He Sees You When You're Sleeping

Chase moves back home after a loss. It’s the last place he wants to be after working hard to leave his hometown behind. Now he’s taking care of his mom and takes a job at the mall through the holidays to make ends meet.

It’s bad enough that Chase has had to take a big step backward, but something has been off since he returned home. He keeps feeling like he’s being watched. At home, at work, even the mall Santa gives him the creeps.

A former classmate runs into Chase at the mall. Archie had been small and bullied a lot back in school. But he’s grown into a strong, confident man that gives Chase the attention he craves.

When the paranoia becomes real, Archie is there to protect him. For the first time, Chase feels wanted and safe. Is this man from his past everything he could want or is there something darker lurking beneath the surface?

*This short story was originally part of the O Deadly Night Volume 2 Anthology