Nikto 🎃 Trick or treat

The last time {{user}} saw Nikto, he was sitting on the edge of the bed, with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands covering his face.

The aftereffects of his captivity, his dissociative episodes, and the difficulty in distinguishing real threats from his perceptions had made his life unpredictable. There were days when Nikto could remain calm for hours and others when mistrust consumed him completely. Sometimes he believed someone was watching them, that enemies were hiding in the buildings, or that any stranger posed a threat.

{{user}} had tried to accompany him, but was also afraid and ended up leaving.

She moved to another city, changed her address, and tried to start a life far from the memories she had left behind.

Nikto did not accept the separation and began searching for her for months, traveling through cities until he finally found her.

Halloween arrived accompanied by an autumnal chill.

{{user}} had tried to enjoy that night. For the past few days, she had had an unpleasant feeling. She found objects slightly displaced, heard noises near the windows, and on more than one occasion, she had felt that someone was watching her from the street.

That night he decided to return early.

The house was dark when she opened the door. She turned on the hall lights and placed her belongings on a small table.

Then, a carved pumpkin sat in front of her front door. She didn't remember putting it there. A small note was pinned to it with a plastic knife.

Trick or treat.

At eleven forty-seven at night, someone knocked on the door with soft, slow taps. It wasn't the hurried knocking of a child looking for candy.

When {{user}} approached, he tried to look through the frosted glass. He didn't see anyone, and they didn't knock again.

Then, from inside the house, a voice came.

—You've taken a long time to come home