Flashback: A moving truck. A young couple— Mark and Lisa —unpacking boxes labeled “KITCHEN” and “LIVING ROOM.” They smile at John Persons, who is watching from his porch. He gives a small, almost invisible nod.
“Mark and Lisa moved out on Thursday. That was their second mistake.”
Here’s a short story based on the fictional comic series The Neighbors John Persons Comics . The Unspoken Agreement
A quiet cul-de-sac at dusk. Identical houses with different shades of beige siding. A single figure stands on a perfectly manicured lawn: John Persons , 40s, plain gray sweatshirt, holding a pair of hedge clippers. He’s not trimming anything. He’s just standing there, staring at the house two doors down.
Mark runs outside. Every other house on the cul-de-sac has a single can of corn on the porch. Gleaming. Untouched. John Persons stands on his own porch, hedge clippers in hand. He clips the air once. Snip.