We've been in this house for three years, presently. We've watched rent skyrocket in this town, and now we are stuck here. The only way we can get out is to buy, and if you've seen the housing market lately, its just as ridiculous as $1,400.00 monthly for a two-bedroom apartment. Luckily, we've locked in our rent for as long as we stay. Its now nearly $600.00 cheaper than a two-bedroom apartment. And this is a 3-bedroom house with a large back yard for the area.

You'd think that would be great, right? there are some issues. First of all, there's some sealing issues around the doors and windows. Secondly, I can only do 1/3 load of laundry without flooding the house, and I can't do laundry and run the dishwasher on the same day. Lastly, there's the presence.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not superstitious and I don't believe in the supernatural.

Well, I didn't. At this point, I'm forced to believe.

In the month leading into the quarantine, I started dating for the first time in years. This may have little to do with the story, or it could be everything. Before this point, the most 'unusual' occurrences would be items falling in the shower that were most definitely secure. Or the occasional feeling of being watched. Nothing malicious or overly noticeable.

Then one day, I finally get to go to bed early. The boyfriend is away, and it's just me and my son. I let Karma, my dog, do her outdoor business one last time before calling her in and performing my nightly perimeter check. We lock each and every door, window, and close every curtain. Karma gets a treat for being a good watchdog. Once everything is secured, closed, and locked, I check on my son. With him sleeping soundly, I can finally retire to my own room and the sweet oblivion of sleep. Karma gladly huffed to her bed near the closet and gratefully accepted her nightly night-night pats. I make note of a knot in her undercoat before I turn off the lights and climb into bed. That will need to be brushed out tomorrow before it matts her fur.

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At some point I wake up extremely thirsty and stumble my way through the darkness to the door. I call for Karma, but I can't see her in the darkness. When I open the door to the hallway, the ambient lighting of the livingroom shows her fluffy tail receding around a corner. The klack-klack-klack of her trot leads me to the Livingroom, again only catching a glimpse of her tail before she vanished around a corner. When I step onto the carpet of the living room and turn into the room I find Karma looking at me from the back porch, locked outside.

My brain ground to a halt. I did not dream this. I did not forget her outside. We did the nightly checks together, as we always do. She got a treat. The package was still on the coffee, having been too lazy to replace them on the shelf.

I pet her before going to bed. A chill ran down my spine as fear settled into my stomach like a bowling ball. I turn on the lights to every room and bring Karma in. Tentatively running my hand through her thick fur, I find the knot I needed to brush out. We will call this night 1.