Several hours after leaving the house, Ella returned with a bright blue, metallic bicycle with a basket on the front. She had also purchased some nonperishable food, cleaning supplies, and candles to use until she could get the electricity turned on. She had found a cashier position in town at a small, mom-and-pop-type grocery store, at which she was scheduled to start the next morning.
She parked the bike in the front yard and carried her purchases up onto the porch. When the front door swung open, she nearly fainted. The dusty sheets and cobwebs were gone. The floor and walls glimmered in the light from the lamps on the end tables, and she could see the hallway was also aglow. "What the..." she blurted as she set down the bags and shut the door.
Thinking the realtor had returned to tidy up and turn on the electricity, she assumed he was still there. "Hello?" she called out.
She walked the house over and found no one else present. However, she found that the entire house had been cleaned. In addition, the electricity now worked in the whole house, with the exception of the overhead lights in the living room. Coincidentally, those lights were the only ones she had tried when she'd first arrived. Feeling foolish at the realization that the power had been working all along, she rolled her eyes in aggravation at herself as she locked the front door and proceeded to put away her purchases.
After enjoying a snack of crackers and peanut butter, she brought her bicycle into the living room, relocked the door, and went upstairs to unpack her suitcases into the freshly polished dresser. At the top of the staircase, she suddenly felt eyes upon her. Unnerved, she swung around to look at the bottom of the stairs and then back to the hallway in front of her. No one was there. Shrugging it off as paranoia from the environment she had left behind, she continued with the task at hand.
That night, Ella slept better than she had in years. She had the queen-size bed to herself, and she felt safe. After being nearly exhausted when she'd gone to bed, she hadn't expected to dream, but again the attractive guest watched over her as she slept.
In her dreams, he both stood by the bed and then sat at the foot of it. As before, she felt no fear. Somehow, she knew he would never hurt her. His eyes were so trusting, but they also held a lot of sadness. She wanted to know who he was and why he seemed so melancholy. Longing so much to actually meet the person who was visiting her in her dreams, she jerked herself awake.
As she opened her eyes and sat up in bed, she realized she was still alone in the room. Disappointed, she turned on the bedside lamp. For a split second, she thought she saw something dart out the door into the hallway. She immediately jumped out of bed and raced to see, but again there was nothing there. Attributing it to being half asleep, she turned to bed and soon dozed back off.
The next morning, she awoke shortly after dawn and rose from the bed to go use the bathroom. Without turning on any lights, she walked to the bathroom and used it. When she finished, she flushed the toilet and washed her hands by only the light from the small window. Undecided on whether or not to lie back down for half an hour or so, she stood in the hallway and contemplated it. Suddenly, she felt an icy chill run up her spine. Concluding it was time to get the day started, she descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen.
Just as she turned on the light, she saw one of the chairs at the table pull out from beneath the table all on its own accord. She instantly knew she wasn't alone in the house. A bit startled but not frightened, she took a few steps closer and said, "I know you're here. Will you tell me your name?"
Silence filled the room. The once-moving chair now sat still a foot or so from the table. She could sense a presence in the room, but visibly she was alone. No answer to her question came, and after a few minutes she asked another. "Are you a friendly ghost?"
Still, the static feeling hung in the air, but no voice but hers could be heard. "Well, as long as you don't hurt or scare me, you are welcome to stay," she said at last before going back upstairs to get ready for her first day at work.