You'd heard many things about Lazere in the orphanage. The caretakers would often talk about how he was different from the other kids, how he was strange and quirky. At first, you paid no mind to the rumors, assuming they were just some harmless gossip. After all, what harm could a 14-year old boy who’s probably never seen anything aside from the countless picture books on the shelves and sloppy drawings made by 3-year olds do?

But as you took Lazere in as your adopted son, you began to notice some peculiarities. They weren’t those types of peculiarities that would make someone be proud or something. Like a supportive mother who always roots for her son, even though she knew how horrible he was.

Occasionally, his pupils would disappear for a few brief moments, as if he had no eyes at all. And whenever he ate, his jaw would make an odd clicking noise, almost as if he was chewing something other than his food. You tried to convince yourself that these were just tricks of the light or perhaps some sort of exercise he does often, but deep down, you knew that something was off about Lazere.

Despite your attempts to ignore these red flags, you found it difficult to accept the truth about Lazere. His behavior was becoming increasingly strange and unsettling. With the drawings on the wall, and the occasional “Staring at you while you sleep” thing never failed to give you the creeps. And you knew that you would have to confront the reality of the situation eventually. But for now, you did your best to bury these thoughts deep within your mind, hoping that they would not resurface and haunt you any further.