For weeks, the neighbours had been hearing strange noises coming from an elderly mans house, and when they finally broke down the door and stepped inside, they were horrified by what they saw.
On a quiet street where everyone knew each other by name, there was one old man who stood outVictor. He barely spoke to anyone, hardly ever left his flat, and no one had a clue what he did for a living.
But one thing everyone knew for sureweird sounds kept coming from his place. Sometimes a deep growling, like something was scratching at the walls. Other times, a shriek that almost sounded human but not quite. Nights were the worstwhimpering, exhausted barking that went on night after night. At times, it sounded like something was thrashing around inside, desperate.
At first, the neighbours put up with it. Then they started knocking on his door, begging for the noise to stop. Someone even left a note:
*”Please, sort out whatevers making that racket. We cant sleep.”*
But there was no reply. Victor didnt always answer the door, and when he did slip out, hed just nod, mutter something under his breath, and vanish back inside.
As time went on, the worry grew. Some neighbours swore he was losing his mind. Others thought he had peopleor *something*living with him. A few even whispered about illegal activities. But no one knew the truth.
Then, one day, everything changed.
For nearly a week, no one saw the old man. His door stayed locked, his windows shut tight. But the noises didnt stop.
In fact, they got worse. At night, there were frantic yelps, teeth gnashing, claws scraping the floorboardslike something was trying to get out.
By the seventh day, the neighbours had had enough. Two men went up to his floor and banged on the door. No answer. They called the police, who finally forced the lock open.
When they stepped inside, their blood ran cold.
The flat reeked of stale air and something worse. Victor lay dead on the bedaccording to the coroner, hed been gone for about a week. But that wasnt the worst part.
Inside were nearly twenty dogsskinny, exhausted, some barely alive. They were wandering the rooms, a few still lying beside his body, refusing to leave.
The floor was covered in paw prints, mess, shredded furniture, and signs of fights between the animals.
Turns out, the old man had been collecting stray dogshiding them, feeding them, sleeping beside them. They were his only friends. He never told anyone, terrified theyd be taken away.
For seven days, those dogs had been trapped inside with no food, no water.
The neighbours never forgot it. Theyd talk about it in hushed, shaky voices for years. And after that, the house stood emptylike it refused to forget its awful secret.
