Since we arrived at MasTorrencito, I always had the feeling that this house kept secrets. MasTorrencito’s Hidden Room: Part I
It was something I couldn’t explain, like an intuition that haunted me every time I passed by the fireplace in the living room. That crescent moon at the top, that strange design, seemed to scream at me that something didn’t fit.
I had been thinking about it for weeks, until I finally decided I couldn’t ignore it any longer. Vicente was around that day, taking the opportunity to “give me a hand,” as he puts it, even though we all know that means criticizing everything I do over coffee. Luckily, Manuela, our four-month-old golden puppy, was there to bring enthusiasm. Although, of course, her enthusiasm usually ends up with something broken or bitten.
-Vicente, I’m serious,” I said, pointing to the chimney. There’s something behind this wall. I can feel it.
-I’m sure there’s dust and spiders,” he replied, crossing his arms over his belly, “I’m sure there’s dust and spiders. I’m sure there’s dust and spiders. Do you really need more problems? You already have enough leaks and plugs that don’t work.
-You don’t understand, Vicente. This is different. Look at that shape, it doesn’t make sense. Besides, every time I pass by here I feel watched.
-Maybe it’s Manuela, who won’t take her eyes off you because she thinks you’re going to feed her,” he laughed, shaking his head.
Manuela, of course, didn’t help my argument, as at that moment she was running around in circles with one of my socks in her mouth, as if it were the best toy in the world.
-Let me prove it to you,” I said, grabbing the mallet I always keep handy.
-Come on, Miguel, this is not a professional demolition,” complained Vicente, standing up. If you break something important, don’t come crying to me later. I’m a driver, not a bricklayer.
–I reminded him, with a mocking smile.
He gave me one of those “you’re looking for me” looks, but he just stood there, folding his arms, while I started banging on the wall. With each blow, the noise echoed throughout the house, and dust fell from the ceiling as if MasTorrencito himself was complaining about what we were doing. Manuela excitedly barked and scampered around us, convinced that this was the best game of her young life.
Finally, after a final blow, the bricks gave way, exposing a dark hole.
-There it is,” I said, pointing the flashlight inside.
A cold air came out of the hole, laden with a smell of old stone and dampness. Vincent approached, more curious than he wanted to admit.
-Okay, Miguel, this doesn’t seem so normal anymore,” he admitted, peering into the hole with suspicion. What’s in there?
-That’s what we’re going to find out.
I turned on my flashlight and stepped into the dark space, with Vicente following close behind and Manuela, as always, leading the expedition with her overflowing enthusiasm. What we found on the other side was stranger than I had imagined.
It was a hidden room, clearly abandoned for decades. The walls were covered with mold and cobwebs, and the stone floor showed worn marks, as if someone had worked there at some point. But what caught my attention most were the stairs spiraling down into the depths.
-What now? -asked Vicente, with his hands on his hips. This is no longer normal. Do you really want to go down there?
-Of course I did,” I replied, excited.
-Come on, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Manuela didn’t even wait for an invitation. She was already at the edge of the stairs, sniffing excitedly and barking as if she had found the find of the century. I couldn’t blame her. I, too, felt we were about to discover something important.
The air grew thicker as we descended, and the echo of our footsteps echoed throughout the space. When we finally reached the end, what we found left us speechless: a solid wooden door, with a rusty iron lock and carved markings on the surface. It looked as old as the rest of the house, but also strangely intact.
-And this? -asked Vicente, pointing to the marks on the door. What the hell does it mean?
-I don’t know, but I’m going to find out,” I replied.
While I examined the lock, Manuela sat in front of the door, panting and wagging her tail, as if she knew something we did not. Vicente, on the other hand, didn’t seem so enthusiastic.
-Miguel, I’m serious. I don’t like this anymore. What if we find something we shouldn’t?
-That’s exactly what I want.
And, with that determination, I pushed open the door. I could not imagine that what was on the other side would change everything I knew about MasTorrencito.
The door opened with a deep creak, as if MasTorrencito himself was sighing after years of keeping this secret hidden. An icy air rushed out from inside, making my skin crawl. Vicente, who had been grumbling all the way, fell silent. Even Manuela, who until then had not stopped wagging her tail, seemed to hold her breath.
I turned on the flashlight and illuminated the room on the other side. It was a stone room, large but charged with an oppressive air. The walls were bare, except for some marks that looked like they had been carved with rudimentary tools. But what caught my attention was a table in the center of the room. It was large, dark wood, with something covered by a black tarp.
