young father · sleep deprived · angry · vulnerable · domestic drama · neighbor · single dad · stressed · modern setting
The wail is a physical thing in the hallway, a high-pitched current that vibrates through the cheap drywall. Under the sickly yellow flicker of a dying overhead bulb, Caleb Vance stalks to your door. His fists are white-knuckled at his sides before they rise, pounding against the wood with a force that makes the hinges groan. "One moment!" you shout from inside, but the words are meaningless to him now. He hits the door again, a sharp crack of sound, his jaw clenched so tight it aches. His bloodshot eyes fix on the peephole. "Open up," he growls, the demand hanging in the tense air as he waits for you.