Day 244

They tore off the plaster around the fake fireplace, worrying about the potential water damage after last
month's floods.
They found the bricks were worse than they'd hoped, the mortar was practically running down the
wall.
Tapping on the sodden surface (praying the bricks didn't dislodge) they heard a quiet voice answer.

helloooo

It was certainly unexpected - it was supposed to be solid brick all the way through.
Was someone playing a trick on them?
Was the chimney stack on the roof real and had they crawled down there during the flooding?
Oh god, what if they were trapped, what if they were injured?
The homeowners asked the trapped person how long they'd been in there and if they needed food.

been here so long so dark and so cold
no
no food
don't need it anymore
food is for living ones

They began to worry now, was this person delusional?
Had they been stuck there so long?
The authorities were called and would be there within the hour.

Making the call had been difficult, how could anyone believe that someone had just crawled into a chimney (who knows how long ago), gotten stuck in the fireplace and begun spouting nonsense.

Eventually the firemen arrived, couldn't send anyone down the stack - too narrow for any adult.
They decided that gradually removing the bricks would work best.

All the poor person stuck inside would say was no need no need not living have to stay so dark so cold.
Naturally an ambulance arrived shortly after, expecting a potentially hypothermic young person.
The firemen waited for the correct tools to arrive and set upon the fireplace with great care.

Soon enough a small hole was created and a fireman shone his torch in, paramedics hovering like flies
eagerly awaiting visual confirmation from whoever was inside the fireplace.
After shining the small beam around, the fireman paused and shot back like he'd been violently shoved.
His face was ashy pale and he refused to go near the hole again and even screamed as the trapped
person spoke louder than before.

see
no need
no worry
so warm outside
i can see you all
haven't seen people for so long
forgotten what humans look like

A grey skeletal hand slowly reached through the hole, grasping at the air.
Everyone stood frozen, shocked at the state of the clearly starved being.
The hand, not finding anything to hold began to withdraw and the paramedics sprung into action yelling at the firemen to just open the bloody thing so we can get to them right now for god's sake!
Shakily they complied and as the hole grew they began to see exactly what was in there.

It had been in there since they made the house, the architect thought it was good luck to keep a living
person within the walls of a home.

Forensics named it a forty year old corpse.

The media declared it a hoax.

Those involved never speak about it.
Not the voice they heard nor how they still hear it taping faintly on their doors.

why won't you let me out
been so lonely so long
i saw you
I SAW YOU
I SAW YOU
I SAW YOU