Paula was in that house for a week. She soon adapted and also to the extravagances of her uncle and Aunt Parker, their silences and their absurd and inconsiderate rules. The days had not yet become monotonous for Paula, since there was always something to do or fix in that old house.

She couldn't deny that her aunt kept her busy since she woke up until she went to sleep. Paula was so tired that she couldn't think of anything from her foggy past. The arrival of darkness didn't torments her as in the first few days. She lay down so tired that she usually slept immediately, and if a noise ever woke her up in the early morning, she wouldn't be disturbed. She learned to identify all the «normal» noises of that huge house.

The arrival of her uncle along with the darkness, no longer scared her as before. Although he still retained the same attitude as before, at least now Paula knew him better... And it all happened one night when she stuck a splinter as she slid her hand down the railing of the stairs.

She suffered with the pain, but when her uncle saw her, he took pity on her and took out the splinter with the help of a needle. He did it without letting his wife intervene. Since then, Paula no longer thought that he was so bad, and her fear of him diminished considerably.

Unfortunately her old fears woke up with the arrival of Sunday. That day was very special for her aunt, a devout Catholic woman who from the morning, began to prepare to go to church mass of the little town.

Paula was surprised when she came down early for breakfast and met

Mrs. Parker dressed in her best dress. She used hair tubes, nice shoes and hummed a tune while preparing breakfast.

"Ah! Hi honey, I hadn't seen you. Breakfast will be ready in a few moments. Today we will go to church, so I would like you to dress more... formal," she said looking sideways.

Paula understood, her aunt wanted that she changed her tight pants, but that didn't bother her because he had gotten used to it. Her uncle and aunt didn't like her clothes too modern.

"Oh, but... Well, it's ok," the girl hesitated.

Actually, Paula wasn't very devout, she didn't even remember when it was the last time she went to a church. In any case, she decided to go, because for nothing in the world she wanted to stay alone in that house and much less give reasons for Mr. and Mrs. Parker to be angry with her.

"Sit down! Here's the tea," the woman said as she gave her a cup.

A long time passed and Paula was surprised that her uncle was not yet in the kitchen. He didn't usually sleep late and was usually the first to wake up, grumbling and shuffling down the stairs with his slippers. That was the first noise that woke Paula.

"Where is Uncle Parker?" the girl was encouraged to ask.

"I think he is sleeping," said Mrs. Parker with a strange blush on her face

"He doesn't come with us anyway."

"Why?" Paula was surprised.

"Oh, hello, honey!" the woman said as she jumped.

Paula turned and greeted him too. He entered the kitchen with his usual bad mood and didn't seem to have been sleeping because he was covered by a fine dust. Paula wondered where he had been and why her aunt had lied to her.

The man sat down to take the breakfast and a short time later, Paula got up to go to change clothes. When Paula walked to her room, thinking about what clothes to wear because she didn't have much to choose from, she suddenly saw the door ajar under the stairs that led to the basement. Then she knew that Mr. Parker was down there. Why so much mystery? Why had his aunt lied to him?

Paula was tempted to go down to investigate, but she repented and decided to continue up the stairs. It was better not to have problems with the Parkers.

Half an hour later she was heading to town with her aunt. They crossed the squalid forest of trees and left for the route, a little-traveled street because it led to the desert and beyond the mountains. The landscape was arid and the heat stuck to the body, but fortunately, at that time it was still tolerable.

Mrs. Parker walked beside her, in a good mood, chatting with her. In this way, Paula knew that her uncle was not going to church because he had quarreled with the priest and, although her aunt didn't tell her the reasons, Paula sensed that it should be a major problem.

When they arrived in town they realized that they had been late.

People began to enter the church that was small and beautiful and crowded with people. Too many for that little town, Paula thought.

Mrs. Parker hurried and only nodded to a few people then she sat on one of the middle benches and sighed tiredly. Paula sat next to her.

She was looking at the bleeding Christ on the altar when she heard murmurs and once again felt observed. But her attention was diverted because the priest began with the Mass. He was an old man, plump and with few hairs. He had a kind, but cunning look.

The church's climate soon became unbearable for Paula. It was too hot there and the scent of the candles made her nauseous. The mass lasted longer than Paula had anticipated. Suddenly, a little nun left the door on the left side and stood near the altar, next to the people standing in the hallway.

