**Diary Entry 15th October**
Last night, we were jolted awake by the sharp, frantic barking of our dog. For a moment, I was disorientedthe room was pitch black, my heart pounding wildly, and the dog wouldnt stop, as if warning us of something dreadful.
My wife, Emily, switched on the bedside lamp, and we both sat up. Our spaniel, Winston, stood rigid in the middle of the room, staring fixedly at the ceiling.
Seeing ghosts again, is he? Emily tried to joke, but her voice shook.
This time, though, it wasnt funny. Exhaustion, irritation at being woken, and an odd tension in the air made it all the more unsettling. I told her Id take Winston to the other room so we could sleep, but the moment I reached for him, he darted back to the same spot, growling and barking like mad.
Whats got into you? I snapped, rubbing my eyes. Let us sleep, for heavens sake.
Then I froze. Following Winstons gaze, I squinted at the ceilingand my blood ran cold.
Call the police. Now, I said, sharper than I meant to.
Why? What is it? Emilys voice trembled as she looked up.
And then she saw it too. Something horrifying. Right there, in our own bedroom.
Tucked almost invisibly between the wallpaper seams and the shadow of the wardrobe was a tiny black dota camera lens.
We were stunned. It was so well hidden, wed have never spotted it without Winston.
The police arrived within half an hour. They carefully removed the device, plugged it into a laptop, and scanned the footage. No faceswhoever did this had covered their tracks. But the officers explained these cameras are usually planted for surveillance or blackmail.
We racked our brainswhod want to spy on us? No enemies, nothing valuable in the flat.
Days later, the detective called back. The camera had been live-streaming to a server in the basement of the house next door. A raid revealed our neighboura quiet, unassuming bloke in his fortieshad been collecting footage from multiple flats for years.
Hed even hidden cameras in homes where hed been invited for tea, exploiting trust.
The worst part? Among hundreds of files, they found one labelled with our names. Weeks of footage. Every movement, every private conversationall there.
They arrested him.
As for Winston? Hes a proper hero. Without his barking, we mightve lived under that mans watch for God knows how long.
**Lesson learned: Trust a dogs instinct over a neighbours smile.**
