(Moving to the Mysterious Neighborhood)
The night was calm, and the sky drizzled with light rain, the sound of it tapping on the empty streets. Lily stood in front of her new house, gazing at the neighborhood, which appeared ordinary at first glance but carried a strange feeling that was hard to explain. The streets were wide, the houses were close but not crowded, and the faint lights cast a soft, serene glow that hid many things behind it.
"This seems good, doesn't it?" her mother said with a smile, holding the apartment keys.
"Maybe... but it's eerily quiet," Lily replied, looking at the closed windows of the neighboring houses. She felt like she was being watched, but there was no one around.
When her mother opened the door and they entered, the house seemed perfectly ordinary. The walls were painted a warm color, the furniture was simple but in good condition. The house was cozy, especially considering the low rent. For two people going through a financial struggle, this place seemed ideal.
"It's good enough to start over" her mother said firmly, then began unpacking the bags.
But Lily couldn't shake off the strange feeling. The whole neighborhood seemed to hide a secret, and the building, despite its simple beauty, gave off an unsettling vibe. There was no obvious reason why the rent was so low, especially considering the size of the house and its good location.
---
In the following days, Lily began noticing small details that raised suspicion. The neighbors were oddly friendly or appeared indifferent. Some gave her short but curious glances, while others avoided speaking to her altogether. Once, she met a neighbor at the entrance, but he quickly left without even saying hello.
At the university, she tried to focus on her studies and forget the unsettling atmosphere, but it wasn’t easy.
---
One day, while in the university library, a young man approached her. He had attractive features, but a strange aura surrounded him. His dark hair was neatly arranged, and his eyes appeared calm but held something difficult to explain.
"Hi, can I borrow your pen?" he asked in a quiet voice, looking at her.
Lily glanced at him, then handed him the pen.
"Thanks" he replied with a slight smile, sitting on the chair across from her without asking permission.
His presence felt odd. He wasn’t intrusive, but he made her uneasy. Lily, naturally cautious, noticed how he observed her movements without it being obvious.
"I'm Ethan. I think we live in the same neighborhood" he suddenly said, interrupting the heavy silence.
"Oh, really?" she answered briefly, trying to suppress her anxiety.
"Yes, in the house next door," he said in a calm tone, but with something strange about it.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked, trying to break his mystery: "How did you know that?"
He slowly raised his eyes to hers before answering with a faint smile: "I saw you yesterday. You were with your mother, carrying bags in front of the house."
A slight chill ran through her body. His words weren’t strange, but they carried an unsettling feeling. His smile was too calm, and his eyes were watching her as if she were under a microscope.
"Ah, right. I must not have noticed you" she said casually, though she felt an urge to end the conversation quickly.
---
---
As the days went by, Lily began to see Ethan more frequently, as if encountering him had become a part of her daily routine. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence, but she started to notice that he always appeared at the moments when she was alone. In the library, he would pass by her table, exchange a few words, and then disappear without explanation. At the nearby café, he would sit in a distant corner, but his eyes never left her. Even while walking home, he would appear suddenly, as if waiting for her at the street corner.
It wasn’t so much frightening as it was strange. Lily felt as though his constant presence surrounded her with an aura of mystery that was hard to ignore.
---
One day, as she was walking home after a long lecture, she heard footsteps behind her. She didn’t turn immediately, but she felt a sense of anticipation, as though someone was intentionally matching her pace. She suddenly stopped, and the footsteps stopped with her.
She turned to see Ethan standing a few meters away, smiling lightly as if everything was completely normal.
“Good evening,” he said in a calm voice.
“Good evening... What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone a mixture of surprise and suspicion.
“I was on my way home, and I happened to see you. I thought I’d walk with you, if you don’t mind.”
She hesitated for a moment, but then nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
The atmosphere seemed relaxed on the surface, but Lily couldn’t ignore the feeling that there was something strange in the way he spoke or even in his presence. He was friendly, but there was an underlying mystery that kept her on edge.
---
As they approached the neighborhood, Lily suddenly stopped in front of a small shop at the street corner. The shop was closed, its windows covered with thick curtains, but it had intrigued her since the first day she arrived. The place looked abandoned, despite its prime location in the heart of the neighborhood.
“Do you know anything about this shop?” she asked Ethan, pointing to the darkened storefront.
Ethan paused and looked at the shop thoughtfully, as if recalling something from his memory. Then he turned to her with a faint smile and said, "I’ve heard it used to be a grocery store, but it’s been closed for a long time."
"Why? Did something happen here?" she asked, trying to uncover any clue about this strange neighborhood.
His tone shifted slightly, becoming more serious as he replied, "The stories vary... some say the owner left suddenly, others say he had an accident. No one knows the real story, and people here don’t like talking much about the past."
"Strange... the place seems too ordinary to have such eerie stories behind it" Lily said, but she felt something odd.
[Continues...]
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