Despite feeling foolish and na?ve, she tricked herself into making excuses for him. Maybe he was too busy studying for school. Perhaps he was out of town. Maybe he had a demanding job.


    Though he was probably going to think that she was desperate, she decided to leave another note.


    On the third day, Arianna went back to the property, expecting it to be empty once more. Even if he was home and they did meet again, she didn’t know what exactly she was looking to get from him.


    She knew one-night stands were typical and were even considered normal nowadays, but she still felt she was acting in confusion and impulsiveness. Looking back on the memory now, Arianna knew she wanted closure then.


    But when she got to the house for the third time, it was all different.


    Many flowers and bushes surrounded the house as if grown overnight, and the grass was freshly cut. The tree where she tied the string to dry the bedsheet had disappeared.


    The door to the small cottage was left open. Arianna quietly stepped inside. There were heavy curtains on the windows, and the sound of the radio filled the house.


    Arianna thought the home was beyond recognition. How could everything change so quickly?


    Arianna dully stood in the doorway until someone emerged from one of the rooms. It was a strong man dressed in shorts and a T-shirt.


    He asked, “Can I help you?”


    It was not Travis which made her heart drop. She replied with mncholy, “What happened to the yard?”


    The man was surprised, “Have you been here before? The house has been vacant for a while.”


    “Who owns this house?”


    There was a pause.


    “Who are you?” The man asked cautiously.


    Arianna paused again.All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    “Why was the tree cut?”


    “It’s not a good sign to nt a locust tree in the yard of a house.” The man scrunched his eyebrows. He scanned her from head to toe, “Do you want toe in and see the renovation?”


    He stepped sideways to create a path for her to enter the house. Arianna shivered; she did not feel safe.


    She quickly turned around and headed down the path to leave. This was not what she expected at all.


    Once she reached the road, she spotted an old woman across the street with white hair and deep wrinkles on her face. She sat in the shade of a big por tree and was holding a ck cat. Arianna could see herrge house through the trees behind her.


    She was out of breath from running down the path, and the hot sun was stinging her eyes. The olddy called out to her sweetly, “Little girl, the sun is scorching. Come sit here in the shade.”


    After crossing the street, Arianna saw thedy pull a mat out from behind her back and ce it next to her.


    Arianna thanked her but shifted the mat further away from the woman and her cat.


    Thedy didn’t seem to care. She continued to stroke her cat absentmindedly while admiring the trees. Without looking at her, she asked, “I’ve seen you walk down that path every day since the rain has stopped. Did you find who you are looking for?”


    Arianna’s eyes jumped wide open.


    “This is not the right ce for a girl like you. You should go back to your home and study.” The woman rested her gaze on Arianna.


    “Why is it bad to have a locust tree in the yard?” Asked Arianna.


    “The tree is too big… too thick and dark like a huge ck umbre. It overpowers the yard. Especially in that house; no one has lived there in ages. It could really feel like a haunted house.”


    “Who is the owner of the house?” Arianna’s voice trembled a little.


    “The owner diedst year.”


    Arianna leaned in towards the old woman. She continued, “Now that was a beautifuldy, even beautiful when she was dead. They found her in the yard, looking like she was asleep. Her whole body was covered with white locust flowers.”


    “It was a woman?” Arianna asked confusedly.


    “Of course, it was a woman. Everyone who lives in this area is a woman.” The olddy smiled.


    “Who’s the man working on the house right now, then?”


    “I’m not sure, dear. After the woman died, the property had been unused. Sometimes, you’d hear a bit of noise, but we all just suspect it’s haunted.”


    Arianna was beginning to feel ufortable. She stood up and handed the mat back to the woman, “Thank you. I should go now.”


    Though it was the hottest time of the day and the sun was glistening, Arianna was ice cold.


    Suddenly, the cat jumped out of the woman’s hands and fled. He brushed the corner of Arianna’s ankle on his way, and she screamed.


    The olddyughed before asking in a serious tone, “So if you didn’t know the woman, who were you waiting for?”


    “I… I think I’ve been going to the wrong address.”


    “You look like that woman, a little bit.” Arianna’s body froze.


    “You don’t look like her up close, but at first nce, you do.” She continued, “I was startled when I first saw you. You had a white dress on, and your hair was in a ponytail. You looked like her when she was younger. I thought I saw a ghost then.”


    “The woman wasn’t old when she died?”


    “Not old, and her looks made her look even younger. But she was probably old enough to be your mother.”


    The more the woman talked, the more relieved Arianna began to feel. She spoke in disorder but was serious and authoritative despite her stories beingpletely unbelievable.


    It was probably hard for her to find someone to talk to, and she was likely lonely in her big house. Arianna stayed with the woman out of courtesy. She entertained herself by guessing if the story was true or false, though she did not say it aloud.


    But she discovered that the old woman once had a son. He was a beautiful boy who died in an ident in his teens. The woman said it made her lose her mind.