When a man named John Sims made a decision to buy a house in Tucson, Arizona, from a friend of his, he never imagined the purchase would lead to an astonishing discovery.
Once the deal was done, John’s friend mentioned that there was a rumor about the place that there was something mysterious under the ground.
John didn’t give it much thought at the time, but as time passed by, he became more and more interested to unravel the mystery.
He first started exploring the yard by digging four holes on four different sides, but he found nothing. He then thought about it and figured it out that if there was nothing under the grass, there could definitely be something under the bricks. The next step was to take a closer look at municipal records and learn more of when his house had been built. In those records, it said that a company that went by the name Whitaker Pools built a strange structure on the property in 1961. It was now determined that there was indeed something buried there, which made John even more eager to explore the place.
In order to know where to start digging again, he hired consultants with metal detectors. When the detectors began to go off, he was able to mark the spots with Xs.
After he started digging at the marked places, he stumbled upon something metal, but as he couldn’t possibly know what it was, he didn’t proceed. It could be electric wires, a water pipe, or a septic tank, and he didn’t want to take the risk of damaging anything.
In the days that followed, he dug with precision and stumbled upon what looked like an entrance to a hatch. As he bent down, a metal lid opened. But as there was a possibility of gas fumes or mold spores, he left the lid open for a couple of days for the potential gases to waft out and had the air tested for mold.
The following morning, John took a look inside the hatch and found a spiral staircase that was headed downwards.
As a captain of the Rural/Metro Fire Department, he needed someone around in case the lid fell back in, so he gathered a crew. The first thing they decided to do was to repair and reinforce the concrete structure surrounding the stairs and set up Sonotube cardboard around the entrance to ensure that they do not damage anything.
In order to provide proper lighting and in order to be able to use tools, the crew installed an electric line. They also installed a black pipe to funnel fresh air into the shaft.
The work around the structure was done. Now they needed to secure the spiral staircase.
John was the first one to explore the inside of his backyard. Once he reached the bottom, he knew their work was done and they didn’t need to do any more digging. The underground structure was bare, but it was obvious that it represented a nuclear bomb shelter.
The shelter was built during the cold war between USA and the Soviet Union. At the time, the company mentioned above, Whitaker Pools, turned out to expand their business to bomb shelters.
This wasn’t the sole shelter in the area, however.
Tucson was once a rocket town that held 18 ballistic missiles that were capable to travel across continents and destroy an area of 900 square miles. This was a top secret, and with the end of the cold war, the missiles were all disabled.
John’s discovery was of great significance. Once he shared all about it on Reddit, many media outlets were quick to pick up his story.
“I was really hoping it was going to be a little microcosm… a time capsule full of civil-defense boxes, radiation detectors, and cots and stuff like that,” John shared during an interview.
For those around the are who want to know if there is a nuclear shelter in their yard, John suggests looking up records of the City of Tucson or Pima County for information.
In case they do discover anything alike, John urges citizens to be extra cautious, just like he was. “Jumping into holes in the ground is generally not a good idea,” John said and explained that toxic air in a tunnel or a cave-in can easily incapacitate anyone.
It is John’s wish to restore the bomb shelter, but because that requires plenty of money, he set up a GoFundMe page. It is his priority to replace the staircase so that people can enter the shelter easily and explore the place.
After 50 Years, Elderly Woman’s First Love Appears on Her Doorstep – Story of the Day
A few years after her husband died, Laura decided to move to her parents’ old apartment in Miami. But she was there only a month when her first love, Nathan, appeared on her doorstep. Their relationship was full of mystery until he simply disappeared. Finally, she was about to learn the shocking reason why.
A month ago, 78-year-old Laura took the plunge and moved to her parents’ old apartment in Miami. They bought it when they retired a long time ago, and she inherited it when they died. But Laura’s entire life was in Durham, North Carolina, so her family used it as a vacation spot for years.
She thought about moving when her husband, Charles, died six years ago, but it simply didn’t happen. Her daughter, Melissa, had just delivered her first child and Laura didn’t want to leave them. But the apartment remained in the back of her mind.
When Melissa announced her second pregnancy, Laura made her an offer. She didn’t want them to get into debt looking for a bigger house, so the older woman offered them her family house. It was big enough in case they expanded their family even more and was located in an excellent school district.
Melissa had tons of fond memories of her childhood, so she accepted immediately. “Are you sure you don’t want to live with us? This house has more than enough room for everyone,” Melissa suggested after Laura explained that she would be moving to Miami.
“Yes, darling. You guys need your space, and I need mine. Besides, that apartment has been empty for a long time, and it’s perfect for older folks. I also miss the beach like crazy. A warm beach, I mean,” Laura replied, nodding her head and patting Melissa’s shoulder.
Moving her life was hard, but she loved Miami. She was also happy that Melissa and her family would no longer pay for rent or be crippled by a mortgage as her old house was completely paid for.
Laura sat down on her balcony furniture and enjoyed the morning sun falling on her skin every day. Doctors might say that too much sunlight is harmful to your skin, but there’s something about that light and the salty smell of the sea that heals your soul. She couldn’t have been happier with the decision.
