Megan stepped closer and froze. “What… is that?” she whispered. Inside the wall was not insulation. Not rot. Not pipes. Black, root-like veins sprawled across the inner cavity, thick and webbed like a fungal network. They clung to the studs, snaked upward, and disappeared into a dark mass deeper inside.
The smell rushed out in a fresh wave: stronger, wetter, unmistakably organic. Daniel’s throat tightened. “Jesus…” Megan covered her mouth. “Dan… it looks like it’s growing.” He leaned forward, shining his flashlight inside. The veins pulsed faintly in the beam’s reflection, not moving, but textured in a way that made them seem disturbingly alive.