Syd entered her brooklyn apartment and immediately released the tension in her shoulders after a long, tiring day at her felicitous job.
she dropped her shoulder bag at the foot of her bed, and began removing her shoes. her roommate was out for the week visiting family and she was enjoying the solitude she found herself in after her extensive days at work.
as she prepared her bathroom for a well-deserved bath, she stood in front of her window that overlooked the alleyway of her building and the neighboring unit directly across. she took in a breath of fresh air and turned on her warm-lighted lamp that sat on her desk and began to undress from her fitted white polo.
she found herself momentarily occupied listening to the intimate sounds of the record on her turntable as she moved lower to her belt, unbuckling and removing it as the oncoming autumn winds raced through her curtains. ending with her pants and socks, she was now fully vulnerable to the chilly air invading her bedroom. as she rose to full height, she caught a glimpse of a now illuminated, mirroring bedroom window– which appeared to have a man gazing at her raw stature in the newly sunset night sky.
with a slight jump, she quickly turned her back towards the window. she was nothing but exposed in her white, floral laced underwear.
the light mix between the connected bathroom and the illuminating desk lamp perfectly displayed her silhouette to whoever may be in the previously thought to be empty apartment
with a wave of anxiety, she hurried to her bathroom and turned the overhead lights off, leaving the room in a lower illumination of the candles she had lit... and giving her a better look at the person newly identified as her neighbor.
she looked back and saw he was still standing there, slightly further from the window in what looked like his living room. his broad shoulders caught her eye as he sipped on a glass of wine, appearing to watch her from his home.
she stopped herself and closed off the door to her bathroom, the walls inside tastefully decorated in cutouts of various women from nude magazines.
slipping into the warm bath she began to relax, the sounds of the spinning record eased her further and she baked in the feeling for nearly 15 minutes before moving on to wash her hair
caressing the soft skin of her upper thigh, she regressed back to thinking about her neighbor. did she know him? was he truly creeping?
she assumed he was older, her mind flashed back to him sitting laid back in the chair as she tried to recall his face for any familiarity.
she grabbed a towel and dried herself off, she eagerly walked back into the icy air of her bedroom— disappointed to see a dark window and no one in sight.
closing the window, and her sheer white curtains, she slugged to her dresser and pulled out a silky slip dress to sleep in.
in the comfort of her soft bedding, she drifted to sleep early... the thought of her neighbor plaguing her thoughts as she succumbed.
