My name is Emma. I had just bought a new house and installed a Ring Cameras security system for my safety. I’ve always been a bit of a paranoid, something like a chicken afraid of its own shadow. But now, for the first time in a long time, I felt like I could relax. My new life was just beginning, and it seemed full of opportunities to me.
But that was before the strange happenings started.
The first sign was my photo on the table that had clearly been moved. I remembered distinctly placing it face down after the last conversation with my ex-boyfriend, but now it was standing upright, as if someone had flipped it. I brushed it off, deciding it was a result of my recent move. Everything was still in chaos.
Then came the strange sounds. In the middle of the night, when the whole house was silent, I would hear the creaking of doors, a rustling as if someone was roaming around the house. I tried to reassure myself, telling myself that it’s an old house, they creak and make noise. But it was little consolation.
After a few weeks of living in the house, it became clear to me that something was off. My things were moving on their own, my food in the refrigerator was disappearing, and my dog Marley was constantly barking at nothingness. I started to fear being alone, and I began to check my security cameras every night.
But they never showed anything.
My home looked like any other house, full of emptiness and silence. Every night, I would review the footage, hoping to see something that would explain my strange feelings, but the cameras showed nothing. I started to think I was losing my mind.
And then it happened.
One night, as I was reviewing the footage, I saw a man. He stood on the edge of the screen, just staring at the camera. He was in the shadows, and I couldn’t see his face, but I felt his presence. His eyes were fixated on the camera, and he just stood there, unmoving, not breaking his gaze.
My heart began to pound wildly. I backed away from the screen, trying to collect myself. This man… he was standing in my house. He just stood there and looked at the camera, as if he knew I was watching him. I was paralyzed with fear.
In an instant, he disappeared from the frame. I rewound the footage to see him again, but he was no longer there. As if he had never been there at all.
My mind was filled with questions. Who was he? What was he doing in my house? And why was he staring at the camera? I called the police, explained the situation, and showed them the footage. They looked at me skeptically, saying perhaps I was just tired or overstressed from the move.
I didn’t sleep that night. I spent all my time staring at the monitor, waiting for the man to appear again. But he didn’t return.
Days turned into weeks, and my sense of fear grew more and more. I started to notice strange sounds in the house, like someone was walking down the hallway or whispering in the darkness. My things continued to disappear, and it seemed like Marley was getting more and more agitated.
Finally, I decided to look at the camera footage again. My hands were shaking as I opened the app on my phone. I was ready to see that man again.
But instead, I saw something else.
On the screen was my house, but it looked… different. The furniture had been rearranged, things were scattered all over the place. And in the middle of it all stood the man. He was staring straight into the camera, his eyes gleaming in the darkness. This time, I could see his face. He was smiling.
It wasn’t a friendly, warm smile. It was the smile of a predator, ready to attack. It was a smile that said: “I’m here. And I’m watching you.”
My heart froze. I realized that this man hadn’t just invaded my home. He had invaded my life. And he was taking pleasure in my fear.
I was terrorized by my own home. The place that was supposed to be my sanctuary had become my nightmare.
But I couldn’t just sit idly by. I reached out to a local security company, showing them the footage. They were stunned and promised to check all their employment records, but I knew it would take time.
Time that I might not have.
My nights turned into a nightmare. I was afraid to sleep because I didn’t know what was waiting for me on the other side. I felt fear literally seeping under my skin, making me jumpy at the slightest noise.
And then one night, I heard a sound. The sound of a door opening.
My heart pounded so loudly, I was sure he could hear it. I picked up my phone and started checking the cameras. And there he was. The man was standing right outside my bedroom.
My breath caught as I saw his hand touch the doorknob. He was so close. Too close.
I quickly dialed the police, whispering the situation and hoping they would get there in time. When I looked back at the screen, he was gone. And then the door to my room started to open.
My eyes widened in fear, but I didn’t move. I couldn’t move. When the door fully opened, I saw him.
He was tall, his face obscured in the darkness. He stepped into the room, and my eyes met that terrifying smile. Everything around seemed to slow down.
Then the sound of sirens rang out. He looked toward the window, then back at me. And in that moment, I understood.
He was a security company worker. The very one who installed my cameras.
He smiled at me before darting to the window and disappearing into the night.
The police found him a week later, hiding in an abandoned building. It turned out that he had been using his access to the cameras to stalk the women for whom he had installed them. He reveled in their fear, taking pleasure in it.
Now he’s behind bars, but my fear stayed with me. My home will never feel safe again. My own security cameras became the source of my terror, but now I know.
I know that even those meant to protect you can become your monsters. And sometimes these monsters don’t hide under your bed or in the closet. Sometimes, they hide in plain sight.