At first, she stayed in bed, telling herself it was just the house settling. But then the sound came again—clear this time. Like something moving. Her heart started racing. She grabbed her phone and slowly walked out of her room, every step feeling louder than it should. The house was too quiet. Too still. When she got to the bottom of the stairs, she noticed the kitchen light was on. She was sure she turned it off. She stood there, listening. Nothing. Then she saw it—the back door slightly open. Cold air coming in. She didn’t move at first, just stared, trying to process it. Then she quickly stepped back, locked herself in her room, and called the police. They arrived within minutes and checked the house. No one was inside anymore… but there were signs someone had been there. Nothing major was taken, just small things moved. The officers told her something that stuck with her: sometimes people test homes before coming back. That night, nothing worse happened—but it was enough to change how safe she felt in her own house.
