The Third Room

 In 2019 when Rhodes and I began the process of looking for a home, we developed a habit of wandering through each home independent of each other before walking through together. Each of us would sketch a quick layout of the house as we went through so we could refer to it later when talking about the potential use of space. To be clear: we made those drawings on our own, separate from each other, without any input. 

We fell in love with the Cottage the first time we saw it. We each recognized all the potential this little home had and knew that it just needed some TLC. We were thrilled that in addition to the in-law space on the north side of the house, there were enough rooms on the south side for a living room, study, art or meditation room, and guest room, besides a generously sized bedroom. 

We compared our drawings after we got home that night and talked about the space for hours. We knew we wanted this magical house to become our home. 

There's a copy of my drawing attached here. You can see the three rooms down the hall from the living room. The drawing Rhodes made looked much the same as this one, just more technically correct. And neater. And it showed windows and doors. You get the picture, yes? 

We went back for an open house the next day. Still delighted by everything. 

Then two days later, we went back with our realtor. Again, we wandered through on our own, then met up in the living room, both with drawings in hand and puzzled looks on our faces. The third room, the one labeled "Art Room" in my drawing, was gone. Vanished without a trace. We compared our drawings, compared our mental notes from the previous walkthroughs, and we both clearly remembered the third room. We also clearly remembered the three doors on that side of the hallway - one for the closet, the weird door with the pet door in it, and the Third Room door. The door into what we thought would be the guest room faces directly onto the hallway, not off to the side like the others. 

We haven't seen the room since our second visit to the house. We each saw it separately, drew it in our layout sketches, and remembered it quite clearly. 

Almost two years later now, and we still talk about the Third Room. Items that go missing in the Cottage are probably in the Third Room. When the cats act weird, they've been in the Third Room or smell something in there. Sometimes I can hear people talking or hear an oldies radio station, and I'm pretty sure that's where they are. 

Most of the mysteries at the Cottage are outside, in the gardens, and on the grounds. There are a few of them indoors, too, but none quite as big and daring as the disappearance of an entire room. 

It should be a creepy thing, but it isn't. It just feels like the Cottage has a secret, and wanted us to know it had this secret but now doesn't want to share. I sometimes wonder who lives in that space, or if it is some kind of traveler's rest space and different beings come and go.