We think it was a pigeon. I found a couple more up there and I'm pretty sure I can see beaks and wings. I'm fairly certain they're real. No one has been into the attic for years, and, well, I saw them myself and they looked fucking real.

That being said, I did wonder about the smell, because there wasn't one. I know exactly what decomposing flesh smells like, it's a pretty damn strong, unmistakeable scent, and it's also a scent I'd never like to have to smell again. And I definitely didn't smell it when I went up into the attic. But it does look like decomposition took place quite a while ago, so I can only assume that's why there's no smell. I dunno though, I'm not an expert in the field.

Oh, also, there's no feathers. They take a rather long time to decompose, so that could be an indication of just how long they've been up there for?

Either way, I'm not going up there anytime soon(/probably ever again) to investigate further.