Prologue
Start writing here…Once upon a time, I grew tired of city life-the hustle and bustle, the constant rush, the factories, and the destruction of nature around me. Recently, I had the opportunity to move into a small family house I inherited from my great-grandparents. This house comes with a huge plot of land, full of trees and bushes, and for fun, it even ends with a field.The house was filled with old furniture, pictures, and farm equipment like chains, plowshares, pigsties, barns, scythes, and other related items. This already gave it a certain atmosphere, especially considering that this building survived World War II, as my great-grandmother often told me. Unfortunately, my great-grandfather passed away shortly after being released from captivity. Ironically, the headstone somehow made its way back from the cemetery, and I still stand puzzled before it.I found a home in a distant, small settlement with barely 600 residents in an aging little village, which is relatively quiet and peaceful. Everyone, as is proper, minds their own business and lives their daily lives. At least, that’s what I thought at first.Since I was interested in the history of the settlement, I started reading and asking the elderly residents about it. I heard many variations about the history of the settlement and my property, such as whether my ancestors built this small house or if there was an older one here that we didn’t know about. Some even said that there was a big battle on this estate towards the end of World War II, and allegedly, a few German soldiers met their end here and were buried on the property.It’s a nice story, but it doesn’t affect me much, as I’ve watched quite a few horror movies on my own initiative. I’ve heard all sorts of things about the past and read about them too. For example, during the plague, the entire population of this small village lost their lives-another heartwarming story, right? But modern people don’t really care about these things anymore, as we no longer believe in superstitions or curses. The past stays in the past, or so I thought.But let’s get back to the original topic. Imagine what it’s like when someone first takes possession of their new home. Naturally, they are full of hope, joy, and plans. I must admit, I didn’t make the decision to move here completely blindly, as I somewhat knew the house from my memories. Since childhood, I occasionally came down here. I never had time to properly look around, so it was time to actually inspect the property with a farmer’s eye: trees, bushes, areas suitable for cultivation, and plots of land. So far, so good.What I need to get used to is that what is a typical rural backyard in daylight shows a completely different face after nightfall. I’m not thinking of anything other than the hooting of owls, the noises of animals, the sharp whistling of the wind through the trees, which flows down from the field. The night work that drags on until morning thanks to the machinery. At first, it sounded exactly like the UFO landings from the 70s and 80s. It was quite funny, but you can get used to it over time.If we add what is quite clichéd and almost a rule, it’s when corn or barley is grown as far as the eye can see. And of course, the wind blows it, naturally creaking and rustling in the wind. Well, that has its own kind of charm too. Since I’m not much of an adventurer, rather a safety player (plus because of the many horror movies), I admit the latest time I went up was at dusk, but I never waited for the night to fall completely.You should know that the wildlife is also varied in the countryside at this time. Deer, hawks, pheasants, wild boars, and big dogs. But I wouldn’t swear that I don’t hear the howling of wolves or golden jackals at night.Let’s add that even in twilight, it’s difficult to get down to the house because there are many small holes scattered in the ground, and the old pruned trees take on quite eerie, sometimes even otherworldly shapes in the moonlight. But that’s nature, flora, and fauna. After all, that’s why I moved here. But let’s note that it requires a lot of work to put everything in order. So we were out on the propety and inside the house, but to close the Circle, there is of course an attic and a cellar as a typical of garden houses. What do you think, based on what I’ve told you, would you accept it? And that’s just the beginning
