“Sandra, remember I told you about the strange girl yesterday? Look, she’s at the window again!” I pointed across the street.
“I remember,” my wife nodded. “Is she looking at you again?”
“Yes. And this keeps getting stranger.”
“Maybe she’s just bored and waving?” Sandra suggested.
“No, it sounds more like she’s calling me.”
“I can imagine the scene: you go to her house and tell her she called you. What would her parents say?” she laughed.
“Maybe I’m just imagining it all,” I muttered, quickly drawing the curtains. But the uneasy feeling inside didn’t go away.
That night I had nightmares: the house where the girl lived, whispering shadows, something threatening. I woke up completely drenched in sweat. In the morning, tired and exhausted, I looked out the window.
And there she was again: the girl was waving at me and silently pulling me toward her.
„That’s probably good,” I told Sandra. „I’ll go talk to her parents. She scares me now. Last night she waved in exactly the same way. What does she want from me?”
I decided not to wait any longer and crossed the street to ring the doorbell.
When the door opened, I almost lost my balance in surprise.
Standing on the threshold was a man in his forties, his face pale and exhausted. He looked at me with tiredness and slight surprise.
„How can I help?” he asked in a weak but polite voice.
„Hi, I’m your neighbor across the street,” I began cautiously. „I’ve noticed a girl often waving at me from your window. I wanted to check that everything was okay.”
The man softened and nodded slowly.
„That’s my daughter, Lili. She…” he sighed. “She’s been trying to get some attention for a long time. Please come in.”
I entered the house. It was quiet and semi-dark inside. The living room was tidy, but the air was heavy, as if the walls themselves were bearing an invisible weight. Through the door, a little girl with twin tails peeked out: the same one who had greeted me.
“Lili, this is our neighbor,” the father said softly. “Bless you.”
The girl stepped forward, impassive:
“Hello,” she whispered, barely audible.
“Hello, Lili,” I replied, squatting down. “I saw you greeting me. Is everything all right?”
She glanced quickly at her father and then at me.
“Dad’s sick,” she said softly. “I didn’t know what to do. I thought if I said hello to someone, maybe someone would come and help me.”
My heart sank.
I looked at the man, who was leaning heavily against the wall. His face was contorted with pain.
„I’m so sorry,” I said softly. „I didn’t know…”
He shook his head.