Whispers at 3:17 A.M.

Every night at exactly 3:17 a.m., I hear breathing in my room. Slow.

Heavy. Like someone standing just behind my bed. I live alone. No pets.

No roommates. No reason for anyone to be here. At first, I told myself it

was the house settling. Then one night, I held my breath. The breathing stopped instantly.

My chest burned, but I didn’t move. The room felt… crowded. A few seconds later, something whispered

right next to my ear— ‘You don’t have to hide from me.’ This morning,

I checked my phone. There was a voice memo recorded at 3:17 a.m. Thirty seconds long.

Just breathing. Slow. Heavy. And at the very end… mine joined