I saw a perfect opportunity to earn some extra cash—$200 to dog-sit for five days. Brienne had shown me around her house a week before, introducing me to her huge husky named Bear. He was a bit overweight but undeniably adorable. Brienne assured me that I could help myself to any food, and the front door, secured with a numerical code, added an extra layer of safety.
A week later, on a Friday night, shortly after Brienne and her husband left for California, I settled into the routine. The first two days were relaxed; I worked in the afternoon, took Bear for rides, and enjoyed late-night movies with him by my side. All seemed well until a knock on the door disrupted the tranquility on a Monday night.
Peering through the peephole, I saw a Mysterious man in what looked like a black police uniform. A bit skeptical, I opened the door to inquire. “Hello, I’m looking for a George,” he said. Panic set in—I knew no George. I explained I was dog-sitting and had been there since Friday. He asked how long I would be there, and I, perhaps naively, disclosed until Wednesday. mysterious man left, but the encounter left me uneasy. I shared the incident with Brienne, who dismissed it casually.
Things returned to normal until Wednesday night. As I lay in bed around midnight, a nagging thought urged me to check the front door’s lock. Fortunately, it was secure, but an unsettling feeling lingered. At 3:05 a.m., Bear’s frantic barking jolted me awake. A sense of fear gripped me—I wondered if someone had broken in. I rose from my bed and headed to the living room, where Bear, my dog, was growling and barking at the front door. Peering through the peephole, I spotted the same individual accompanied by another person, both dressed in security guard uniforms
. The fact that they returned, aware that I was alone, sent shivers down my spine. Refusing to open the door this time, I ensured that all the entrances were securely locked. As they walked away, I cautiously opened the door, scanning for any sign of a security vehicle, only to find none. Bear’s vigilant barking might have been the deterrent that scared them off.
Feeling nervous about the prospect of having to park on the side of the road for sleep, I contacted several big-name hotels on the way, only to discover that none of them were accepting walk-ins at that time. Just as I was starting to worry, a sign for a hotel appeared 10 miles ahead. I drove to the building, a small, single-story structure resembling more of a motel with several rooms. The parking lot had a few other cars, but it was mostly empty.
Approaching the reception desk, I asked the woman if there was a room available. Luckily, they had one, and she handed me a key card. Although the room was outdated, considering the price, it wasn’t too bad. However, my sense of security was quickly shaken.
Within a minute of entering the room, there was a knock at the door. Opening it slightly to see who it was, I encountered a Mysterious man mumbling to himself. The moment he noticed the door open, he tried to force his way in while still muttering incoherently. Reacting quickly, I extended my arm to block him, instructing him to leave. After a moment, he turned around and walked away. While it was odd, I dismissed it, thinking he was likely just a lost and disoriented individual.
About 15 minutes later, I was awakened by another knock on the door. Annoyed, I assumed it was the same Mysterious man from earlier. Having learned my lesson, I secured the chain bolt before opening the door slightly. It was fortunate I did because the moment I unlocked the door, the man forcefully rammed into it, shouting nonsensical sentences. I stepped back immediately and called 9-1-1.
Undeterred, the Mysterious man continued slamming into the door, attempting to break in. After a few minutes, he even tried using a knife to cut the chain, causing me considerable distress. The commotion persisted until it suddenly went quiet. When the police arrived later, the man was gone. I couldn’t comprehend his motives or what might have been wrong with him, but his aggressive actions with a knife were undeniably frightening. It served as a stark reminder that one wrong move, like answering a door or leaving it unlocked, could expose one to potential dangers from individuals with malicious intentions.
I don’t believe mysterious man had a personal issue with me, but there are times when I feel like I’m being watched. I moved to a newly built house across the state after my previous landlord decided to sell the property I was leasing. Excited about the new place, I quickly noticed my neighbor across the street, a middle-aged Mysterious man, staring at me multiple times within the first few days.
Despite my attempts to dismiss it as mere curiosity about the new resident, his constant gaze and lack of interaction raised concerns. He rarely spoke, never smiled, and seemed perpetually at home. The unease escalated one night when I heard a scraping sound outside, catching him dragging a large ladder across his lawn at an unusually late hour.
Upon reaching the second floor, an eerie quietness pervaded, making me uneasy. Moving down the hall, I heard nothing until I reached the end, where one of the room doors stood open. After a moment of listening and receiving no response to a light knock, I cautiously peeked inside. The room appeared empty, and while hesitant to venture too far in, I was certain no one was inside. Closing the door, I noted the room number—112, the one I had assigned to a Mysterious man who seemingly never left the building.
Returning to the front desk, I surveyed the security cameras in the lobby and outside, but the Mysterious man was nowhere to be found. Abruptly, the hotel phone rang, jolting me. A woman on the line reported a man knocking on her door in the middle of the night. Apologizing, I assured her I would address the issue and hung up. A growing sense of unease settled in as another call came in, this time from a different room with a similar experience.
Without hesitation, I dialed the police, standing by the front doors until their arrival. Thankfully, they came before anything escalated, but their search yielded no sign of the mysterious man. Instead, they discovered a broken window in his room, suggesting he had jumped from the second story. The situation became even more perplexing when the police received a report that the car used to pay for the room had been stolen.
The Mysterious man’s intentions and the reason for knocking on doors remained unclear. Grateful that none of the guests opened their doors, I reflected on how the situation could have taken a much darker turn. This unsettling incident occurred a couple of years ago, shortly after I rented and moved into a new house. The first week had passed without any issues, making the subsequent events all the more unexpected.
I unpacked, purchased some new furniture, and arranged everything to my liking in my new home. The primary reason for my move was a work-from-home job, and having a quiet space was crucial. The house was secluded, providing a peaceful work environment. One morning, after making breakfast and settling down to work, I heard a knock at the front door. Curious, I answered to find my landlord smiling, asking about my well-being. I engaged in small talk, though puzzled by his unexpected visit. After a brief check-in, mysterious man left, and I resumed my work, finding the encounter somewhat odd.