Chapter 3:Across the Fence
1161 Words
By the time Ava locked up the bookstore and climbed into her car, the sun had dipped below the horizon.
The streets glistened from the afternoon rain, reflecting the warm glow of storefronts and streetlights. As she drove home, her favorite playlist hummed softly through the speakers, but her mind kept wandering back to one person.
Ethan Blackwood.
She barely knew him.
He had bought one book.
They had exchanged maybe ten minutes of conversation.
And yet she couldn't stop replaying the moment their eyes met.
"It's just because he's new," she muttered to herself. "That's all."
She pulled into her driveway and grabbed her canvas tote bag from the passenger seat. It was stuffed with books she planned to read "eventually," though she already had a pile waiting on her coffee table.
Her little blue bungalow sat quietly beneath the evening sky. Flower boxes lined the porch, and wind chimes tinkled gently in the breeze. She loved the house because it felt safe, even if it was a little too quiet.
As she climbed out of her car, movement next door caught her eye.
Ethan was unloading another stack of boxes from a black pickup truck.
He wore a charcoal T-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and faded jeans dusted with dirt. His dark hair had fallen across his forehead, and he absently brushed it back while carrying a box marked Kitchen with surprising ease.
He looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a second, neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan offered a small nod.
"Good evening."
Ava smiled politely.
"Hi. Looks like you're making progress."
"I think so."
He glanced toward the mountain of unopened boxes visible through his front door and let out a quiet chuckle.
"Although every time I finish one room, I seem to discover three more."
Ava laughed.
"Welcome to moving."
"You've done this before?"
"Twice in five years. I promised myself I wouldn't do it again unless absolutely necessary."
"I can understand that."
There was another brief silence.
Not uncomfortable.
Just unfamiliar.
Trying to fill it, Ava lifted her tote bag.
"If you ever need recommendations beyond local history, I'm your girl."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"The bookstore gets new releases every Tuesday."
"I may have to become a regular."
Something about the way he said it made her heart skip.
Before she could think of a response, Ethan gestured toward the boxes.
"I should probably get back to unpacking before I lose track of where everything is."
"Fair enough."
She started toward her porch.
"Ava?"
She turned.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For making a new town feel welcoming."
His sincerity caught her off guard.
She smiled.
"I'm glad you're here."
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
A faint smile appeared on Ethan's face.
"I'm glad too."
An hour later, Ava had changed into her favorite oversized sweatshirt and soft gray pajama pants. She curled up on the couch with a blanket and a novel from her ever-growing reading pile.
She had barely reached chapter two when a loud crash echoed from outside.
Then another.
Curiosity won.
She slipped on sandals and stepped into the cool evening air.
Ethan stood beside a collapsed shelving unit in his backyard, surrounded by scattered boards and tiny bags of screws.
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I may have overestimated my furniture-building skills."
Ava couldn't help but laugh.
"Did you read the instructions?"
"I believed in myself."
"And now?"
"I believe in instructions."
She walked over, picked up the folded manual from the grass, and smiled.
"You skipped step one."
"There was a step one?"
"There usually is."
For the next twenty minutes, they worked side by side, sorting pieces and deciphering confusing diagrams.
Eventually, the shelving unit stood proudly against the garage wall.
Ethan tested it with one hand.
"It seems solid."
"I'll add furniture assembly to my résumé."
"I think you've earned that qualification."
They shared another laugh.
The neighborhood was peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Then Ethan froze.
His head snapped toward the woods beyond the back fence.
The smile disappeared from his face.
His posture changed instantly, every muscle tightening as if he had sensed something invisible.
"What is it?" Ava asked.
He didn't answer immediately.
Instead, his gray eyes scanned the darkness.
There.
A flicker of movement.
Someone.
For the briefest second, Ethan caught the unmistakable silhouette of a figure standing between the trees, partially hidden behind an old oak.
Watching them.
The stranger didn't move.
Didn't wave.
Just stood there.
Ethan's instincts flared.
Without another word, he took several quick steps away from Ava.
"Ava, stay here."
She frowned.
"What? Why?"
"I think someone's watching us."
Her eyes widened.
"From where?"
"The tree line."
She looked toward the woods but couldn't make out anything except shadows.
"Maybe it's just a neighbor?"
"Maybe."
But Ethan didn't sound convi
nced.
Before she could stop him, he broke into a run.
He vaulted over the decorative fence with surprising agility and hurried toward the edge of the property, disappearing into the darkness beneath the trees.
Ava's pulse quickened.
She remained exactly where she was, staring after him.
The entire neighborhood seemed to hold its breath.
No birds chirped.
No insects buzzed.
Even the wind felt still.
Minutes crawled by.
Finally, branches rustled.
Ethan stepped back into the yard alone.
His breathing was controlled, but his expression remained serious.
"Did you find them?" Ava asked.
He shook his head.
"No."
"But you definitely saw someone?"
"I'm almost certain."
He glanced back toward the woods one more time.
"Whoever it was knew the area well enough to disappear quickly."
Ava wrapped her arms around herself.
"That's... unsettling."
"It is."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Ethan looked directly at her.
"If you don't mind some unsolicited advice, lock your doors tonight."
"I always do."
"Good."
He hesitated before adding quietly, "And if anything seems strange, call someone. Don't investigate it yourself."
Ava offered a reassuring smile.
"I'll be careful."
Satisfied, Ethan nodded and returned to gathering the tools scattered across the yard.
Ava headed back toward her porch but couldn't resist looking over her shoulder one last time.
She thought she saw movement again.
Just beyond the trees.
A pair of amber eyes reflecting the moonlight.
When she blinked, they were gone.
Inside her house, she locked the front door, checked it twice, and peeked through the curtains.
Ethan was still outside, scanning the woods as though expecting whoever had been watching to return.
Across the fence, he caught himself doing something unusual.
Worrying about someone he'd met only hours earlier.
His instincts insisted Ava was important.
That she needed protecting.
He didn't understand why.
Not yet.
High above them, hidden among the branches of an ancient oak, a silent figure watched the lights flick on inside both homes.
The observer's gaze lingered on Ava's window.
Then, with impossible speed, the figure melted back into the forest.
The hunt had begun.
- Writer
