I was about 12 when this happened to us.  My sister and I lived with my mom in a 3 bedroom, 2 floor townhouse. Being a single mother to 2 growing kids, my mom worked a lot of shift work at the nursing home.  On this particular night, she was working the 3-11PM shift, so she didn't get home until 11:30 or so. My sister and I were in bed. I was having trouble falling asleep so I was just laying there, listening to the night.  The front door had a dead bolt that we didn't have a key to, so it could only be locked once you were inside. I heard my mom come in and lock the deadbolt behind her. I listened to her come upstairs and use the bathroom, then go into her bedroom.  I'm not sure how long after that I heard a key in the deadbolt. I was puzzled, trying to figure out what my mom was doing back downstairs when I hadn't heard her bedroom door open or her footsteps on the stairs again.  I heard the clank of the lock as it opened. The door opened and then closed. I lay in my bed frozen with fear, listening for what would happen next. I then heard what sounded like heavy work boots tromp across the living room rug and go into the kitchen.  I was so scared, I was almost in tears!  I could not even move. I seriously thought that there was someone in our house. Then the work boots were coming up the stairs!! About half way up, the sound stopped. As I was trying to figure out exactly what was going on, I heard the door to my sister's room being flung open. I heard my mom exclaim, "Katie, what on earth!? What are you doing?" I heard my sister's muffled reply that she had heard something and it scared her. She had run into my mom's room and refused to sleep by herself that night. It was a long time before I could fall asleep, and I just lay there, frozen in my bed and wondering what had just happened.  The next morning, my sister and I both asked my mom if she had heard anything, but she hadn't. She still thinks we're kidding her to this day...and that was 14 years ago!

Susan Gellar, Calgary, AB, Canada