Creepy Housekeeper Horror Story | Scary Short Story
The Drowsy Owl
[{'start': '0.240', 'end': '4.480', 'text': 'We hired her because she came'}, {'start': '1.760', 'end': '7.279', 'text': 'recommended by the neighbors. Melissa,'}, {'start': '4.480', 'end': '9.679', 'text': 'early 40s, sturdy, polite, a little'}, {'start': '7.279', 'end': '12.880', 'text': 'plain, the kind of woman who tied her'}, {'start': '9.679', 'end': '15.040', 'text': 'hair back so tightly it looked painful.'}, {'start': '12.880', 'end': '17.039', 'text': 'She wore sneakers that squeaked slightly'}, {'start': '15.040', 'end': '18.359', 'text': 'on the hardwood floors and smelled'}, {'start': '17.039', 'end': '20.800', 'text': 'faintly of'}, {'start': '18.359', 'end': '24.160', 'text': 'clothes. Our friends next door, the'}, {'start': '20.800', 'end': '26.560', 'text': "Millers, swore by her. She's a dream."}, {'start': '24.160', 'end': '28.480', 'text': 'Never misses a spot. Always on time,'}, {'start': '26.560', 'end': '31.599', 'text': 'reliable.'}, {'start': '28.480', 'end': '33.760', 'text': 'And she was at first. Every Wednesday'}, {'start': '31.599', 'end': '36.960', 'text': "and Friday, she'd show up precisely at"}, {'start': '33.760', 'end': '39.079', 'text': '9:00 a.m. She brought her own vacuum, an'}, {'start': '36.960', 'end': '41.360', 'text': 'ancient thing that roared like an'}, {'start': '39.079', 'end': '43.879', 'text': 'airplane. She had a way of making'}, {'start': '41.360', 'end': '46.960', 'text': 'herself almost invisible while she'}, {'start': '43.879', 'end': '48.960', 'text': "worked. I'd be in my office upstairs and"}, {'start': '46.960', 'end': '52.320', 'text': 'hardly hear a thing until she appeared'}, {'start': '48.960', 'end': '54.600', 'text': 'in the doorway, dust rag in hand, asking'}, {'start': '52.320', 'end': '57.760', 'text': 'if it was all right to polish the'}, {'start': '54.600', 'end': '59.840', 'text': 'desk. She hummed while she cleaned.'}, {'start': '57.760', 'end': '63.720', 'text': 'strange old songs, the kind with no'}, {'start': '59.840', 'end': '66.320', 'text': 'words, just a low, almost tuneless'}, {'start': '63.720', 'end': '68.720', 'text': 'sound. At first, it was cozy,'}, {'start': '66.320', 'end': '70.640', 'text': 'comforting, even. The house smelt of'}, {'start': '68.720', 'end': '73.680', 'text': 'lemon polish and fresh linen when she'}, {'start': '70.640', 'end': '76.799', 'text': 'was finished. But after a few months,'}, {'start': '73.680', 'end': '80.080', 'text': 'little things started to bother me. It'}, {'start': '76.799', 'end': '82.159', 'text': "was how she rearranged things. I'd find"}, {'start': '80.080', 'end': '83.680', 'text': 'my coffee mugs all turned upside down in'}, {'start': '82.159', 'end': '86.320', 'text': 'the cabinet, even though we kept them'}, {'start': '83.680', 'end': '88.600', 'text': 'upright, or the couch cushions stacked'}, {'start': '86.320', 'end': '91.520', 'text': 'vertically instead of laid'}, {'start': '88.600', 'end': '93.920', 'text': 'flat. One day, I found every picture'}, {'start': '91.520', 'end': '96.880', 'text': 'frame in the house tilted. Was she'}, {'start': '93.920', 'end': '98.720', 'text': 'trying to drive us crazy? When I asked'}, {'start': '96.880', 'end': '101.159', 'text': 'her about it, she smiled tightly and'}, {'start': '98.720', 'end': '103.759', 'text': 'said, "Just making things better for'}, {'start': '101.159', 'end': '106.640', 'text': 'you." The way she said that stuck with'}, {'start': '103.759', 'end': '108.680', 'text': 'me. Worse was when she started staying'}, {'start': '106.640', 'end': '112.439', 'text': 'at our house longer and'}, {'start': '108.680', 'end': '114.880', 'text': "longer. We'd come home from errands on"}, {'start': '112.439', 'end': '117.520', 'text': "Sundays, days she wasn't supposed to be"}, {'start': '114.880', 'end': '120.479', 'text': 'there and find the smell of cloves thick'}, {'start': '117.520', 'end': '121.479', 'text': 'in the air, fresh vacuum lines visible'}, {'start': '120.479', 'end': '124.079', 'text': 'on the'}, {'start': '121.479', 'end': '126.119', 'text': 'carpet. The first time I thought maybe'}, {'start': '124.079', 'end': '129.360', 'text': 'she had made a mistake about her'}, {'start': '126.119', 'end': '131.440', 'text': 'schedule. The second time we knew that'}, {'start': '129.360', 'end': '133.280', 'text': 'was no mistake.'