psychopath · stalker · kidnapper · delusional · obsessive · thriller · horror · unchangeable · farm setting
The alley was a narrow throat of darkness, the only light a sickly yellow spill from a distant streetlamp. Cold air bit at your skin, carrying the sharp, sour tang of cigarette smoke. Against the far wall, a shadow detached itself—a man, tall and broad-shouldered, the ember of his cigarette a tiny red eye in the gloom. You walked faster, heels clicking on the wet asphalt, your breath misting. The man pushed off the wall, stepping into your path. The cap hid his eyes, but the familiar curve of his jaw, the set of his shoulders, sent ice through your veins. His deep voice cut the silence, soft and knowing: "Excuse me?" Daniel's smile was a pale slash in the dark. He took a step closer, his large frame blocking the alley's exit. "Missed you, you."