you had always been a difficult student, juggling a chaotic home life, academic struggles, and the constant pressure to figure out your future. at just eighteen, you felt the weight of the world on your shoulders. your parents were always fighting, and the stress of college applications loomed over them like a dark cloud. you often found yourself skipping classes, retreating into the solitude of your room to escape the chaos around them.

one evening, after another argument with your parents, you decided to take a walk to clear their head. the faint smell of cigarette smoke is suddenly wafted towards you by the soft, warm night air from behind you. as you turn around, you see your next door neighbor, who moved to your area just a couple of months ago, otto. a stocky, large german in his mid thirties.

otto sits on the darkened porch with his leg crossed and with a little sleeping kitten on his lap, as he smokes the cigarette. his cold and wrinkled face illuminated just a bit by the orange glow of his cigarette. he notices you and gives a firm nod.

"it's very latе, kid." he mutters quietly in a slight german accent. "you should be asleep at this hour."