The road stretched endlessly under the warm sunlight as the car cruised through it. Inside, the atmosphere was light — music playing, laughter echoing. Laura was lost in her world of headphones, bobbing to the rhythm of her songs. Smith, relaxed, had his hand on the wheel, nodding slightly to a tune on the radio. Jack, meanwhile, had pulled out his sketchbook, already sketching furiously as if trying to capture a world only he could see.
Soon, silence took over. Laura drifted off with her music still playing. Julie leaned into the window, eyes closed. Jack, though still sketching, was slowly dozing off between strokes.
Suddenly, the car rolled to a stop.
They had reached the familiar fuel pump — the same one they visited during their last trip. Smith got out to refill the tank. Jack looked out through the window, remembering the encounter he'd had here before with the mysterious stranger. But now, the place was deserted.
Jack opened the door slightly, his eyes scanning the area. No sign of the man. Disappointed, he stayed inside.
"Dad, please buy something. I'm feeling hungry," Laura called from the back seat.
"Your mother packed all the snacks. Wake her up," Smith replied, grabbing the pump handle. "Let's eat those."
Laura leaned toward her mother. "Mom, wake up… where are the snacks? Jack's hungry too."
Julie stirred awake. "Okay, okay... Where are we now?"
"At the fuel pump," Laura answered.
Smith got back into the car. "So, you've awakened from sweet dreams. We'll have snacks at a proper spot, okay, Jack?"
Jack, still sketching, nodded silently.
"What are you drawing?" Laura asked, trying to peek.
He quickly closed his sketchbook.
"Alright, don't show then," she muttered, settling back.
A few miles later, Smith spotted a park.
"This looks like a nice place," he said. "Let's take a break, have snacks, stretch a little."
He parked beside the greenery and stepped out to buy some cold drinks. Jack instantly followed.
"Dad, wait—I'm coming too!"
Meanwhile, Laura and Julie opened the snack bag and moved to a nearby bench. As Jack returned with drinks in hand, something caught his eye — a man was seated on a far bench, smiling softly. It was the stranger.
Jack's eyes lit up. Smiling back, he ran toward him. He grabbed an extra packet of snacks and a drink, offering them.
"I was looking for you at the fuel pump, but you weren't there. Where did you go?" Jack asked innocently.
The stranger just smiled, as if in apology, and patted Jack gently on the head. As he stood up, his gaze shifted toward Laura.
"She's my sister," Jack said protectively.
The stranger looked at Laura, then back at Jack, and simply waved goodbye.
Suddenly, he was gone.
Jack blinked. The bench was empty.
He ran back.
"Whom were you talking to?" Laura asked, frowning. "What were you doing?"
"I was talking to that man. He's a good person," Jack replied earnestly.
"There was no one there! You were talking to yourself," Laura snapped.
Julie, listening quietly, chose not to interrupt.
"Enough, Jack. Go call your father, or we'll be late," Laura said and sent him off.
As she turned back toward the bench where Jack had been, something shimmered. Curious, Julie walked over. On the wooden slats, a delicate feather lay — silvery, almost glowing faintly — and the air around it carried a sweet, ethereal fragrance.
Julie stared at it for a long moment before picking it up and returning silently to the others.
Back on the bench, Laura unwrapped a chocolate and popped it into her mouth. Suddenly — thud! — a crow, wounded and flailing, crashed onto the bench beside her.
Laura screamed.
Julie dropped the snacks and ran. Smith and Jack came rushing too.
Laura was sobbing uncontrollably. The crow, bleeding and shaking, writhed beside her.
Smith, alarmed, grabbed a stick from the ground and moved the bird away carefully. He pulled Laura into his arms, trying to calm her. After a while, she quieted, though the tremor in her breath remained.
They left the snacks untouched. Only the drinks were taken back into the car.
Julie remained pensive. Something about the encounter didn't feel random. But she said nothing.
As the car rolled back onto the road, Laura leaned against the window and fell asleep from exhaustion. Jack, still glancing at her, eventually dozed off too.
Julie noticed Jack's sketchbook left on the seat. She opened it gently.
Each page was filled with hauntingly beautiful drawings — animals, winged creatures, flowing forests. But one page stopped her heart.
It was him — the stranger. Jack had drawn him in detail, wearing a coat, opening majestic wings, a radiant, almost angelic face smiling gently. But behind him... in the corner of the page, a dark shadow loomed — tall, twisted, watching.
Julie blinked. Was it really there?
She wiped her eyes and looked again. The shadow was gone.
"I'm just tired… It's been a bad day," she whispered to herself.
"No, don't believe in such things. You're exhausted. Take a nap," Smith said softly, glancing at her. "We're almost an hour away."
Julie leaned back and closed her eyes.
As the town entrance approached, Smith slowed down. The packers stood waiting.
"Sorry, there was a small accident on the way. That's why we're late," he explained.
"Is everything alright, sir?" asked one of the men — the same man who had warned Smith before.
"Yes, everything's fine. No need to worry."
"Where's the house, sir? We're short on time."
"Follow me," Smith said and drove ahead.
Julie stirred as they neared the town. "Are we here?"
"Not at the house yet," replied Smith.
They passed the school.
"This is the school," he pointed.
"It looks good," said Julie, impressed.
Finally, they arrived at the house.
"This looks good," said Laura.
