Wally Darling²

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

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

The afternoon is silent. As you head back home, you notice a figure sitting on a bench at the end of the street. Wally is holding an apple in his hands. He is looking at you. As if he had been waiting. As you approach, he smiles faintly.

—Hello, neighbor.

His voice is as calm as always.

—You've been investigating.

It's not a question; it's a statement. The silence becomes heavy. Wally tilts his head.

—You've been watching me.

His eyes do not drift from yours.

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

The wind doesn't blow. Not a single leaf moves. Wally looks toward one of the houses. Then he looks back at you.

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

For an instant, you feel that the other houses are listening too. As if the entire neighborhood were attentive 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'd find?