The Open Door

Let me just say that I live alone in a very small town where the crime rating is very low - almost non-existent. I have searched and searched and cannot find a logical explanation to my experience. Although I would usually consider myself a skeptic, this experience made me believe that there is something paranormal in my house.

It's impossible for me to sleep with my bedroom door open, so I make sure it's closed tightly every night - this night was no different.

A few nights ago, when I was in bed, I was suddenly woken by something, although I didn't know what at first. But just as I was about to go back to sleep, I heard footsteps near my bed. I looked around the room, but didn't see anything, and my bedroom door was still closed. Figuring I was either dreaming or hallucinating (I tend to do that when I'm barely conscious), I didn't think much of it. I went back to sleep, but found myself awake again not long after. I heard the footsteps again, except this time, they were accompanied by the sound of papers being shuffled around. That freaked me out a bit, but I still didn't see anything. Although I found it harder to get back to sleep this time, I still managed to several minutes later. I was not woken up again that night.

The next morning, I woke up, got out of bed, and came face-to-face with my wide-open door. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and my whole body suddenly felt chilled. How could it be open when, as I said earlier, I had closed it the night before before I went to sleep, and I live alone, so no one else could have opened it (and I know I didn't)?

Thinking someone had gotten into my house during the night (although I doubted it, because as I also said, that happening is very rare in this town, and I would have heard if someone was trying to get in), I ran through the house, checking all the doors and windows, but they were all still locked, and nothing was out of place anywhere in the house. So, the only conclusion I can come up with is that the footsteps and shuffling papers I heard that night weren't just a dream or my imagination, and who or whatever was causing those noises was the same person who left my door wide open. Since it wasn't a burglar, or myself, then it must have been a... ghost. Needless to say, I haven't slept well since that night.