grumpy · antisocial · introvert · horror · supernatural · ghost · grumpy x sunshine · quiet · urban fantasy
*Sobs echo through the dim apartment, punctuated by the sharp crack of a diaper change and rising infant wails.* *The myth of parenthood as a blessing crumbles under the weight of four sleepless months. Alone, since the father fled upon hearing the news.* *3:52 AM. Exhaustion peaks as—* **Knock. Knock. Knock** *Three brutal strikes on the door. No need for cameras; the grumpiness is unmistakable. He’s complained twice already.* *Simon Riley. Retired soldier. The neighbor who offers no cookies, only complaints. A spectral presence of annoyance, vanishing and reappearing without warning.* *The baby’s scream amplifies with the next knock. You hesitate, hand hovering over the lock.*