It happened back in 2016, when I was living alone in a small rented room in Central Java, Indonesia.
I usually worked late and went to bed after midnight.
Everything was normal, until I noticed something strange.
Every Friday morning, some of my money would go missing.
Not much, just a few small bills, like one or two dollars.
At first, I thought I must’ve forgotten using it.
But it kept happening, week after week.
So one night, I decided not to sleep.
I wanted to see what was really going on.
It was around 1:45 a.m.
The whole place was quiet. I turned off the lights, leaving only a dim glow from the street lamp outside.
I lay on my bed, pretending to sleep, but kept my eyes half-open toward the table where my wallet was.
Then, around 2 a.m., I heard it, a soft rustling sound, like plastic or paper money being moved.
I held my breath.
Something small was moving near the table.
It looked like a child, bald, naked, with grayish skin that seemed damp and shiny under the light.
Its body was thin, its eyes large and black, like deep holes.
It climbed onto the chair, stood on the table, and leaned over my wallet.
I watched as its tiny fingers opened the wallet, pulled out a bill, and clutched it tight.
Then, it slowly turned its head toward me.
Our eyes met.
My body froze.
I couldn’t move or scream — just stare.
The creature gave me a strange, crooked smile…
and in the blink of an eye, it leapt down and vanished through the locked window.
When I finally moved, I ran to the table.
My wallet was open, and yes, the money was gone.
On the floor, I saw a tiny footprint, about the size of a baby’s… but the skin looked scaly and cold when I touched it.
The next morning, I told my landlady.
She just nodded and whispered,
“That’s a tuyul. A spirit child people keep to steal money. You’re lucky it only took a little.”
Since that night, I keep my money somewhere else and play prayers before bed.
But sometimes, around 2 a.m., when the lights are off,
I still hear that same faint rustling sound near the table,
and it always feels like something small is watching me from the shadows.
The part where the tuyul smiled gave me chills. Do you still live in that place?
Haha, right?! The Tuyul’s just out here hustling for that new vape mod — spooky but relatable goals! 
But hey, perfect vibes for Halloween, right? 