Paula didn't see her face, but had an unexpected chill. From behind, she looked a lot like the nun she had seen in the Santa Ana psychiatric hospital, with a lump in his arms. There were many people standing in the hall that separated the benches, so the girl soon lost sight of her.

Like that was much better, the girl thought. She didn't want remember that horrible place, she hadn't thought about it for several days.

Suddenly someone touched her shoulder and Paula jumped while as she turned around. It was the nun, but ... A few seconds ago that woman was meters ahead of her! Why now she was behind her? Paula looked at her terrified.

"Your bag fell down," said the habit woman. In her hand was Paula's little black bag.

The girl took it back while stuttering a few words.

"Thank you."

She turned around in the seat, still shaking with terror. She was white as a piece of paper. Mrs. Parker looked at her and was surprised at her paleness.

"Are you ok, honey?" she asked her, worried.

"Yes, I feel a little bad, aunt. I'm going to take a breath," Paula said suddenly and almost left the church running while her aunt watched her sideways.

Outside the church, she leaned against a wall, trying to calm her heartbeat. She had got a big scare and still didn't understand how that happened.

After a few minutes Paula sat on the steps, inhaling air deeply. She had to control herself because people began to look at her strangely and so on ... That was just a nun!

"Hi there! How are you? Are you bored?" said a voice behind her.

Paula turned around and saw a girl with dark hair, a prominent nose and brown eyes. She was about her age. Paula held out her hand to greet her.

"Yes, something like that," she said while smiling at the other girl.

"I'm Daiana," the girl introduced herself, then she sat next to her on the steps.

"I am..."

"Paula, isn't it?"

"Yes, but how do you know it?" she asked surprised.

"Everybody knows it. The Parkers are not visited by anyone and this is a small and boring town... too boring for me," the girl explained

"Does the news run at high speed?" Paula said sarcastically.

"Exactly," confirmed the girl while smiling. After a brief silence she added, as she pulled something out of the back pocket of her pants. "Do you want a cigarette?"

"No, thanks, I don't smoke," said Paula, starting to feel comfortable. That girl seemed nice.

Daiana lit her cigarette and began to smoke carefree. Although a lady who was close, looked at her with a frown.

"Will you stay in this town for a long time?"

"I don't know. I suppose," Paula hesitated. She didn't want to talk about it anymore. She didn't want Daiana to know where she came from.

What would the woman think if she knew that Paula was coming from a psychiatric hospital? Would that girl think she was crazy? People used to be very prejudiced.

"What a bad luck! How did I tell you... this town is very boring. But you can come to see me if you want. I live two blocks from here, out there," Daiana said as she pointed the direction. "In that house with white bars."

"Do you live alone?"

"No, I live there with my mother. My husband die some years ago," commented the girl and Paula's smile was wiped off her face.

"I'm sorry!" she excused herself.

Paula thought about her own family, her son and her boyfriend. There was no news of him anymore. She never saw him again after the accident. And nobody told her why he didn't visit her in the hospital, so she thought that he forgave her for what she had done... Sadness invaded her suddenly.

"And how are you doing in that haunted house?" Diana asked mischievously to change the topic of conversation.

"What?" Paula said scared.

The terror was clearly reflected on Paula's face. The other girl noticed and began to laugh, Paula also smiled, but it was a forced smile.

"Haven't you heard the rumors?" Daiana told her.

Paula shook her head.

"They say that night lights turn on and off. Noises and cries of child are heard there, although I never saw a child there," said the woman with a mysterious tone of voice.

"It's just nonsense," Paula laughed. She had never felt anything like that in that house. It's obvious that the house has a bad reputation, but there is nothing strange there. "I never felt anything weird since I arrived."

"I don't know, that's what people tell," Daiana said, "but the Parker's reputation is even worse than the house's."

"My uncle and my aunt? What is going on with them?" Paula asked.

"People say that Mrs. Parker had a child but her husband did not want him, so he killed him, cut him into small pieces and buried him in the garden, under an apple tree that is there and they also say that the child's spirit wanders through the forest," said the woman with carelessness.

"It is for real?" Paula asked. She could not believe it.

