Un Descubrimiento Inquietante
Ben no entendía qué le pasaba a su gata Mittens. Llevaba días sentada mirando fijamente al horno y no se movía. Ben sabía que algo no cuadraba.
Decidió investigar el misterio de lo que miraba su gato.
Cuando se puso a cuatro patas, no podía creer el descubrimiento que él y Mittens habían hecho.
Una Casa Antigua
No era lo que esperaba cuando él y su pequeña familia se mudaron a la casa de su abuela. Acababa de heredarla y Ben lo vio como la forma perfecta de empezar de cero en un nuevo estado.
La casa era vieja y necesitaba mucho trabajo, pero era un reto que Ben y su mujer Macy estaban dispuestos a asumir.
La mayoría de los muebles se habían quedado atrás y la fuente de los problemas de la familia vendría en forma del viejo hornillo de la abuela.
La Gran Mudanza
Ben y Macy trasladaron a su familia de Boston a Rhode Island. A él le pilló por sorpresa que ella le nombrara en su testamento. Quería a su abuela, pero no esperaba heredar su casa.
Sus hijos Brayden y Camden estaban especialmente entusiasmados con la mudanza porque por fin tendrían sus propias habitaciones.
Ben estaba encantado de volver a la casa en la que creció.
Vacía Durante Años
La casa llevaba años vacía y había que cambiar la instalación eléctrica porque todos los cables eran antiguos.
Le sorprendió ver en la cocina el viejo hornillo de su abuela. Recordó cuando ella le dijo que había dejado de funcionar.
Le tenía tanto cariño que, cuando compró una nueva, conservó la vieja en su lugar.
Comportamiento Inusual
Mientras la familia se instalaba en su nuevo hogar, su gata, Mittens, se dedicó a explorar.
Se paseaba por toda la casa y le encantaba el amplio espacio que tenía.
No pasó mucho tiempo antes de que Mittens empezara a actuar de forma extraña. Mostró un comportamiento inusual, especialmente cuando estaba en la cocina.
Intentando Llamar Su Atención
Ben fue el primero en darse cuenta. Le encantaban los gatos y mimaba mucho a Mittens. Así que cuando empezó a comportarse de forma extraña, Ben se preocupó.
No paraba de maullar e intentaba llamar su atención cuando entraba en la cocina.
¿Tal vez tenía hambre? Pero entonces Ben se dio cuenta de algo más.
Un Recuerdo
Desde que renovaron la cocina, Ben quiso conservar el viejo hornillo de su abuela como recuerdo. No se atrevía a tirarla, ya que la abuela le tenía mucho cariño.
A Mittens parecía gustarle la vieja cocina y se pasaba horas y horas sentada delante de ella mirando el horno.
Ben habría jurado que la gata se comportaba como su abuela, que solía sentarse frente a él, mirando cómo se horneaba su pan.
Llevar A Mittens Al Veterinario
No entendía por qué a Mittens le encantaba sentarse junto al horno. Se convirtió en una rutina diaria y Ben estaba cada vez más preocupado. Quizá debería llevarla al veterinario.
Ella podría estar tratando de darle una señal de que no está bien.
Ben no estaba dispuesto a correr más riesgos y llamó inmediatamente al veterinario para concertar una cita.
¿Mittens Estaba Bien?
Mittens fue sometida a una inspección minuciosa y cuando el veterinario terminó, le dio a Ben un informe inesperado.
A Mittens no le pasaba absolutamente nada, estaba en perfecto estado de salud. Aunque Ben estaba agradecido por el brillante informe, seguía sin entender su comportamiento.
¿Qué era exactamente lo que Mittens estaba tratando de decirle?
Intentando Llegar A Él
Ben agonizaba por ello. Pero a pesar de que Mittens tenía esa fijación con el hornillo, podía ver que a su preciosa atigrada le iba bien en otros aspectos.
Seguía jugando con él y con los niños como de costumbre, pero en cuanto Ben iba a la cocina, ella corría delante de él y miraba el horno y luego lo miraba a él.
