I'm Downstairs

The clock struck midnight. I was on my laptop in my bedroom, browsing through YouTube videos. However, my browsing stopped when my phone vibrated. I saw that I received a text message from my friend, Ben.

“Hey man I’m outside by the back door. Can you let me in?”.

I knew he was lying. For the last few weekends, he had been trying to mess with me. One weekend he told me he was parked in my cul-de-sac when in reality, he was in his bedroom. He did stuff like this to make me mad, since he always found my reactions to be quite hilarious. This time, I wasn’t going to let him get to me.

“I know you’re just messing with me again.”

He immediately replied back.

“No I’m being serious this time, I am by the back door.”

“Nice try, I know you’re not there.”

I placed my phone down. I wasn’t going to play his little game. As I was about to continue my search, I started to hear something from the deafening silence of my dark house. I faced the doorway behind me and listened closely. It sounded like footsteps, silent footsteps walking around downstairs. It was nerve racking. I couldn’t believe it. Was my mind tricking with me or was Ben actually in my house? I grabbed my phone.

“Are you joking with me man?”

I continued to listen as my phone vibrated again.

“No, I told you I was at your back door. I’m inside now.”

I was quite relieved that it was him, but I was pissed off that he broke into my house. I could hear him walking around downstairs as I waited for him to come into my bedroom. I grabbed my phone again.

“Aren’t you going to come upstairs? I can hear you walking around downstairs. Just come up here already.”

I sent the message and waited for him to respond. I was starting to get a little annoyed after a minute of waiting. I got up from my bed and went to the doorway. I proceeded to shout downstairs:

“Get your ass upstairs already! Stop fucking around!”

I sat back on my bed as I began to hear him walk upstairs. Suddenly, my phone vibrated again. It was a text message from Ben. He finally responded to my last text.

“You know I was fucking with you, right? I’m not downstairs.”

My heart dropped. If it wasn’t him, then who was walking up the stairs?