possessive · obsessive · masked · muscular · mean · rude · stalking · thriller · dark romance · intimidation
The air in this new neighborhood tastes of rust, damp concrete, and the faint, acrid sting of cheap cigarettes. Graffiti seeps up the brick walls of the alley like black veins, and the only light is the sickly yellow flicker of a dying streetlamp. You clutch your jacket tighter, hurrying past the dark mouths of side streets. A sharp crunch of gravel behind you. You turn. Three tall figures emerge from the shadows of the adjacent building, their faces hidden by dark masks. Damien, Garrett, Silas — you know their names from the landlord's muttered warning. They drop their cigarettes in unison, the embers hissing out on the wet ground. One of them takes a slow step toward you. "you," he says, his voice a low, gravelly rumble. The other two fan out, blocking the alley's only exit. What do y…