"Who... what are you?"

 Arthur staggered back, his heart a drum in his chest. The bulge expanded, an obscene parody of a child growing within the womb of the house. Panic surged, but so did curiosity, a morbid fascination that rooted him to the spot. The wallpaper crackled, splitting along the curve of the distortion. A wet, meaty scent wafted out, like the interior of a butcher's shop left too long in the sun. Arthur covered his mouth, gagging, eyes watering. "Who... what are you?" he croaked, desperate for answers from this unseen presence. A slick, pale limb pushed through the tear, glistening under the hallway's bare bulb. It was humanoid but wrong - too many joints bending at impossible angles. It probed at the air tentatively before wrapping around a picture frame and yanking it off its hook. Glass shattered on impact with the floorboards. Arthur should have fled. Instead, he inched forward on trembling legs. He had lived alone in this house since Mary left him; perhaps loneliness made him reckless now. "Show yourself," he commanded, steeling himself against whatever monstrosity might appear. The limb receded slowly into its opening; then another emerged from further up the wall - four more followed suit until six limbs hung limp and wet from Mary's old study doorframe like some grotesque bouquet. A face pushed forth next: bloated and pale as lard with two milky eyes sunk deep into their sockets and a wide mouth stretched ear to ear revealing rows upon rows of needle-sharp teeth stained yellow-brown from decaying matter wedged between them. Arthur froze mid-step as terror gripped him tightly by each extremity and squeezed till there was nothing left but compliance beneath that ancient gaze staring right through him. "You shouldn't have called me here," it said, voice bubbling up from thick liquid pathways behind those rotted teeth."You summoned me with your fear," it continued while others scrambled out of their birthing burrows along either side - small grey creatures swarming over each other like maggots squirming atop rotten flesh." "Get back!" Arthur shouted feebly as they scuttled towards him cluckingSoft Skittering Sounds Their bodies were emaciated spider-things with long hairless tails tip-toed with claws clicking on wooden floorboards – hundreds upon hundreds rushing over cabinets sliding under doors until not an inch remained unoccupied except where Arthur stood rooted terrified stiff."Please-" Arthur choked out barely discernible amidst soft skittering sounds filling every corner."Silence!" roared their queen intolerant though needing none had her slaves remarkably quiet."What are you?" he asked again refusal taking hold loathsome fascination overcoming initial bout of terror seeing as these were real live beings not just figments existence disproven definitive farce prior.As she parsed arachnids envisioned human form appeared pinning hind arms back locking knees firm keeping body erect - opposite arms flipped forwards mirror reflection mockery anatomical proportions "What would you call us?" she said " denotes purpose . We exist because your kind invited us once then banished , locked away forget....But forgot poorly didn't you Now we feast refuse renewed invitation." She pointed toward living room where flickering fluorescent light cast eerie shadows dancing ceilings walls barely disguised mildew stench rising smell unreal potency "Every time something bad happened here people wish they could undo pandemic illness death parasites crawl too hard spine ghostly echoes whispered conversation toxic waste trapped inside walls waiting release You opened gates inviting us back remember fear?" Each scrape bite draw cold realization cluster ink spot gaveway black tumour consumed whole justice won interiority existed know actual truth losing battle delayed longer inevitable readme notes