The Man Next Door

Chapter 2: Meeting Daniel

I slept soundly for a few hours that evening, it had started to rain and the pattering of water on glass soothed me, that is until the thunder started. As soon as the flash of lightning brightened the room my eyes snapped open and I sat up in a cold sweat. I wasn't fond of thunderstorms. Wrapping my arms around myself I crept to the window and looked outside at the windswept streets as the clouds poured their fury on the city. Looking both ways down the street, a sudden spot of color caught my atention. I saw someone walking under a bright, red umbrella and stop at the door of the apartment building. They started knocking, more frantic by the second before giving an exasperated stomp on the porch. Such a dignified response to being locked out leads me to believe it's a woman. Who else would carry an umbrella that annoying a color of red? Sighing, I look over at the small watch on my nightstand, it reads one a.m.. I sigh to myself, Ms. Owens won't be letting anyone in at this hour, no matter the weather. Opening the window I peer down at the stranger before calling down to her hoping my voice won't crack.

“Oi! Just stay right there, I'll be down in a second!” For a moment the person looks up before nodding curtly and gripping her obnoxious umbrella in tight resignation.

Treading softly down the stairs I make my way towards the front entrance and open a numerous amount of locks once I reach it.

“Ruddy woman certainly has enough locks to keep Stalin out!” I curse mildly under my breath. Swinging the door open I turn to face the strange woman and find myself looking up at her instead, she stands at least six feet, and that's without the black flats covering her large feet. She nods her thanks and smiles slightly at my bedraggled form. Besides her height she has lovely blond hair that skims the top of her shoulders in loose curls and her eyes are like frosted pine trees. Definitely beautiful, the only thing throwing me for the loop is the fact that she has stubble and more prominent cheek bones than most normal women have. The woman quirks an eyebrow at my slack jawed gaze and I look away, embarrassed to have been caught staring. She opens her mouth to speak and I wonder what her voice will sound like, what I hear is a warm falseto of what should be a deep baritone.

“Why hello, you must be the new tenant on our floor Ms. Owens was telling me about!” She-or maybe he- gushed politely.

“Um, yes...? My name is Gatsby Andrews, your next door neighbor.” I mumble in confusion, there is something off-setting about her that I can't explain and then it clicks. I can hear Ms. Owens' voice in my head, “... you might want to be careful around your next door neighbor, Mr. Daniel Harris. He's quite...eccentric.” Oh good Lord, I'm rooming with a raging queer. I stare in blank horror at the person before me, Daniel is still talking oblivious to my petrification.

“Well it's so nice to finally have someone next door, I rarely have visitors and no one's lived next to me in about a year...” He trails off for a moment while counting his fingers in concentration, pulling leather gloves off in the process, “Yes, that's about right!” He giggles while turning his attention on the umbrella, retracting it to a more sensible size.

“I presume you're Daniel Harris?” I ask weakly, wondering just what I've gotten myself into.

“Oh, where are my manners? Yes, that's me, but I'm Danielle at the moment.” He winks and smiles in a way as if we're two best friends sharing a secret, I'm starting to feel sick.

“Y-yes, well if you'll excuse me it's late and I need to be heading back off to bed, so goodnight... Danielle.” I stutter meekly before turning on my heel to dash away. Danielle leans against the wall in a casual sort of way, studying her perfectly polished nails.

“You need to be more careful with your act, you know.” Danielle's voice stops me cold, although for a moment I wonder if it's her speaking or Daniel.I slowly face her, taking in this new possible threat.