Dry leaves rustled beneath my shoes as I stepped out of thecar. A faint scuffling sound came from somewhere deep inside the forest, followed by a soft beat of wings. But just as I was reaching for my house keys, something made me pause.
Wedged between the door frame, starkly white against the dark wood, was an envelope. It carried no name or return address. Inside, there was only a note.
People pretend to care about what’s right, but few of them act on it.
You do.
I admire your clarity. You see things differently than most.
I just wanted you to know, there’s someone out there who sees you, too.
—A friend
The handwriting was angular and neat, each letter formed with obvious care, although the paper itself told a different story. It was creased at the center, as though it had been folded and unfolded countless times before being delivered to me.
While the note didn’t read like a threat at first glance, it was far from harmless. It held a lot of different meanings, each interpretation more troubling than the last.
Recognition wasn’t part of my design. The version of me that moved through the world wasn’t built for that. It spoke the right words, it smiled when expected, it nodded at the right times—socially acceptable, even likable, but altogether unremarkable. However, it seemed that someone had managed to see past the mask. They’d taken a peek behind the veil and, for whatever reason, it made them want to reachout.
I folded the note and slid it into my pocket.
Unease hummed under my skin like static, but it was almost immediately eclipsed by something far stronger—interest.To be seen, after shaping your entire life around going unnoticed, sparked a strange kind of thrill.
I’d be lying to myself if I said I wasn’t curious to see what happened next.
* * *
Twenty-seven down: Two-faced by nature.
My pen hovered midair, stalling above the paper in my hand.
Deceitful?
Too short.
Disingenuous?
Close, but not quite. Something else, then…
“Tom…”
Naomi’s voice broke my train of thought. She had claimed the chair across from me, spinning lazily in place, the old leather creaking quietly in protest.
“Thomas… Tommy… "she continued in that sing-song tone she slipped into whenever she wanted my attention. “Are you planning on acknowledging my existence anytime soon, or should I just keep entertaining myself over here?”
“I’m working,” I said, tapping my pen against the margin.
The creaks came to an abrupt halt as Naomi stoppedherself mid-turn. She straightened, her expression flat and unimpressed. “You’re doing crossword puzzles…”
The correct answer continued to scratch at the edges of my mind, hovering just out of reach. Nonetheless, I set the paper aside.
“Better now?” I asked, giving her my full, undivided attention.
“Much.” Naomi grinned, wide and entirely unapologetic.
Maintaining personal relationships had always been somewhat of a challenge. Naomi was one of the few people I made a genuine effort to keep around, if only to keep up appearances. It helped that she never took it personally when I took a few hours to reply to her texts or canceled plans at the last minute. She was an easygoing person by nature, which was exactly the kind of friend I needed.
The clock on the wall caught my eye. It was nearing noon.
