Footsteps on the Basement Stairs

I was sleeping over at my friend Jake’s house while his parents were out of town.

We stayed up late playing video games and eventually fell asleep in his basement. The basement was

finished, but cold, and the staircase leading up to the kitchen was completely

open and dark. Sometime after 1 a.m., I woke up to footsteps. Slow,

careful ones. I assumed it was Jake getting water—until I realized he was still asleep on

the couch beside me. The footsteps stopped. Then I heard a kitchen cabinet open upstairs.

I whispered Jake’s name. No response. A few seconds later, I heard breathing

coming from the top of the stairs. Not fast or panicked. Calm. Like someone standing