The Sound Upstairs
Nora arrived home just before 11:00 p.m. after a long day. The rain had finally stopped, but the streets were still wet and quiet. As she unlocked her apartment door, she noticed the hallway smelled faintly like cleaning solution, stronger than usual for that late at night.
Once inside, Nora heard soft footsteps coming from the apartment directly above hers. This wasn’t unusual—her upstairs neighbor, Leo, often stayed up late. What caught her attention was the rhythm of the steps. They moved slowly, then paused, then started again, as if someone was unsure where to step.
Nora put her bag down and walked into the kitchen. The clock on the microwave showed 10:42 p.m. She always resets it after power outages, and she clearly remembered doing it that morning. The time was wrong by nearly twenty minutes.
In the living room, the window was closed, but one of the chairs had been pulled slightly away from the table. Nora usually keeps the chairs pushed in because the space is small. She stopped and tried to remember if she had moved it herself, but nothing came to mind.
Earlier that day, Nora’s friend Maya had stopped by unexpectedly. Maya was anxious and distracted, checking her phone often and asking several times what time Nora would be home. Nora found it strange but didn’t ask why.
Later that night, Leo mentioned in a text message that he had been out most of the evening and only returned around midnight. He added that the footsteps Nora heard earlier must have been “someone else.”
Nora stood in the middle of her apartment, replaying the evening in her head, trying to decide which details mattered—and which ones only felt important because it was late and quiet.
DISCUSSION PROMPTS
What do you think happened?
Do you think someone was in Nora’s apartment?
What are you basing that on?
Which detail feels most reliable?
Why does the microwave clock matter?
Why might the chair being moved be important?
Why do you think Maya’s behavior matters?
Why might Leo’s message raise questions?
What assumption are you making?
Which detail could be coincidence?
What information is missing?
What would you ask Nora first?
What would you ask Maya?
What would you ask Leo?
What would change your conclusion?
