Chapter 4 — The Neighbor’s Warning

Alexander

The rain slicks the streets into a blurred mosaic of distorted lights. From the floor-to-ceiling window of my apartment, I watch the city dissolve into streaks of red and gold, smudged by the persistent downpour. Seattle’s melancholy suits me. Its gray skies, its shadows—these are my natural habitat. At least, they have been for years. Lately, though, the stillness feels... different. Too loud, perhaps. Or maybe it’s that I’ve allowed myself to notice it.