Building 18 “The Extra Child”

After World War Two, a large number of children were orphaned by the conflict. Because of this, institutions had to be established to house them. Although the building in question was a boarding house, the large number of children left in its confines led many to view it as an orphanage. But this building was not immune to the strange and curious nature of this area, resulting in several odd cases throughout its history, none stranger than when the odd baby arrived.

The following information was provided in large part by the long term owner of the building, who has made a decent living renting the rooms for anywhere between a few weeks to a few years at a time. Nowadays few children remain in her care save her own. But on the night in question there were ten children on the premises, largely supported by the other tenants.

It was rather cold on the night of December 18th, 1953. At around two in the morning, the landlady was making her rounds, checking on the children. She was shocked when she heard a baby crying. None of the children in her care were infants, and none of the tenants had children of their own.

Moving from room to room, she eventually traced the sound to one of the empty rooms on the third floor. Upon entering, she heard a gurgling noise emanating from one of the beds in the room. Turning on the light, she walked over, only to be confronted by a startling sight. Laying in the bed was a baby boy, wrapped in a red blanket. The baby was badly deformed, though it was able to breathe intermittently. Located centrally on its face was a single eye. Lacking a nose, it was forced to only breathe through its mouth. Quickly, the woman gathered up the child and brought it to the hospital, awaking another one of the tenants to watch the remaining children.

A great amount of effort was made at the hospital to try and keep the baby alive, but after a few hours the infant passed away. A short investigation led to the conclusion that the baby had been suffering from a rare disorder known as Cyclopia, a condition in which the forebrain of an embryo fails to divide properly. In most people, this division is what ultimately forms our faces, the indent under our noses known as a philtrum being evidence of this. Cyclopia is commonly brought on due to genetic issues or exposure to certain toxins, namely cyclopamine, as well as high doses of cancer therapy.

Despite a large amount of investigation, the source of the infant could not be found. No parent ever came forward and the baby was ultimately buried in a small plot in the local cemetery despite an earnest desire from certain persons in the scientific community to have it donated. The woman who discovered the child would later attempt to adopt the child, feeling that the boy deserved to have a family one way or another. Unfortunately, laws dictating such cases do not exist, and despite her efforts she was unable to do so.

This caused a large amount of outrage in the community, and it surprised no one when the tombstone was later placed with the woman's last name, along with the name “John.” No efforts have been made to try and change the grave marker, and to this day many of the children that the woman cared for, full grown adults at this point, will visit the grave with her.

It is unknown how the baby arrived in one of the third story rooms. The front door was locked, and no one had the key to the room save the owner. The window in the room was unlocked, and fingerprints were found on the windowsill and on the glass, though many suppose that this was caused by a previous tenant.

Despite a great amount of effort, the identification of the birth parents could never be determined. This should have been made easier by the specifics of the circumstances that form such a mutation, and yet leads could be followed that ended up with any conclusive results. The only additional piece of evidence to be found was the blanket the baby was found in. Trace skin tissues and hairs were recovered, and recent testing was able to bring a genetic component into the equation. However, the evidence was inconclusive.

Since the discovery of the child, the room upstairs has been host to a large amount of strange activity, most prominently sounds in the night. Some have even claimed to have heard a baby crying. However, most of these reports are merely dismissed as people, aware of the tragedy, who's imaginations get the better of them.