There once was a big, old house on a dark street. People said it was haunted. Most folks didn't believe it, but some did. One stormy night, a young woman named Emily decided to find out. She was not scared.

Emily climbed the creaky stairs to the attic. The moon was the only light. It was dusty and spooky up there. Old furniture and boxes were covered in sheets. Suddenly, a cold wind blew through the attic, even though all the windows were closed. Emily heard a strange noise.

A door at the end of the attic slowly opened. A shadow moved inside. Emily's heart pounded. A woman's voice whispered, "Go away." Emily was scared, but she didn't run. She walked slowly towards the door.

Behind the door was a small room. In the corner, sitting in an old rocking chair, was a woman. She was very pale and looked sad. Her eyes were like empty holes. Emily wasn't scared anymore. She felt sorry for the woman.

Emily talked to the ghost softly. She told the woman she was not afraid. The ghost seemed to listen. Slowly, a tear rolled down the ghost's cheek. Then, she disappeared. The wind stopped, and the attic was quiet.

Emily didn't see the ghost again. But sometimes, on stormy nights, she would think about the sad woman in the attic. She wondered if the woman was finally at peace.

The old house still stands on the dark street. People still say it's haunted. But Emily knows the truth. The ghost isn't scary. She's just lonely.

--- Abhipsa