It began as a calm evening at home. The kind of evening when the television murmurs in the background and the quiet feels comforting. That calm shifted when a man noticed a strange scent drifting through the rooms. It was faint at first, unpleasant yet easy to ignore. He told himself it was probably old pipes, or maybe something forgotten in the back of the refrigerator. For a day or two he tried not to think about it, but the scent did not fade. It grew stronger. It crept from one room to the next, clinging to carpets, curtains, and clothing. Each night he lay awake, unable to rest while the odor lingered with steady persistence. Curiosity slowly turned into unease. Something felt wrong. Whatever it was, it seemed to be coming from inside the walls.
At last he could not ignore it any longer. Determined to uncover the source, he gathered his tools and followed the scent to the corner where it seemed most concentrated. With careful hands, he began opening the surface of the wall. The material crumbled away in small pieces. Each inch he peeled back made the smell grow thicker. When the final bit of material gave way, he froze at the sight inside.
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