Neighbors

(Trigger warnings: rape themes, death, animal cruelty)

 Lindsey Crane and her husband, Daniel, were the next door neighbors of Luis Parker, a bit of an odd man who kept to himself for the most part. Rarely did they interact with one another other than a friendly hello as they passed in the halls of the apartment complex they all called home. Sometimes though, the conversations they did have would give Luis some clues as to what kind of people the two of them were. Secretly Luis was infatuated with Lindsey and would eat up every word she spoke. He would often find ways to listen in on what was going on in the Crane's apartment. It was getting to a point he couldn't take it anymore. He needed her more than Daniel did, surely.

It was a Sunday morning, and Sundays meant she would be home alone while Daniel, the God-fearing man that he was, would be attending church. Lindsey really wasn't all too religious but saw no harm in her husband participating in what he believed in.

Luis didn't like that Daniel was the religious sort and thought Lindsey deserved better. Somehow he got it in his mind that he would go and win her over that day. He shaved his face, freshened up and wore his nicest casual outfit. The day before he had gone and bought flowers to keep in a vase overnight before the big day.

Lindsey sat on the couch in her living room, reading a book about a dystopian future when she heard the knock at the door. Her pomeranian began barking wildly and ran ahead of her to growl at the door.

"Hush you," she said sternly as she walked past her pet. She peeked through the small hole on the door and was puzzled to see her neighbor standing there with a bouquet in hand.

She opened the door and quirked an eyebrow as she made eye contact with Luis.

He smiled warmly at her as he held the flowers out for her to take. Neither one had spoken a single word, filling the air with an awkward silence.

"Can I help you?" Said Lindsey, finally breaking the silence.

"These are for you," replied Luis as he gestured for her to take them.

Hesitantly she did take them, examining them as she did. Clearly she was uncomfortable and confused but Luis didn't seem to pick up on that as he took a step closer to her.

"Why?" She asked as she backed up a little to get him out of her personal space.

He stepped closer again and chuckled, "Because I love you Lindsey. I have for a long time. I think you-"

"Love me? You don't even know me!" She snapped at him as she backed up more, glancing around quickly for anything she could use in self defense if it came to that. Lindsey's dog was standing a few feet away, watching attentively.

"Yes I do, I do know you Lindsey. I know you sing when you think no one can hear you, and I know you're frustrated Daniel doesn't buy you flowers, or take you out to the places you want to go. But you see, I will do those things, as I've already shown," he gestured to the flowers at his last words in his sentence. He kept his smile on and closed the door behind him.

Lindsey's eyes darted every which way, trying to find a way out of this as her mind went through a hundred scenarios, none of which were good. Her eyes landed on the growing bulge in his pants before she quickly looked back at his face with a scowl.

"You need to leave," she said sternly as she pulled out her phone to dial 911.

Luis swiftly snatched her phone out of her hand and shook his head as he said, "You don't get it. I'm going to make you much happier than that oaf. Trust me, Lindsey."

"Give that back!" She said with a lot of hostility in her voice. She reached for it while adding to her previous sentence; "and stop saying my name so much!"

He was much taller than her and so was able to hold it out of her reach. The size difference between the two of them was large, which was already obvious, but as she tried to get her phone back it really sunk in: this man is tall, muscular and out of his fucking mind!

Quickly Lindsey darted across the room, grabbing her dog in a quick swooping motion, not stopping even for a second until she got to the back door, which was a sliding glass door that led out to a balcony.

Luis chased after her, not giving his mind any time to think about the consequences of his actions. Lindsey made it out and turned to close the door, planning to lock herself out. As she turned she laid eyes on the intruder approaching her and began to panic, fumbling to get the door shut. She dropped her pomeranian in the struggle, causing him to whimper and limp away.

The two of them pulled on the door, Lindsey trying to shut it, and Luis trying to keep it open. It was futile for Lindsey to try. She was panicking and unable to get a good grip on the door, not to mention the strength difference between the two of them. She stepped back, leaning up against the railing. She grabbed onto it and looked down at the ground below. They were three stories up and she knew if either of them fell they likely wouldn't survive.

"Stay back or I jump," she growled at Luis as he stepped out onto the balcony. He stood still for a second before deciding she was bluffing. He moved forward and began to reach his arms out.

"Come on, don't be so-"

Before he could finish his sentence she landed a hard kick to his groin area, stopping him completely. He groaned and started to go down.

She tried to run around him but as she did he came to the realization she didn't hit anything of importance and his reaction was completely reflex. He was now incredibly angry by her actions and stood up, lunging at her, knocking her over the edge of the balcony head first. He tried to grab her, but was only capable of grabbing her foot, and that only caused him to pull off her sock while the rest of her plummeted to the ground. Her body hit the cement with a loud, haunting crack. Luis stood at the edge, looking down at her body as blood began to pool around her head. He stared for what felt like an eternity before turning to look at the dog cowering in the corner, then down at her pink fuzzy sock that still had just a little of her body heat left in it.

"This is all my fault…" Luis said to himself as tears welled up in his eyes.

"What is all your fault?" A rather concerned and angry Daniel questioned.

Luis had been so distracted by what had happened he didn't hear Daniel enter the apartment. He turned to face him, the sock hanging in his hand, the dog limping out to greet his owner, a woman screaming as she came across the scene just three stories below. Both Daniel and Luis' lives were changing in that very moment, neither one for the better.