I came home and found straw hats with colourful bands and colourful bandannas and things like that on my bedroom windowsill, along with a sense that children had just been there. It was disturbing because I could think of no way they could get in or out, since it’s a 12th floor apartment and the only way to get in would be past the front desk or past the security cameras in the back. Yet this happened several times. I think I heard laughter once, and spotted some boys at one point.

After another incident in which I had apparently just missed the kids (they were always ahead of me, but by less and less), I finally determined to do something about it, although nothing was ever missing or stolen, and I was also afraid of retaliation. I couldn’t decide whether to call the manager or see her. After a long internal debate, I went to see her but she was in a meeting. I was talking with the front-desk person, and she had decided that I would need new keys, which meant everyone would need new keys. Meanwhile, through the magic of dreaming, I could see the kids in my windows, looking down and laughing, and I knew they’d always be there.