}, {'start': '131.440', 'end': '134.800', 'text': 'I asked Melissa to meet us in the'}, {'start': '133.280', 'end': '137.680', 'text': 'kitchen after one of her regular'}, {'start': '134.800', 'end': '139.160', 'text': 'cleanings. I rehearsed it polite, firm,'}, {'start': '137.680', 'end': '141.560', 'text': 'not inviting'}, {'start': '139.160', 'end': '143.920', 'text': "argument. We're so grateful, I said"}, {'start': '141.560', 'end': '146.040', 'text': "carefully. But we think we're ready to"}, {'start': '143.920', 'end': '148.879', 'text': 'take care of things ourselves for a'}, {'start': '146.040', 'end': '149.800', 'text': "while. Her face didn't move. She stared"}, {'start': '148.879', 'end': '152.000', 'text': 'at us'}, {'start': '149.800', 'end': '154.599', 'text': 'blankly. She wiped her hands on her'}, {'start': '152.000', 'end': '157.360', 'text': 'apron and said, "That\'s not a good'}, {'start': '154.599', 'end': '160.480', 'text': 'idea. We just think," my husband'}, {'start': '157.360', 'end': '162.720', 'text': 'started. "No," Melissa said sharply.'}, {'start': '160.480', 'end': '164.760', 'text': "You're not ready. Not yet. You don't"}, {'start': '162.720', 'end': '167.280', 'text': "know what gets in when things aren't"}, {'start': '164.760', 'end': '169.080', 'text': 'clean. It was the first time her voice'}, {'start': '167.280', 'end': '171.760', 'text': 'had showed any real'}, {'start': '169.080', 'end': '173.720', 'text': 'emotion. I smiled. The way you smile at'}, {'start': '171.760', 'end': '176.440', 'text': "someone who's standing too close in an"}, {'start': '173.720', 'end': '179.519', 'text': "elevator. We're sure. Thank you again,"}, {'start': '176.440', 'end': '181.720', 'text': "truly. Melissa didn't argue. She packed"}, {'start': '179.519', 'end': '185.360', 'text': 'her things calmly, left without another'}, {'start': '181.720', 'end': '187.519', 'text': 'word. For a few days, it was quiet. But'}, {'start': '185.360', 'end': '188.959', 'text': 'then on Monday, we found muddy'}, {'start': '187.519', 'end': '192.760', 'text': 'footprints across the living room'}, {'start': '188.959', 'end': '195.760', 'text': 'carpet. a faint smell of'}, {'start': '192.760', 'end': '198.000', 'text': 'cloves. Tuesday, every light in the'}, {'start': '195.760', 'end': '201.560', 'text': 'house was left on when we returned from'}, {'start': '198.000', 'end': '204.560', 'text': 'dinner out. Wednesday, the back door'}, {'start': '201.560', 'end': '206.400', 'text': 'unlocked. We called the police. They'}, {'start': '204.560', 'end': '208.720', 'text': 'came, looked around, found no sign of'}, {'start': '206.400', 'end': '211.599', 'text': 'forced entry, suggested maybe we left'}, {'start': '208.720', 'end': '213.519', 'text': 'the door open by accident. We installed'}, {'start': '211.599', 'end': '216.319', 'text': 'new locks and a security system with'}, {'start': '213.519', 'end': '218.799', 'text': 'indoor and outdoor cameras. On Friday'}, {'start': '216.319', 'end': '221.680', 'text': 'morning, the cameras caught Melissa. She'}, {'start': '218.799', 'end': '224.159', 'text': 'came up the front steps like she still'}, {'start': '221.680', 'end': '225.599', 'text': 'owned the place. Spare key in hand. She'}, {'start': '224.159', 'end': '228.720', 'text': 'moved with purpose, like she had a'}, {'start': '225.599', 'end': '230.720', 'text': 'schedule to keep. She only made it a few'}, {'start': '228.720', 'end': '233.360', 'text': 'steps inside before the alarm blared.'