Milana had dreamed for years of owning a small house in the countryside. She spent endless hours searching for the perfect spot—a place near a river, surrounded by forests, immersed in nature’s beauty. Having lived her entire life in what she called the “concrete jungle” of the city, she longed for something different, something peaceful.
She often found herself wondering when she would finally fulfill this dream. Time was passing quickly, and at thirty-five, she felt like she was running out of time to accomplish everything she had planned. She shared her thoughts with Pavel, her boyfriend of two years, though he had yet to propose marriage.
For months, Milana visited nearby villages, hoping to find the right house, but nothing felt quite right. Then, one sunny afternoon, she and Pavel came across a modest yet charming home.
The moment she saw it, she knew. The house was beautiful and in the perfect location, with a river nearby and a forest just a short walk away. However, it had been abandoned for years. Inside, the air was thick with dust and the scent of neglect. Cobwebs clung to the windows, and the sparse furniture consisted of an old sofa, a rocking chair, and a worn-out cabinet.
Milana knew it would require work, but she could already envision the mornings she would spend there—waking up early, opening the windows to let in the fresh air, sipping herbal tea while listening to the birds sing.
Curious about its history, she asked the real estate agent who had lived there before.
“It’s been empty for three years,” Vasily, the agent, explained. “An old man lived here, may he rest in peace. His daughter took a long time to decide whether to sell it.”
Vasily smiled. “Maybe he was waiting for you, the new owner.”
Milana and Pavel spent the next two months renovating. They replaced the windows, redid the floors, and plastered the walls. Only the cellar remained untouched, something they planned to tackle later.
Finally, the day arrived for Milana to move in. She brought all the essentials but decided to split her time between the new house and her city apartment, where she still had work commitments. The apartment, a small one-bedroom space, had been a gift from her parents five years ago. But the house—this house—was entirely hers, something she had earned on her own.
That Friday, Milana decided to stay the night. With her work finished for the week, she wouldn’t need to return to the city until Monday. Pavel reassured her that he would come visit the following evening.
She settled into her cozy chair, book in hand, under the warm glow of a floor lamp. Immersed in her romance novel, she lost track of time until she noticed the moon rising outside. Stretching, she decided to prepare for bed.
Just as she was about to lie down, a sound interrupted her thoughts. It was a bell. At first, she thought she had imagined it. But then it came again, this time from outside.
She peered out the window and saw a young woman in a flowing cream-colored dress. The woman seemed to glide above the ground, holding a bell in her hand.
“What’s wrong?” Milana called out.
But there was no answer, only the continuous ringing.
Darkness deepened outside, and a strange unease settled over Milana. Determined to get to the bottom of it, she grabbed a cardigan and stepped outside. But when she reached the yard, the woman was gone. The only thing left was a white cat meowing loudly in the night, with dogs barking in the distance.
Shaking off the unease, Milana went back inside and lay down. She told herself such things happened in unfamiliar places. But the disturbances didn’t end there.
Just as she was drifting off, a knock came at the window.
Her heart pounded as she jumped out of bed and ran to check. But outside, there was nothing. Everything was still.
“It’s just my imagination,” she murmured, trying to convince herself. “A new house, a new environment… of course, things feel strange.”
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. Morning couldn’t come soon enough.
At four in the morning, she awoke with a jolt. Music was playing from the cellar.
Fear gripped her, but she didn’t dare investigate. Instead, she turned on every light in the house, made herself a cup of coffee, and waited.
She tried to think rationally, but her body was tense, her skin prickling with fear. For two hours, she sat in the kitchen, holding her coffee, convincing herself that daylight would make everything feel normal again.
At six, exhaustion won over, and she dozed off in the chair.
Half an hour later, she woke abruptly, her legs numb from the awkward position. As she stood up, she noticed something strange—the lights were off.
A sudden wave of panic washed over her, and she bolted outside. Near the window, she spotted a dead crow.
“That was the knocking last night,” she whispered.
Heart racing, she wandered around the village, trying to collect her thoughts. But there was no one around. She had nowhere to go.
Then, she heard the creak of a door nearby. A young man stepped out of a neighboring house.
Milana felt a rush of relief and hurried toward him.
“How do I even explain this?” she thought. “If I tell him the truth, he’ll think I’m crazy.”
Instead, she asked, “Did you know the old man who lived at 43 Forest Street?”
“I just moved in. It’s my first night here, and everything feels unfamiliar,” she added, choosing her words carefully.
The young man, Oleg, nodded. “I need to head to the city for work. Do you need a ride?”
“Yes, please,” she said without hesitation.
During the drive, Oleg started talking about the village. Then, almost casually, he asked, “Why did you buy that house? You probably don’t know the whole story.”
Milana’s heart pounded.
“The old man lived alone in his final years, but before that, he was with his wife, Elizaveta. She was… unusual.”
“People say she used to perform love spells for women in the village. There was one case—a woman named Maria. She was young, unmarried, and pregnant. She tried to hide her pregnancy and eventually turned to Elizaveta for help. But after that, no one ever knew what happened to the baby. Maria is still seen at night, walking through the village, ringing a bell, searching for her child.”
Milana’s stomach twisted. The ringing. The strange woman. The eerie music.
She had bought this house, dreaming of happiness. But now, she was terrified to even step inside it.
When she arrived at Pavel’s, he did his best to reassure her. He had a solution.
“If the house has bad energy, then we should tear it down and build a new one,” he said.
“It’ll take an investment,” he admitted. “But I have something for you.”
Milana was caught off guard as he pulled something from his pocket.
“I know this isn’t the best timing,” Pavel said, “but… will you marry me? I’ve wanted to ask you for a long time.”
Milana and Pavel got married. A year later, they started building their new home. Where the old house once stood, they planted a beautiful garden instead.
Sometimes, the worst situations lead to the best outcomes. Letting go, even at a loss, can be the first step toward something far greater.