When Maggie moves into a new house with her son, Ethan, and husband, Kyle, she is more than ready for a new start. Her son needed fresh scenery and a new school, and Maggie just wanted him to be happy. But one day, a husky wanders into their yard, eating their food and growing close to Ethan. Soon after, the husky leads Maggie and Ethan into the woods, ready to show them something devastating…
When we moved into our new house, I had a good feeling. It was a new chapter in our lives, and I was more than ready for it. Kyle, my husband, and I were excited to give our son, Ethan, a fresh start. He had recently gone through a bullying experience at school, and we all wanted to just put it behind us.
The house had belonged to an older man named Christopher, who’d passed away recently. His daughter, a woman in her forties, sold it to us, telling us that it was too painful to keep and that she hadn’t even lived in it since her father’s death.
“There’s too many memories in there, you know?” she told me when we first met to walk through the house. “And I don’t want it to get into the wrong hands. I want it to be a home to a family who will love it as much as my family did.”
“I know exactly what you mean, Tracy,” I said reassuringly. “We’ll make this house into our forever home.”
We were eager to settle in, but from the first day, something strange happened. Every morning, a husky would show up at our front door. He was an old dog, with graying fur and piercing blue eyes that seemed to look right through you.
The sweet boy didn’t bark or make a fuss. He would just sit there, waiting. Of course, we gave him some food and water, figuring that he belonged to a neighbor. After eating, he’d wander off like it was routine.
“Do you think his owners just don’t feed him enough, Mom?” Ethan asked one day when we were at the grocery store getting our weekly groceries and food for the husky, too.
“I don’t know, E,” I said. “Maybe the old man who lived in our house fed him, so it’s part of his routine?”
“Yeah, that makes sense,” Ethan said, adding some dog treats to our cart.
At first, we didn’t think much of it. Kyle and I wanted to get Ethan a dog; we just wanted to wait until he was settled down at his new school first.
But then, he came the next day. And the day after that. Always at the same time, always sitting patiently by the porch.
It felt like the husky wasn’t just any stray. He acted like he belonged here. Like we were just temporary guests in his home. It was strange, but we didn’t think much of it.
Ethan was over the moon. And I knew that my son was slowly falling in love with the husky. He spent as much time as he could running around with the dog, tossing sticks for him, or sitting on the porch, talking to him like they’d known each other forever.
I would watch from the kitchen window, smiling at the way Ethan had immediately bonded with this mysterious dog.
It was exactly what Ethan needed after everything he had been through at his old school.
One morning, while petting him, Ethan’s fingers traced the dog’s collar.
“Mom, there’s a name here!” he called out.
I came over and knelt down next to the dog, brushing away some of the fur covering the worn leather collar on him. The name was barely visible, but there it was:
Christopher Jr.
My heart skipped a beat.
Was it just a coincidence?
Christopher, just like the man who had owned our house? Could this husky have been his dog? The thought sent a chill down my spine. Tracy hadn’t mentioned anything about a dog.
“Do you think he’s been coming here because it used to be his home?” Ethan asked, looking up at me with wide eyes.
I shrugged, feeling a little unsettled.
“Maybe, sweetheart. But it’s hard to say.”
At the same time, it felt like the husky wasn’t just any stray. He acted like he belonged here. Like we were just temporary guests in his home. It was strange, but we didn’t think much of it.
Later that day, after Christopher Jr. had eaten, he began to act strange.
He whined softly, pacing back and forth near the edge of the yard, his eyes darting toward the woods. He had never done that before. But now, it was almost like he was asking us to follow him.
The dog stopped and stared straight ahead, and that’s when I saw it.
“Mom, I think he wants us to go with him!” Ethan said excitedly, already pulling on his jacket.
I hesitated.
“Darling, I’m not sure that’s a good idea…”
“Come on, Mom!” Ethan said. “We’ve got to see where he’s going and what’s going on. We’ll take our phones and I’ll text Dad so that he knows. Please?”
