Beneath An Ordinary Home Lies An Extraordinary Secret

Resting on a woodland field in California, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, was homeowner Chris’ dream house. Chris knew he had to have it the second he saw it, and he couldn’t spare a moment before calling the real estate company to ask about the ad.

The space would become his own, he was sure of it.

As he walked with the realtor through the mansion, Chris loved the home…but he truly had no idea what would befall him, thanks to the beautiful property.

2. The Forest

The day that Chris saw the house in an advertisement, he called the realtor up and made an appointment as soon as possible. When he arrived at the mansion, he knew it was slightly above his budget.

But it looked just like his grandmother’s stately house from his childhood, and he couldn’t turn it down. It was worth the splurge.

The seasons had not been kind to the home’s surrounding forest when Christopher arrived, but that didn’t matter. It was beautiful.

3. The Outside

The outside of the home was stately and beautiful, and Chris couldn’t believe he was so lucky as to have a chance to own it. This house was just within his grasp, and he could easily see how the changing seasons would keep its character ever-changing.

The realtor was very excited to show him the home, and he seemed to know it would be an easy sell from the moment Chris stepped through the door.

And he was right, of course.

4. I’ll Take It

Christopher loved the home, and he also loved the surrounding forest. It was as though his mind went into auto-pilot when he walked around the trees, which were sparse and thin from a long, hard winter.

Spring was around the corner, and, as Chris saw the buds forming on the bare branches of the trees, he felt a sense of rightness.

“I’ll take it,” he told the realtor, a grin spreading across both of their faces.

5. Perhaps He Was Rash

Perhaps he was being a bit rash, agreeing to purchase a home so quickly. That was certainly the opinion of Chris’ family and friends, Chris’ dad in particular. After his purchase, Chris had everyone over for a housewarming party.

Once the guests had left, the darkness pressed against the home’s tall, floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Chris turned on the electric fireplace, feeling content in his new abode.

“There are a lot of mines around here,” his father’s voice said behind him. “Quite a few.”

6. Be Careful

“Mines?” Chris asked. “I wasn’t told about that. There aren’t any workers around, though.” He looked out the windows, but all he saw was dense, sparse forest. He cleared his throat and stepped back, unwilling to let his dad ruin this for him.

“Old ones,” his dad said, “So just be careful if you’re walking around.”

“Yeah, I will.” Chris let his dad’s words slip from his mind at that point, though he remembered them later on in the night as he was trying to fall asleep.

7. Mining

There had been a long mining history in the region, about which Chris was vaguely cognizant. Like most of us, he was aware of mines, but he didn’t know much else other than that they existed. His father’s words stuck with him anyway, intriguing him.

And intimidating him, if he was being honest.

If there were mines on his property, they were abandoned. And, technically, Chris was their owner now.

8. Who Knows?

Thinking about what his dad said, Christopher went on a walk the next day. It was a beautiful spring Saturday, the temperatures just starting to warm up, and Christopher had all the acres to himself. He tied on sturdy hiking boots, taking a backpack with snacks just in case.

He also packed a flashlight, headlamp, and a few other must-haves. What his dad said rang in his mind, and he couldn’t be too careful.

Who knew what was out there?

9. Hiking Around

Chris found nothing on that first hike, though he was continuously amazed by the forest around him. All of this is mine, he thought. He wanted to have a family one day, and he pictured his kids running around the woods, playing like he did as a child at his grandparents’ house.

Of course, Chris kept hiking around his forest as the weather warmed.

One morning, he strapped on his boots and went to explore a part of the woods he hadn’t been in before.

10. Exploring Means A Lot

Being able to explore his own property meant a lot to Chris. After all, he’d previously lived in the city.

He didn’t have forests or woods as his domain; there, he had an upscale apartment. The only exploring Chris did in the city was finding out where the newest coffee shop was opening. While the city had its benefits, this was on an entirely new level.

Chris wanted a fresh start, and he’d get that with his new land.

11. The Object

Walking through the forest, listening to trees rustle around him (they’d finally begun sprouting leaves), the birds chirping, and the water rushing from a nearby stream, Chris spotted a strange object in the distance.

Be careful, he heard his father say in his head.The object was small, dark, and hazy, almost as though it was trying to hide from him. Shaking off that foolish thought, Chris stepped forward to investigate.

12. The Ditch

Is it a tree? Chris thought? Just a small, dark…weirdly old one?

“That’s not it,” he muttered to himself, “It’s a sort of…passagew—”

Before he could finish his sentence, he stumbled, feeling his feet leave the ground beneath him as he tumbled into a short, three-foot ditch. He let out a yelp of shock, both of his ankles tingling with pain as he hit the ground hard.

13. Thankfully, Not Hurt

After the initial shock of his landing wore off, Chris surveyed himself.

He wasn’t hurt, though there would be more of an answer to that in the morning. He was sure his calves and legs would be aching the next day; such was the price of no longer being in your twenties.

have to be careful out here, Chris thought. If something happened, there was no one around for miles to help him. He could scream his head off and no one would hear.

14. His Dad Was Right

It was easy to see how Chris missed it, as the ditch had been covered in mud and leaves. It was almost like a trap placed there purposefully. But why would someone put this here? Chris thought.

He got his answer when he scrambled out of the ditch and looked up. In front of him was what, unmistakably, had to be the entrance to an old mine.

His dad was right.