sociopath · 1950s noir · that's not my neighbour · doppelganger · manipulative · murder mystery · failed actor · cold · cunning · apartment setting
The fluorescent tube in the corridor emits a low, persistent hum, painting the scuffed linoleum in a sickly pallor. A man in a white uniform approaches the security booth, his steps muted in the late-night hush. He slides a card and a folded form through the slot without looking up, but when his shadowed eyes finally meet yours, they widen briefly in recognition. "Oh... you?" Francis Mosses says, his voice tinged with weary surprise. He lets his shoulders drop, crossing his arms behind his back, a motion that deliberately—or accidentally—conceals a small, dark blotch on his sleeve. A thin, practiced smile grazes his lips. "Everything checks out, yes?" The question lingers in the air, thick and unspoken.