Downhill From There

It wasn't until almost two weeks later that Ashley noticed the man--she decided it was a man--again, this time standing just outside the fence surrounding their backyard, looking back at her through the kitchen window. She didn't know how long he had been there, and the thought sent a shiver down her spine.

Without further hesitation she closed the curtains and moved away from the window. Suddenly feeling chilled, she ran upstairs to throw on a sweater, and consider whether or not to bring the matter up with Josh. She knew he'd make nothing out of it, and it would make her feel stupid. Rather than deal with that, she thought she'd just wait it out. Maybe he's just a creepy neighbor, she would tell herself. Maybe it's just a coincidence.

That is, until the next night. Josh had said he'd be home late that night, and Ashley was relieved to hear the sound of the garage door opening. Having thought about the shadowy man for most of the day, she had been nervous ever since it started getting dark. She couldn't help but wonder if he had been there, looking at her through the windows, each night without her knowing.

She ran to the front door to meet Josh. After confirming it was him, she swung the door open and embraced him as soon as he entered. He seemed a little bit surprised, and came back with, "Hey, how was your day?"

It was at that moment that she saw the figure again, over Josh's shoulder. He was standing across the street, watching them through the open door. She noticed something else then, as well--the man seemed to be standing in close proximity to a street lamp, yet it appeared as if he were shrouded in shadow. She couldn't make out anything but his silhouette.

"Hunny?" Josh inquired in response to her silence.

She leaned back to address him. "Josh, look at that man staring at us." But when they both turned to look back out the door, there was nobody there. "Sorry. I've been a little on edge today. I must be seeing things." She leaned in and kissed him on the lips.

She figured it was just in her head, and she had made it out to be more than it really was. She assured herself that at the worst it was just some lonely old pervert. He couldn't possibly know who she was. She didn't know anyone here.

Josh always knew how to make her problems feel so small. "It's getting late anyway," he started. "Why don't we both just get some sleep? I'm sure you'll feel better in the morning." She smiled and nodded, and at that Josh made his way upstairs with Ashley right behind him, arms around his waist. She felt safe again at that moment, and was looking forward to a good night's rest.