Lorena's heart pounded as she drove through the familiar streets of Springfield, the town where she had spent so many years of her life.
Now, she lived in Monroe, a bustling city far from the quiet streets of her past. She had been forced to sell the house after a terrible incident, a chapter of her life she wished she could erase.
As Lorena parked her car and stepped out, a wave of nostalgia washed over her. The house looked exactly the same, confirming her suspicion that the new owner hadn't bothered to renovate or change a thing.
"Apparently, the new owner don't renovate it."
She walked slowly up the cracked stone path, her footsteps echoing softly in the quiet afternoon.
Reaching the front door, she pressed the bell once. Nothing. She pressed it twice quickly, hoping to catch someone's attention. Five minutes passed, and still no response. She tried again, her fingers trembling slightly with anticipation and frustration.
"Seem like, there is no one." She murmured to herself, her voice barely above a whisper.
She was waiting even though there was no answer. She had to do it to take back the Crystal that was still left behind.
Lorena sat on the steps in front of the door. She leaned on the pole. She looked at her watch and counted how long she waited. "It's still 12 p.m."
Her mind wandered. Should she wait longer for the owner to return? Or should she come back another day? Maybe she could explore the town a little, visit old haunts, or find a quiet café to gather her thoughts.
But as the minutes dragged on, the warmth of the sun and the exhaustion from her journey began to lull her into a light sleep.
Suddenly, a gentle tap on her shoulder startled her awake. A voice called urgently. "Excuses me Miss, wake up, hey!!!"
Lorena blinked, looking around, but saw no one nearby. The street was empty, the house silent. Her heart skipped a beat. Was it her imagination? Or was someone really there?
Lorena realized her eyes were closed. She woke up and opened her eyes. She saw an old woman standing right in front of her.
She was completely unaware that she had fallen asleep. When she finally opened her eyes, the bright light made her blink several times before she could focus.
She glanced at her watch. It was already 3 o'clock in the afternoon, three hours had slipped away unnoticed.
"Thank you for waking me up. Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep here." Lorena said, a little embarrassed.
That old woman was unfamiliar for her. Lorena's mind began to race with questions. "Did this woman live here? How was that possible? Hadn't the house been sold to someone named Treva Ritshel? Or had the property changed hands again without my knowledge?"
The old woman broke the silence with a direct question. "Is there anything I can help you?"
Lorena hesitated for a moment, then decided to be straightforward. She asked. "Do you live here?"
The woman's tone was curt, almost defensive.
"Yeah… What does matter make you need to come here?" She repeated the question, but with a sharper edge this time, making it clear she wasn't interested in idle conversation.
Lorena sensed the woman's reluctance to engage in small talk and decided to be more open. She carefully phrased her words, feeling it might be disrespectful to demand answers. "I am Lorena the owner of this house before. So, you live here right now. Can you tell me about Treva Ritshel? Where does he live?"
The woman's expression softened slightly, but there was still a guardedness in her eyes. She said quietly. "It's long story. Come in first."
Her priority was thinking about a way to take the crystal. How to explain it to the woman. So she allows her to enter the basement.
"Looks like this is going to be difficult." She muttered while leaning on the couch.
Treva Ritshel who bought his house was his father's friend. They knew him well.
She thought if Treva Ritshel still lived here, she would definitely not hesitate to take Crystal back. Moreover, Treva Ritshel knew for sure her condition and the tragic massacre.
This was really beyond what she expected. If Treva Ritshel occupied his house, she would surely easily pick up the crystal hidden inside her old house.
Not long after Lorena followed the old woman inside, the atmosphere inside the house felt heavy with unspoken stories. The woman disappeared briefly into another room and returned with a steaming cup of coffee.
"Thank you." Lorena said gratefully, wrapping her hands around the warm cup.
"I'm Mariana Austin." The woman introduced herself.
Lorena returned the gesture with a soft smile. "I'm Lorena Christowski."
Mariana settled into a worn armchair opposite Lorena, her eyes studying her carefully. She said, her voice calm but carrying a hint of something deeper. "So you were the original owner of this house before the Treva Ritshel family stayed here."
"Yes, right. But do you know what made Mr. Ritshel move and sell this house?" Lorena replied, taking a slow sip of the coffee. It felt better to start with small talk, to ease into the conversation rather than plunging directly into the reason for her visit.
Mariana's gaze flickered for a moment, as if weighing how much to share. "Before Mr. Ritshel sold this house, they experienced prolonged terror. I don't understand the terror that happened to them at all. Almost every day they saw someone from outside the window. The person was carrying a sword. It scared their child, even though he did nothing at all. Every day, they came to that person. The police also couldn't track down that person at all. Therefore, they sell this house, at a very cheap price. There were many people who wanted to buy this house, but in the end they handed me this house to me."
Lorena did not expect that the tragic events she had endured were only part of a much darker legacy, a curse that seemed to cling to the house itself. Lorena asked cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper. "Then did you experience the same thing?"
Mariana nodded solemnly, her gaze distant as if recalling painful memories. "Before they handed over this house, they had told all the previous events that had happened. It is about a massacre and the terror they experienced. At first a similar terror happened to me, but an unknown woman came. I don't know what she did and made that person not appear again."
Lorena swallowed hard, the weight of the house's history settling over her like a thick fog. "Apparently, this house has really been cursed. Then do you know the woman who has helped you?"
From all of Mariana's explanations, there was one point that interesting for Lorena. Especially, the woman who helped Mariana. She really wanted to know who the woman was. Unfortunately, her identity was very mysterious. Mariana even did not know her name at all.
"I don't know who she is. She only came twice. She just disappeared along with the terror in this house. I once asked his name, but she just kept quiet. That's why I never brought it up." Mariana said softly, her eyes distant as she recalled the mysterious visitor.
Lorena listened intently, her curiosity about the woman growing stronger with every word. The idea of a silent guardian, appearing only when needed, fascinated her. Even though the woman had vanished.
Lorena hoped that one day she might meet her in person. When that moment came, she knew she would be deeply grateful for the mysterious figure who had lifted the curse from her old home.
"Now this house is safe. Are you going to take this house back?" Mariana's voice broke through her thoughts.
Lorena smiled gently, realizing Mariana assumed she had come to reclaim the house. She decided to clarify her true purpose, though she chose not to mention the crystal she had come for. "No, I just want to visit Mr. Ritshel. He's my father's friend. Our family also knows each other well."
Mariana chuckled, the tension in her shoulders easing. She admitted with a relieved smile. "I thought you would throw me out."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to take this house. After all, I have a new place to live." Lorena reassured her.
"Where do you live?" Mariana asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Monroe." Lorena replied.
"Monroe!!! Soon it will be night, how about you spend the night here?" Mariana exclaimed, glancing toward the window where the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky.
Lorena did not expect that Mariana offered her to spend the night. It was a good opportunity. She said sincerely. "Thank you."
"I'll prepare the room for you and dinner." Mariana she said, then turned and left the room, leaving Lorena alone with her thoughts. she stood up from her seat, a newfound warmth in her demeanor.
All Lorena had to do now was just relax. Then, she had to find an opportunity to enter the basement.
This was no longer her house. It was not polite to go straight to the basement just like that. Even though she once lived.