It was 1:30 in the morning when Sarah suddenly woke up.
She lay perfectly still, listening.
Something had disturbed her.
A faint sound.
A creak.
Then another.
She slowly turned toward her husband, Mark, who was sleeping peacefully beside her.
She shook his shoulder.
“Mark.”
He didn’t move.
She shook him again.
“Mark, wake up!”
He opened one eye.
“What?”
Sarah whispered,
“I think someone is downstairs.”
Mark sighed.
“Are you sure?”
“I heard something.”
He reluctantly got out of bed, grabbed a flashlight, and headed downstairs.
Sarah stayed under the blankets, listening nervously.
A few minutes passed.
She heard Mark walking around downstairs.
First the kitchen.
Then the living room.
Then the hallway.
Finally, he came back upstairs.
He climbed into bed.
“Nothing,” he muttered.
“I checked everywhere.”
Sarah stared at him.
“You didn’t check the bedroom closet.”
Mark frowned.
“Why would I check the closet?”
Sarah smiled nervously.
Then she whispered,
“Because that’s where the burglar has been hiding for the last twenty minutes.”
Mark froze.
Slowly, he turned his head toward the closet.
There was a long silence.
Then came a tiny sound from inside.
Creak.
Mark’s eyes widened.
“Sarah…”
“Yes?”
“Why didn’t you tell me before I went downstairs?”
She shrugged.
“I wanted to make sure you were brave.”
Mark stared at her.
“BRAVE?”
Sarah nodded.
“Very brave.”
From inside the closet came another noise.
Mark grabbed the flashlight tighter.
Then he whispered,
“Okay…”
“What?”
“You go check the closet.”
Sarah immediately pulled the blanket over her head.
“I’m suddenly very tired.”
Mark stared at her.
The closet door slowly began to open.
Both of them screamed.
Then a voice shouted,
“PLEASE DON’T CALL THE POLICE!”
Mark jumped out of bed.
Sarah screamed again.
The closet door opened fully.
A terrified man stepped out with his hands raised.
“I wasn’t going to hurt anybody!”
Mark stared at him.
“You’ve been hiding in our closet?”
The burglar nodded.
“For twenty minutes.”
Sarah looked at her husband.
“I told you!”
Mark pointed at the man.
“Then why didn’t you steal anything?”
The burglar sighed.
“I was planning to.”
He looked embarrassed.
“But your wife woke up before I could.”
Sarah frowned.
“Wait.”
She looked at Mark.
“Why didn’t you hear him downstairs?”
The burglar slowly raised his hand.
“I… actually came in through the bedroom window.”
Mark stared at Sarah.
Sarah stared at the burglar.
Then she looked at her husband.
“So technically…”
She smiled.
“I was right.”
Mark sighed.
“I’m never sleeping again.” 😄