One day, she was making a nice sandwich with chips to eat for lunch when her doorbell rang. She removed her apron and went to answer it, thinking it might be her next-door neighbor who loved to gossip with her. But it wasn’t Mrs. Cardigan.
Laura’s eyes widened, and her jaw dropped when she recognized the man standing right outside her door. It was Nathan, her first love. And if she was honest with herself, he was the love of her life. Over the years, Laura sighed at the memory of him, even though she loved her husband dearly. Nathan had marked her forever.
They were both in their 20s and most people wouldn’t believe it, but their love felt like something you only read about in books. It was passionate. It was steamy. It was the stuff of legends. The downside was it was also volatile. Some would call it toxic. But Laura was in love.
Their other issue was Nathan’s mysterious nature. She knew practically nothing about his life or family, but she didn’t care, even when he often disappeared for days, weeks, and even months. That was harder to take. He dodged her questions whenever Laura brought up the subject, so she eventually stopped.
One day, Nathan left her old apartment with a smile on his face, and it was the last time she saw him. She waited for him to return and had no way to contact him. After a year of hoping, Laura decided to move on with her life. She met Charles, got married, and Nathan became a memory.
But there he was. Standing on her doorstep as if no time had passed. So many questions ran through her head while she gaped at him like a fish caught in a net. How did he find me in Miami? What is he doing here? Does he think we’re still 20 that he can just appear out of thin air? What does he want?
Finally, Nathan broke the silence. “Hey, Laura. How are you?”
“Hey? It’s been more than 50 years, Nathan. Why are you here? How did you find me?” she asked in a huff. She couldn’t believe Nathan had the gall to sound so carefree after all this time.
“I know. I want to explain everything. But will you let me in?” he wondered and smiled his crazy smile, which still managed to make her heart skip a beat even now. His face had wrinkles, sunspots, and he couldn’t stand as straight as he once did. But he was still… Nathan. Just Nathan.
“Fine. Come in,” Laura finally answered in a huff, crossing her arms and leading him into her apartment.
“How have you been all these years?” he asked after sitting down.
“I don’t have time for chit-chat, Nathan. I want answers. Real answers this time. I haven’t forgotten how you ignored me back then and changed the subject. You either start talking now or leave,” Laura snapped, sitting down on a chair across from him with her arms still crossed.
“Ok… this is not easy. But back then, my parents didn’t want me to date anyone. When I turned 20, they told me that they had arranged a marriage for me with the daughter of one of their wealthiest friends. But I didn’t want it. I only pretended. I fell in love with you. But I knew they would disapprove,” Nathan revealed with a huge sigh.
Laura’s mouth dropped open for the second time that day, and Nathan continued his story. “Whenever I disappeared, I was with her. Kiara. She liked to travel. She was so demanding. But I always returned to you.”
“Until the last time. I waited for a year, Nathan. I waited for you,” Laura hissed, getting emotional. She couldn’t believe Nathan had someone else. “And you were cheating on me the entire time.”
“I wasn’t! I swear I wasn’t! What I had with her was NOT romantic at all. I didn’t even hold her hand. She knew I didn’t want the arranged marriage all along, but Kiara forced my attention and my time. If I didn’t comply, she might have told my parents about you, and it would’ve been bad for you,” Nathan retorted, frustrated.
Laura thought about his words. She didn’t want to believe him, but he sounded genuine. “Ok… so why didn’t you return for such a long time?” she asked quietly.
“That year was hectic. I was graduating. My father got me a major internship, and Kiara started to plan our wedding. It was all so complicated. I couldn’t see you. But then, Kiara died in a car accident and the situation became even more complex. But I let some time pass. I helped her parents out because they thought I was her fiancé, and I went back to you as soon as I could,” he finished, looking down as if he couldn’t hold his head up after revealing everything.
“Oh, wow. I’m sorry. I mean, I wouldn’t wish harm on anyone,” Laura commented but remembered something he said. “What do you mean ‘returned?’ When did you return?”
“One day, I went to your house, and I saw another man there with you. I didn’t know what he meant to you, but I knew I couldn’t show up and ruin it after all that time. I went to your house every day for a month, and he was always there, so I stopped going. I heard you two got married at some point,” Nathan explained.
“Yeah, that was my late husband, Charles.”
“My condolences.”
“What happens now?” Laura asked, raising her eyebrows in question.
“I don’t know. I hoped to explain everything to you, and maybe we could start a friendship,” Nathan suggested.
“How did you find me all the way here?”
“I moved down here in my 30s. I’ve been here since. I never had any family. After losing you, I couldn’t fall for anyone else. Kiara’s death also haunted me. It was tough. But around 20 years ago, I saw your parents walking around. I found out where they lived and hoped to see you at some point. When they died, I noticed that you didn’t sell the apartment, so I continued waiting,” Nathan continued.
Laura couldn’t believe those words. Nathan never got married or had children. And he had been waiting for her to come here for more than 20 years. “Would you like a sandwich, Nathan?” she offered, changing the intense subject.
Soon enough, Nathan started coming over every day. At first, they were only friends. They chatted about everything under the sun. But at some point, they couldn’t deny their feelings any longer. No matter how much time had passed, their love never ceased. It was like a candle that only needed to be relit to burn bright.
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