That night, I didn’t sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about what Ellis had said when she’d come in.
“Please let him be out…”
Did that mean she didn’t want be to be there?

I lay on my side, staring at the back of Ellis’ head, wondering if she was actually sleeping or if she was pretending.

A stream of light cut across the duvet from the window behind me. I looked and saw there was a gap in the curtains.

I got up as quietly as possible, tip-toed to the window and was about to close the curtains, when I saw something on the driveway outside.

A tall man wearing a black hoodie, black trousers and black shoes was standing on the driveway, shining a torch up to the window.
Staring up at me.

My heart stopped.

He slowly lifted his left hand and clicked his fingers.

The ambient droning started again, being simultaneously silent and deafening.
I cringed, scrunching my eyes shut for a moment.

But as I looked out again, the man was gone.

An unfamiliar voice suddenly filled my ears:

“Close. As. Peril…”