Ben estaba convencido de que Mittens intentaba comunicarse con él.
Nueva Comida
¿Estaba descontenta con la comida? Ya habían comprobado que físicamente estaba bien, pero tal vez él podría cambiarle la comida y ver si eso era lo que ella quería.
Pero no dio ningún resultado. Mittens ni siquiera tocó la nueva comida y siguió molestando a Ben con sus constantes maullidos y gemidos.
¿Qué se estaba perdiendo? Algo no tenía sentido.
A Punto De Perder La Cabeza
Algo preocupaba a Mittens y Ben no soportaba verla en ese frenesí. Si no estaba sentada junto al horno, intentaba atraer a cualquiera de ellos a la cocina.
Macy y los chicos también se dieron cuenta de los constantes maullidos de Mittens y no entendían por qué sonaba tan molesta.
La familia no sabía qué hacer para averiguar cuál era el problema de Mittens.
Mittens Hace Una Señal
Un día, cuando Ben entró en la cocina, Mittens le pisaba los talones, maullando sin parar. Por primera vez, puso las patas sobre el hornillo.
A Ben le pareció interesante. Lo vio como una señal de que ella quería que abriera el horno.
Se arrodilló mientras Mittens se ponía ansiosamente a su lado y abría la puerta del hornillo.
¿Qué Hay Dentro?
Mittens se metió dentro y empezó a olisquear el hornillo. ¿Qué olía? ¿Eran restos de la repostería de la abuela?
Ben no lo sabía, pero parecía contenta de estar olisqueando dentro.
Ben la dejó hacer lo que quisiera. Parecía haberla calmado. Parecía que acababa de resolver el misterio de Mittens. O eso creía él.
Un Ruido Procedente De La Cocina
Con el paso de los días, Mittens se fue tranquilizando. Ya no intentaba llamar su atención y comía y jugaba como de costumbre.
Pero entonces, algo cambió. Ben recordaba claramente haber oído un ruido procedente de la cocina una noche.
Bajó corriendo las escaleras, bate de béisbol en mano. Estaba listo para golpear a cualquiera que intentara entrar en su casa.
¿Un Intruso?
Su corazón se aceleró, definitivamente había ruidos procedentes de la cocina. Sonaba como si estuvieran moviendo cosas. Tenía los nudillos blancos de tanto agarrar el bate.
Estaba listo para defender a su familia. Esperó con impaciencia y entonces… nada.
Entró en la cocina y encendió la luz. Y allí, sentada frente al horno, como siempre, estaba Mittens.
Mittens De Nuevo En Acción
Mittens arañó y maulló furiosamente al horno y a Ben. Intentaba llamar su atención otra vez. Algo debía de haber pasado en la cocina que la había vuelto a poner furiosa.
¿Pero qué? No había señales de robo, ni cristales rotos, ni cerraduras rotas.
Todo estaba en su sitio. Se devanó los sesos tratando de entender a Mittens y entonces… lo vio.
¿Tenía Algo?
No podía estar seguro, pero el hornillo de la abuela estaba torcida por alguna razón. La habían movido.
Hubiera jurado que antes estaba enderezada y en su sitio. El horno llevaba allí décadas y estaba seguro de que ya se había soldado a la pared.
Pero Mittens vio su reacción y le arañó. ¿Le estaba diciendo que iba por buen camino?
Mover El Viejo Hornillo
No sabía si era algo, pero para apaciguar a Mittens, empezó a mover el viejo hornillo.
Era pesada, pero se hizo más fácil moverla a medida que la sacaba.
Observó varias marcas y rozaduras en el suelo. Parecía que esta estufa había sido movida muchas veces antes. ¿Había algo detrás?
¿Qué Es Esto?
La movió del todo y vio algo que no podía creer. Ahora entendía por qué Mittens se había sentado a mirar el horno todas estas semanas.
Había una abertura en la pared justo detrás del horno. Estaba cubierta con una tabla, pero parecía que conducía al sótano.
