Old Rambling House :

Old Rambling House by Frank Herbert is a gripping science fiction short story first published in the late 1950s. What begins as a simple house trade spirals into a mind-bending journey for Ted and Martha Graham, a couple looking to settle down. When they exchange their modest trailer for a lavish home offered by a mysterious couple, the Grahams quickly realize they've stepped into a trap far beyond their understanding. Unbeknownst to them, they've been ensnared in an alien agenda orchestrated by the powerful Rojac species. As Ted, a humble tax accountant, becomes entangled in a cosmic struggle over identity, autonomy, and parenthood, the story explores the dark side of domestic dreams and the chilling costs of supposed utopias. With its eerie tension and psychological depth, Old Rambling House delivers classic mid-century speculative fiction at its finest.