‘How horror movies start’: Homeowner’s eerie discovery behind bedroom bookshelves

Zara Braley lived in her home for over a year before she noticed something unusual about two book shelves in her bedroom.

The shelves had been left by the previous owner. To Braley, they appeared to be an ordinary floor to ceiling storage solution for beloved novels and trinkets in her old home in Maine.

Yet, in a recent TikTok video, the US homeowner revealed all wasn’t as it seemed.

“I bought this house last year, the shelving was left and I never moved it because it goes all the way to the ceiling,” Braley shared in the video.

“And last night it was discovered that there is in fact, not just a wall but there is a hidden door behind the shelving. It’s all taped up.”

As she panned the camera behind the shelving, the glean from the tape caught by the room’s light came into view.

“So the question is, do I crack it open?” she shared.

“What if there’s squirrels or something?” 

After a brief moment of pause, Braley leans into the moment.

“But also, what if there’s treasure?” she quipped.

 Braley called her brother to investigate.

“Shoutout to my brother who came over with a head lamp and sense of adventure to find out what was behind the door in my bedroom,” she shared.

“Perks of having an old house you never know what you’ll find on a random Tuesday night.”

As Braley watched on patiently, her brother can be heard pulling at the tape and peering in.

“What?” she can be heard asking him.

“There’s another door,” her brother replied.

The siblings share a moment of nervous laughter before exploring further.

After jimming the door handle, it’s clear the door is locked. It doesn’t deter them.

“What? Oh my god it is a stairwell,” Braley said, after stepping through the doorway.

The stairs in front of them are steep. They soon hit a covering. It squeaked on opening.

“Oh, cobwebs,” Braley said as she took another step.

Braley and her brother step up into a large, empty attic-style space.

The video, which has been viewed almost 14 million times, amassed scores of comments.

“I think it’s hilarious that your biggest concern was squirrels,” one person wrote.

“You’re thinking squirrels, I’m thinking skeletons,” a second person wrote.

“This is how horror movies start,” a third person wrote.

Meanwhile, other social media users questioned if the discovery was purpose built.

“This is like a whole disappointment room. I bought an older house years ago with this converted attic that was finished off,” one person wrote. 

“Found the original blue prints in a little crawl space off of the finish attic and learned that it was 100 per cent not supposed to be an open part of the house. It was probably a “disappointment room” that was turned into a bonus room for selling purposes.”

The term reportedly refers to a purpose built room, usually in wealthy or high profile families. The room was used by families to hide away relatives who lived with disabilities. 

Braley is not the first to uncover an unusual area in their home.

Last month, a family discovered a hidden room in the staircase of their California home.

In May, a Melbourne couple discovered an off the plan doorway in their new home.

The doorway was secreted away in one of the cupboards.