2:43 AM Doorbell

The first time my doorbell rang at 2:43 in the morning, I was awake.

I was watching something on my laptop when I heard it.

One ring.

Then silence.

I checked the camera on my phone.

Nobody was outside.

I thought maybe someone had pressed it and ran.

Then it rang again.

Three times.

I opened the camera.

The porch was empty.

But there was something strange about the footage.

The timestamp said 2:43.

My phone said 2:44.

I refreshed it.

The footage went back to 2:43.

I thought the camera was broken.

The next night, it happened again.

2:43.

One ring.

Then three.

I didn't check the door.

I just watched the camera.

Nothing.

The third night, I decided to stay awake and wait for it.

At exactly 2:43, the doorbell rang.

This time, someone was standing outside.

It was me.

I was wearing the exact clothes I had on.

Same shirt.

Same sweatpants.

Same messy hair.

I stared at the screen for probably thirty seconds.

The person outside didn't move.

Then it looked directly into the camera.

And smiled.

I ran upstairs and locked my bedroom door.

My phone started ringing.

It was my own number.

I didn't answer.

It stopped.

Then it called again.

I finally picked up.

For a few seconds, there was nothing.

Then I heard my own voice.

"Don't let me in."

I whispered, "Who are you?"

The voice said,

"I don't know anymore."

Then the call ended.

The doorbell rang again.

I looked at the camera.

The person outside was gone.

I stayed upstairs until sunrise.

When I finally checked the front door, there was nothing there.

Except a wet footprint.

One footprint.

Barefoot.

It led from the porch to my front door.

There were no footprints leading away.

I moved out a few weeks later.

I never figured out what happened that night.

But recently, I checked the old security camera account because I was deleting my old data.

The footage from that night was still there.

I watched it again.

At 2:43, I saw myself standing outside.

At 2:44, the footage showed me running upstairs.

Then something happened that I hadn't noticed before.

The camera recorded another figure leaving the house.

It came through my front door.

It looked exactly like me.

It walked onto the porch.

Turned toward the camera.

And pressed the doorbell.

Then the footage ended.

I never left the house that night.

I know that because I was upstairs watching the camera.

So whatever was standing outside...

wasn't trying to get inside.

It had already gotten out.