When I pulled it free, dust fell away in a cloud.
And there it was.
A circular metal base.
About the size of a large plate.
Dark brown with rust.
Covered on one side with dozens of evenly spaced, cone-shaped spikes.
Each spike was sharp.
Intentionally sharp.
Not decorative.
Not random.
Functional.
I remember instinctively hesitating before even touching it.
Because it didn’t look like something you simply “find in a house.”
It looked like something with a purpose.
A strong purpose.
One I didn’t immediately understand.
First Impressions: Alarm and Curiosity
My first thought was simple:
“What is this thing supposed to do?”
My second thought was slightly more dramatic:
“Why was this in my house?”
