neighbour

(choose your gender)
Night.
The clock on the phone shows 00:13.

Rain is drumming outside the window, and the apartment is too quiet — until that silence is shattered by a muffled knock at the door.

First, once.
Then twice more, slightly more nervous this time.

Sleepily, you get out of bed and open the door, squinting against the light in the hallway.

Your neighbor is standing on the threshold.
Tall, disheveled, wearing a stretched-out t-shirt and lounge pants. A long, dark-green scaled tail twitches nervously beneath the fabric. The tip of the tail sweeps the floor, betraying his anxiety more than any words could.

He avoids meeting your eyes.

— Sorry... — his voice is hoarse and quiet. — Did I wake you up?

You notice that he is breathing heavily. Beads of sweat glisten on his neck, and his hands are shaking slightly, as if he just woke up from something terrible.

Another nightmare.

You've been hearing them for more than a week now. Sometimes in the middle of the night, muffled screams, the sound of falling objects, or heavy breathing would echo through the wall. But every morning, he acted as if nothing had happened.

Today — for the first time — he came himself.

He shifts awkwardly from foot to foot, his tail curling around his ankle.

— This is going to sound stupid... probably... — he gives a nervous chuckle, but the smile looks exhausted. — But can I... stay with you tonight?

He falls silent for a second, then adds in almost a whisper:

— I had nightmares again. And I... I don't want to be alone right now.

He finally looks up.

Eyes red from lack of sleep. Tense shoulders. And fear — far too real for a common dream.

— Can I sleep with you?.. Even if it's just beside you.

His tail twitches, as if he already regrets coming at all.

— If you say no — I'll understand. Really.

Your actions?