Freaked out

As most of you know I have a phobia with basements....man are they ever popular here! This morning was cleaning day at the office (every Friday). I signed up to do the outside. There wasn't much sweeping to be done so Nickolaj told me to do the weeding and Vacum the entry carpet and dust off the cobwebs from around the door area. He was telling me where gloves where (in the basement!) and I thought maybe i could wait to get the gloves until Ali came and he could go get them for me. I figured Verne would make me get them myself as he already knows about my fear. At anyrate I began to pull the weeds that weren't thorny and here comes Nickolaj with the gloves! God answered my unspoken prayer. :) I had finished the weeding and we found the vacum cleaner...they're so different from ours. I was outside vacuming up the cob webs when Nickolaj (coming back to the office) walks up the stairs and says something. My back was turned and I couldn't hear him approaching so when he spoke I let out a highpitched scream! My heart was pounding. I shocked him. He's not used to me yet. I forwarned him in a nice way not to do that again. The guys got a laugh out of it. So I come back in and sit down at my desk when Ali comes in and says he wants to show me something in the basement. I look at him, Verne, and Nickolaj and say "is this a joke?" they all reply no. Ali is trying to persuade me to come. I said "Are yall going to lock me in the basement?" Memories of being locked in Tim's bathroom came flooding back! They assured me this wasn't going to happen. So I go, but as I walk I'm apprehensive. I stayed a good 3-4feet behind Ali. We got down in the basement and he went into another room....this was the pool room. I couldn't figure out what he needed to show me b/c Verne had shown me this last Friday. So again i approached the door cautiously but I couldn't bring myself to go in. The pool is empty. I'm not sure why, maybe because the ceiling is lower...I don't know. I wouldn't go any further than the door. Ali is talking to me but I'm too scared to hear what he's saying. He looks at me finally and ask me why I'm not coming in. I said "I told you i have a phobia. I don't like this" He said you didn't tell me. I replied "I asked you on the stairs if I had told you about my phobia and you said yes" He said "I missunderstood you" So seeing the fright on my face he said don't worry we can go. So we turned and began to walk out and he said "Did I tell you the story about the pool?" Immediately thoughts went through my head and I bolted up the stairs. Then he continues with "There was this man...." and I took off running back to my desk saying "I don't want to hear it." the four of us are back at my desk (Verne and I share a table) talking Ali is telling them what all happened when Nickolaj says I'll tell you the story behind it....I turned to the window closed my eyes and grabed my head saying "I don't want to hear it. Don't tell me somebody died in this building." Finnally they saw how bad I was taking all this and told me why the pool was there and that nobody died in this building. What a morning. And to think Ali, didn't laugh when I told him a/b the prank phone call Simone and I got. He said that in his culture it's not funny to scare people....quite a change from todays events. I look back on it now and laugh.