Every instinct told me to leave immediately.
Instead, I pulled out my phone.
My hands trembled as I dialed the police.
Waiting for Help
The dispatcher remained calm while I explained the situation.
She advised me to leave the house immediately and wait outside.
I didn’t argue.
Within minutes I was standing across the street watching my own home.
Every shadow suddenly looked threatening.
Every movement seemed suspicious.
A police car arrived shortly afterward.
Two officers approached and listened carefully as I described the strange mug.
They exchanged glances.
Then they entered the house.
The search lasted nearly twenty minutes.
When they finally emerged, one officer approached me.
“We didn’t find anyone,” he said.
I nodded.
Part of me felt relieved.
Another part felt worse.
Because if nobody was there now, then someone had been there earlier.
And I had no idea who.
The officers inspected doors and windows.
No signs of forced entry.
