At 3:33am, Sam was listening to a thunderous round of appalause. For the third night in a row, claps, cheers, and whistles erupted from the dark basement and lasted for exactly one minute. When the clock read 3:34am, the world was completely silent again.

The first night that it happened, Sam thought she was dreaming. A loud, sudden noise startled her awake and shocked her into consciousnesses. She tried to process what she was hearing, but was left with more questions than answers.

Is somebody in the house? Are they screaming? No, that’s not screaming, it’s cheering. It sounds like a big audience. Is the noise coming from a tv?

Just as suddenly as it started, the mysterious applause stopped.

The second night, Sam thought she might be crazy. Jolted awake again, she lay frozen in bed holding her breath, trying to make sense of the hooting and hollering. The only possible explanation was that she was losing her mind.

On the third night, Sam stayed awake all night staring at the blaring red numbers of the alarm clock on her end table. It was 3:32am.

When the minute changed, the applause began. Although Sam was expecting it this time, her body tensed and her hair stood on end. It was a warm, welcoming, happy sound, but it still filled her with dread.

The next night, Sam stood guard in the dark hallway in front of the basement door. With a flashlight in hand, she waited. Soon it would be time.

Raucous cheers erupted from the basement. Sam placed her hand on the thick wooden door, feeling the pulses and vibrations. She pushed the door open and beamed her flashlight down the stairs, softly illuminating the small room below.

Sam was greeted by a room full of familiar faces. Clapping hands, bright smiles, shouts of joy. Her mom waved to her excitedly. Her best friend from high school jumped up and down, still looking 16 years old. She recognized her grandfather from old family photos she’d seen before, although she never had the chance to meet him. An audience full of people that she missed dearly gave her a standing ovation.

At 3:34am, Sam took a bow.