I never believed in the paranormal until last month. I live in a small one-bedroom apartment in an older building downtown - nothing special, just a regular place with thin walls and questionable plumbing. The rent is affordable, which is all that matters in this economy.

It started with small things I could easily dismiss. Keys not where I left them. Water running when I was sure I'd turned it off. The feeling of cold spots in the hallway even when the heat was on full blast.

Then came the footsteps.

I first heard them three weeks ago while I was falling asleep. Light footsteps crossing my living room floor. I bolted upright, heart racing, convinced someone had broken in. I grabbed my phone ready to call 911 and carefully checked every corner of my tiny apartment. Nothing. No signs of forced entry, windows still locked.

I blamed it on the upstairs neighbor, though it was nearly 2 AM.

Two nights later, it happened again. This time, I distinctly heard the footsteps walk from my living room to the foot of my bed. I lay completely still, paralyzed with fear, my eyes squeezed shut. The footsteps stopped right next to me. I could feel a presence there, standing, watching. The air felt heavy and cold, and I couldn't breathe.

I finally gathered the courage to open my eyes. Nothing was there, but my bedroom door was now closed. I always sleep with it open.

The following week, things escalated. I woke up to find all the kitchen cabinet doors wide open. Then my shower turned on by itself while I was cooking dinner. I called maintenance, but they found nothing wrong with the plumbing.

Last Sunday, I returned from grocery shopping to find a single wet footprint in the middle of my bathroom floor. It wasn't mine - it was much smaller, like a child's.

I finally broke down and asked my elderly neighbor if anyone had ever died in my unit. Her face went pale. She told me a young woman had lived there in the 1980s who'd had mental health issues. They found her in the bathtub after she hadn't been seen for days. The neighbor mentioned something that made my blood run cold - the woman had always complained about hearing footsteps at night when no one was there.

Last night was the worst. I woke up at 3 AM to the sound of my closet door creaking open. As I lay frozen in bed, I heard what sounded like someone quietly rifling through my clothes. The hangers made a distinct metallic sound as they slid across the rod. I finally worked up the courage to turn on my lamp, and the sound immediately stopped. The closet door was open about six inches, though I always keep it firmly shut because the latch is broken.

When I checked this morning, nothing was missing, but all my hanging clothes were pushed to one side, bunched together as if someone had been looking through them.

I'm writing this from a coffee shop because I'm afraid to go home. I told my coworker about it, and she thinks I should set up a camera. But honestly, I'm afraid of what I might see.

I don't know what to do. My lease locks me in for another 8 months, and I can't afford to break it. I'm sleeping with the lights on tonight, but I don't think it will help.

She knows I can sense her now, and I think that's exactly what she wanted.

And now that you've read my story... she's watching you too.