Tiger Cat

A man purchases a crumbling mountain villa chiefly for its curious marble fountain and encounters two elderly servants who have tended the house through many transient owners. While inspecting the cellar he finds a massive iron-reinforced door whose key none of the servants possess, and inquiries point toward a long-time owner in a nearby town. Driven by curiosity he forces entry and descends into a subterranean complex where the narrative reveals a grim chamber of cruelty, including blind men bound to pillars and the impression of a predatory force at work. The story blends atmospheric description, discovery, and mounting horror.