After that day, the house was never the same. Lidia could not sleep at night. She would get out of bed, walk to the window, and look at the yard bathed in moonlight. The old well, covered with dirt and stones, now seemed like a dark eye staring back at her.
One night, around three, a faint metallic noise startled her. She slowly descended the stairs, holding the flashlight from her phone. Ionuț was standing in the middle of the living room, holding a small toy shovel.
— What are you doing, little one? — she asked in a hushed voice.
— She is calling me, mommy. She says her hands hurt… and that it’s cold down there.
Lidia’s heart tightened. She picked him up and took him back to bed, but she couldn’t close an eye until morning.
The next day, without saying anything to Daniel, she went to the town hall. She requested the old plans of the house. An old man, who had worked there for decades, raised an eyebrow.
— There used to be a homestead on that land. A woman disappeared from there, but nothing was found. Her husband moved away right after.
Lidia felt the ground slipping from under her feet.
In the evening, she watched Daniel as he drank beer in front of the television. A question was on her lips, but she didn’t have the courage to voice it.
A few days later, a heavy smell of wet earth began to waft from the yard. The dog barked incessantly at the spot where the well had been. Daniel said it was just a dead rat. But Lidia no longer believed him.
One morning, while he was at work, she called a neighbor with a small excavator. Under the layer of dirt, less than two meters down, they found a piece of blue fabric. Lidia felt like she was collapsing.
The police arrived immediately. When Daniel returned home and saw the cars parked out front, he tried to run away, but it was too late.
DNA tests confirmed everything. The woman found there had been his wife, Elena, who had disappeared without a trace years ago.
Ionuț was taken to a protection center, but Lidia continued to visit him every week.
One day, the boy drew a woman with black hair and a blue dress, standing next to a well, and beside her — a large red heart.
— Who is she? — Lidia asked.
— It’s mama Elena, but now she’s smiling. She said she’s free.
Lidia felt tears streaming down her cheeks. She knelt beside him and held him close.
For the first time, the house was quiet. The well was filled in forever, and in its place, they planted a cherry tree. The following spring, when the white flowers opened in the sunlight, Lidia felt that the woman’s soul had finally found peace.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not assume responsibility for the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed belong to the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
