The House We Once Loved
My husband and I owned a small country house in the village. It used to be our weekend escape — planting flowers, picking vegetables from the garden, or simply resting away from the city noise.
But recently, he always found excuses not to go. One day it was work, the next day he was too tired, or something else came up. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Everyone has those periods.
A Neighbor’s Words
Then one day, while I was talking to our neighbor on the phone, she suddenly said:
— I saw your husband at the country house yesterday.
I froze.
— That’s impossible! He told me he was working that day.
— No, I really saw him, she insisted.
I hung up the phone, and dark thoughts started swirling in my head. Could he be hiding something? Was he secretly meeting someone there?
His Sharp Refusal
The following weekend, my husband once again said he wasn’t going.
— Maybe I should go alone then? I suggested casually.
— No! he answered sharply. I’d worry too much. I don’t want you going there by yourself.
His sudden firmness only deepened my suspicions. So, when he left the house that morning, I decided to follow him. And just as I feared — he drove straight to the country house.
The Door I Shouldn’t Have Opened
I waited a while before heading there myself. My heart pounded as I walked toward the house. I turned the handle, opened the door… and froze. I almost wished there had been someone else inside, instead of what I was about to see.
A Strange Smell From the Shed
Inside the house, everything was quiet. But from the shed came a heavy smell, sweet and metallic, filling the air. My hands trembled as I stepped closer.
When I entered, I gasped. Animal hides hung from the wooden beams. That was already disturbing, but then my eyes landed on something that looked far too much like hum@n skin.
I couldn’t breathe.
His Sudden Appearance
At that moment, my husband appeared in the doorway. His face turned pale when he realized what I had seen.
— This… this is hunting, he muttered, taking a step toward me. I just started recently. I didn’t want to scare you.
I stood still, staring at him. Deep down, I felt he wasn’t telling the truth. But I forced myself to smile and replied softly:
— Okay. I understand. I just didn’t expect it…
He let out a breath, his shoulders dropping as if relieved. We went back into the house in silence, but I could feel his eyes on me, searching, wondering if I really believed him.
A Sleepless Night
That night, I didn’t sleep at all. His words kept echoing in my mind, mixing with the terrifying images I had seen.
The next morning, as soon as he left for his errands, I picked up the phone with trembling hands. My voice shook as I called the authorities.
Because I knew one thing for sure: it was better for them to check than for me to discover later that my darkest fears were true.