I moved to a new neighborhood, hoping to make new friends and enjoy the comfort of suburban life. But no one seemed happy to see me.
The residents avoided me, and the neighbors peeked out from behind their fences. One day, I discovered something that sent a chill down my spine. Could this be the true reason for their hostility?
I had just moved into a new house that I rented through an agency in a small suburb. It was a charming little house with well-kept lawns and friendly homes.
„I had hoped for a peaceful and friendly life and imagined the neighbors coming over to say hello and welcoming me to the community. But that didn’t happen.“
From the first day, I noticed the cold shoulders. People didn’t even greet me and avoided eye contact. It was as if I were invisible. I tried not to let it get to me, but it was hard not to feel lonely.
One sunny afternoon, I was watering the flowers in my front yard when I saw a little girl riding down the street. She must have been about seven years old, with braids that bounced as she pedaled.“
Suddenly, she lost control and fell off her bike right in front of my house.
‚Oh no!‘ I shouted and rushed to help her. ‚Are you okay, sweetie?‘
Before I could reach her, a woman—her mother, I assumed—ran over and shouted, ‚Stay away from her!
Startled, I stood still. The mother grabbed the girl, her eyes wide with panic, and held her tightly.
‚Are you hurt, Jenny? Did she touch you?‘ she asked frantically, looking at me as if I were some kind of threat.
‚I just wanted to help,‘ I said softly, with a lump in my throat.
Jules was an odd woman. She always wore long skirts, and her eyes were painted with blue eyeshadow, her lips bright pink. She stared at me with an expression I couldn’t decipher.
‚Good afternoon, Jules,‘ I called, trying to sound cheerful.
She didn’t respond. Instead, she grabbed the leash of her little dog and quickly crossed the street, mumbling to herself.
‘Why is everyone so unfriendly?’ I whispered to myself. ‘Did I do something wrong?’
Back in my house, I sat by the window and looked out at the empty street.
‘Maybe they think I’m weird or something,’ I murmured, trying to make sense of it all. ‘But they don’t even know me.’
I took my journal and began to write.
‘Day three in the new house. The neighbors are still avoiding me. Why are they treating me like this? I just want to belong.’
Humming, I closed the journal and looked around my empty living room. The house felt big and lonely.
I tiptoed into the kitchen, a habit of mine when I’m nervous. I made myself a cup of tea and sat back down by the window, looking for signs of kindness.
‘Maybe tomorrow will be different,’ I said aloud, trying to stay hopeful.
But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
I felt lonely and unwanted and decided to change the situation. I couldn’t just sit around and hope that things would get better on their own. So I decided to throw a party.
‘Maybe they just need the chance to get to know me,’ I thought.
I spent the whole day preparing. I cooked like crazy—salads, sandwiches, cookies, all sorts of things. I even decorated the garden with fairy lights and colorful paper lanterns, hoping to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
As evening fell, I set up a table in the garden and arranged all the dishes neatly. I put on my favorite pink dress and tied a scarf around my wrist while humming a little melody to lift my spirits.
‚This will be great,‘ I told myself, trying to stay positive.
The clock struck six, the time I had mentioned in the invitations I had left in the neighbors‘ mailboxes.
I waited, excitement and nervousness battling inside me. But as the minutes passed, my excitement turned to fear.
An hour went by. Then another. The food remained untouched, the lanterns swayed gently in the evening breeze, and my heart sank. No one came. Not a single person.
Desperate and close to tears, I began to clear the plates.
‘What did I do wrong?’ I whispered to myself.
I turned around and saw Jacob standing at the gate, his usual charming smile on his face. He was wearing tight jeans and a white T-shirt that accentuated his muscles.
I tried to smile back, even though it felt forced. ‘Hi, Jacob. I thought no one would come.’
He walked over to me and took the tray from my hands.
„‘I’m sorry. There’s something you should know.’
We sat down at the table, and Jacob looked me in the eyes.
‘You know, the house you moved into has a certain reputation. The last woman who lived here had nothing but bad luck. Strange things happened, and one day she just disappeared. No one knows what happened to her.’
A chill ran down my spine. ‘Is that why everyone is avoiding me? Because of some old rumors?’“
Jacob nodded. ‘People here are superstitious. Especially Jules. She’s convinced that something is wrong with this place. But I don’t believe in that kind of stuff. I’d love to have dinner with you.’
I smiled, feeling a sense of relief. ‘Thank you, Jacob. I appreciate it.’
During dinner, Jacob asked about my life, and I told him about my move and my hopes for a fresh start. He listened attentively and gave me kind compliments.
Before he left, Jacob leaned in and whispered, ‘Just be careful with Mrs. Jules. She can be a bit strange because of her superstitions.’
I nodded, grateful for the company and the warning. There was more to this neighborhood than I had realized, and I was determined to uncover the truth.
The next day, after dinner with Jacob, I couldn’t shake off the eerie feeling his words had left behind.
