THE VAMPIRE NEXT DOOR

Sienna had always preferred quiet, especially when the rest of the world seemed determined to fill every silence with unnecessary noise. Her little house at the end of the street wasn't impressive, but it was comfortable. It had a narrow garden, pale walls, and a bedroom window that overlooked almost the entire neighborhood. That changed on a Tuesday afternoon. She was sitting at her desk, trying to finish an assignment, when the sound of a truck outside made her look up. A large moving truck was parked outside the empty house next door. Sienna frowned. The house had been vacant for months. She had grown used to seeing its curtains drawn and its garden slowly becoming overgrown, so the sight of people carrying boxes through the front door immediately caught her attention. Then she noticed someone standing beside the truck. A young man. He was tall, dressed in dark trousers and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His dark hair was slightly messy, and unlike the others, he wasn't helping with the boxes. He was simply standing there, watching. Sienna narrowed her eyes. There was something strange about him. Not necessarily frightening. Just... different. As if he didn't belong in the middle of an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. He slowly turned toward her window. Sienna ducked. Her heart gave a ridiculous little jump. "Seriously?" She glanced back through the curtain. He was still looking toward her window. For the rest of the afternoon, she tried to forget about him. It became increasingly difficult. By sunset, the moving truck had disappeared. The house next door was quiet. Sienna finished her assignment, made herself something to eat, and settled on the couch with a book. She had just reached the interesting part when someone knocked on the door. She looked toward the clock. 8:43 p.m. When she opened it, the new neighbor was standing there. Up close, he looked even more unusual. His face was calm, almost expressionless, but his eyes were sharp enough to make Sienna suddenly aware that she was standing there in an oversized shirt with her hair tied messily behind her head. "Hi," she said. "Hello." His voice was deep. He held out his hand. "Kieran." Sienna looked at his hand for a second before taking it. "Sienna." His fingers were cold. She noticed immediately. "Sorry for the noise earlier," he said. "It wasn't that bad." "I hope we didn't disturb you." "We?" He glanced toward the house behind him. "My things." Sienna almost smiled. "Right." There was an awkward silence. Eventually, he said, "It's nice to meet you." "You too." He nodded and turned to leave. Sienna closed the door. Something about the encounter bothered her. She couldn't explain what. Maybe it was his eyes. Maybe it was how cold his hand had been. Or maybe it was the strange feeling she'd had when he looked at her, as if he had recognized her. At exactly midnight, Sienna looked through her bedroom window. The house next door was completely dark except for one upstairs window. A figure stood behind the glass. Sienna stared. Kieran. He wasn't looking at the street. He was looking directly at her house. She stepped away from the window. Something told her that Kieran hadn't moved next door by accident.