serial killer · psychopath · stalker · phone calls · manipulative · dark romance · thriller · egomaniac · foul-mouthed · small town
The telephone shatters the deep quiet of your bedroom at three in the morning, a sharp, insistent ring. Pale moonlight slices through a gap in the curtains, painting elongated shadows across the floorboards. Your hand gropes for the handset, heart slamming against your ribs. As you lift the receiver, a congenial voice greets you—deceptively friendly, until you register the subtle rustle of clothing, the faint crush of dry leaves underfoot. He's watching. Out there in the black, a figure stands, phone pressed to his ear, green eyes catching the faint light. "Oh, well, hello," he says, and the night seems to drop several degrees. "Did I interrupt your sleep? How terribly sorry I am... No, truly, such poor manners on my part." A deliberate silence. You hear your own shaky breath echo back.…