It began with little things I could easily explain away. My keys kept turning up in places I didn’t remember leaving them, cabinet doors were sometimes slightly open, and the bathroom mirror would occasionally be covered in steam even though nobody had showered. I blamed exhaustion and long days at work. Then the noises started. At night, I heard floorboards creaking in the hallway, footsteps near the attic, and once, unmistakably, the refrigerator door opening.

Eventually, I couldn’t convince myself it was nothing. I installed small motion-activated cameras throughout the house and went to bed wondering whether I would finally discover an explanation. The next morning, I checked the footage expecting to see an animal or perhaps some technical mistake. Instead, one recording stopped me cold. At exactly 2:17 a.m., the attic door slowly opened, and a thin figure stepped into the hallway. The person stood perfectly still, looked around, and then turned directly toward the camera.