Strange Behavior
Mittens' behavior had become a point of concern for Ben. He had never seen her sit in the center of the kitchen and stare at the oven like this. He had to investigate further.
Ben knew that he couldn't just let things sit the way they were. He decided to crouch down by the oven to try to look at what his cat was doing.
Inheritance
Ben didn't know what to expect when he and his family decided that they would move into his grandparent's old house. It was left to them after they passed away.
Ben mourned the loss of his grandparents, but he saw the house as an opportunity to start things fresh. He and his partner, Macy, were happy for the fresh start. But he had no idea what would happen one day.
Moving
Ben and his wife packed up their things and sold off their house in Boston to move out to Rhode Island where his grandparents' old house stood. He didn't know what he would be walking into.
Their kids, Brayden and Camden, were over the moon when they were told they were moving to another home. The boys loved adventure and the unknown. It was something that Ben was grateful for.
The Stove
Because of how old the house was, it meant that it sorely needed some renovations. Once an inspector looked at the home, his biggest concern was the wiring in the house.
Once Ben walked through the front doors for the first time in years, he noticed something. It was his grandmother's old stove, still sitting in the corner of the kitchen.
New House
The family quickly started unpacking into their new house. The family cat, Mittens, was quick to wander throughout the house, looking for the comfiest spots.
She loved the upgrade in space, but just a week after they moved in, she started acting differently. It was in the kitchen where she acted particularly strange.
Meowing
Ben had a close bond with Mittens, so he noticed when she wasn't feeling her best. He picked up on her behavior and felt concern course through him.
The cat started to meow around the house. Was she trying to tell him something? Ben started to investigate the cause of her change in behavior.
Gravitating Towards It
With the renovations underway, there was one thing that Ben refused to replace. It was his grandmother's stove. It was too sentimental to let go. But he had no idea what he was keeping in his home.
The cat seemed to gravitate towards the kitchen and the oven. She'd just stare at it for hours. It was as if the cat was possessed by his grandmother. What was going on?
Taking Mittens To The Vet
He just couldn’t understand why Mittens loved sitting by the oven. It became a daily routine and Ben became increasingly worried. Maybe he should have her checked out at the vet. She could be trying to give him a sign that she’s not well.
Ben wasn’t about to take any more chances and he called the vet immediately to make an appointment.
Was Mittens Okay?
Mittens was given a thorough inspection and when the vet was finished, he gave Ben an unexpected report.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with Mittens, she was in perfectly good health. Although Ben was grateful for the glowing report, he still couldn’t understand her behavior. What exactly was Mittens trying to tell him?
Trying To Get Through To Him
He agonized over it. But even though Mittens had this fixation with the oven, he could see that his beautiful tuxedo tabby was doing fine in other ways.
She would still play with him and the kids as usual, but as soon as Ben would go to the kitchen, she would sprint ahead of him and look at the oven and then look at him. Ben was now convinced that Mittens was trying to get through to him.
New Food
Was she unhappy with her food? They already established that she was physically fine but maybe he could change her food and see if that's what she wanted.
But it yielded no results. Mittens didn’t even touch the new food and continued to pester Ben with her constant meows and moans. What was he missing? Something didn’t make sense.
At Their Wit’s End
Something was troubling Mittens and Ben couldn’t stand to see her in this frenzy. If she wasn’t sitting next to the oven, she was trying to lure any one of them to the kitchen.
Macy and the boys also noticed Mittens’ constant meowing and couldn’t understand why she sounded so annoyed. The family was at their wit’s end trying to figure out what Mittens’ problem was.
Mittens Gives A Sign
One day as Ben sauntered into the kitchen, Mittens was at his heels, meowing to no end. For the first time, she put her paws up against the oven.
Ben thought it was interesting. He saw it as a sign that she wanted him to open the oven. He kneeled as Mittens anxiously stood next to him and opened the oven door.
What’s Inside?
Mittens jumped in and started sniffing the oven. What was she smelling? Was it remnants of grandma’s baking? Ben couldn’t tell, but she seemed content to just be sniffing around inside.
Ben left her to do what she wanted. It seemed to have calmed her down. It looked like he might’ve just solved the Mittens mystery. Or so he thought.
A Noise Coming From The Kitchen
As the days went by, Mittens became calmer. She wasn’t trying to get their attention anymore and was eating and playing as usual.
But then, something changed. Ben distinctly remembered hearing a noise coming from the kitchen one night. He raced downstairs, baseball bat in hand. He was ready to swing at anyone who was trying to break into his house.
An Intruder?
His heart raced, there were definitely noises coming from the kitchen. It sounded like things were being moved around. His knuckles were white from the tight grip he had around the bat.
He was ready to defend his family. He waited in anticipation and then… nothing. He walked into the kitchen and switched on the light. And there sitting in front of the oven, as usual, was Mittens.
Mittens At It Again
Mittens clawed and meowed furiously at the oven and Ben. She was trying to get his attention again. Something must’ve happened in this kitchen that got her riled up again.
But what? There were no signs of a break-in, no shattered glass or broken door locks. Everything was in place. He racked his brain trying to understand Mittens and then… he saw it.
Was He Onto Something?
He couldn’t be sure, but Grandma’s stove was skewed for some reason. It had been moved. He could’ve sworn it was straightened and in its place earlier. The oven was standing there for decades and he was positive it welded itself to the wall by now.
But Mittens saw his reaction and clawed at him. Was she telling him that he was on the right track?
