⟡ Behind Closed Doors ⟡

Chapter 1: The New Neighbors

It all began when I met him. The boy and his parents moved into our neighborhood. I was riding my bike, listening to music along with my thoughts. My older brother was my only true friend—the one who brightened my days, listened when I needed comfort, and reminded me I was stronger than I believed. I thought I could face the world on my own. At least that's what I wanted to think. Sadly, like every leaf has to fall eventually, he was taken away from us too soon. It's been a year now. My life became dull and meaningless. Knowing he's not here with me anymore. It became very difficult for me to move on. Everyone says it's all in my head. I'm just trying to be the loving daughter and the sweetest girl that everyone knows. So, there's my life, feeling more miserable each day. Just wanted something exciting to happen for once. Let's just say I've always been intrigued by the unknown, believing in ghosts and other alternative realities. Wondering if by some other dimension, my brother is still around, watching over me like an angel that was sent from heaven.

I arrived at my house after seeing a friend of mine. My mother came back from buying groceries as we noticed the neighbors were moving in. My mother decided to greet our new neighbors who moved right next to us.

"Greetings, I'm Lauren. And welcome!"

"Oh, hi! I'm Mrs. Anderson, but you can call me Marie." Her accent sounded British. She seemed delightful and sweet. A stout man walked beside her, staring up and down at me, smirking, making me feel uneasy. "He's my husband, Frank." The father didn't look quite charming. "And this is our son, Gregory." She presented us to the boy, who walked up and stood near where his mother was standing. He looked around my age. "Say hello, son." The boy stayed silent, eyes downcast. Marie chuckled nervously and stroked his hair. "Sorry—he's shy around strangers."

"No worries! This is my daughter, April." My mother says as she introduces me to them.

"April, huh? Such a beautiful name." Marie smiled.

I gently smiled back.

"You can stop by our house if you want for dinner."

"That would be wonderful, thank you."

That evening, my mom called me for dinner. I went to the living room, seeing the Andersons had arrived.

"Thank you so much for inviting us into your home." Marie said, hugging my mother.

"No worries! It's always a pleasure to be inviting our friends over. Dinner's on the table so let's sit down before the food gets cold!" My mother guides them to the kitchen.

"Hey everyone, sorry for the delay. Traffic, heh." My father came home from work. Putting down his things and leaving his safety vest on the couch, walking to the table.

"It's alright, hun. Also, I want you to meet Mr. & Mrs. Anderson and their son, Gregory."

My father greets them and sits down as we were all eating.

"I invited our neighbors from next door. They just moved here to our neighborhood."

"Ah, that's great love-"

Gregory sat across from me, untouched food on his plate. When I smiled, his gaze locked onto mine—cold, probing, like he could see every secret I'd ever buried. I froze, as our eyes connected. I was starting to feel odd.

After dinner and the Andersons had left, I helped my mother clean the table and went straight to bed. Until some footsteps and strange noises woke me up in the middle of the night. I got out of bed and heard the sounds coming outside of my window. I opened the curtains to see what it was. Not seeing anything suspicious, yet I felt a presence lurking in the dark. I thought to myself it was probably a cat and went back to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up at 6 and got ready for school. Right when I opened the door on my way out, I noticed there was a red stain that looked like... Blood? Near my front door. The bushes were partially broken. I immediately associated it with the sound I heard last night. I began to have a bad feeling about this and asked myself who or what was outside our house. And the possibility of it being a threat.

I went to school riding my bike. Once I got there I went to my first period English class. I sat down next to one of my friends, Kate. Although we didn't hang out as much, since I was mostly the kind of person who stands out from the group. Before the class started, Ms. Verna announced that we would be having a new student. As she opens the door, a young boy enters the classroom. He stands out in the classroom with his pale skin that contrasts sharply with his dark, academic clothing-a fitted black shirt and tailored trousers that give him a sophisticated yet slightly rebellious look. His hair is black, edgy, and styled with short bangs that frame his forehead, catching the light in a way that enhances his striking appearance. His eyes are a deep shade of brown-green, sharp and observant, giving him an air of intensity. His lips are thin and often pressed into a slight, contemplative line, while his nose is straight and well-defined, contributing to his overall refined yet mysterious look.

My stomach lurched—it was Gregory, my neighbor.