Haunted houses, paranormal activity, and unexplained events are all good themes for a horror story. But what about when no harm is done? Does it still qualify as scary, or can it be written off as an unsolved mystery and left at that?
For one couple in their 30s, a string of strange occurrences has been unfolding at their countryside home. While nothing particularly bad has happened (yet), the couple, who live with their children and dogs, claims that they’ve been left feeling violated, scared, and confused.
More info: Reddit
“Someone has been coming in our house, and making it obvious that they’ve been there”, claim worried couple with kids
Image credits: tonodiaz (not the actual photo)
These mysterious home invasions have happened 4 times, that the couple know of
Image credits: R ARCHITECTURE (not the actual photo)
Although there were valuables everywhere, nothing was ever taken or disturbed
Image credits: jcomp (not the actual photo)
The couple’s dogs would wander from their property, taking a while to get back after being called, which was very out of character for them
Image credits: Barnabas Davoti (not the actual photo)
Couple’s eldest daughter swore that one time she heard someone knock on the door, but when she went to check, nobody was there
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Couple reported that they feel violated, confused, and scared, a soon started investing in various security measures
Image credits: 3ofus
Family already had indoor cameras, which they now arm before leaving the house
OP’s post starts out simple enough. She told the r/TrueOffMyChest community that she lives in the country with her husband, kids, and dogs, and has six neighbors, the closest of which is 100 yards (about 90 meters) away. Then the story gets a little creepy.
According to OP, someone has been inside the family’s home on four separate occasions, and the circumstances are exceedingly mysterious.
The first time, OP’s husband woke up freezing while sleeping in the back of the house. Getting up to investigate, he discovered that the kitchen door was wide open. This happened three times: twice in one night, and then once again on another night. OP’s husband was alone at home each and every time.
In the most recent questionable event, OP, her husband, and her kids returned from an hour-long visit to the playground to find their living room entrance wide open. Now, according to OP, the family never uses that entrance, and it stays deadbolted with the knob locked. In addition, the door sticks on the frame and the deadbolt is hard to loosen, so she’s sure her kids couldn’t have opened it.
While OP admits in her post that her husband has the bad habit of leaving the kitchen door unlocked, she now believes he’ll take it more seriously, since whoever has been coming into the house has been doing it through the kitchen entrance.
OP believes that whoever popped the living room entrance did it to let them know somebody had been there, despite no valuables being touched or anything being disturbed.
OP goes on to mention her dogs, who, while not aggressive, aren’t in the habit of letting strangers onto the property unchecked. She says that a couple of years ago, the dogs would wander off the property whenever they were let out and take a while to come back home after being called.
Now OP is wondering whether somebody had been feeding them as a way of familiarizing themselves with the hounds. Either way, it was very out of character for them, and the situation had only recently got better.
In the case of the open living room door, when OP and her family got back from the playground, the dogs were both acting somewhat shameful, walking around with their heads bowed, as if something ‘wrong’ had taken place.
On a separate occasion, the family have returned home to find their dogs outside, while OP swears they were left inside, as they always are whenever the family go out.
In her post, OP mentions another strange incident. After arriving home from work and using her key to let herself in, OP’s eldest daughter told her, “Mom, I swear, RIGHT before you pulled up, someone knocked on the door; but when I looked out, I didn’t see anyone.”
This was particularly odd for OP, since the family’s gravel driveway is fairly long and there would have been a car around if someone was there.
OP tells the community that they’ve had extra keys made, already had indoor cameras which they now arm before leaving the house, have ordered three outdoor cameras, window jambs, doorknob jambs, swing locks, and frosted window film.
“We feel violated, confused, and scared.” complained OP at the end of her post.
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
In 2024, there’s no shortage of ways to secure your home with some pretty impressive technology, assorted security systems, and affordable DIY gadgetry. Still, there’s something to be said for low-to-no-tech measures.
In their article for Forbes, Emily Glover and Lexie Pelchen write that, according to the latest FBI Crime Data Report, there were 492,911 burglary incidents in the United States in 2019.
While that’s not exactly reassuring news, Glover and Pelchen say that knowledge is power when it comes to protecting your home. You can start protecting yourself by evaluating your home, changing your habits when you leave and putting other measures in place that could improve your home’s security.
Seemingly obvious, the authors suggest keeping curtains and blinds pulled. It’s so simple you might have overlooked it, but criminals may look through windows to scout potential burglary targets or to evaluate whether residents are home.
Glover and Pelchen go on to recommend not broadcasting upcoming vacations, since residents’ holidays are best-case scenarios for burglars.
Don’t be obvious with routines. Although your work schedule may be consistent, try to keep your comings and goings unknown as much as possible. Also, try not to widely share your whereabouts, even with people you know. According to the FBI, among 2019 burglaries with identified offenders, at least one-in-three of the burglars were known to the victim.
Finally, consider your home’s curb appeal to burglars. They may be attracted by shrubs that conceal entrances, personal items left around the yard and expensive landscaping features that may indicate there are pricey possessions on the inside of the home. Of course, in OP's case, she isn't facing a typical burglary, but something seemingly far more mysterious.
What would you do if you found yourself in OP’s situation? Will a security upgrade be enough, or should she resort to more extreme measures? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
Redditors had plenty to share in terms of practical safety and security tips, from hidden security cameras, to calling the cops and filing an immediate report