I didn’t want to do it, but I was curious. There was something about the dog’s urgency that made me think that this was more than just a random walk in the woods.
So, we followed.
The husky led the way, glancing back at us every so often to make sure we were still there. The air was crisp, and the woods were quiet, except for the occasional snap of a twig under our boots.
“You’re still sure about this?” I asked Ethan.
“Yes!” he said excitedly. “Dad has our location, don’t worry, Mom.”
We walked for about twenty minutes, deeper and deeper into the forest. Deeper than I’d ever been before. I was just about to suggest turning back when the husky stopped abruptly at a small clearing.
The dog stopped and stared straight ahead, and that’s when I saw it.
There was a pregnant fox, trapped in a hunter’s snare, barely moving at all.
“Oh my God,” I whispered, rushing toward the fox.
She was weak, her breathing shallow, her fur matted with dirt. The trap had dug into her leg, and she was trembling with pain.
“Mom, we’ve got to help her!” Ethan said, his voice shaking. “Look at her, she’s hurt!”
“I know, I know,” I said, my hands fumbling to free her from the cruel trap. The husky stood close, whining softly as if he understood the fox’s pain.
After what felt like an eternity, I managed to loosen the trap. The fox didn’t move at first. She just lay there, panting heavily.
“We have to get her to the vet immediately, E,” I said, pulling out my phone to call Kyle.
When Kyle arrived, we gently wrapped the fox in a blanket that he brought and rushed her to the nearest vet clinic. The husky, of course, came with us.
It felt like he wasn’t going to leave the fox, not after all of this.
The vet said that the fox needed surgery, and we waited nervously in the small, sterile room. Ethan was quiet, sitting next to the husky, his hands resting on the dog’s thick fur.
“You think she’ll make it, Mom?” Ethan asked.
“I hope so, honey,” I said, squeezing his shoulder. “She’s tough. And we did everything we could.”
The surgery was successful, but when the fox woke up, she was howling, her cries echoing through the clinic.
The vet couldn’t calm her down, and neither could Kyle. But when I walked into the room, she stopped. Her eyes locked onto mine, and she let out one last soft whimper before falling silent.
“It’s like she knows you helped her,” the vet said.
We went back for her two days later, and brought her home. We set her up in a small den in the garage where she could rest and recover. CJ, the husky, as Ethan had taken to calling him, stayed with Vixen the fox the entire time.
A few days later, she gave birth to four tiny kits. It was truly the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. And she let me be a part of it.
“She only lets us near her babies,” Ethan told me one day when we went to check on Vixen and the babies. “She trusts us.”
I nodded and smiled.
“And the dog too,” I added. “Little CJ seems to be right at home with us.”
When the babies were old enough, Kyle and I knew it was time to let them go. We built a proper den for them back in the forest and watched as Vixen disappeared into it with her babies.
Now, every weekend, Ethan, CJ, and I walk to the forest to visit them. The fox always comes out to greet us, her kits trailing behind her, just as curious as ever.
What would you have done?
We pulled down a false wall in the cellar of our 1857 house and found this! What is it? Any idea?
A questioner said:
We pulled down a false wall in the cellar of our 1857 house and found this! What is it? Any idea?
May be an image of water heater and hearth
Some of the people comments about this found were:
How come no one talking about the tea kettle that’s just suspended in the air
Weird it was covered
My mother cooked on one of these, she made amazing meals, also bread and cakes, Friday was bake day. We lived on the moors in the borders of England and Scotland. I now live in western Maryland, US.
Excellent find, too bad it was not a treasure chest
That is beautiful. An antique dealer will give you quite a lot of money for that. I wouldn’t move it or touch it until I talk to antique dealers.
What an amazing find. I wonder why the former owners covered that up.
Nice I would start tearing down other walls maybe find something else!
It was probably too heavy to get it out of the cellar so they left it.
