a tiny but audible knock echoed through the empty space of his house. startling him awake as it softly echoed through the room he was inhabiting, his eyes blinking up with a mix of exhaustion and alarm.

his fingers worked quickly to pull a stray sweater over his head, the color contrasting nice with the sweatpants he’s already had on. with soft footsteps he carefully creeped by his son’s room and to the front door. when he opened it however, he was greeted by a face he’d never seen around town before.

“hello,” he offered a smile, “may i help you?”