THE HOA MEMBER AND THE NOISY NEIGHBOR 😈

[KOBE]

The late afternoon sun draped Willow Creek in a golden haze, its rays glinting off the pristine lawns and pastel facades of the suburban enclave. Astrid Lindholm, a striking Swedish immigrant whose curves filled out her navy tracksuit with an effortless allure, marched down the cul-de-sac with purpose. Her white tennis shoes gleamed against the pavement, her steps punctuated by the soft swish of fabric. Clutched in her manicured hands was a clipboard, its pages thick with complaints about one Harlan Grimsby, the neighborhood’s resident oddball. His late-night woodworking had rattled the nerves of every homeowner within earshot, and Astrid, with her fierce blue eyes and no-nonsense demeanor, was determined to put an end to it.

The old Victorian at the end of the street loomed like a relic from another time, its peeling paint and shadowed windows a stark contrast to the neighborhood’s polished charm. The faint whine of a power tool buzzed from within, a taunting violation of the HOA’s sacred noise ordinance. Astrid’s lips pressed into a thin line. She knocked sharply on the door, her resolve as firm as the clipboard in her grip.

The door groaned open, revealing Harlan Grimsby, a wiry man in his late sixties with a shock of white hair and eyes that gleamed with a strange, knowing glint. Sawdust clung to his flannel shirt, and his gnarled hands rested casually on the doorframe, as if he’d been waiting for her all along.

“Ms. Lindholm,” he said, his voice a gravelly drawl laced with an unsettling warmth. “What brings you to my doorstep?”

Astrid didn’t hesitate. “Mr. Grimsby, we’ve had multiple complaints about your late-night woodworking. It’s disruptive and violates section 4.2 of the HOA bylaws. This has to stop.”

Harlan’s lips twitched into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Disruptive? Just an old man keeping busy. Surely you folks can handle a little hum of creativity.”

Her grip on the clipboard tightened, knuckles paling. “It’s not ‘a little hum.’ It’s every night, Mr. Grimsby. People can’t sleep. You’re disturbing the entire neighborhood.”

He tilted his head, his gaze lingering on her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. “Well, now, that’s a pity. It’s hot as blazes out there, Ms. Lindholm. Why don’t you come in? I’ve got some iced tea in the fridge. We can sort this out like reasonable people.”

Astrid’s instincts prickled, but the heat was oppressive, and her throat was dry from the walk. Against her better judgment, she nodded. “Fine. But this doesn’t change the fact that you’re breaking the rules.”

Harlan’s smile widened as he stepped aside, ushering her into the dim foyer. The house smelled of aged wood, linseed oil, and something faintly metallic that she couldn’t place. He led her to a cluttered living room, where half-finished furniture—a rocking chair, a carved table—sprawled in disarray. He vanished into the kitchen, returning with a tall glass of iced tea, ice cubes clinking softly.

“Made it myself,” he said, handing it to her. “Sweet, just how you Swedes like it.”

Astrid bristled at the assumption but took the glass, her fingers grazing his rough ones. She sipped, the cool liquid soothing her parched throat, though it carried a strange, bitter edge. She set the glass on a nearby table, ready to resume her lecture, when a sudden wave of dizziness hit. The room swayed, her vision blurring at the edges.

“Mr. Grimsby, I—” Her words slurred, her legs giving way. The last thing she saw was his face, that sly smile now unmistakably sinister, before darkness swallowed her whole.



The sun sank below the horizon, painting Willow Creek in shades of violet and crimson. The neighborhood settled into its evening hush, oblivious to the drama unfolding within the old Victorian. From the second floor, behind a heavy oak door, came a sound that pierced the stillness—laughter, wild and unbridled, spilling out in frenzied waves. It was Astrid’s voice, though transformed, a cascade of high-pitched, hysterical peals interspersed with gasps and unintelligible words that tripped over each other in a chaotic rush. The sound was raw, almost primal, as if every nerve in her body had been set alight with sensation.

In the dim hallway outside the locked bedroom door, the floorboards bore witness to what had transpired. A navy tracksuit lay crumpled in a heap, one white tennis shoe upright, the other toppled on its side. A single no-show sock, stark white against the dark wood, rested nearby, its twin lost to the shadows. The clipboard lay abandoned near the stairs, its pages fluttering in a faint draft. And then, just as the heavy door gave a final, deliberate thud, a new addition joined the pile—a lacy bra, pale blue and delicate, followed by a matching pair of panties, tossed carelessly from within. They landed atop the tracksuit, a final marker of Astrid’s vulnerability, as the door clicked shut with a sound like fate sealing itself.

The laughter swelled, louder now, a symphony of hysteria that seemed to pulse through the walls. It was relentless, unstoppable, the kind of laughter that could only come from someone pushed beyond control, someone whose very being had been overtaken by sensation. Words tried to form—pleas, perhaps, or protests—but they dissolved into gibberish, drowned in the torrent of wild, uncontrollable mirth.

The house itself seemed to hold its breath, its creaks and groans silenced by the sheer force of the sound. The scene lingered for a moment on the hallway, the scattered clothing a silent testament to the unseen. Then, slowly, the perspective drifted—down the creaky stairs, past the cluttered living room with its half-finished projects, through the front door, and out into the cool night air. The laughter followed, muffled but piercing, a haunting echo of the scene left behind that locked door.

The Victorian house receded into the distance, its dark silhouette blending into the quiet of Willow Creek. The stars blinked to life above, indifferent to the chaos within. Astrid Lindholm’s fate—her exquisite form, her unimaginable torment—was left to the shadows, to the imagination, to the locked room where Harlan Grimsby’s strange hospitality had woven a trap no one could have foreseen. The laughter lingered, faint but undeniable, as the night closed in, leaving her to whatever lay beyond that heavy, unyielding door.