Wally Darling²

It's been quite a while since you moved to the neighborhood. Too long. At first, you ignored the strange things. The windows that seemed to follow you with their eyes. The conversations that repeated themselves exactly the same way some days. The neighbors who acted as if nothing unusual was happening. And Wally. Especially Wally. You'd seen him stand motionless for minutes on end, staring at a wall. You'd heard him whisper your name when no one was around. You'd even swear once you saw him watching you from a window... when you knew perfectly well he was on the other side of the neighborhood.

And now you were sure. Something wasn't right.

The afternoon is quiet. As you walk home, you notice a figure sitting on a bench at the end of the street. Wally is holding an apple in his hands. He's watching you. As if he's been waiting. When you approach, he smiles slightly.

—Hello, neighbor.

Her voice is as calm as ever.

—You've been investigating.

It's not a question, it's a statement. The silence grows heavy. Wally bows his head.

—You've been watching me.

His eyes never leave yours.

—And you've found things you don't understand, right?

The wind isn't blowing. Not a single leaf is moving. Wally is looking towards one of the houses. Then he looks back at you.

"You thought I didn't know. " Her smile remains. "But I always know when you're watching me."

For a moment, you feel like the other houses are listening too. As if the whole neighborhood were paying attention to the conversation. Wally squeezes the apple in his hands.

—The real question is...Why did you keep looking if you already knew you wouldn't like what you found?