I thought I had found peace in my new neighborhood, but when my only friend disappeared and everyone pretended that nothing had happened, I knew that this place had secrets and I was not sure I wanted to discover them.
Moving to this quiet and closed neighborhood was like making a dream come true, or so I thought. The streets were lined with immaculate herdges, white fences and houses that looked like they were taken out of a lifestyle magazine.
“This is it,” I whispered, squeezing the keys. “A new beginning.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Inside, the house was everything I had expected: spacious, quiet and intact. The sunlight came in through the windows, painting golden veins on the wooden floors. However, while I was unpacking, a feeling of restlessness invaded me, as if they were watching me.
“Check yourself, Clara,” I muttered, shaking my head.
I was curious and I peeked through the blinds. Across the street, a man was by the window, staring. He didn’t look away, not even when our eyes crossed. His look seemed invasive to me, as if he could see through me.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“Who does that?” I whispered, uncorking the curtains.
The next day, I met Victoria. His voice broke the silence while I fiddled with the shopping bags.
“You must be new!” he said happily, walking towards me.
“Yes,” I replied, startled.
“Don’t worry,” he said smiling. “I’m Victoria. Welcome to the neighborhood.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“Clara,” I said, shaking her hand.
“Let me guess,” he said with a mocking smile. “Has Collin been looking?”
I nodded and she laughed softly.
“Don’t let it scare you. It’s weird, but harmless.”
Victoria became a lifesaver, her warmth and charm were a welcome distraction.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
But as our friendship grew, so did Collin’s attention. He no longer limited himself to watching from his window. He stayed near my mailbox, walked on the sidewalk and stayed on his porch as if waiting.
One night, unable to bear being alone with him strunting outside, I called Victoria. “Do you want to come to dinner?”
“Of course! I’ll bring wine.”
His presence immediately reassured me. During dinner, I plucked up the courage and was sincere.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“Why this neighborhood?” he asked me, filling our glasses.
“I leave my husband. To David. He’s a tyrant,” I admitted. “While the divorce is being processed, I hide here. People think it’s perfect, so I know no one would believe me.”
“No, I have to show it to you. This is him,” I told him, showing him a photo.
Victoria’s fingers pressed against the glass. The warmth of his eyes disappeared.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“I find it familiar, that’s all.”
The rest of the evening seemed tense to him, although he tried to hide it.
“Don’t worry, Clara,” he said. “Your secrets are safe with me.”
I wanted to believe that. For the first time in months, I felt lighter.
But the next morning, Victoria disappeared. Across the street, Collin was standing on his porch, watching.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Nobody was talking about Victoria, not even in passing. His absence was like a wave that vanished before reaching the shore. It was disturbing, as if it had been erased.
“Maybe people are like that in small towns,” I muttered, watching Mrs. Peterson water her flowers, completely indifferent.
I wanted to ask him, mention Victoria’s name and see if he reacted, but I held back.
What if that made me look nosy? Or even worse, suspicious?
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
The silence about his disappearance seemed strange to me. I would expect at least one comment from someone as lively and charming as Victoria. But there was nothing.
One night, after walking around the living room for hours, I made a decision.
“I need answers,” I whispered, looking for the coat.
The sun had just set when I approached Victoria’s house. The curtains were put on and the porch light flickered faintly. Everything seemed wrong to me. Too quiet, too empty. I hesitated in front of the door and then turned the handle.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“Just a quick look. Inside and outside.”
The door opened easily, as if it wasn’t closed. Inside, the weak aroma of his perfume persisted.
The living room seemed intact. There were books on the table and a cup of tea on the counter, with the contents dry and stained. It was as if he had disappeared at noon.
My eyes fell on a photo of the fireplace shelt: Victoria with a little boy, about eight years old, with a mischievous smile. Something on his face pulled my memory.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“Why is it familiar to me?” I murmured, brushing the frame.
Before I could continue thinking, the squeak of the front door when it opened paralyzed me. My heart was beating hard when a few steps echoed in the house.
In a panic, I got into a narrow closet and covered my mouth with my hands to keep quiet.
Through the slats, I saw Victoria enter the room.
Why does he sneak through his own house?
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
The answer came when I saw who was with her.
Seeing him with Victoria caused me a wave of nausea.
“She lives in the house next door,” Victoria said. “You have to take care of this before it ruins everything.”
David nodded, with a dark and calculating face, the same look he had seen so many times behind closed doors.
