The Sleepless Neighbor

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Alex lived in a quiet apartment complex. Strange noises emerged from the apartment next door every night around midnight. Scraping. Faint whispers. Something dragging across the floor. Alex listened, trying to understand. But whenever he checked, the apartment was empty.

The first few nights, Alex thought the building was just settling. But then, the noises became distinct, like someone pacing or moving furniture. They came at the same time, every night. Still, when Alex knocked on the door, no one answered.

One evening, after the noise grew unbearable, Alex decided to act. He was tired of wondering. He waited for the noise to begin. Scraping. Dragging. Faint whispers. He could hear them through the walls. This time, he went next door.

He reached for the doorknob. It turned easily. The door creaked open. The apartment was dark. Empty. Alex stepped inside. Silence. No one was there.

Then, he saw it. A note. Tucked under his doorframe. It was folded neatly. He picked it up. His heart raced as he read:

“We know you’re listening.”

The words chilled him. He rushed back to his apartment. The scraping started again. But now, it wasn’t from next door. It was coming from inside his apartment.

The air felt thick. Tension grew. Something was with him. The whispers grew louder, coming from behind him. The note’s message echoed in his mind. “We know you’re listening.”

He turned around slowly. He was not alone. In the doorway, a figure stood. His neighbor, but wrong. The face was distorted, like a mask. Eyes hollow, smile cold.

“You should have stayed out,” the figure whispered.

Before Alex could move, the door slammed shut. Darkness surrounded him.

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