Wednesday, June 08, 2011

Positively Creeptastic!

So, remember back in February when I posted about someone opening the gnome door? Well, not to be all Goldilocks & the Three Bears, but someone's been in my bathroom.

Here's the sitch: I came home yesterday and the welcome mat was askew. I'm the kind of gal who likes her welcome mat to be straight so I would never have left it askew. I blamed it on the mail carrier, straightened it, and thought nothing of it. I went about my business of making dinner, popping a movie in the DVD player, and relaxing. Around 9ish, I paused the movie to go pee. It was at this time that I noticed a makeup brush on the floor. Now, I didn't put make up on yesterday, so the brush should have been nestled in the mug on the windowsill with the other brushes. I looked up at the windowsill and....THE MUG HAD BEEN MOVED!!! (cue the creepy music now) It was about 4 inches away from its original position, and I had the dust ring to prove it, which I wiped up because nothing points out ones slovenly ways like a moved mug. Also, the window had been opened and the weather stripping removed, but not disposed of-- it was left in a wad between the window and the screen. Curious.

Sufficiently creeped out, I started investigating the whole apartment. What else had been touched? Armed with my closest weapon (a butter knife), I opened the closet in the bathroom. It looked kind of empty, well, emptier than usual. I tried thinking about what had been in the closet, but for the life of me I can't remember anything specific. Maybe I HAD moved the coats from the bar to the hooks last time I was in here. I don't remember. I feel like someone is trying to "Gaslight" me.

I checked the bedroom closet, too, but saw no signs of disturbance. Still, I was uneasy. You see those news stories about women whose building managers are coming in and wearing their panties and such. Not that I suspect the Frau--her knees are really bad these days and if she climbed the stairs to my apartment, it wouldn't be to mess around in my bathroom. She'd have fixed the leaky sink that I asked her to fix nine days ago. I know her son comes over and does stuff sometimes (according to Gladys Kravitz downstairs), but I've never seen him and if it was him, why isn't anything fixed?

Now, before you all start yelling "Change your locks!" and "MOVE"*--I don't have the money to change my locks right now, and even if I do, I still have to give The Frau the key in case of emergencies. Moving? I'd love to. Does anyone know a sympathetic landlord in a not-too-bad part of town who would let me make installment payments on my security deposit? Because that's the only way I'd be able to do it. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night and I'm a bundle of crankiness today.

And hey, if you see any videos of me on the Internet, let me know. I mean, I checked for hidden cameras, but they're so tiny and easily hidden these days.


*I also can't report it to the police because there's no sign of forced entry, I can't say if anything was taken, and I can't really prove that anyone was in there other than my knowing that the mug hasn't been moved in months.

5 comments:

the slackmistress said...

Thoughts:
Can you livestream your house all day? Just set up the computer w/webcam pointed at the front door (or wherever you think they're coming in.)

Can you add a lock? A padlock, something you can install yourself (maybe an *extra* lock?)

That said, depending on your type of lock, locks are *relatively* easy to change if you have someone who is Home Depot-savvy.

That saidx2: CREEPY

Annika said...

I can change your locks! We can get you a new one for like $20 I think.

Rita said...

That is just creepy. I was going to recommend borrowing a nanny cam, but the webcam sounds like a great idea. I am a bad tenant but I have changed my locks and NOT given a set of keys to my landlord. Your landlord should not be going in your apartment without your permission anyways. Also consider those locks for the windows, they are about $5.

Hester from Atlanta said...

Oh wowie zowie. IT IF HAPPENS AGAIN, THINK BEFORE you move anything. Take a photo of the ring where the mug used to sit, etc. Do the above things as best you can.

Call the police anyway. Not the 911 folks, but the regular police office and ask them for advise on how you can protect yourself. Someone is entry your home and you have a right to defend yourself and TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.

MonkeyGurrrrrl said...

DAYUM. I'm glad I read in reverse chron order!