Some people seek out scary movies for a rush of adrenaline, but others experience real moments that leave a lasting chill. This story is one of those unsettling experiences that blurs the line between imagination and reality. One morning, I woke to the sound of my ex-boyfriend doing his usual workout. His breathing grew heavier and louder, so much so that I became irritated and turned over to tell him to quiet down. But when I opened my eyes, the room was empty. The sound stopped instantly, leaving me frozen with fear.

Confused and shaken, I stepped out of the bedroom to find him upstairs in the shower — meaning the breathing I heard couldn’t have been his at all. The experience was brief, yet deeply unnerving, the kind of moment that stays with you long after it ends. Whether it was a trick of half-sleeping senses or something harder to explain, it was a reminder that sometimes the scariest stories aren’t on screens or in books — they happen in real life.