Fiction logo

The House That Eat Things

The House That Eats Things: A Story of Gobbling up Shadows

By Olayinka OlumidePublished about a year ago 7 min read

**The House That Eats Things**

---

Sarah had never been offbeat, yet something was agitating about the house from the second she previously saw it. It remained toward the finish of a thin, tree-lined road, its endured façade tucked behind congested supports and a fashioned iron entryway that squeaked in the breeze. The realtor, an enthusiastic lady in her mid-thirties, had put forth a valiant effort to cause the house to appear to be enchanting — a "project with bunches of character" — yet Sarah couldn't shake the inclination that something was off.

In any case, the cost was too great to even consider missing. New off a separation and anxious to begin once more, Sarah persuaded herself that the house's scary climate was only a result of its age and disregard. It required work, indeed, yet she could picture the potential: the high roofs, the multifaceted woodwork, and the enormous, bright patio where her eight-year-old girl, Lily, could play. It very well may be a new beginning for the two of them, a long way from the difficult recollections of their previous lifestyle.

The initial not many days in the new house were a haze of unloading and coordinating. Lily was excited with her new room, an extensive second-floor corner with a window that ignored the patio. Sarah was less excited about the squeaks and moans that reverberated through the house around evening time, however she credited it to settling floors and old lines.

Then things began to vanish.

It started with little things — a stud, a hairbrush, Lily's 1 pink sock. From the get-go, Sarah didn't respect it. Moving was turbulent, and losing things was simple. Be that as it may, as the days passed and more things disappeared, she began to feel uncomfortable. She looked through each room, each crate, everywhere, except the missing things were mysteriously gone.

One night, in the wake of a monotonous day at work, Sarah saw that her keys were absent from the snare by the entryway. She particularly hung them there when she came in, however presently they were no more. She scoured the house, turning out to be progressively baffled as she turned over pads and dug through drawers. At long last, she found them lying on the kitchen floor, as though they had been set there purposely.

"Mother, did you move my keys?" she asked Lily, who was in the middle of shading at the feasting table.

Lily gazed upward, wide-peered toward. "No, Mother. I didn't contact them."

Sarah attempted to dismiss the occurrence, yet a pestering sensation of disquiet got comfortable in her chest. There was something wrong with something.

The following morning, Lily came to her in tears. "Mr. Cuddles is no more!"

Mr. Cuddles was Lily's dearest stuffed bunny, a present from her dad on her third birthday celebration. He had been a steady friend through each move, each scratched knee, and each terrible dream. Sarah assisted her little girl with looking through the whole house, however Mr. Cuddles was mysteriously gone. Maybe he had evaporated like a phantom.

"I'm certain he'll turn up," Sarah consoled Lily, however, her uneasiness was developing.

However, Mr. Cuddles didn't turn up. Neither did the other missing things. As the days transformed into weeks, the vanishings turned out to be more regular and more unusual. Books evaporated from racks, whole arrangements of flatware vanished from the kitchen drawers, and once, even a seat disappeared from the lounge area. Sarah was confounded. She was unable to comprehend what was going on, and negatively affected her and Lily.

Then, at that point, came the night when Sarah lost something she was unable to rationalize.

She was in the lounge room, figuring out a case of old photographs, when she saw her wedding band was absent. It had been perched on the footstool close to her for care while she worked, yet presently it was no more. Overreacting, she destroyed the room, looking through each inch, yet it was mysteriously gone.

Sarah sat out of sorts, her heart beating. She realized she hadn't lost it. She had seen it only minutes prior. The acknowledgment that the house was in some way or another answerable for the vanishings crawled over her like a virus shadow. The house was taking things — eating them, it could be said. In any case, how? What's more, why?

The following day, Sarah called a locksmith to change the locks, even though where it counts she realized it wouldn't help. She likewise put in new deadbolts on the windows and set up a surveillance camera in the lounge room. In any case, the vanishings proceeded, and presently they were by all accounts heightening.

One evening, Sarah awakened to a peculiar commotion coming from the first floor. It was a low, thundering sound, similar to the snarl of a far-off creature. She sat up in bed, her heart hustling, and stressed to tune in. Once more, the clamor returned, stronger this time, trailed by what seemed like weighty strides.

