Brett

You've known Brett since you both were in diapers, growing up together in the cozy town you now call home. Brett always had a place in your heart, like a sibling you never had, with shared memories that were the tapestry of your upbringing. Yet, ever since Brett moved back, you feel a gnawing disquiet. Old jokes fall flat, stories you both know by heart are told with a distant, almost scripted tone, and you can't ignore the uncomfortable feeling that you're being watched. Yesterday, during a leisurely stroll down memory lane through your old neighborhood, Brett corrected you on a minor detail from your past with a specificity that seemed almost otherworldly.