Someone Keeps Swiping Right on My Dating Profile

I downloaded the dating app two weeks after Valentine’s Day.

Not because I was ready to date again.

Mostly because my friends wouldn’t stop telling me to “get back out there.” My last relationship ended badly, and February had been miserable enough already.

So one night I made a profile, uploaded a few pictures, and started swiping.

Nothing unusual at first.

A few matches. Some awkward conversations. A lot of ghosting.

Normal dating app stuff.

Then one profile appeared.

Her name was Lena.

Her photo looked… normal enough. A woman with dark hair standing near a lake. The lighting was dim like it had been taken at sunset.

Her bio only said:

“I already know you.”

I assumed it was one of those cryptic bios people write to seem interesting.

So I swiped left.

But the app froze.

Just for a second.

Then the screen refreshed.

And Lena appeared again.

Same photo. Same bio.

I frowned and swiped left again.

This time it worked.

I didn’t think about it again until later that night.

________________________________________

Around midnight, my phone buzzed.

New Match: Lena

I stared at the screen for a second.

That was weird.

I was certain I’d swiped left.

Maybe I slipped and swiped right without noticing.

It happens.

So I opened the profile.

Same bio.

Same lake photo.

But this time there was a message waiting.

Lena:

I knew you’d come back.

I rolled my eyes and unmatched her immediately.

Problem solved.

Or so I thought.

________________________________________

The next night, I was swiping again while watching TV when Lena’s profile popped up.

Again.

Except the picture had changed.

Now she was standing in a grocery store aisle.

Her face still partially turned away from the camera.

Same dark hair.

Same bio.

“I already know you.”

I stared at the screen.

Then I swiped left.

And blocked the profile.

________________________________________

Ten minutes later, my phone buzzed.

New Match: Lena

My stomach dropped.

The profile opened automatically.

New photo again.

This one was darker.

Taken outside at night.

A blurry shot of someone walking down a sidewalk.

Except the person in the photo looked…

familiar.

The same jacket I was wearing earlier that evening.

I felt my chest tighten.

Because the background in the photo looked exactly like the street outside my apartment.

Then the message appeared.

Lena:

You looked lonely tonight.

My hands felt cold.

I blocked the account again.

________________________________________

The next morning, I checked the app out of curiosity.

And there she was again.

Another profile.

Another match.

New photo.

This time it was a picture of someone sitting at a desk with a laptop.

The camera angle was behind them.

But I recognized the apartment layout immediately.

The desk.

The lamp.

The cracked corner of my computer monitor.

It was my living room.

The person sitting at the desk was me.

The photo had clearly been taken through my window.

My stomach dropped.

I turned slowly toward the glass.

The blinds were closed.

But suddenly I felt like someone had been watching me for a long time.

The message appeared seconds later.

Lena:

You work late.

________________________________________

I reported the account.

The app support team emailed me back within a few hours saying they’d removed it for violating community guidelines.

That night, I checked again.

Just to be sure.

And there she was.

A new profile.

New photo.

This one made my blood run cold.

It showed my apartment building.

Taken from across the street.

One window glowing with light.

Mine.

The message arrived seconds later.

Lena:

Almost home.

________________________________________

I barely slept that night.

Every creak in the building made my heart jump.

Every passing car made me glance toward the door.

But nothing happened.

Morning came.

I felt stupid for letting a creepy profile get into my head.

So I opened the app again.

Just to see if she was still there.

She was.

New photo.

This one made my hands start shaking.

It showed my bedroom.

The camera was standing in the doorway.

Looking at the bed.

The blankets were messy.

And I was lying there asleep.

The timestamp in the corner said 3:42 a.m.

I woke up at 6:10.

Which means someone had been standing in my bedroom for over two hours.

Watching me sleep.

The message arrived as I stared at the photo.

Lena:

You look peaceful when you’re dreaming.

Then another message.

Lena:

But you move too much.

My heart started pounding.

Because I live alone.

And my bedroom door was still locked from the inside.

Another message appeared.

Lena:

Don’t worry.

Three dots appeared again.

Then the final message popped onto the screen.

Lena:

Tonight I’ll take a better picture.