In the middle of stromy night, she was walking hurriedly deep inside the dark forest. The air grew thick with the scent of damp soil and decaying leaves of maples. The trees were hovering on her like giant shadows. She reached a clearing, took a deep breath and placed the wooden box under an old tree. She took a spade and began to dug deep into the earth, scooping out some damp soil from the pit, she picked up the box and threw it into the pit and covered it gently with the soil. Her hands were trembling but she did it because it had to be done to escape from a havoc.

It was a flashback of thoughts of that night which was unforgettable for Hilda, although she was old now but still those thoughts sometimes haunt her.

Hilda knew it was about a month left till Lysandra's twentieth birthday, she was somehow terrified about the upcoming, unpredictable roar of terror that they may go through.

Nothing unusual happened since that night when Lysandra was just a year old but every passing day was suffocating Hilda's soul.

Hilda was rocking slightly on her chair, the flames of candles beside her were flickering dimly in the shadows of night. She felt soft arms around her neck and she quickly opened her eyes,stealing a look of her niece, who was her only treasure, left out. Hilda patted her, Lysandra rested on her old shoulder.

Hilda never revealed the unknown secret to Lysandra which she was carrying, only she knew, whatever it was.

Hilda was overprotective of Lysandra, she tried her best to keep her safe during these all passed years.

Next evening, it was raining hard, the tears of clouds were being emptied on the ground. The sudden knock on the door, took Hilda from her unbreakable chain of thoughts. She was surprised and at the same time she was nervous because Lysandra and Hilda were the only two inhabitants of this small cozy house in the heart of maples. They had no one to visit them. Hilda opened the door hesitantly and saw an old figure with wrinkled face and hands, in black cloak. Old lady seemed extremely exhausted that even words were hardly parting from her thin, dried out lips. She requested Hilda to let her stay until the storm passes. Hilda let the old woman in, and made her sit near the fireplace. She was boiling the water for making coffee but secretly the eyes of Hilda were following every movement of that old woman. Nothing seemed suspicious as she was just warming her old body.

The old lady thanked her for the warm cup of coffee and asked her if she lives alone. Hilda's eyes for a moment crawled on the door of Lysandra's room and she quickly answered ,yeah I live here on my own.

Then there was a long silence, only the sounds of burning logs and raindrops can be heardband everything else was quite or may be echoing. The old woman left as the rain stopped, Hilda was bit worried inside, she was thinking it wasn't good to let strangers in. She quickly ran upstairs to check on Lysandra, who was sleeping sound fully. A surge of relief washed over her entire body, she kissed her forehead, turning off the lamp and closing the door behind.