"Ah, finally," Smith sighed, stepping out and opening the trunk.
The air here was fresh, calm, but Julie still felt uneasy — as if something hidden was waiting.
Just then, a couple passed by. The woman, in a pale green dress, paused. "Hi, my name is Elira. Are you shifting here?"
Julie smiled. "Yes, we are. This is our new home."
Elira and her husband exchanged a glance.
"Maybe no one told them…" whispered the man.
Elira stepped closer, gently guiding Julie toward a corner of the yard. She looked around to make sure no one was listening.
"Do you really not know about this house?"
Julie smiled faintly. "I've heard about the stories — creatures, shape-shifters... I don't really believe in all that."
Elira's face turned serious. "They're not just stories. And this house… something happened here."
Just then, Smith approached. "Making new friends already?" he said cheerfully. "Julie, meet Elira. Elira, this is my husband, Smith."
They exchanged greetings.
Elira's husband stepped forward. "I'm Williams."
Smith shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. Where do you live?"
"Just three houses down," Williams replied.
"That's great! Tomorrow, we're hosting a welcome party. Come over — let's get to know each other," said Smith.
Elira and Williams smiled strangely. "Sure… we'd love to."
Just then, Jack came running. "Hi, everybody!"
Elira knelt beside him, gently taking his hand. She looked into his eyes for a long, silent moment… then moved slightly, inspecting his neck.
She smiled at Williams.
They exchanged a few words in a language no one else could understand.
Then Elira said, "I think it's time for us to leave. Would you mind if we speak with Julie alone for a moment?"
Laura walked over, earphones still in.
"What are you guys doing? I've been waiting!"
She noticed the couple.
"Hello," she greeted.
Elira looked at her and smiled sweetly. "What's your age, dear?"
"I'm thirteen," Laura replied.
Elira's eyes lingered on her longer than necessary.
Julie suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
Something was beginning.
And it wasn't just the move.
This time, the woman looked at her husband once more, her expression suddenly shifting to something unreadable. Without another word, she grasped Julie's hand firmly and said, "Come with me for a moment," and before Julie could respond, the woman gently but swiftly led her away toward her own home—four houses down from theirs.
Julie looked over her shoulder at Smith with a puzzled expression. "What's going on? What's wrong with her?" Smith asked, concern beginning to cloud his face.
Williams stepped in quickly. "Don't worry about them. Come, let's get things inside. I'll help you out." He smiled politely, though there was something unreadable in his eyes.
Smith nodded hesitantly, and together with Williams and Jack, they began carrying the luggage inside.
As Laura stepped into the house, her eyes instinctively scanned the row of houses opposite them. For a moment, she caught a quick glimpse of someone standing behind a curtain, watching them. The silhouette froze as she looked back—and then swiftly pulled the curtain shut. Laura frowned.
Just then, the moving crew finished unloading the final boxes. One of the men—the same one who had warned Smith at the outskirts of town—turned slightly, glanced at Williams, and subtly gestured something with his head. It was a short, sharp nod, followed by a slight tilt toward the house.
Laura noticed it. "What is he saying?" she asked, eyes still following the man's movement.
Williams smiled faintly, too quickly. "Nothing, dear… just giving a signal that the job's done."
But Laura wasn't convinced. Something about the exchange felt off. The man who gave the nod didn't smile. In fact, he walked away without even glancing back again.
As Smith closed the car's trunk, he wiped his forehead and looked around. "Well, looks like everything is finally done." Jack stood near him, still clutching his drawing book tightly.
From the corner of the porch, Laura spoke up again. "Dad, someone was watching us from that house… right across the street. They closed the curtain when I looked."
Smith glanced toward the window. It was still now. No movement. "Maybe they were just curious. We are the new neighbors after all," he replied, trying to sound light-hearted.
Laura didn't answer. She just stood there, staring at the window a little longer before walking inside.
Inside the House
The house had a strange stillness. It was clean, surprisingly fresh for a place that had stood unoccupied for a while, but it lacked warmth. Julie returned a few minutes later, her expression a little distant, lips slightly parted like she wanted to say something but didn't. She simply walked to the kitchen, placed her bag on the counter, and busied herself with organizing.
"What did she want?" Smith asked gently, walking in after her.
Julie paused, then forced a smile. "Nothing much. Just… you know how neighbors like to talk. Wanted to say hi, and warn us not to leave food outside at night." Her tone was casual, but her eyes weren't.
Jack, meanwhile, had gone to the upstairs bedroom and opened his drawing book again. He took out a pencil and started sketching quickly—his hand moving almost automatically. This time, he drew the same stranger in the jacket again, but beside him was the crow that had fallen in front of Laura. The crow's wings were bent. Blood dripped from its beak.
He stopped. Something about that image felt too real.
Back in the Living Room
Smith called out, "Julie, where's Laura?"
"I think she's upstairs," she replied.
"No, she just stepped outside again," Jack called down. "She's on the porch."
Smith went out and found Laura sitting on the front step, her earphones still in, though she wasn't playing any music.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked.
Laura looked up slowly. "Nothing… I just don't feel good about this place, Dad."
Smith knelt beside her. "It's just the nerves. New place, new people. It'll feel better once we settle in."
"I hope so," she murmured, looking again toward the window across the street. It remained still, but her unease hadn't faded.