Three Knocks at 3:17 a.m.

Every night, my clock stops at 3:17 a.m. Not glitches. Not dead batteries.

It just stops. That’s also when the knocking starts. Three slow knocks. Always the same

rhythm. I live alone. No neighbors close enough to reach my door.

The first week, I ignored it. The second week, I checked the camera. There was nothing

outside. No person. No shadow. No movement. But the knocking

didn’t stop. Last night, something changed. The sound wasn’t coming from the

door anymore. It was coming from the hallway. I stayed completely still.

Didn’t breathe. Didn’t move. Then my phone vibrated. A notification from my security app.