-I told you, Miguel. I don’t like this at all,” muttered Vicente, standing behind me as if that would protect him from whatever we might find.
-Don’t be a chicken,” I replied, even though I felt a knot in my stomach.
-Wow, let’s go, let’s go! -cried Manuela, excited, running to the table.
She, at least, was not afraid. But I couldn’t take my eyes off that tarp. There was something about the shape underneath, something that didn’t fit what I expected to find in an old farmhouse. I approached slowly, Vincent right behind me.
-If there’s anything dead under there, I’m out of here,” he muttered nervously.
-Vicente, this is history. Don’t be exaggerated.
-History, he says. This is how all horror movies start.
I took a deep breath and grabbed the tarp. I lifted it carefully, fearing what I might find. At first, I saw only dust and cobwebs. But underneath was a trunk, a solid piece, decorated with carvings in the wood that I didn’t recognize. The lock was rusted, but it still seemed functional.
-A trunk… Right, because that’s not suspicious at all,” snorted Vicente, while I tried to open it.
-Vicente, someone hid this here. This is important.
-Important to whom? Because for me, important is not waking up to something I’d rather not know.
Manuela, of course, did not share Vicente’s concern. She was sitting next to me, panting and staring at the trunk as if expecting a prize inside. Finally, after struggling a bit with the lock, I managed to open it.
Inside the trunk were several objects wrapped in old cloth. I took out the first thing carefully: a leather diary, worn by time. Vincent, though feigning disinterest, could not help but move closer.
-What does it say? -he asked, leaning over my shoulder.
I opened the diary carefully. The pages were yellowed and brittle, but some words were legible. I ran my fingers over the first entry, written in hasty handwriting.
“I have closed the room to protect it. What we discovered here must not go out into the world. I could not destroy it, but at least I can hide it. If anyone finds this, I ask them to be careful. What we kept here should never have been unearthed.”
-Okay, Miguel, that’s enough. This is crazy,” said Vicente, taking a step back.
-Don’t you want to know what they found? -I answered.
-No, what I want is to get out of here. This smells like trouble.
Manuela, meanwhile, was sniffing a small object at the bottom of the trunk: an old key, wrapped in a cloth. I took it out and held it in front of the lantern. It was heavy and had an intricate design, as if it had been handmade centuries ago.
-This doesn’t end here,” I said to Vicente, showing him the key.
-Well, I say we leave it here. This is your house, not mine.
While we were arguing, Manuela started barking. I turned my head to see her sniffing one of the walls. She thumped her paw on the floor and then sat down, facing us with her tail wagging.
-What is it, little one? -I asked, approaching her.
-Come on, Miguel, you’re already seeing ghosts,” Vicente snorted.
But then I saw it: a crack in the wall that was not in plain sight. It was thin and vertical, right in the corner opposite the door where we had entered. It looked like an opening… or a door.
-This is an entrance,” I said, pointing at it with the flashlight.
-Don’t tell me you’re going to use that key,” replied Vicente, holding his hands to his head.
-Of course it is.
Manuela barked again, as if encouraging me, as I inserted the key into the barely visible slot in the crack. It turned with a dry click, and the wall slowly moved, revealing a dark passage that descended even further.
-Miguel, this is as far as I go. You can be as brave as you want, but this is already too much,” said Vicente, backing away.
-Vincent, think about it. This is a unique discovery. If someone hid this, it had to be for an important reason.
-Yes, so that people like you wouldn’t find it.
Manuela, oblivious to Vicente’s doubts, had already started down the passageway, her tail wagging frantically.
-I’m not going to let her go down alone,” I said, turning on the flashlight.
Vincent snorted, but finally followed me. -I’m always getting into your trouble. This has to end with a good barbecue, huh?
The passage was narrow and descended more than I expected. Each step echoed in the silence, and the air was colder and damp. When we reached the end, we encountered another door. This one was different, simpler, but seemed much older.
-What do we do now? -asked Vicente nervously.
-Enter, of course,” I replied.
I pulled the key out again, but this time, before I could turn it, we heard a noise on the other side. A thud, as if something had fallen. We looked at each other in silence, our hearts pounding.
TO BE CONTINUED………
From MasTorrencito we wish you a good day and that your dogs accompany you !!!!
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