Strange Knock

I live in an apartment complex - 4 apartments to a unit; 2 down, 2 up. I live upstairs. You can hear people coming up or down the steps quite easily as they squeak and pop very loudly (you can hear people coming even if you're in the BACK of your apartment). You can also see out the windows or out the patio balcony around the entire parking lot which is very well lit.

Last night there was a strange knock on my apartment door at 1:47AM. I was in my bedroom with the laptop surfing the web, not expecting any visitors. Needless to say, it startled me beyond belief!

I had a really bad feeling so I literally ran to the door to "catch" whoever was out there. Both of my cats were in the "Halloween Kitty" pose hissing at the door.

I looked out the patio balcony and saw no one running around; looked out the peephole and saw no one, then I opened the door and saw no one.

From the time of the knock to the time I got to the door would NOT have been enough time for someone to run down the steps and outside around the building. I would've seen them when I looked out the balcony. I would've heard them.

I know it wasn't any of the apartment tenants in the unit, because you can hear the doors open/close. The heavy outer door makes an audible noise as well, so I am completely baffled.

I know the sound came from the direction of the door, and the fact BOTH my cats were standing there hissing at it just confirms my belief.

Does anyone have any theories?

To go with Logical, houses settle due to humidity expanding and contracting the wood. My front door gets stuck during the summer, and slips open like a greased up piggy in the winter. The same can be attributed to floorboards creaking on their own. A nailed down piece of wood on the door could have expanded during the day and settled during the night and popped as it shrunk back down.

I think though the answer you really wanted to hear was a chorus of "It's a Ghost!" replies hehe, just razzin you a little.

Welcome to the boards, and watch your head for falling rocks...

-ADHDsux4me

That is a logical explanation. Remember, you can make anything real by imagining it. If this has never happened before, or you have never experienced any ghostly visits, it is probably something else.