Wooooow lucky you I would be over the moon and use it with pride … I remember staying with my nan at weekends she had one and remember her having an iron on there to do her ironing … and doing toast on the fire it was lovely… lucky you 
What a treasure
So the original kitchen may have been in the cellar or it was the kitchen for the servants. Love it
I’d leave it right there. Dust it off. Then design around it. It would be the focal point of your room.
NO!!!is it full size or a child’s size? Whatever! What a FIND!
It appears like they intentionally closed up the fireplace with stove and kettles intact for a future find like this. As a builder/contractor we almost always leave little mementoes or time capsules in the wall or closed off portions of the build. We often include owners information and pictures as well as our information. Coins from the year we did the project. Even bran new tape measures or hammers. Sometimes I’ve included brief essays on current events or political thoughts. It’s fun.
Imagine putting a wall up with the kettles still on the stove!
It looks child Size. That’s truly amazing!
Do you think this was original kitchen?
Wow! They left the tea pots in there!!
I used to black lead one of these for my gran, when I was a child. Of black lead can still be bought ot will come up like new.
That old black grate is in great condition. So what are you going to do with it?
What are your thoughts?
Owning an old house often feels like holding a piece of history in your hands. Each creak and groan of the floorboards, each worn corner, and each weathered brick tells a story. When we bought our 1857 home, we knew it had secrets. Little did we know that one of its most remarkable stories was waiting to be uncovered behind a false wall in the cellar.
The Discovery
Our journey began with a simple home improvement project. The cellar, with its stone walls and cool, damp air, had always intrigued us. One wall, in particular, seemed different. It sounded hollow when tapped and had an odd, almost hidden, seam running down its length. Curiosity got the better of us, and with a few tools and a lot of determination, we decided to investigate.
As we carefully dismantled the wall, brick by brick, our anticipation grew. Finally, the last layer crumbled away to reveal a dusty, forgotten room. What lay within was beyond our wildest dreams.
The Hidden Room
The room was like a time capsule, sealed away and untouched for decades. Dust motes danced in the beams of our flashlights, illuminating a collection of objects that seemed frozen in time. We found old furniture, crates filled with yellowing papers, and a variety of curious artifacts.
Treasures and Traces of the Past
Among the most fascinating finds were:
Antique Furniture: A beautifully crafted wooden rocking chair, a small writing desk, and a trunk filled with linens and clothing from the 19th century.
Historical Documents: Letters, diaries, and legal papers that offered a glimpse into the lives of the home’s previous occupants. One particularly poignant diary detailed the daily life of a woman who lived in the house during the Civil War.
Vintage Tools and Equipment: A collection of old tools, a sewing machine, and even an early model of a phonograph.
Personal Items: Family photographs, a set of silverware, and a few pieces of jewelry that likely held sentimental value.
Piecing Together the Past
As we sifted through the items, we began to piece together the story of the house and its inhabitants. The documents revealed that the house had been a refuge during tumultuous times. The hidden room might have been used to store valuables or even serve as a safe haven during periods of unrest.
One particularly fascinating letter was from a former owner to a relative, describing how the false wall was constructed to protect the family’s most prized possessions from potential looters during the Civil War. This discovery added a layer of historical significance to our home, connecting us to the broader tapestry of American history.
Preserving Our Find
Realizing the importance of our discovery, we decided to preserve and document everything we found. We contacted local historians and museums, who were thrilled at the prospect of examining the artifacts and documents. We even received guidance on how to properly preserve the items to ensure they remained in good condition.
A New Chapter for Our Home
Uncovering the hidden room has deepened our appreciation for our historic home. It’s more than just a place to live; it’s a repository of memories and stories that have transcended generations. We plan to incorporate some of the artifacts into our home decor, creating a small museum-like display to share the history with visitors and future generations.
Conclusion
Our discovery behind the false wall in the cellar of our 1857 house has been nothing short of extraordinary. It serves as a reminder that the past is always with us, waiting to be uncovered and appreciated. As we continue to explore and restore our home, we look forward to uncovering more secrets and preserving the rich history that lies within its walls.
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