23. Home invasion
My boyfriend and our good friend were living in an apartment in our city. To initially get into the large complex there are security gates that need an access key then another security door to get to the stairwell of ours and our neighbors apartments then the unit doors themselves.
There had been a few occasions where I had come home and realized the door to the stairwell was just sitting on the frame without actually closing and I would make an effort to close properly as I came and went.
On this night my boyfriend, flatmate and another friend were having drinks at ours on a weeknight and it was about eleven when our friend who lives up the road left. Like normal we went to bed.
It must have been like two in the morning and I woke up suddenly because I thought I could hear someone treading on the carpet. I remember I audibly gasped because I was confronted by the silhouette of a guy standing in our bedroom. I couldn’t make him out because my eyes were adjusting to the light but I immediately thought it was our flatmate and we must have his car keys. It’s funny how the brain tries to make sense of a strange situation. To me the silhouette looked remarkably like our flatmate who is quite a small guy of similar height and build.
I stared at him and he slowly backed out of the room. Then I saw him peer around the door again. I couldn’t make out his face and I said “Yeah Josh what do you want.” It was the lack of response that scared me the most. My flatmate would have at least explained. He left the door way and my heart started pounding so I elbowed my partner who woke and said “I think there is someone in the house”. I’m surprised at how quickly he got up still half asleep. I watched him leave the room for the lounge and then really loudly he said “What the fuck. Who the fuck are you? Get the fuck out of my house!”
Turns out this guy was hiding around the wall waiting. I don’t think he was expecting to be confronted by my large partner. This guy then bolted for the door which he left on its hinges while saying sorry. I started screaming how close this stranger had been and how vulnerable we were.
