a body was found. The body was placed within a newly dug grave, desecrated in various ways suggesting some sort of black magic had occurred; The final touch was a stake which pierced the corpse's heart. Originally, ghosts were the only things sighted within Highgate. People mentioned seeing a lady wading into a pond, a man in a top hat, a lady dressed in white, a pale floating figure, and a grimacing face who appeared through the bars that surrounded the cemetery. However, after that one fateful Halloween night, something else evil seemed to have been stirred from its slumber within the grave–a Vampire. Other things had started to appear which people stumbled upon–dead animals. These were not ordinary dead animals however. The animals had been drained of blood, throats slashed. Now sightings of a tall, gray figure have been seen throughout Highgate, often roaming its woods. The reason why Highgate is now closed before sunset is to prevent people from witnessing the horrors that now walk the graveyard. Boggarts If you ever find yourself a home in London, beware the boggart. Boggarts are nasty creatures created from the torment of a hobgoblin. Hobgoblins are the beings that are known to do odd jobs around the house while people sleep, like dusting, cleaning up garbage, and other such random jobs. However, the moment they are annoyed, things can turn deadly. You don't want a hobgoblin turning into a boggart. These creatures are mischievous, spiteful, and can be extremely terrifying. They tend to play tricks like souring milk or causing things to disappear. Next time you mysteriously lose something, pray that you have not annoyed a boggart. If the boggart is exceptionally annoyed, it's known to cause human disappearances, especially children. So, do your best to never annoy this creature. A family of three who lived on a farm had enjoyed prosperity for some time, good harvests and plenty of animals. The mother and father lived a pleasant life, one filled with no greed or envy. They had an adorable little girl who would occasionally help tend the animals. However, one day, the girl ran into a small creature running about at night cleaning their farmhouse. Thinking it was a good creature, the family started leaving food out for it, while also getting lazy. Eventually they started leaving more and more things lying about which caused the hobgoblin to get annoyed. Before the family realized it, misfortune struck. They no longer got fresh milk from their goats because it almost instantly soured. The family didn’t suspect the mysterious being in their house, instead blaming it on disease and bad luck. They continued to leave things out for the creature to clean up. One morning when the parents woke up and came down expecting the house to be cleaned, it was not. Instead, when they went and checked on their daughter, she had vanished, she could not be found anywhere. The Black Dog If you ever decide to visit London, beware of the Black Dog. It’s said that any passerby who happens upon one shall not see the next day, they are often associated calamity and misfortune. The dogs can be found near burial sites, crossroads, places of execution, and burnt trees. It’s said that Black Dogs can appear in many forms, such as with human faces, with no head, with a chain wrapped around their neck, or with shadowy tendrils. Regardless, all Black Dogs have glowing red eyes. Back in the 1600’s, a man stumbled upon this creature. The man had gotten into an argument with his wife one night and decided to head into a village for some drinks at the tavern. Along the way he crossed through a forest, and on his way through he passed along a crossroad. He followed his usual path, and as he neared the exit of the forest he caught a glimpse of something. A large black dog stood within the brambles, staring back at him with glowing red eyes and fur which flowed off of it in wisps of black mist. The next moment he blinked, and it was gone. The next morning when his wife woke, he was lying dead, no sign or reason why he had died. Will o' the Wisp When you find yourself out at night, be aware of any lights that seem different from anything you've seen before. It could very well be a Will o' the-wisp. It's said that they're the souls that can't make it into either heaven or hell; instead they are trapped for eternity in the mortal world. Therefore, they are almost always malevolent. The Will o' the-wisp has a unique power to lure a being to follow it. They lead a traveler into danger and are often known to be bad omens of the traveler's death or bringers of tragedy. However, if your luck is good enough, perhaps you'll avoid the catastrophe these blue lights bring and instead find fame. In rare cases, these resentful spirits can lead you to hidden treasures, be that of thieves or some other mythical creature's. Just know, you can try your best to resist the pull these spirits bring; however, the chances of you escaping their power is unlikely. Lost and Found Imagine this, you're walking in London, and you know exactly where you are going. But, in the next moment, you find yourself in an unfamiliar place, being completely lost. You, dear reader, have stumbled upon a stray sod. These tiny creatures, when stepped upon, cause a person to lose their way during the night. The person will travel all night, not knowing where they are, frequently running into dead ends. These beings are known to be many different forms of plants, often herbs enchanted by fairies. In the end, the spell is broken when daybreak arrives, and you're covered in injuries from thorns or other such things. But, unlike will o' the-wisp, which is hard to resist, a stray sods spell can be broken by turning your jacket inside out. Thus, reader, the next time you find yourself lost and cannot find your way back, turn your coat inside out, and all will be fine. Another Jack? We've all heard the story of Jack the Ripper, the infamous unsolved mystery, but I'm sure you've never heard the story of Spring-Heeled Jack. The story has now been overshadowed by Jack the Ripper, but the mystery of Spring Heeled Jack remains. Like Jack the Ripper, Spring Heeled Jack seemed to only torment women on the streets, but he supposedly never killed. The mysterious being was described as devil-like. He could leap great distances, wore a helmet and metallic claws, had eyes like balls of fire, and even breathed out blue and white flames. Yet, everything about him still remains a mystery, as he seemed to vanish after 1904 when the last reports of him were heard. It's still unknown to this day what he was. Many think he was of paranormal origins, while others believe it was the work of pranksters. However, the fact remains that he was spotted all over England and, to this day, could be around, waiting for his time to strike fear within the population once again. The Killer Pond At the end of the central tube line lies a beautiful forest, called Epping Forest. The forest is full of large green trees and other flora. As you walk along the paths or go off trail, you can hear birds of many different species sing their tunes or see other small critters. Perhaps you might end up finding some small bodies of water where you can sit and have a picnic with friends and family while you watch the ducks and swans swim by. But be careful, as the forest is not what it seems. Although the forest has a beautiful exterior, within its hidden depths lies an unknown peril. The forest has a dark background, as within it, is a pond known as the “suicide pool”. The pond appears randomly from time to time and has an interesting backstory. A long time ago, a couple once visited the pond frequently to hide away from the girl's parents as it was a forbidden relationship. One day the father had found them at the pond together and had killed the poor girl in a blind rage. The guy later came and killed himself beside the pool in order to be reunited with his lover. It’s believed he never was able to be reunited with her as a curse seemed to have settled over the pond. All vegetation had died around the pond, the water turned a thick black murky color, and animals had been found dead on the banks. Since then, a number of people have committed suicide within the pool, the people dear to them said they never had tendencies of suicide yet it was almost as if the pond had pulled them into an unbreakable trance as it lured more victims to it. Many have searched for the pool in order to discover its mysteries; however, it has only been found when people did not look for it. So, if you ever find yourself in Epping Forest, don’t go looking for any ponds. The 13th Bell Currently, Big Ben is under construction and has been for many years now. Nonetheless, there was once a time when the giant gothic building's bell echoed throughout the city of London. On a typical day, you'd hear the bell ring every hour. One would never suspect that behind the peaceful chime was a foreboding message. It's said that on the day on which the bell chimes 13 times, tragedy would befall the city, or the city would be saved from whatever doom has befallen it. When the 13th bell rings, the stone lions within Trafalgar Square would rise up and defend or destroy the city. No one knows which one it is since it's unknown whether it's ever occurred before. Let us all pray that the moment it happens, the lions don't tear the city to pieces.
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