Unwelcome Noises in the Basement

I almost got kicked of my apartment because of a homeless guy. I live in a basement

apartment. There’s a storage room connected to my kitchen that only my landlord

is supposed to access. Two weeks ago, I started hearing noises from behind that door—slow dragging

sounds at night. Thought it was pipes. Then my stuff started moving around. Small things.

A mug. My shoes. I figured I was just tired. But three nights

ago, I found the lock on the basement door broken, like someone pushed

through it. When I asked the landlord, he said he hadn’t been here in days.

Last night, I woke up to breathing on the other side of the door. Not shuffling.