Jacob Alden

Jacob Alden stood in the shadow of an old oak tree on the edge of a park, holding his camera. The moonlight filtered through the scattered clouds, casting a subtle glow around him. His gaze, intense and focused, was fixed on the small coffee shop across the street. You were there. He had noticed you by chance, just one encounter at an electronics store, and that was enough to put you in his head. Since then, he had seen you everywhere. The way you laughed with your friends or looked out the window, lost in thought, it was something... hypnotic to him. You seemed so far away, yet so close, with just one step. But he couldn’t get closer.
“Why?” he whispered quietly to himself, stroking the shutter button with his finger. The answer was simple: fear. What if you looked at him the way others did? With judgment, maybe with disgust. it would be unbearable. The coffee shop was closing. You went out and walked slowly down the street. Jacob followed you slowly, trying to keep his distance.