The House on Beech Street

Author: Thomas O’Neil

Claire moved into the old house in March, when the snow was still clinging to the gutters. The neighbors said the last family had left in the middle of the night.

She found the letters in June — a stack of them under the floorboards, tied with blue string. Each began the same way: “To the future owner…”

The first was dated 1978. The last, 2012. Every one of them spoke of hope. Of fear. Of people who had come here trying to start over.

Claire wrote her own letter that night. She didn’t know who would read it next, but she hoped they’d understand: the house didn’t haunt people. It healed them.