Ben se preocupó ante la magnitud de lo que acababa de descubrir en su casa.
A Hole In The Wall
Ben was stunned. He had no idea why there was such a large hole in the kitchen wall. Mittens purred and rubbed herself against him.
She was clearly content with the fact that he had finally uncovered the mystery.
“Good girl, Mittens,” Ben praised her, but now he had to get to the bottom of what was going on here.
Inside The Oven
Curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to check it out.
He stuck his head into the oven, forcing down the urge to hurl at the foul air inside.
A slight breeze came from the dark hole, which meant it led either outside or to a large hidden area. Ben didn’t know what to think.
Gunk On The Walls
Eating back his fear, he fished out his phone and turned on the flashlight. He shone it at the hole and almost puked inside the oven.
The hole’s walls were wet with gunk and moisture, with some dripping down the sides.
Ben didn’t know what the gunk was and could’ve easily mistaken it for the stuff you found while cleaning your kitchen’s drainage pipe. But this was worse.
Going Up
Ben took a deep breath and shone his light at the hole again. It curved upward as if leading him up his ceiling.
It was large enough for a boy to fit through, but Ben was confident that wasn’t the case here.
But with the noises, he’d heard earlier, he couldn’t rule out that someone could be living inside his house’s walls.
Block It
Ben didn’t have much to go on here. All he knew was that something lived at the end of that dark hole. He closed the oven door, placing a heavy table before it to block anyone from opening it again or whatever was inside from coming out.
He even spent the evening there as Macy prepared dinner.
He needed to make sure that nothing came out. But throughout his time in the kitchen, he noticed something that doubled his worry.
Mittens Is Back
Mittens, who had left the kitchen when Macy came in, returned to meow at the oven again.
She kept looking at Ben and back at the oven as if to tell him something was happening.
“What it is, girl?” Ben asked with furrowed brows, wondering if whatever animal or person was skulking around his walls was back. He didn’t know that he needed to call the authorities immediately.
There’s No One In The Wall
Ben discussed the matter with Macy, who, although scared, assured him that no one lived inside their house’s walls.
“They’re just too thin and uncomfortable for someone to live there,” she said while preparing her signature pot roast meant to go into their other oven.
She even came and tried to look at the hole through the closed oven door, trying to assure Ben they were alright. If only she knew what was lurking inside that dark hole.
Sound Advice
Ben had always listened to Macy’s counsel. She was his life partner, after all, and her words had helped him through many roadblocks in life.
He also decided to listen to her this time, shooing Mittens out of the kitchen.
If something lived inside their house, it would have to come out of that hole in the oven. Blocking that hole meant Ben and his family were safe. He had no idea that even now, he was being watched from the ceiling.
Going Back In Time
Ben’s grandma moved into the house when she was still in her twenties. She was newly married to Ben’s grandpa and wanted to start a beautiful family that would stand the test of time.
This was in the heart of the forties, which meant the house was almost seventy years old.
Although Ben had done his best to renovate it, he’d missed looking in some important places. He should have known that his family wasn’t the only ones living inside the house.
Insomnia
That night, Ben had trouble sleeping. The hole’s stench had caked into his fingertips. Its gunky walls seared into his mind.
He hoped whatever lurked in the hole was a harmless mammal he and pest control would have little trouble removing.
He’d decided to wait until morning to take another look into the hole. But the night would be very different from what he was projecting.
A Different Occurrence
It was about half past one when it happened. It was raining outside, and Ben had just cranked up the house heat to kill off the cold.
He was heading back to bed when Mittens meowed on his feet.
But the cat didn’t snuggle up to him as she usually did when she wanted food or to be petted. This was something else.
She’s Scared
Mittens kept meowing at Ben. Her meows sounded painful, as if she was in a hurry.
Coupled with the pounding rain outside and the darkness inside the house, Ben couldn’t help but feel on edge.
He settled his mind, watching as Mittens walked a step away and stopped, staring anxiously at him. She kept meowing and moving a step until Ben realized what she was doing.
