I live in the attic. I won’t lie, it’s not the most comfortable arrangement, but it’s cheap. In fact, it costs me nothing at all. All I had to do was be careful not to get caught.
The other tenants liked me to be invisible. They didn’t even want to know I was there. I didn’t mind - I’ve always been reclusive - it just meant I had to be a little sneakier when I went about my business. I normally emerged at night, when they were asleep. I had to be careful not to wake them, so I wore thick socks and treaded lightly around the floorboards. That’s not so necessary anymore, but habits are important to me.
The tenants took care of me. They always kept the fridge well stocked and let me have my choice of what I wanted to eat. Even then, I took care to never indulge as I felt guilty taking more than what I needed. They seemed like a lovely family, and I never wanted them to feel taken advantage of.
It was my guilty pleasure to listen to the tenants having fun. Family game nights were a real treat; I’d pick someone to root for and pretend I was a diehard sports fan cheering them on from the sidelines. Occasionally, they’d have guests over, and, as antisocial as I am, it was important for me to get to know new people so I didn’t grow lonely. I grew very attached to everyone under this roof. I refer to them as “tenants” but, to me, they were my family and I was a part of theirs.
It took a few months for me to get caught; I’d walked in front of a nanny cam when checking on the youngest family member, who was a restless sleeper. Their crying had woken me up, so I decided to do the inhabitants a favor for all of the generosity they’d shown me. I quieted the baby, at which point I saw the camera pointing at me. I figured the jig was up, but the tenants were surprisingly generous. I admit that we argued, but I persuaded them to let me stay. It took a few hours but it was well worth it– or at least it seemed so at the time
It’s been a couple weeks since I was found out. It was nice at first, but I’m beginning to find living here unenjoyable. The tenants don’t take care of themselves, they don’t go out anymore or bring guests over. The food in the fridge is beginning to spoil. I’ve moved some of it to the freezer, but I’m tired of waiting for my food to thaw before I can eat it. The house smells, and it has reached my little space in the attic. I didn’t want it to get to this point, but I simply can’t live like this anymore. I’m currently in the market for new accommodations, if someone would like to guide me in the right direction.