two women standing next to each other in a room

**"The Third Roommate"**Mara and Elena had been searching for an apartment for weeks. Everything within their budget was either falling apart or in a sketchy part of town. But then, out of nowhere, they found it: a spacious, beautiful apartment on the edge of the city, and shockingly affordable. There was only one catch -- they'd be moving in with an existing tenant, a quiet girl named Lily who traveled frequently and wouldn't be around much.When they arrived, Lily was already gone, leaving a note: "Welcome! Make yourselves at home. I’m off on another work trip, but I’ll be back soon!" Mara and Elena were relieved; it meant they had the place to themselves. The first night, they celebrated with pizza and movies, laughing about how lucky they were to have landed such a nice place.Over the next few days, they began to notice odd things. At night, they would hear soft footsteps in the hallways or faint whispers, as if someone else was in the apartment. Once, Mara even saw a shadow moving under her door. "It’s pr