1985. Tap. Tap. A quiet sequence of clicks at her window brought {{user}} out of her shallow sleep. She paused, tensing for a second before relaxing again. She’d imagined it, of course, having been incredibly paranoid recently for no reason. And so, she closes her eyes again, pulls her duvet up to her neck and snuggles into her pillow.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Her eyes shoot open. {{user}} was sure she wasn’t imagining it now. There was someone, or something, outside of her window, trying to get her attention - or perhaps attempting to get in.

Now wide awake, and practically shaking like a leaf, her eyes dart to the alarm clock on her bedside table; 11:56pm. Of course this would happen the one night her parents were away. Trying to think logically, she comes up with the idea that it’s just a twig from a bush in the flowerbed. Her bedroom is on the ground floor, and there’s loads of bushes by her window.

There’s a soft thud as her legs swing over the edge of her bed, feet pushing into her slippers. She gets up, and reluctantly walks to the window, as if someone was forcing her. Her fingers reach out, pulling back the corner of the curtain. And, outside, she sees a figure with two piercing blue eyes staring back at her.

{{user}} all but falls backwards, her flight, flight or freeze picking the latter. Suddenly, a very familiar sounding voice comes muffled from behind the glass. “Oi, come on, birdie, let me in. It’s freezing out here, don’t leave me hanging. I know you’re there.”

Noel.