Was She Losing Her Mind?
It all started with a few seemingly unrelated oddities here and there. At first, she thought it was her mind playing tricks on her. As it went on, she started questioning her own sanity.
Objects moving randomly, doors opening themselves, the dog freaking out whenever he stepped into certain rooms... After months of this, she decided to reach out for help, and she received a warning. Shortly after, the unsettling truth came out.
There Had To Be A Catch
The Harris thought they had found their dream home. At first, they found it hard to believe: there had to be a catch.
But after reading the contract over and over and inspecting each and every corner of the house, they found nothing suspicious. Little did they know that they would forever regret ever setting their feet in that place.
Their First Home
After years of living in a rented flat in Buffalo, Steve and Laura Harris felt like it was time for them to take the next step in their relationship. They had been married for two years, and they had set their minds on having children soon.
But that flat was too small for more than two people to live in, let alone two parents and a toddler. So they began looking for an affordable house to start their family. After a while, they heard of something.
A Bargain?
The house was really a bargain: it was in one of the nicest suburbs in Upstate New York. They never thought they could find a newly built place like that at such an affordable price.
They thought about the issue for months. They felt like there had to be something hidden about that house. For about two months, no one else seemed interested in the property, and it remained on the market, which made them feel even more puzzled. There had to be a catch somewhere.
A Suspicious Man
They even started suspecting the real estate agent who first talked to them about the house and invited them for several viewings. He seemed to have endless patience and would always be solicitous and attentive to their every concern and question.
Also, it was like he had been holding the house for the Harris for months. He never mentioned any other prospective buyers. It almost seemed like he was reserving the place for them and made it his goal for them to buy it. But why was that?
What Could It Be?
There didn't seem to be an easy answer to that question. Maybe the real estate agent just liked the Harris; perhaps he was just an honest man who empathized with their reservations and understood it was a big step to take.
But after talking to the man time and time again, looking for a hidden motive or a catch, they couldn't find anything suspicious about the house, the contract, or the real estate agent. So they ended up signing the agreement, unaware that this would be the biggest mistake of their lives.
Everything Started Fine
Everything seemed perfect when Laura and Steve first moved into their new house. After coming on many viewings, they were already familiar with the house's each and every nook. They spent hours looking for any flaw or catch that might explain the agency's eagerness to get rid of the house.
However, they didn't find anything wrong. It indeed seemed like they had found the perfect place to grow old together and their kids to grow up. But just a few weeks after moving in, weird things started happening.
Weird Events
It started with petty occurrences: Laura sometimes found that an object seemed to have moved places while both she and her husband were out working.
Strange, unexplainable sounds, reminiscent of human breathing or coughing, came from random points of the house while Laura and Steve were relaxing together in the living room. And that wasn't all.
Their Dog Was Acting Strange
The Harris' dog, Otto, would sometimes freak out at specific parts of the house for no apparent reason. He would wander around for a bit, enter a particular room, and start barking at a random corner, an empty wall, or a chair.
At first, Laura and Steve thought that Otto might still have to get used to the house or that maybe he was stimulated by certain abstract shapes on the walls. They would soon find out that the true reason was something more sinister.
Losing Their Minds
These strange events continued for weeks, but there was something particular about them: they stopped whenever the Harris had visitors at the house. Whenever they talked to friends or relatives about it, they all told them it had to be just their imagination.
It got to a point where Laura and Steve started questioning their own sanity. Laura even shared their worries in an online forum, detailing all the strange occurrences that had taken place since they first moved. Among the many responses was a terse yet disturbing one: "There is someone living in your house." But could that be possible?
Human Sounds
One night, Laura and Steve were reading in bed after a long day of work. Suddenly, they heard those same strange sounds; this time, they were clearer and more distinct than ever.
There was no doubt about it: they sounded like someone coughing or breathing. The couple stood there in silence, paralyzed with fear. What could that be?
Paralyzed With Fear
They opened their ears, trying to discern where those sounds came from. Maybe they had forgotten to turn the TV off in the living room?
But the noise didn't come from downstairs. It sounded like it came from somewhere over their heads: the attic. But what could be going on there? And suddenly, they heard something else that made the blood freeze in their veins.
They Were In Danger
A loud thump came from upstairs; then, they heard a voice mumbling and cursing. Now there was no doubt: there was someone in their attic. Quickly, the couple ran to the kitchen, grabbed some kitchen utensils to defend themselves, and then went up to the attic.
After climbing up the stairs with their hearts galloping, they found something that made their stomachs drop to their knees.
Peeping Tom
There was a man in their attic, twisting on the floor and grabbing his knee with both hands! Apparently, he had tripped with Steve's bike, which he kept there.
Quickly, Laura called the cops while Steve made sure that the creep couldn't escape. A police car soon arrived at the scene, asked the couple some questions, and took the man to the nearest police station. Just a few days later, the whole truth unfolded.
It Was Their Neighbor
The creep was actually the Harris' neighbor. Shortly after they moved in, he had managed to sneak into the Harris' home and made a copy of the keys. And that wasn't all: he would often spend long periods living in their attic while filming them in their most intimate moments.
But there was still one question in the air: how could he go undetected for so long? Was the real estate agent involved somehow? In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead are entirely coincidental.