The Neighbor Who Never Left

Hook: I thought my neighbor was just antisocial… until I noticed something that made

my stomach drop. Story: I’ve lived in my apartment for almost three years.

Across the hall is this guy—mid 30s maybe—who never leaves. No groceries,

no friends, no visitors. I only ever saw him take trash out once a week,

late at night. At first, I didn’t care. Then one day, I realized something

weird: his trash bags were always extremely heavy. One night, I heard a loud thump

from his apartment, like furniture being dragged. Then another. Then silence.

The next morning, I noticed a smell in the hallway. Not trash—something worse.