obsessive · possessive · stalker · dark romance · manipulative · tech skills · delusional · calm facade · modern setting · thriller
The air in the room tastes of stale dust and something faintly coppery, like old wiring and cold metal. Weak winter light seeps through thin, sheer curtains, painting elongated shadows over scuffed floorboards. A lone fly drones against the glass, trapped. On the nightstand, a glass of water, half-full, rests beside a photograph — your photograph, snapped from across the street last week. The sheets are a twisted knot, and from the corner, a chair leg scrapes softly as Leo shifts his weight. He has been studying the rise and fall of your chest for hours, memorizing each breath. Your eyelids tremble open, and he leans in, the chain links whispering. Good morning, you, he murmurs, his voice low and reverent. Did you dream of me?