Two weeks ago,
an incident occurred that still haunts me.
I've always despised the majority of my neighbors.
As a recent college graduate living alone,
I had to settle for a rundown area where affordable housing was the only option.
Unfortunately, ideal neighbors were not part of the package.
On one side, my neighbors constantly blasted music,
while on the other side lived the creepiest duo I had ever encountered.
It consisted of an unfriendly woman in her 60s,
who seemed to be disconnected from reality, and a younger woman with severe mental disabilities.
Their relationship remained a mystery to me.
Often, while relaxing on my front porch,
I would witness the older woman restraining the younger one during her episodes of distress.
The younger woman would rock back and forth, screaming and making unintelligible noises.
Sometimes, she would even point at me and mutter unsettling things.
It was deeply disturbing,
forcing me to retreat inside whenever her behavior became too uncomfortable to bear.
One night, like any other,
I had to retire early for work the next morning.
However, my next-door neighbors created an unusually loud ruckus.
The deranged woman screamed and threw a fit,
while the older woman cried out in distress.
This continued for about an hour, reaching a point where I could no longer tolerate it.
Determined, I marched over to their house and banged on their door.
The older woman opened the door, wearing an expression that clearly conveyed annoyance.
"What the hell do you want?", she snapped.
I mustered as much politeness as I could and requested that they lower the noise.
In response, the woman raised her eyebrows and tilted her head, visibly irritated by my request.
Just then, the younger woman burst into the living room,
repeatedly screaming, "How dare you!"
The older woman restrained her from approaching me and slammed the door shut in my face.
I felt a sense of defeat, realizing that my purpose for visiting had not been accomplished.
With a heavy heart, I returned to my bed.
However, to my relief, the commotion next door finally subsided,
allowing me to drift off to sleep.
When I woke up, it felt like the night had passed too quickly.
Glancing at the clock, I noticed it was only 3:00 in the morning.
I rested my head back on the pillow, grateful for the peacefulness.
But it didn't last long.
Soon, I heard a faint sound emanating from downstairs.
I left my bed and approached the door, ensuring I wasn't imagining things.
Hearing no other noises, I returned to bed.
However, after a short while, I awoke again to a dark room.
Only 20 minutes had passed since I had fallen back asleep.
Uncertain about what had disturbed my slumber, I strained my ears,
hoping to identify the source.
Then, I heard it. a chilling sound that sent shivers down my spine.
Panic surged through me as I fumbled to find my phone on the bedside desk, seeking a source of light.
But I couldn't bring myself to turn on the light.
I surveyed the dark room in silence,
scanning every corner, even though the darkness made it difficult to discern anything.
Yet, I knew there was no one standing there.
This time, I pinpointed the origin of the sound.
I turned toward the edge of my bed and saw a shadowy, circular object pressed against the wooden wall.
As the light from my phone revealed the object, I gasped.
It was the face of the deranged woman from next door.
She screamed, her derangement taking hold, as if she were a vampire recoiling from the light.
I, too, screamed in terror as I clumsily dashed for the door, stumbling midway.
Glancing back, I saw the woman pursuing me.
I slammed my bedroom door shut and rushed downstairs, locking the door leading to the upper floor.
Trembling, I dialed the emergency line, summoning the police.
Outside, the younger woman pounded on the door,
screaming incomprehensible things.
When the police arrived, I informed them about the mentally unstable woman living next door.
The older woman, having heard the commotion, approached them, pleading for her companion's release.
However, the officers insisted on taking her in for the night.
One of the officers inquired if I wished to press charges.
As he posed the question, the older woman fixed me with an evil, hateful stare.
Though tempted, I chose not to press charges, though her glare remained unchanged.
The officers escorted the young woman away,
while the older woman continued to stare at me before making her way back to her house.
Five minutes later, she drove off in her car.
These two neighbors still reside beside me,
but the creepy woman next door makes her disdain for me abundantly clear.
Moreover, I have come to the conclusion that the mentally ill woman is not only terrifying
but also poses a potential danger.
Considering the circumstances, I am seriously contemplating moving out.