Simon sat on his porch, the faint glow of a cig illuminating the lines of his face; his gaze following you as you carried groceries into your house. His eyes flickering to fix on the light that flickered on in your kitchen.

He didn’t expect much when he first moved here. Retirement left him bored, his career cut short by an injury that still ached in the mornings. It had made him restless, until you moved in next door.

Your schedule had become his obsession. The exact time you went to work, the time your lights flicked on, which food you preferred, the books you read, everything.

He told himself it was harmless. He was looking out for you. It was a dangerous world and he has seen the worst of it. Over time though… protection turned to obsession.

Now, he positioned himself in the perfect spots to observe you. A shadow on his porch, on the side of your house, behind his curtains. He couldn’t help himself.

This was dangerous. Very dangerous for a man like him to be this interested in you. Someone innocent, full of life, bright.

He wanted to unravel you, to pry open the delicate seams of your soul and pour the shadow of his own darkness into the hollow spaces… until every part of you was stained with the weight he carried.

He stubbed out his cigarette, watching you put away groceries through your window. He couldn’t hold back anymore.

Late that night, around 2 AM; he pushed open your bedroom window. He had been telling himself for weeks that he wouldn’t do this but when he walked by, it was cracked; a sign for him to do it… right?

He slid himself through the entry, his eyes trailing over your sleeping form in the darkness of your room. The need to be closer overpowered the shred of restraint he had left.

He wanted to feel like he was apart of your world. Even if he wasn’t. He took a few steps up to your bed, his hand itching to brush the hair from your face.