Go To The Kitchen
“The kitchen,” Ben whispered as realization hit him. Mittens wanted him to see something, and it seemed like time wasn’t on her side.
Mike didn’t turn on the lights. He only followed the cat into the dark kitchen.
Mittens stopped at the door, her eerie meows morphing into snarls. And that’s when Ben saw it.
Into The Darkness
The heavy table he’d placed against the oven door had been pushed to the side. But that was only half of it.
In the darkness, something moved. Mittens launched herself back as if to escape, growling so deeply Ben stepped back too.
In the swimming darkness of the kitchen, his eyes caught something that made his blood run cold.
Shine The Light
Ben wasn’t sure he saw what he saw. He flashed his light toward it to confirm his fear, and adrenaline shot through his veins.
Something had rushed past the table and into the open oven.
But it wasn’t a tiny mammal as he’d earlier theorized. No, this was far bigger and meaner. It was far more dangerous.
Black And Yellow
Ben only caught a black and yellow pattern, sheening as it zoomed past his eyes and into the oven’s darkness.
Even his phone’s flashlight didn’t fully capture what he’d seen.
But it was enough to freeze him in place. He used everything within him to take a step back, followed by another. He needed to get his family out of the house.
Get Out Now
Ben turned on his heels, rushing to his kids’ room. He woke them up, throwing sweaters and rain jackets on their beds and asking them to dress.
He darted into his and Macy’s bedroom, telling her they needed to leave immediately.
“Why? What’s going on?” Macy asked. But Ben couldn’t muster the words to explain what he’d seen. He only knew his family was in danger.
The Garage
Carrying his daughter and bags while Macy took their son and Mittens, he led them to the garage, where they hopped into their vehicle.
But while he was strapping his daughter in, she pointed at the wall.
Ben’s breath hitched as his sight landed on the wall. Something was moving in the dark, inching away from the wall and coming closer to the car.
Drive!
Ben couldn’t jump into the front seat fast enough. The garage door wasn’t fully open before he slid out, turning his car around and speeding down the rain-eaten driveway.
Macy was already on the phone with the authorities, explaining that something was inside their house.
In the corner of her eyes, she saw a shadow easing back into the garage’s darkness.
Getting Help
Ben drove his family to a nearby hotel and headed straight to the police station.
He spent a few minutes with the authorities, explaining everything that happened,
He was still unsure if what he’d seen crawling back into the oven and in the garage was a man or an animal. But he wasn’t going to take any chances.
He’s Back
He drove back to his house with a few officers, ready to crack this case open.
He found his garage door ajar the same way he had left it some fifty minutes ago.
The rain had stopped by now, the wind howling ominously. Ben’s house stood out from the rest of the homes in the neighborhood, challenging Ben to enter.
An Unsettling Situation
With two officers beside him, Ben walked in.
He’d already explained what he saw in the kitchen and the garage, to which the officers told him not to be afraid.
But this was his family home. The fact that someone or something lived here, too, made his stomach grumble. What they’d find would result in the quarantining of the entire house.
Give Him Space
One of the officers led the charge, with his weapon ready and flashlight lighting the way.
He entered the kitchen, the rest of his team, Ben included, giving him a wide berth. Something snarled.
The officer inched back as a hiss took the entire corridor. “Everybody out, now,” he whispered while taking steps back. “No sudden movements.”
Animal Control
“What did you see?” one of the officers asked him as they entered the living room. “We need to get animal control here now,” the officer said.
His eyes were wide, and his forehead was covered in sweat even though the house was ice cold.
“Why?” Ben asked. “Why do we need to call animal control?”
Scales And Sofas
The officer was about to explain everything when the couch moved. Everyone turned to it, flashing their lights toward it. “Please tell me you see that,” Ben whispered.
Something was inside the couch, moving the cushions up and down. It was big, shaking the entire sofa. Ben’s sight caught a scaly tail disappearing into the couch before one of the officers pointed at the kitchen door and said, “I think there’s more than one of them.”
Disclaimer: In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.