Chapter 5
The afternoon sun dipped below the horizon, painting the suburban sky in bruised shades of purple and charcoal. Arthur stood on a small aluminum stepladder outside the front porch, screwing a white cylindrical security camera into the wooden eaves above the front window. The smell of autumn leaves drifted on the damp breeze, but sweat beaded on Arthur's forehead despite the chill.
Inside the house, Maya had turned on every light in the living room and kitchen, banishing the shadows that seemed to pool in the corners. Leo was resting quietly in his grey baby rocker, lulled by the low hum of a white noise machine plugged into the baseboard.
Arthur tightened the final screw, descended the ladder, and pulled out his smartphone. He opened the companion app, syncing the new device to his home Wi-Fi network. Within moments, a crisp, wide-angle high-definition feed of the front yard bloomed across his screen. The grass, the azalea bushes, and the paved walkway appeared in sharp, unyielding clarity.
He walked around to the side of the house, installing a second camera above the kitchen window that overlooked the narrow alleyway between their property and the neighbor's overgrown fence. Every action felt ritualistic, a modern warding off of ancient evils.
When he stepped back inside, Maya was standing by the kitchen island, watching him with tired, watchful eyes. "Is it enough?" she asked, her voice small.
"It's a start," Arthur said, washing his hands at the sink and drying them on a dish towel. "The system is motion-activated. If anything moves within thirty feet of the house, my phone will sound an alarm, and it will record every second in high definition. He can't sneak up on us anymore."
Just as he finished speaking, his phone buzzed violently in his palm. The screen flashed a bright red alert banner: Motion detected—Side Yard Alley.
Arthur froze. Maya caught her breath, her hand flying to her mouth to stifle a gasp.
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"Stay here," Arthur commanded in a low, sharp whisper. He moved toward the hallway closet, reaching up to the top shelf where an old, heavy flashlight rested next to a box of holiday decorations. His muscles tensed as he stepped toward the back door that led directly out to the side alley.
He unlocked the deadbolt with agonizing slowness, pulled the door open a crack, and stepped out into the biting evening air, holding the flashlight ready to sweep the darkness.
