There are words after which something ordinary rarely happens. And they are: “I woke up in the middle of the night…” Hundreds of stories start with these words, from mystical to incredibly funny. Some people hear strange conversations, some get scared of their own shadow, and others go to get a drink of water and stumble into an incredible adventure. We put together the most amusing stories — the kind that can be retold for years like a joke.

I make custom desserts to order. Recently, a girl ordered a cake for her boyfriend’s birthday. We spent a good hour deciding on the filling and decoration. It turned out expensive. But she, without bargaining, sent over the full amount. I bought everything needed and got to work. The cake was complicated, with lots of details, and it took a lot of effort. Especially the swirly lettering: “I love you, Roman!” I finished, went to bed. But I couldn’t calm down — it felt like something was off. And then it hit me in the middle of the night — I ran to read our messages, and sure enough, her boyfriend’s name was Ray, where did I get Roman from? I spent the rest of the night redoing the inscription, barely made it in time.