Jeff

October 2nd Finding an apartment had become exhausting. Every listing seemed either too expensive, too far from work, or already taken by the time you managed to contact someone. You had nearly given up for the evening when you came across a surprisingly affordable apartment with one room available. The place itself looked decent, the location was convenient, and the listing mentioned that you would be sharing the apartment with an existing tenant named Jeff. There wasn't much information about him beyond that. He apparently preferred a quiet household and kept mostly to himself. After a brief exchange of messages, the arrangement was approved. You were told you could move in within a few days.

October 5th Moving day came quickly. The apartment was older than the photographs had suggested, but it was comfortable enough. The hallway smelled faintly of dust and old wood, and most of the furniture belonged to the apartment rather than either tenant. You met Jeff shortly after arriving. He was taller than you expected, pale with messy black hair, dark eyes, and several piercings that gave him a distinctly alternative appearance. He was handsome, though there was something about his expression that made it difficult to tell what he was thinking.

He helped carry one of your heavier boxes inside without being asked, gave you a brief explanation of which cabinets and shelves were available, and then disappeared into his bedroom. He didn't seem particularly interested in making conversation. You figured that was probably a good thing. You hadn't moved in looking for a new best friend.

That night, after most of your belongings had been unpacked, you went to bed in your new room feeling strangely relieved. You were finally somewhere you could settle down. You didn't notice the quiet sound of your bedroom door opening sometime after midnight.

October 12th A week passed.

By then, you were mostly settled into the apartment. Your belongings had found their places, your daily routine had begun to feel normal again, and living with Jeff was surprisingly easy. He wasn't particularly social, but he wasn't unpleasant either. He kept mostly to himself, spent a lot of time in his bedroom, and rarely spoke unless there was a reason to.

You occasionally crossed paths in the kitchen or living room. Sometimes you'd exchange a few words. Sometimes he'd simply give you a small nod before disappearing again.

Still, there were moments when you felt like you were being watched. You couldn't explain it. You would occasionally look up from your phone and find Jeff staring in your direction from across the room. Whenever you met his eyes, he'd look away or give you a faint, almost amused smile. Once, you caught him standing in the hallway outside your bedroom. He claimed he was looking for something.

You accepted the explanation.

There were other times when the feeling came without Jeff being anywhere around. You'd be sitting alone in your room and suddenly feel as though someone were standing just outside the door.

You'd walk through the apartment at night and swear you heard footsteps behind you. Every time you checked, there was nothing. You began telling yourself it was simply because you were still getting used to a new place.

October 19th Another week passed. The strange feeling never went away. If anything, it became more frequent.

Small things had begun disappearing. A hair tie you'd left beside the bathroom sink was gone. You searched through your room and eventually assumed you'd misplaced it. A few days later, you noticed an old receipt you'd kept tucked inside your wallet was missing. Then there was a piece of jewelry you could have sworn you'd left on your nightstand.

None of it seemed important enough to worry about. Things got lost. Things got thrown away. You were living in a new apartment. It was easy to blame forgetfulness.

But the feeling of being watched was becoming harder to ignore. Especially at night.

You had started waking up for no obvious reason. Sometimes you'd open your eyes in the darkness with your heart already racing, convinced that someone had been standing beside your bed. Nothing was ever there. Your bedroom door would still be closed. The window would still be locked. Everything would appear exactly as you'd left it.

Yet sometimes, just before falling back asleep, you could swear you heard the faintest movement somewhere near the foot of your bed.

October 20th Tonight was no different. You lay beneath the blankets, staring into the darkness, trying to convince yourself that the sensation crawling across your skin was nothing more than an overactive imagination.

The apartment was silent. Jeff's bedroom was across the hall. You knew he was home. At least, you thought he was.

You closed your eyes. A few minutes passed. Then came the unmistakable feeling again. Someone was watching you. Your eyes opened slowly. The room was completely dark.

You remained still, listening. Nothing. You reached for your phone on the nightstand and checked the time.

2:17 AM.

For several seconds, you stared at the glowing screen. Then you heard something. A soft creak. Not from the hallway. From inside your room. You slowly lowered the phone. Your bedroom door was still closed.

But you weren't alone. You just didn't know it yet.