"Yes, of course, that's what they say. Whether it's true or not, I don't know, I never saw a child over there, but ... that man, Mr. Parker scares me," said Daiana as she exhaled the smoke of the cigarette.

Apparently she didn't care if her new friend was offended by what she had just said.

Paula felt chills. If that was true, it was a horror. She was afraid of Mr. Parker, but she didn't think he was able of committing such a horrible sin. It was something so horrible that she thought it was just conversations of the unemployed people. The Malice could spread a lot in a small town like that.

At that time people started to leave the church, the mass had already ended, but Paula was so horrified by the rumors of the people that she didn't notice the presence of her aunt who approached her. Daiana on the other hand was thoughtful and did not realize what was happening to her new friend.

"Paula, honey, let's go;" the woman said seriously.

The two girls turned around and Paula was surprised to notice the anger on her aunt's face. It seemed that something had made her very angry.

"Okay," Paula whispered a little nervous while she got up from the step.

Mrs. Parker was looking at Daiana in anger, as if she had guessed what they were talking about a few minutes ago.

Daiana also rose from the step, threw the cigarette on the floor and crushed it with her foot, then she greeted the lady, but she only responded with a nod.

Mrs. Parker began to walk away, leaving her niece bewildered.

"Sorry, I must go."

"Come visit me whenever you want!" Daiana yelled.

Paula turned around and said goodbye with a wave of her hand and also saw when Daiana met with a couple of older women who immediately started arguing with her.

They had already left the town quite a bit when Paula's aunt broke the silence. She seemed to be very angry.

"I know I don't have the right or the power to ban anything to you, but at least I have a duty to warn you about that girl who you've obviously been talking to," the woman said. "She does not have a good reputation and comes from a bad family. It would not be convenient for you to maintain a friendship with... such a class of people."

It seemed as if Mrs. Parker was restraining herself with all her strength for not to insult that young woman.

Paula did not answer. She was upset and her aunt's warning seemed absurd. The only thing she needed was for her aunt to choose for her with whom she could talk and with whom not!

"It's not a healthy friendship for... your recovery," argued the woman, causing Paula to blush.

After this, neither of the two women spoke again until they reached the small grove that was near the house.

Paula heard footsteps. She suddenly thought it was Daiana, so she stopped and turned, but didn't see anyone.

"What happens?" Mrs. Parker asked, also stopping.

"Did you hear that, aunt?" Paula asked already scared, looking in all directions.

"What are you talking about?" said the perplexed woman.

"It seems like someone crying, maybe it's a boy," Paula said started to alter.

Mrs. Parker looked at her in surprise.

"It's the wind sound," explained without giving it much importance. The woman continued walking.

Paula waited a few seconds, listening carefully, but as she did not hear the sound again, she ran to reach her aunt who was already at the end of the grove. The girl doubted if she would be imagining things, after hearing all those rumors. Shortly after, they arrived at the house where Mr. Parker was waiting for them.

The rest of the day went by normally, but the arrival of the night brought Paula new fears. She couldn't get those horrible rumors out of her head and although she ruled them out as soon as she saw her uncle again, the doubt remained in her mind. How could Mr. Parker do something like that and his wife would continue to live with him? It was obvious that she was afraid of her husband, but Paula thought she would never be an accomplice of something so horrible.

Early, she had looked at all the portraits that were in the house, but did not find that of any child, nor did she find indications that anyone had lived there

Paula had thought about asking her aunt about that supposed child she had and even telling her about the rumors, but then gave up on intuiting that the woman would be offended.

Paula went to bed late. She was thinking about the mysterious boy when she fell asleep. She dreamed of her own child, who was sitting in his high chair in the kitchen of the house. The baby looked at her with fear, but then he smiled. Paula also smiled and she was going to take him in her arms when she realized that the baby was not smiling for her but for someone else who was behind. Then Paula turned around and noticed that it was her...

At that moment she woke up, sweating for the terrible nightmare. Of course, her baby loved her as much as she did! But there was always the leftover of the other woman lurking in the dark.

Paula moved on the bed turned on her side while a lonely tear rolled down her cheek, and at that moment she heard it clearly... it was the crying of a child in the distance.

She sat on the bed and looked at the door that was ajar, even though she had closed it before going to sleep, like every night.

"What was that?" she wondered, and the answer came almost immediately.

She heard the boy crying again.