They are candid. Voyeuristic. Some are blurry, taken from a distance. Others are terrifyingly clear, taken with a telephoto lens.
But then... then I see the others.
The ones taken at night.
My breath hitches, turning into a painful wheeze.
There are photos of me sleeping.
Grainy, black-and-white images taken from a high angle. I recognize the angle. It’s from the ceiling. From the smoke detector.
I scan the dates scribbled in black marker on the corners of the prints.
Oct 12.Nov 04.Dec 25.
Christmas. He watched me sleep on Christmas. I spent the day alone, eating Chinese takeout and watching movies, feeling sorry for myself. I thought I was alone.
He was there. He was always there.
I reach out and touch a photo near the center. It’s different. It’s not a photo.
It’s a sketch.
It’s a charcoal drawing of a gargoyle perched on a cathedral ledge.
My heart stops.
I drew this. I drew this back in October. I remember being frustrated with the shading on the wing. I crumpled it up. I threw it in the trash can in the park.
He dug it out of the trash.
He smoothed it out. He kept it.
"Oh my God," I whisper, tears blurring my vision. "You’re sick. You’re completely sick."
I back away from the wall, revulsion churning in my stomach. This isn't just a debt payment. This isn't business. This is a shrine.
I bump into the desk.
I turn around, needing to get out, needing to leave this room before the weight of his obsession crushes me.
But then I see the monitors.
There are six screens mounted on the wall behind the desk. They are all active.
Screen 1: The kitchen. The empty plate where I just ate his eggs. Screen 2: The living room. The view of the city. Screen 3: The hallway outside. Screen 4: The master bedroom. The unmade bed with the black sheets. Screen 5: The bathroom. The stone tub.
Screen 6.
I stare at Screen 6.
It shows a woman standing in a dark room, illuminated by track lighting. She is wearing blue silk pajamas. Her hand is covering her mouth. Her eyes are wide with terror.
It’s me.
I’m watching myself watching the screen.
There is a small red dot in the corner of the monitor.REC.