}, {'start': '230.720', 'end': '234.599', 'text': 'The police came fast this time. She was'}, {'start': '233.360', 'end': '236.879', 'text': 'arrested for'}, {'start': '234.599', 'end': '238.959', 'text': 'trespassing. We watched from the living'}, {'start': '236.879', 'end': '241.280', 'text': 'room window as they put her in the'}, {'start': '238.959', 'end': '242.760', 'text': 'cruiser. She was actually grinning like'}, {'start': '241.280', 'end': '244.959', 'text': 'it was amusing or'}, {'start': '242.760', 'end': '247.519', 'text': 'something. Later, we found out she'}, {'start': '244.959', 'end': '249.680', 'text': "wasn't held long, only a night. It"}, {'start': '247.519', 'end': '252.319', 'text': "didn't make sense, but apparently the"}, {'start': '249.680', 'end': '254.319', 'text': 'charges were minor. Her record included'}, {'start': '252.319', 'end': '256.799', 'text': 'a few transgressions, but nothing'}, {'start': '254.319', 'end': '259.359', 'text': 'violent. She also apparently had mental'}, {'start': '256.799', 'end': '262.560', 'text': "health concerns. They didn't see her as"}, {'start': '259.359', 'end': '264.800', 'text': 'a threat. But we sure as hell did. For a'}, {'start': '262.560', 'end': '266.800', 'text': 'while after that, nothing happened.'}, {'start': '264.800', 'end': '269.919', 'text': 'Spring turned into summer. We started to'}, {'start': '266.800', 'end': '273.040', 'text': 'forget until one night in July, I woke'}, {'start': '269.919', 'end': '275.680', 'text': 'to the sound of humming. Low, tuneless,'}, {'start': '273.040', 'end': '278.080', 'text': 'familiar. I sat up in bed, heart'}, {'start': '275.680', 'end': '280.479', 'text': 'pounding, straining to hear. It was'}, {'start': '278.080', 'end': '282.400', 'text': 'coming from downstairs. I shook my'}, {'start': '280.479', 'end': '285.280', 'text': 'husband awake. We stayed frozen there,'}, {'start': '282.400', 'end': '286.960', 'text': 'barely breathing, listening. The humming'}, {'start': '285.280', 'end': '289.440', 'text': 'moved through the house from room to'}, {'start': '286.960', 'end': '291.919', 'text': 'room. It was her. I called the police'}, {'start': '289.440', 'end': '294.000', 'text': 'whispering. Told them she was inside.'}, {'start': '291.919', 'end': '296.560', 'text': 'They told me to stay put. Officers were'}, {'start': '294.000', 'end': '298.880', 'text': 'on their way. But before they arrived,'}, {'start': '296.560', 'end': '302.000', 'text': 'the humming stopped. We heard the front'}, {'start': '298.880', 'end': '303.759', 'text': 'door creek open and then silence. The'}, {'start': '302.000', 'end': '306.160', 'text': 'police combed the house, but she was'}, {'start': '303.759', 'end': '308.400', 'text': 'gone. They found the back door cracked,'}, {'start': '306.160', 'end': '311.039', 'text': 'footprints leading down the driveway and'}, {'start': '308.400', 'end': '313.520', 'text': 'disappearing into the woods beyond. They'}, {'start': '311.039', 'end': '315.600', 'text': 'searched, but they never found her. She'}, {'start': '313.520', 'end': '317.520', 'text': "didn't come back again. But a couple of"}, {'start': '315.600', 'end': '320.560', 'text': 'times, we swore we spotted her driving'}, {'start': '317.520', 'end': '322.560', 'text': 'by the house. Eventually, the house'}, {'start': '320.560', 'end': '325.120', 'text': 'started to feel like ours again. But'}, {'start': '322.560', 'end': '327.680', 'text': 'even now, sometimes when the windows are'}, {'start': '325.120', 'end': '330.160', 'text': 'open and the night is very still, I'}, {'start': '327.680', 'end': '333.039', 'text': 'think I hear it. that faint tuneless'}, {'start': '330.160', 'end': '335.360', 'text': 'humming emanating from the darkness. And'}, {'start': '333.039', 'end': '337.039', 'text': 'I wonder if Melissa is still out there'}, {'start': '335.360', 'end': '341.479', 'text': 'just waiting for the day we let the'}, {'start': '337.039', 'end': '341.479', 'text': 'house get a little too messy.'}]