My chest was oppressed. My husband and my friend conspiring together. And the person they conspired against… was me.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
I felt the walls of the closet close. My breathing was fast and shallow, increasingly sharper than the previous one. The darkness that surrounded me was suffocating.
Panic scratched my chest, threatening to undo me completely. I gritted my teeth, trying to stay still, trying not to make noise.
My fingers trembled as I clung to the edge of the closet door, waiting for the right moment.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Finally, their voices faded, replaced by the sound of their footsteps heading to another room.
“Now,” I whispered to myself, staring all the courage I had left.
I came out of the closet as quietly as I could. Every step to the back door seemed like an eternity. I grabbed the knob, turned it slowly and pushed the door enough to slide through it.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
The fresh air of the night hit me like a slap, but I didn’t have time to taste it. I took a step towards freedom…
And a hand imprisoned my arm.
“I have you,” a voice hissed.
My stomach turned upside down.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“Silence. Come with me,” a voice whispered urgently in the darkness.
Then I turned, startled, to see Collin, my strange and disturbing neighbor, standing a few meters away.
“Move,” he said softly, grabbing my arm. “Now.”
I hesitated, but there was something in his tone that left no room for discussion. I followed him as he led me through a narrow and hidden hole in the fence to his garden.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Once inside his house, Collin put the bolt and threw the key. His movements were quick and deliberate. He gave me a glass of water.
“Sit down,” he said, pointing to a chair.
I sank into it, with my legs barely able to hold me. The glass trembled in my hands while I drank a sip. My mind was spinning, trying to reconstruct what had just happened.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“You have to stay here for now,” he said, peeking out the window. “Victoria and your husband are heading to your house.”
“Why… why were they going to…?”
He raised a hand to stop me. “I’ll explain it to you, but first, breathe. You look like you’re about to faint.”
I breathed agitatedly, but it didn’t help much. “Why are you helping me?”
“Because Victoria is my ex-wife,” he said flatly, as if that explained everything.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“He made my life impossible for years,” Collin continued, with a bitter but calm tone. “I stayed for the safe of our son, but she turned him into… her.”
He paused, and his eyes blinked with something like regret. “Manipulator. Controller. A small copy of herself.”
I stared at him. “What are you saying?”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
He looked at me with pity. “That child… is your David. Victoria is his mother.”
The room turned. I clung to the edge of the chair, feeling the floor fall on me.
“No. That can’t be true.”
He paused, his eyes narrowed as if he remembered something.
“When I saw that you started a friendship with Victoria, I was worried. My ex doesn’t make friends just because. He’s always playing with some trick, and I knew there had to be something else.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
I blinked, trying to process his words. “So, have you been watching me?”
He nodded without a hint of apology. “Yes. When Victoria gets messed with someone, the reason is never good. I wasn’t sure what I wanted from you. When I saw you sneak into his house, I knew something was not right.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
“Of course I saw you,” he said, with a sharp but not unpleasant tone. “I followed you. Then I heard them. David came for his wife, for you! But how did Victoria find the connection between you and David?”
“David’s photo… I showed it to Victoria. That’s why he disappeared.”
Collin frowned. “I see. That’s why I couldn’t let you go home alone. Victoria is dangerous, Clara. She is manipulative and ruthless. You’re a target for her.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
I stared at him, with my pulse beating in my ears. His words made too much sense. Victoria had been so warm, so charming, but for her everything was a game. The weight of his words oppressed me, making it difficult for me to breathe.
“What can I do now? I escaped from David here. But thanks to Victoria, he was able to find me,” I finally whispered, with tears running down my eyes.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already called the police. They will come soon. And believe me, David won’t hurt you again.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
His humor, as absurd as it was, somehow crossed my fear.
“You take it very lightly,” I said, sketching a faint smile as he wiped my face.
“Experience,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “When you’ve survived Victoria, you either find a sense of humor or you go completely crazy. I chose a little of both.”
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
I laughed, surprising for its sound. I found it strange to laugh in the middle of chaos. But Collin’s strange mix of cynicism and kindness was exactly what I needed.
When the sound of the sirens got louder, Collin got up and gestured towards the door. “Time to face it, huh?”
I nodded, getting up on trembling legs. “Yes. Time to face it.”
I shrugged, took a deep breath and went out. The flashing red and blue lights painted the night sky and, for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I felt ready to face my past and leave it behind.
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
Image for illustrative purposes | Photo: Midjourney
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