Moving The Old Stove
He didn’t know if it was anything, but just to appease Mittens, he began moving the old stove. It was heavy but became easier to move as he swung it out.
He noticed several marks and scuffs on the floor. It seemed that this stove had been moved plenty of times before. Was there something behind it?
What Is This?
He moved it all the way out and saw something he couldn't believe. He now understood why Mittens sat looking at the oven all these weeks.
There was an opening in the wall right behind the stove. It was black with darkness as if leading to some unknown danger or well-kept secret. Ben stepped back as Mittens let out a low snarl. Whatever was bothering her was inside that hole.
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 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 hole, 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.
Taking A Moment
The stench was overwhelming. Ben’s eyes were watering as he stood back up. He was on the verge of being sick. It was unlike anything he had ever smelled before.
It smelled like something was rotting on the other side of the kitchen wall. Did his grandmother know about this? A shiver ran down his spine. Was something or someone living in his walls?
Hypnotized
Be stood frozen in the kitchen for quite some time as he thought about the situation. Mittens stood by the doorway, staring as he tried to solve the problem at hand.
Her eyes were glued to the stove as her tail moved back and forth. It was like she was hypnotized by the mystery before her. Ben didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he was slightly frightened.
A Cold Night
A shiver ran down his spine. It was a cold night, and he wanted nothing more than to go back to bed and sleep beside his wife. But this wasn’t the time for that. Something freaky was going on.
He couldn’t rest until it was all figured out. He wanted to get another look at the hole, but his stomach was aching from gagging so much. What could cause such a scent? It was pouring from the kitchen wall, and it was becoming unbearable.
Fight-Or-Flight
He tried to move closer, but his body wouldn’t listen to his head. His fight-or-flight instincts had kicked in, and he was surprised to find himself frozen in fear.
Something in that wall had been antagonizing his beloved pet, but what could it be? Mittens wasn’t the type to get scared off that easily. He’d seen her playing with large spiders and the occasional snake in their backyard, but this was different.
Warning Him
She was trying to warn him, but he was too afraid to do anything. Whatever lived in that wall was big and smart enough to move the oven out of the way. But then he began to wonder.
Who or what was moving the oven back into position? Was it a person? Could it be possible that a stranger had been living in their walls? But then, he remembered something.
A Memory
Earlier that week, his wife had told him a little story. It happened that Monday morning. Ben had gone to work and Macy was home along with their two sons.
According to Macy, she was furious when she found a bag of oatmeal cookies in their pantry. It had been torn open and the entire floor was covered in crumbs. But whoever had gone into the pantry had eaten more than just a bag of cookies.
Telling Lies
Crackers and several bags of candy had gone missing too. “I spoke to the boys about it, and they both swore that they had nothing to do with it,” Macy rolled her eyes.
“We need to discipline them more. They should know better than to steal from the pantry and to lie about it,” She told her husband. But now, Ben was wondering if the boys were telling the truth all along.
What If?
What if someone else was responsible for the missing food items? What if people were living in their walls and stealing their food while they were asleep?
Was this what Mittens had been trying to warn him about? He couldn’t believe that he had left his wife and children alone in the house. Was it just a matter of time before something happened to them?
His Grandmother
Ben was becoming increasingly worried and agitated. As the man of the house, he felt that it was his responsibility to keep his family safe, and now, he felt like he had failed.
As he stood with Mittens, his mind wandered to his Grandmother. In the last few years, she had complained about the sounds coming from her kitchen at night.
She Was Right
But their entire family shook it off. She was an old woman, and they all assumed that she was losing it. No one ever thought to check what was going on.
Ben felt guilty as he thought about it. All along, the old woman was right. Something was moving about her kitchen at night and making a racket. If only they had all listened to her
Snapping Out Of It
Ben was becoming angry just thinking about it. Something or someone had been harassing his grandmother, and no one had done anything about it before. Now, the same was happening to his family.
He wasn’t going to let this happen again. He was going to do everything in his power to help his family. Mittens meowed from the doorway, which snapped him from his thoughts.
Back To Work
He knew that it was time to get back to work. He was going to see what he could do, but he knew that he would have to wait until morning to find a proper solution.
He bent back down and held his breath. The smell was the worst he had ever come across, but he wasn’t going to give up because of that. If his family was in danger, he had to sort this out as soon as possible.
Looking In
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 person to fit through, and Ben wondered if that could be the case.
With the noises he'd heard earlier, he couldn't rule out that someone could be living inside his house's walls.
Moisture
He tried to look around inside the hole, but the flash from his phone barely made any difference. All he could see was the moisture pouring out of it.
He couldn’t help but wonder where all of it was coming from. Was it a leaking pipe? Why did it smell so incredibly awful? These were all questions he didn’t have answers to. He didn’t know what to do next.
Something Was In There
Ben didn't have much to go on here. All he knew was that something lived at the end of that dark hole. Despite the chilly air, small droplets of sweat fell from his forehead.
He raised a hand to wipe them off as he stood up straight. It was impossible to see what was inside the hole while it was dark out, especially with the oven blocking his way.
Doing What He Could
He didn’t want whatever was in there to roam inside of his house, so 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 spent the next few hours in the kitchen. He needed to make sure that nothing came out. But throughout his time in the kitchen, he couldn’t stop his mind from racing.
Macy
He was shivering in the cold when he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. He held his breath, freaked out by the thought that someone was approaching. He was afraid until the person poked their head through the doorway.
It was Macy. She had noticed her husband’s absence and was wondering what was going on. They spoke for a while, but then, something happened.
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
44Ben 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."