‘I need to find out what happened,’ I said to myself as I crept through the house, my thoughts racing.
I decided to explore the attic. Maybe I would find answers there.
I climbed the creaking steps. The attic was dusty and filled with old furniture, boxes, and cobwebs. As I rummaged through the clutter, I discovered an old leather-bound journal.
I sat on a dusty trunk and opened the journal. It belonged to the previous occupant, and as I read, a chill ran down my spine.
The woman had written about strange things that happened as soon as she moved in.
‘Just like me,’ I whispered, feeling a connection to the previous tenant. ‘This can’t be a coincidence.’
Determined to find out more, I began to pay closer attention to my surroundings. I also noticed strange occurrences.
Every night, I heard eerie sounds echoing through the neighborhood.
And every morning, the flowers in my garden were cut down. Additionally, a black cat appeared at my door every day.
Eventually, I decided to keep the cat.
‘At least you’re friendly,’ I said, scratching her behind the ears. I named her Snowball, despite her pitch-black fur.
Snowball quickly became my companion, and her presence brought me some comfort.
However, Jules constantly watched me. She only left her house to walk her dog, but it seemed like she was spying on the neighborhood, especially me.
I often caught her peeking out from behind her fence, tracking my every move.
‘Why is she always watching me?’ I asked aloud. ‘What does she think I’m going to do?’
That day, I decided enough was enough. I needed to know what was really going on. I put on dark clothing and crept into the neighbor’s garden, hiding behind their fence. I waited, my heart pounding in my chest.
That night was dark and still, only the occasional rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard.
‘What am I even doing here?’ I whispered to myself.
Suddenly, a shadow darted through my garden. My breath caught as I watched it move quickly, almost too fast to follow.
Gathering my courage, I stepped out of my hiding place and began to climb over the fence, hoping to catch whoever it was.
Just as I swung my leg over the fence, someone started screaming hysterically.
‘Who’s there? Go away!’
It was Jules. She had seen me.
She turned on all the lights in her garden, flooding the darkness with bright light. Neighbors began to gather, drawn by the noise.
Jules murmured something about me trying to harm her, her voice trembling with fear.
‘What’s going on?’
I heard someone call out as people from the surrounding streets rushed over with flashlights, some even armed with rakes, ready to defend themselves.
Everyone looked at me in shock and suspicion.
‘She’s the one causing all the trouble!’ Jules shouted, pointing at me with a trembling hand. ‘She’s trying to harm us all!’
I felt a wave of humiliation and frustration wash over me.
‘Wait, please!’ I cried, trying to get them to understand. ‘Someone is orchestrating all of this. It’s not what it seems!’
A neighbor stepped forward, a stern expression on his face.
‘You need to leave,’ he said firmly. ‘We can’t have this kind of unrest here.’
‘No, please listen!’ I pleaded. ‘I can prove it. Someone is behind all of this, and it’s not me.’
I pointed to the paint in my garden and said, ‘I spilled paint under my fence earlier. The person who climbed into my garden will have paint on them. That’s how we’ll find out who’s behind this.’
The neighbors looked skeptical but began to examine each other’s clothing. Jules continued to murmur, accusing me of lying and trying to deceive them.
I felt tears welling up in my eyes as the humiliation deepened. Just then, I noticed Jacob arriving, the last one to show up.
Someone shone a flashlight on him, and I gasped. His boots were covered in paint.
‘Jacob?’ a neighbor exclaimed. ‘What’s going on here?’
Jacob’s face went pale as everyone started demanding explanations.
He shook his head and protested, ‘This is ridiculous! I have nothing to do with this. It’s just a coincidence.’
The crowd was not convinced. They began to murmur among themselves, and the tension grew. Finally, one of the neighbors, a stocky man with a rake in his hand, stepped forward.
‘Enough of this nonsense, Jacob,’ he said firmly. ‘Answer like a man or get out of here.’
Jacob’s eyes darted around, realizing he was cornered. He let out a heavy sigh, the fight leaving him.
‘Okay, okay,’ he murmured. ‘It was me. I spread the rumors about the house and its occupants to drive the price down. I wanted to buy it cheap.’
The crowd gasped in shock and disbelief. The truth was finally out. The neighbors, realizing their mistake, turned to me.
‘We’re sorry,’ one of them said. ‘We didn’t know.’
Another neighbor stepped forward and added, ‘We should have listened to you from the beginning.’
‘Thank you,’ I said with a trembling voice. ‘I just wanted to be a part of this community.’
From that day on, everything changed. The neighbors began to support me. I found new friends and started to enjoy living in my home.
Jacob, on the other hand, became a recluse. The shame of his actions isolated him, and he eventually sold his house and moved away.
As I looked around my now welcoming neighborhood, I felt a sense of belonging and peace.
‘Appearances can be deceiving,’ I whispered to myself. ‘Things are not always as they seem.’
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