My wife has been peeking at me from around corners and behind furniture. It's gone from weird to terrifying

We’ve been married three years now, but have been together for over ten. We’ve been through a lot, good and bad, and when you spend that kind of time with one person, you get to know them extremely well. You know how they react to different situations, you know their habits, you know how they think. Well, *you’re supposed to know*.<br><br>I thought I knew my wife, but now I’m not so sure. She’s always been a little odd, and I mean that in a good way. She’s fun, she’s playful, she’s a little weird, and she’s extremely intelligent. We’ve had a good life together, and she’s a wonderful woman. But over the last few weeks, she’s become very strange.<br><br>It started with catching glimpses of her out of the corner of my eyes. I’d be watching TV and think I see her standing by the stairs. I’d turn and look, and she’d be gone. I’d be washing dishes and think I see her standing behind me. I’d turn to look and she’d be gone. It was weird, but not necessarily abnormal. Maybe my house is haunted. Maybe it was just my imagination. It wasn’t weird enough for me to mention it to her or anything.<br><br>Then one night, we were laying in bed. I was the only one who was still awake, and I was laying on my side looking at my phone. I saw her peeking over my shoulder at me, then she quickly popped her head back down. She didn’t scare me at all, I knew it was her, so I just laughed out loud.<br><br>“You sily goose.” I said.<br><br>She didn’t respond. I looked over my shoulder and saw her hunkered down under the covers.<br><br>“Is that you?” I asked.<br><br>She didn’t respond. I reached back and tugged on her arm. She didn’t respond. I sat up and looked back, and all I saw was the blanket. I got out of bed and turned on the light and there was no one there. I called out to her, but she didn’t answer. Utterly confused, I went back to bed and laid down. A few minutes later, she came through the bedroom door, saying that she had been in the kitchen making a sandwich and turned around and saw me in bed. But I had come from the bed, and the kitchen was the other way.<br><br>This went on for a few days. I’d see her out of the corner of my eyes, I’d see her peeking around corners at me, and it was starting to get really weird. I tried to confront her a few times, but she would just laugh it off and deny it.<br><br>Then one night, we were laying in bed together. I had just closed my eyes and was drifting off to sleep when I heard a little giggle. It was very soft, but it was close to my ear. It sent a chill down my spine. I knew she was playing a joke on me, I could feel her laying right next to me, but it still made me a little uncomfortable. I didn’t react. I just kept laying there, still and quiet.<br><br>A couple of minutes later, I heard it again. Another quiet giggle. No, this wasn’t a giggle, it was a *heh-heh*, a breathy laugh, like a quiet chuckle. It was still right next to my ear.<br><br>I could feel my heart start to beat harder. I didn’t like this one bit. I reached out and put my arm around my wife to make sure she was still there. She was, and a moment later, I heard her deep, slow breathing as she fell asleep. The breathing sound made me comfortable again, and I closed my eyes to fall asleep.<br><br>That was when I heard the *heh-heh* in my ear again. This time I reacted. I sat up and looked at my wife, and sure enough, she was fast asleep. I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was maybe dreaming, or that I was just hearing things. Was my house haunted? Was someone else in my bedroom with me?<br><br>I laid back in bed and looked at my wife. We were the only two people in the room. I closed my eyes to go to sleep, and I heard it again. The *heh-heh*. My heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t funny anymore. Every time I closed my eyes, I heard that laugh. It was soft, it was right next to my ear, and it sent shivers down my spine. I knew there was no one else in the room, but that didn’t make it any easier to deal with. I had to go to work the next day, and I really needed to sleep.<br><br>I laid there for over an hour, closing my eyes and hearing that laugh. I was getting more and more Sleep deprived, and getting more and more terrified. I knew it had to be a joke, but if it was, it was a really shitty thing to do. I had to go to work the next day, and I had to sleep.<br><br>It was around 4am when I finally couldn’t take it anymore. I shook my wife’s shoulders violently until she woke up. She looked up startled and asked me what was wrong. I shushed her and looked around the room. There was no one else there. I realized, for the first time, that the laugh had stopped. As long as my eyes were open, the laugh had stopped.<br><br>“What’s wrong?” My wife asked again.<br><br>I thought about all the times I saw her peeking from around corners, I thought about all the times I saw glimpses of her out of the corner of my eye. I thought about that laugh, and I realized that my wife might be the one doing it.<br><br>“Why are you laughing at me?” I asked.<br><br>She looked at me like I was crazy. She seemed shocked. Maybe she tried to keep her expression stern, but I’m sure I saw the edges of the corners of her mouth curling up ever so slightly. She didn’t answer. She just stared at me.<br><br>“Why are you laughing at me?” I asked again.<br><br>She still didn’t answer. She just kept staring, and I thought I saw her smile just a bit. I shook my head and laid down in bed. I knew I couldn’t ask her anymore, because she’d just deny it.<br><br>“What’s wrong?” She asked.<br><br>I didn’t answer. I just looked down at the blanket.<br><br>“What’s wrong?” She asked again.<br><br>I didn’t answer. I just laid there. She hunkered back down under the covers and I closed my eyes and made myself go to sleep. I didn’t hear any more of that laugh, but I knew it was coming back.