I Shouldn’t Have Answered That Midnight Knock

I used to laugh at ghost stories. Then, last winter, I heard the knock—three sharp raps at 12:17 AM. My phone buzzed: a text from my own number. Just one word: "Open." I watched the peephole. Nothing. But the air on the other side of the door shimmered, like heat on asphalt. I opened it anyway. The hallway was empty, except for a single muddy footprint facing my door. Every night since, 12:17 AM, the knocking returns. The footprint multiplies. I scrub, I lock every bolt, but the pattern grows. Last night, I woke to muddy prints circling my bed. If you hear a midnight knock, don’t answer. Please. I wish I hadn’t. #TrueHorror #ParanormalEncounter #SleepWithTheLightsOn #Spirituality