Three years ago, I had this crazy experience at home while my boyfriend was working his overnight shift as a security guard.
It was a Thursday night, around 11 PM, and I was curled up on the couch watching some TV show.
Our place is a small two-bedroom house in a quiet part of town.
I remember it was raining that night, the kind of gentle, steady rain that usually makes me feel super relaxed.
I had all the lights off except for the TV and a small lamp beside me. The blinds were drawn, but I could still hear the rain tapping against the window.
I decided to make some popcorn, so I paused my show and headed to the kitchen.
Our kitchen is pretty open, and you can see most of the living room from there. I remember feeling a bit uneasy, but I couldn’t figure out why.
The popcorn was popping in the microwave when I heard this faint scratching sound. At first, I thought it was just the rain or maybe a branch from the tree outside our window.
But then, it kept going, more like a scraping sound, and it seemed like it was coming from the front door.
I told myself it was probably just an animal or something, but I was too sketched out to check for myself.
I went back to the living room with my popcorn, trying to focus on my show, but that scratching noise was still in my head.
I kept glancing at the front door, which was visible from my spot on the couch.
Our door has this little peephole, but the idea of looking through it suddenly freaked me out.
I texted my boyfriend about the noise, and he said it was probably nothing, but to check and see if the door was locked just in case.
I realized then that I hadn’t checked if it was locked since I got home.
I was pretty good about locking the door usually, but that night, for some reason, I couldn’t remember if I had done it.
The thought of getting up to check the door made me feel really nervous, like something was waiting for me on the other side.
I mustered up the courage to check the door. It was around 11:45 PM by then. My heart was pounding as I slowly walked towards it.
I remember feeling every step, like each one was heavier than the last.
When I finally reached the door, I saw that only the bottom was locked.
Our front door has 2 locks, the normal doorknob lock and a deadbolt lock. That freaked me out even more.
I quickly turned the deadbolt lock, and right then, there was this loud bang against the door, like someone was trying to force their way in. I screamed.
I ran back to the living room, grabbed my phone, and dialed 911.
The operator told me to stay calm and that they were sending someone over. I was screaming at the top of my lungs, and I told them about the banging and the scratching.
They said to find a safe place to hide and wait for the police.
I hid in the bedroom closet. It felt like the safest place since it had a lock. I was sitting there, trying to be as quiet as possible, listening for any sounds.
Then I heard someone trying to kick down the backdoor which was in the kitchen. It was the longest wait of my life.
I kept begging the dispatcher to please send someone quick, but she kept assuring me that officers were on their way.
Finally, I heard sirens outside, and the noise stopped. The police knocked on our door, announcing themselves.
But, I was still too scared to move until they came to the bedroom and found me in the closet.
The police checked the whole house and found nobody inside. They said the front door showed signs of someone trying to tamper with the lock, but they hadn’t gotten in.
They also saw the damage done to the back door from the person trying to kick it down. It was just past midnight when they finished their search.
They stayed with me until my boyfriend got home. He was so worried, and I was just relieved it was over.
The police said it might have been a burglar who ran off when they heard the sirens. We never found out who it was.
After that night, my boyfriend decided to find a dayshift job since he no longer felt comfortable with the idea of me being home alone, at night.
