I just moved into a new house. Not alone—I moved in with my sibling. But for some reason, they had to go train in the city center and planned to stay there for a week. In the end, I saw them off. Yes, this time I was alone in my small new house.
At twenty-three, I was an adult, so I dared to live here alone. I could have gone back to my hometown, but I didn't have enough money. My mother said she'd come tomorrow to keep me company. I was relieved, though I honestly didn't think it was necessary. But since I was the youngest, my mother was a little worried about leaving me by myself.
I spent the day cheerfully. My sibling had left that morning, and it was already afternoon. I was happy enough to be alone because it felt like I finally had some me time. I was free to do whatever I wanted. I made my own lunch while singing, then spent the rest of the day happily playing on my phone.
When night came, I still felt perfectly safe. But everything started to feel strange when I was about to fall asleep. My tiny house had only four rooms. There was one large room that served as the living room, kitchen, and gathering area, along with a bathroom and two bedrooms. But we only used one bedroom because there was only one mattress.
Before bed, I washed my face and made sure every door was locked. Checking once or twice wasn't enough, so I checked them several times before I could finally go to my bedroom. I closed the bedroom door and left the light on. You could say I was a little afraid of things related to ghosts, but only about thirty percent. The other seventy percent of me wasn't afraid at all.
Since I was alone, the fear started to take over. But I would try to stay calm just for tonight. Yes, just one night, right?
It was eleven at night, and I still wasn't asleep. I was staring at my phone screen. I had trouble falling asleep, so I tried to tire out my eyes. Before long, my eyelids began to grow heavy.
Something was strange. Why did everything feel so quiet and cold? I opened my eyes, but there was nothing except darkness. Oh no, was the power out? The sound coming from the house next door had disappeared too. It was some kind of bird-calling sound that had been specially recorded. Now there was no sound at all, which meant there must have been a blackout.
Oh no, why did it have to happen tonight? I was afraid of the dark too.
I tried to keep my eyes closed and gripped my blanket tighter. I prayed that the lights would come back on soon.
Tap, tap!
What was that? It was coming from the bedroom door.
“Open the door. I want to come in.”
I was startled when I heard that voice. It sounded exactly like my older sibling! But it obviously couldn't be them because they weren't home!
Oh my God, sweat started streaming down my temples. The knocking didn't stop. It only grew louder. I was so afraid the door might break and whatever was behind it might find me.
When the tension became unbearable, I heard my refrigerator turn on. That meant the power was back. Phew, I was incredibly relieved, but I still didn't dare move even an inch.
My body was exhausted, and I was drenched in sweat. Eventually, I fell asleep.
Morning came so quickly. So did night. I went through my daily routine without any trouble, as if what had happened the night before had never happened at all.
It was nighttime again. I closed the front door, turned on the lights, and shut the window curtains. The whole house was clean, and I'd already thrown out the bag of trash. They say you have to take out the trash and wash the dirty dishes before nightfall so demons can't get into the house. I believed it well enough, since it also helped the environment and my health.
It was time for bed. I'd closed the balcony door, and now I was lying on my mattress. My phone was charging, so I was bored.
Suddenly, the sound of knocking came again. This time, it wasn't the bedroom door. It seemed to be the balcony door.
“Open the door. I'm home.”
That strange voice again. I moved quickly but silently, grabbed my phone while it was charging, and sent a message to my sibling.
“Where are you right now?”
“What do you mean? I'm still at the dorm.”