Coffee in hand, half-awake, browsing through my phone, it began as any other day until I noticed something strange. I noticed something when I looked up. peeking out of my ceiling’s corner. It had a snake-like quality, was slender, and had a strange feel. I initially froze. Was the cable old? A forgotten cable installation, perhaps? Or, heaven forbid, was there life up there?
I tried to convince myself that it wasn’t moving while I gazed at it for a solid minute. Warning: there’s a good chance it twitched. My mind immediately went over all the worst-case scenarios,
from monstrous worms to rogue snakes to spaghetti with a cursed ceiling. Curiosity gave way to worry, which in turn gave way to fear, and then I was actively researching as if I were in a low-budget horror film. I even picked up a broom.
Just for moral support, not defense. Whatever was living rent-free up there, I was completely unprepared emotionally. That’s how my typical day became an impromptu National Geographic: Mild Suburban Panic Edition episode.