Sarah snatched her telephone and crawled up, cautious not to wake Lily. She advanced first floor, her feet scarcely uttering a sound on the old wooden advances. As she arrived at the base, the commotion halted unexpectedly. The house was quiet, however the air was thick with a feeling of premonition.

She moved circumspectly into the lounge room, her eyes examining the shadows. Everything appeared to be ordinary, yet the harsh sensation of being watched was overpowering. Sarah remained there for a few minutes, her heart beating in her chest, before she at long last turned and returned higher up.

As she passed Lily's room, she halted to keep an eye on her. The entryway was unlatched, and she could see her little girl's little structure nestled into the covers. Sarah felt a surge of help. Lily was protected.

The following morning, Sarah tracked down the surveillance camera film from the prior night. She looked as if the parlor stayed still and peaceful, similar to what she had left it. However at that point, soon after noon, the camera got a weak, glimmering development close to the entryway. It was practically impalpable, similar to a shadow moving in obscurity, however sending a chill down Sarah's spine was sufficient.

She rewound the recording and observed once more, this time zeroing in on the shadow. It moved gradually, intentionally, across the room, stopping at the footstool before vanishing from view. Sarah's breath was trapped in her throat. In any case, it wasn't human.

As the days wore on, the house's way of behaving turned out to be more baldfaced. Objects that had vanished weeks prior started returning in odd spots, covered in a slim, dark buildup that smelled faintly of rot. Lily's missing sock turned up in the kitchen sink and splashed through with the slick substance. Sarah's wedding band returned on the restroom counter, discolored and somewhat distorted. Each time something returned, maybe the house was provoking her, advising her that it was in charge.

Sarah started to feel like a detainee in her own home. She was unable to rest, couldn't eat, and the steady nervousness was wearing her out. She attempted to connect for help, however, who might she at some point call? The police would think she was insane, and educating her companions regarding the house that ate things appeared to be ludicrous.

Then, at that point, one evening, the house went excessively far.

Sarah was taking care of Lily when she saw the abnormal blemish on her little girl's arm. It was a little, roundabout injury, practically like an indentation, however without any teeth impressions. Lily didn't appear to be in any agony, yet seeing it made Sarah's blood run cold.

"Where did this come from?" she asked, attempting to keep her voice quiet.

Lily saw her arm, befuddled. "I don't have the foggiest idea, Mother. I just awakened with it."

That evening, Sarah scarcely rested. She lay alert, her psyche hustling with contemplations of what the house could do straight away. It was presently not simply taking articles — it was connecting, contacting her little girl, denoting her. She realized she needed to accomplish something before it was past the point of no return.

The following morning, Sarah phoned in wiped out to work, and started pressing their possessions. She couldn't have cared less on the off chance that they needed to live out of bags for some time — she simply had to get Lily out of that house. However, as she pressed, she saw something weird. Each time she put something in a case, it would vanish. A couple of shoes, a heap of books, even a sweater — all gone the second she turned her back.

Disappointment bubbled over into alarm. Sarah began tossing things into boxes, attempting to move quicker than the house could take them, yet there was no utilization. The house was gobbling up everything, maneuvering it into some concealed void.

In a final desperate attempt, Sarah got Lily and darted for the entryway. In any case, the second she arrived at the limit, the entryway closed with a power that shook the walls. Sarah shouted in disappointment, beating on the entryway energetically, however it wouldn't move.

Lily stuck to her, crying, as the house squeaked and moaned around them. The walls appeared to shut in, the shadows extending, and that equivalent low, thundering snarl swirled all around. Sarah could feel the house's craving, its noxious presence pushing down on them, choking out them.

At that time, Sarah realized they were caught. The house wasn't simply eating their assets — it was benefiting from their apprehension, their hopelessness. It needed them, as well.

With no different choices, Sarah snatched the demolition hammer she had found in the cellar weeks earlier and started crushing it against the walls. The mortar broke and disintegrated, however, the house appeared to oppose, the walls bowing and flexing as though alive. She could feel the house retaliating, attempting to hold them in, yet she didn't stop.

She swung the demo hammer over and over, her arms throbbing, her breath coming in battered pants. At last, with one last, frantic

Mystery

About the Creator

Olayinka Olumide

I am a skilled and versatile content writer, dedicated to delivering high-quality content across a range of topics and industries. With a keen research eye and a talent for engaging storytelling.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.