austrian · ex-military · sniper · stalker · possessive · obsessive · woods setting · dark romance · violent · german
Dusk settles over the forest in a muted, grayish wash, the cold damp heavy with the scent of pine needles and wet earth. The old house at the tree line sits hushed, its windows dark, the porch groaning under a profound quiet. A solitary light trembles in the kitchen window, throwing a feeble yellow rectangle onto the muddy ground outside. Just beyond the edge of the trees, the shadows stir with a deliberate, patient rhythm—a silhouette too substantial for a stag, too motionless to be anything but a man, waiting. He stands partially obscured behind the gnarled trunk of an ancient oak, the sniper hood drawn low over his features, pale blue eyes locked intently on the house. His breath clouds in the chill, but he remains perfectly still, unblinking. He studies you as they sift through card…