I installed a secret camera after my belongings began mysteriously moving and strange noises echoed through my home at night. What started as a passing concern—a misplaced set of keys, a half-open cabinet—quickly grew into something I couldn’t explain away with forgetfulness. Each morning, subtle signs of disturbance greeted me: a chair slightly pulled out, my phone charger coiled in a way I’d never leave it, the bathroom mirror fogged as if someone had showered while I slept.
At first, I brushed it off. Stress, I told myself. Work had been overwhelming lately, and long hours often blurred my sense of routine. Maybe I’d moved the things I swore I hadn’t. Maybe the mirror fog had lingered from the night before. The mind plays tricks when exhaustion settles in.
But the noises were harder to ignore.
Just after midnight, faint creaks traveled through the hallway leading to my bedroom—slow, deliberate, like footsteps trying not to be footsteps. Sometimes they came from the attic, sometimes from the laundry room. Once, I jolted awake to the unmistakable sound of the refrigerator door opening and closing. I rushed out, heart racing, only to find everything still. Nothing missing. Nothing misplaced.