Novel & Cerita Hello Neighbor's Secret

Noah was still dead to the world, likely dreaming of his midnight heist. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the two of them on that bike—a pastor’s daughter and a wild-hearted volunteer, blurred into the darkness. I had a knot in my stomach that wouldn't untie. In this neighborhood, secrets didn't stay buried; they rotted under the surface until they exploded. I was startled out of my thoughts by a sound from next door. It wasn't a scream. It was a sharp, rhythmic thud-thud-thud. I moved to the window, pulling the curtain back just enough to see into the Pastor's driveway.

A chill ran down my spine. “Then how did he escape?” Sam exhaled slowly. “The man who saved him… didn’t let them find him.” The uncle’s voice rose sharply. “You are speculating.” Sam turned toward him. “No,” he said. “I’m remembering.” The Neighbor’s True Identity My heart pounded harder with every second. “The neighbor…” I whispered. “Who is he?” Sam looked at me carefully. “His name isn’t what he told you.” My stomach twisted. “What is it then?”

Her first message to Havermouth didn’t need to do more than make people think about what was happening around them and warn them not to trust the Van Helsings. “Dear Havermouth, The moon is bright overhead, And all our secrets under its light are shed, We are your lovers, neighbours, and friends, Don’t let the moonlight be our ends. We are all what they fear, All unique, brave, courageous, and near, Help those who for shelter come, To those in black help none. We all fall, or we stand as one, Hold fort until the signal comes. The Secret Keeper”

It was plain brown, but the weight of it was significant, and the shipping label was stark, black, and expensive-looking. The address, however, was wrong. It read "Apt 3B," but he was in 3A. The name printed in bold, elegant font was "M. Thorne." Leo had lived in the Oakwood Gardens apartment complex for two years and had never met his neighbor in 3B. He’d only ever heard the faint, deep thrum of a bass guitar late at night and seen the occasional sliver of light under the door. The neighbor was a ghost, a nocturnal creature whose existence was marked only by silence and shadow.

That being invisible is worse than being hated. Because at least hatred means they see you. My hand trembled as I wrote the next line. If I’m not careful, I’ll break. And I don’t know if Cole would catch me if I do. The silence of my room pressed heavy around me. I closed the journal, shoving it under my pillow like a secret I wasn’t brave enough to speak aloud. For now, it was safe. Hidden. But some secrets don’t stay hidden forever.

And words underneath. "Next time no escape" I screamed. I screamed so loud my throat hurt. I couldn't stop screaming. The neighbors started banging on the wall. Pounding hard. Yelling at me to be quiet. I didn't care. I couldn't stop. I just kept screaming and staring at the photo. My door burst open. Damian ran in. His eyes were wild. "What happened" he yelled. "What's wrong" I couldn't speak. I just held up my phone. Showed him the photo.

They didn't sleep around or act crazy. When the neighbors found out what happened to me, they rallied together and organized a fundraiser for me. I didn't have to work three jobs anymore. I slowly learned that real safety didn't come from guns or locked doors. It came from people looking out for each other. In the new neighborhood, Draven made a lot of good friends. He grew brighter and more cheerful every day. The smile came back to his face. As he got better, so did I. What Rina did to us became a wake-up call, a reminder to always hold onto your values and not throw yourself into relationships with just anyone.

Just then, my phone pings with a notification, just the same time Nate's phone, Jennie's phone and Marco's phone pings equally altogether. Just exactly the same instant almost everyone's phones in the cafeteria tings, the tinging sounds filling the whole atmosphere at once. My eyes flash to Nate before darting around the entire cafeteria. What is happening? I pick up my phone. My heart leaps when I see that it is a notification from Ville Secrets. I am not liking this one bit. A loud collective gasp from almost everyone has me lifting up my eyes from my phone instantly, jamming everyone's eyes widening and staring at the two people sitting two tables ahead from ours.

I hooked the doorknob with the hanger before using other furniture to block the door. However, I could not just stay in my room forever. I was starving. With a trembling hand, I opened my laptop and organized the video files I stole from his computer. Luckily, most of them had been downloaded. I quickly scanned through and finally found out where all the strange noises were coming from. I edited the video and sent it to my best friend, asking her to contact the police force as I did. She quickly replied to me that she and her boyfriend were on the way to the police bureau to show the police the videos and told me to stay safe.