Milana had long wanted to buy a small house in the countryside. She searched extensively for the perfect place, one near a river, surrounded by forests, and blessed with magnificent nature. Mila had spent her entire life in what she called the «concrete jungles» of her city.
«When will I fulfill my dream?» she thought to herself.
«Time flies so fast. I’m already 35 years old, and yet I can’t seem to accomplish what I’ve planned,» she told Pavel.
Milana had been dating Pavel for two years, but he had yet to propose marriage.
Mila spent two months visiting nearby villages in search of the house. However, she couldn’t find the one that truly appealed to her.
On one sunny day, she and Pavel went to see a very modest, cozy house.
«There it is! I found it! How charming it is.»
The house was indeed very beautiful and perfectly located. A river nearby, a forest not too far away. But it had been uninhabited for a long time. The inside smelled musty, and the windows were covered in cobwebs. There was little furniture: an old sofa, a rocking chair, and a cabinet.
Mila knew that the house would need some renovation.
«Who lived here before?» Milana asked the real estate agent.
«Oh, this house has been ownerless for three years. An old man lived here! May his soul rest in peace. His daughter was undecided for a long time about whether to sell it.»
«He was probably waiting for you. His new owner,» said the real estate agent Vasily with a smile.
Milana could already imagine how she would open the window early in the morning, pour herself some herbal tea, and enjoy the bird songs in this heavenly corner.
Milana and Pavel spent two months renovating the house. They replaced the windows, floors, and plastered the walls. Only the cellar needed repairs, but they decided to do that later.
And then came the long-awaited moment of moving in.
Milana moved all the necessary things. She decided to live in two houses for a while as she needed to complete a project at work. In the city, Mila had a small one-bedroom apartment, bought by her parents five years ago.
But buying this house was her pride. After all, she had earned it herself.
On Friday evening, Mila decided to spend the night at the house. She had finished all her work. Now, she only needed to be in the city on Monday. Milana worked as a designer at a large firm.
Pavel supported her and said he would definitely come to her tomorrow evening.
Mila arrived at the house. She comfortably settled into her soft, cozy chair, grabbed her favorite book, turned on the floor lamp, and immersed herself in a romance novel. Before she knew it, the moon had appeared outside. Mila stretched and went to make the bed.
She thought about her book’s characters, but her thoughts were interrupted by a bell. At first, Mila thought she had imagined it. The sounds came from the street.
Milana looked out the window and saw the figure of a young woman in a flowing cream dress. She seemed to float above the ground, holding a bell in her hand.
«What happened?» she called out to the girl, but heard the same ringing in response. The situation became increasingly unsettling.
It was getting darker outside. Milana’s thoughts were a whirl of guesses.
«I’ll go out now, and everything will fall into place,» thought Mila.
She threw on a cardigan and hurried to the mysterious stranger. But once outside, she saw no one. Only a white cat meowed loudly, and dogs barked in the distance.
Mila returned home and went to bed. «Yes,» she thought, «such things happen.»
But the oddities didn’t end there. Just as Mila was almost asleep, she heard a knock on the window.
Mila startled but quickly ran to the window. To her surprise, no one was there. It was quiet and peaceful.
«Alright,» Mila said to herself. «It must have just been my imagination. I was practically asleep.»
«I’m in a new house. And, of course, everything is unfamiliar,» Milana reassured herself.
«I can’t wait for morning,» she murmured and dozed off from exhaustion.
At four in the morning, Mila jumped out of bed. She heard music playing in the cellar. It was terrifying.
Milana decided not to go back to sleep. She turned on all the lights. She comfortably settled in the kitchen, poured herself a mug of hot coffee, and waited for morning.
Mila tried to analyze the situation. But she was afraid to look into the cellar. It seemed her hair was standing on end. But she heard no more sounds or music.
Mila sat in the kitchen for two hours, sipping coffee in silence, reassuring herself that morning was near. At six in the morning, she couldn’t stand it anymore and decided to rest in the chair without turning off the lights.
Half an hour later, she woke up. Her legs were numb from the awkward position. And when Mila realized the lights were out, she ran out into the yard in a panic. Near the window, Mila noticed a dead crow.
«That was the knocking last night,» Mila said.
She ran around the village until she calmed down and realized there was still no one outside and she had nowhere to go. Suddenly, Milana heard the creaking of a door at the house she was staying at. It was a young man.
Mila was relieved and quickly approached the young man. She didn’t know how to start the conversation or what to ask.
«If I tell the truth, they’ll think I’m crazy,» she thought.
«Young man, did you know the old man who lived at 43 Forest Street?»
«I’m just staying in this house now. It’s my first night, and it feels so unfamiliar and a bit uneasy.»
«Yes, I see you’re shivering. How can I help you? I need to go to the city for work now. But if you need help?»
«You’re going to the city? Can I come with you?» Mila asked.
«Of course, get in. I’ll give you a ride.»
Mila got into the car with Oleg, the young man. She decided to go to Pavel’s since the keys to her city apartment were left in the house.
Oleg started talking about the village and suddenly asked.
«Why did you decide to buy this house? Though, of course, you don’t know the whole truth.»
Mila’s heart pounded harder and harder.
«The old man only lived alone the last year. But in general, he and his wife Elizaveta lived there for many years. She was a bit odd.»
«People say that in this house, Elizaveta used to cast love spells for women. And I don’t know if it’s true, but there was one case. A young woman, Maria, became pregnant and hid her unwanted pregnancy for a long time. She turned to Elizaveta Fedorovna for help.»
«Afterward, no one knows what happened to her unborn child. And Maria is often seen at night with a bell. She walks through the village, searching for her child.»
«There have always been many oddities with this house. Sometimes music and sounds can be heard from there.»
Milana was very disappointed. She didn’t know what to think.
She bought a house and wanted a happy life there. But now, Mila was afraid even to enter it.
Milana arrived at Pavel’s. He, of course, tried to calm her down. And he offered one option. Since the house had bad energy, it needed to be demolished and a new one built.
«Yes, it requires investment,» he said.
«But I have something for you. I know this might not be the best time.»
«Will you marry me? I’ve wanted to propose to you for a long time.»
Milana and Pavel got married. And a year later, they began building their home. And on the site of the old one, they planted a beautiful flower garden.
In life, even the most unpleasant situations can be corrected. Sometimes losing money is the most optimal way to elevate life to a new level.
