Old Lady Lives in Seclusion for 23 Years until Cops Break Down Her Door — Story of the Day

An old lady never allowed anyone to enter her house for 23 years. But when one of the neighbors did manage to get in there with the help of cops, she was frozen stiff by the woman's big secret.

When Kathy Turner's parents died in a fire that engulfed her home, she had to relocate to the Texas countryside to her grandparents' house and start afresh. She was merely 20 when the unfortunate event happened, and life was no different for her in the new neighborhood.

The neighbors, of course, had been very friendly and helpful when she first moved in. But everything changed one day when Kathy inquired about the abandoned house on a nearby hill.

"Hey, girl, you're still young, and we suggest you stay away from that house," Mrs. Anderson, the eldest in the neighborhood, advised her. "We don't want to be associated with anyone interested in the life of that old lady!"

Kathy's eyes widened. "What? Does an elderly lady live there?"

"Didn't you know?" Sandra, Kathy's next-door neighbor and mother of two, inquired. "Didn't anyone warn you about it before you moved here?"

"Well, everything happened so quickly that I didn't have time to ask anyone," Kathy admitted sadly, reflecting on her tragic past. "By the way, why do so many people avoid the house?"

"See, that's why I don't want kids moving into this neighborhood!" Mrs. Anderson screamed at Kathy. "What's the deal with that house, uh? There's nothing there except for a foul stench and an insane old owner!"

"Have you guys ever spoken to her? Or did she ever come to meet you?" Kathy asked curiously.

"What? No!" Sandra panicked. "That woman is insane! She has never let anyone in for 23 years. I have two children and don't want to get in trouble. Thank god I have never interacted with her!"

"But what if..." Before Kathy could ask them further, Mrs. Anderson cut her off.

"If you're so interested, why don't you just find out for yourself? But remember, if you dare to go there, we don't know you!"

Despite everyone's warnings, Kathy resolved to discover why the old lady never let anyone in. It ruined her relationship with the neighbors because they thought Kathy, just like the old lady, was influenced by otherworldly forces and had gone insane. But shehad made up her mind to find out the truth and paid a visit to the house one morning.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" she called out to the elderly lady. "I recently moved to this neighborhood. My name is Kathy Turner!" No replies came.

"Fine! If you don't want to let me in, that's okay! But can you at least tell me what your name is?" Kathy called out again, but again, nobody replied.

Dejected, she went around the house, looking for another way in, but all she saw were piles of garbage stashed in the backyard. Ahh, this is where the awful stench might be coming from, Kathy pondered, closing her nose.

After a failed attempt of meeting the owner that day, Kathy returned to the house several times for a week, sometimes with groceries and sometimes with old clothes for the poor woman, but she never opened the door.

Kathy was depressed and on the verge of giving up at one point. However, one evening, on her way home from the supermarket, she heard a scream from the house.

It was getting dark, and no one was visible in the distance. Well, the house does look haunted. But what if the older woman might be in danger? Kathy reflected as she looked at the shady structure, lit only at the door by two lightbulbs that flickered now and then.

She was afraid to approach the house, but her thoughts immediately turned to the older woman who might require assistance. In the end, she decided to dial 911 and request assistance.

Ten minutes later, when the cops arrived, she accompanied them to the house. The stench was much more pungent than before, and the old door wouldn't budge. Finally, the officers had to break the door open with a shovel they found in the backyard. However, when everyone entered, they were frozen stiff.

The floor and all of the house's surfaces were covered in dust and mold, and the furniture was ragged and stinky. Then there was a bed in the center of the room, with a sheet covered in holes, and an older woman lying in the corner of the room, unconscious. Her face was riddled with dark circles, and she appeared frail.

The officers called an ambulance to rush the old lady to the hospital. However, as she was being carried out of the house, the officers noticed movement in another room.

"Harry!" Officer Banks called to his mate. "Be careful. There's someone inside!" the officers walked tiptoe toward the door, their revolvers in the firing position, determined to find out what was behind the door, but when they opened it, they were startled by a swarm of 15 cats in the room. Some of them were injured and looked frail, so Officer Banks called the vet and the cats were safely rescued.

When the old lady gained consciousness, she couldn't stop crying, grateful someone had actually helped her. "I don't know how to thank you guys," she sobbed. "I might have died if you didn't arrive."

"You owe it to this young lady, ma'am," Officer Banks said. "Anyway, now that you're feeling better, we'll leave."

"Thank you, officer," the old woman said as they left. Then she turned to Kathy. "Thank you for helping me, young lady. I don't know how I will return your kindness."

"Oh no, it's okay," Kathy said. "But why didn't anyone help you before? If you'd have interacted with the neighbors or at least asked for assistance from social services, you wouldn't have been in a terrible state. Doctors said it was a stroke, but it could have been serious if you weren't brought here on time."

"I was afraid they'd send me to a retirement home," the elderly woman trembled. "My entire family was killed in a plane crash, but I was still waiting for them to return. They never did. So I became a recluse because I was afraid people would mock me and say I'd gone insane. Thankfully, the cats kept me company and I never felt so alone. But when my health started failing me, I couldn't look after them properly."

Kathy felt so sad for the older woman that her heart sank. So one day, she took everything she needed and cleaned her neighbor's house. She also posted a story about her on social media, and several people agreed to help turn the old lady's home into a cozy one.

Mrs. Cassandra Davis was discharged from the hospital and never stayed alone since that. She started socializing with the locals and eventually moved in with Kathy, who now calls her Grandma Davis. As far as Mrs. Davis' cats are concerned, they now have their small cattery in Kathy's backyard.

What can we learn from this story?

• Be kind and help others, like Kathy helped Mrs. Davis.
• Stop relying on what others say about a person. If Kathy had listened to her neighbors, she would have never gone ahead and helped Mrs. Davis.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a little boy who pays for a starving old lady's groceries and asks her to make a wish.

This account is inspired by our reader's story and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.