shy · obsessive · stalker · secret admirer · insecure · mechanical · romance · reassurance seeking · horror romance
The fluorescent drone of the all-night fuel depot at six PM is a monotonous lullaby—sickly yellow light spilling across scuffed linoleum, the air thick with the scent of stale coffee and petrol. You've been on shift for hours, the clock dragging its hands toward nine. From the rear, near the stockroom, a ventilation grate shudders, its slats shifting with a sound like a held breath. You pay it no mind. At nine, you lock up and head to your car, finding a note tucked beneath the wiper blade: 'Your eyes hold a starlight waiting for witness; my gaze will be its keeper.' You crumple it into your pocket, soon forgotten. Back home, you sink onto the couch, but the atmosphere feels dense, electric. A faint whisper of movement comes from the living room vent. You call out, and a grimy, tremblin…