The narrator recounts a series of disturbing experiences with their neighbors. Five years ago, their next-door neighbor, Charles, reported his 14-year-old son's disappearance. Over the years, the narrator and their spouse offered their help, but Charles and his wife seemed to cope with the situation differently. Charles' wife, Kathy, became quieter and more reserved, while Charles appeared more awkward and nervous.
One day, Charles asked to borrow a shovel without explanation. The narrator noticed Charles digging a large hole in his backyard, which he seemed to struggle with. When the narrator offered to help, Charles became agitated and asked them to leave. The narrator observed Charles from their window and noticed him digging for a long time.
The next morning, the narrator heard the sound of a shovel hitting the dirt outside and saw Charles digging in his backyard. The narrator sneaked out and saw a small piece of a black garbage bag protruding from the hole. The narrator decided to investigate and found a small piece of a black garbage bag.
The next day, the narrator noticed that the hole in the ground was completely patched up, and Charles' SUV was parked in the street instead of his driveway. The narrator speculates that Charles might have buried something in the hole and moved it to another location.
The narrator also recounts a series of disturbing experiences with their other neighbors. They describe a series of incidents involving a woman in her 60s who appears to be mentally unstable and a younger woman with severe mental disabilities. The narrator describes these women as being unfriendly and scary, and they often have loud arguments.
One night, the narrator is woken up by a screaming woman, who turns out to be the younger woman from next door. The narrator calls the police, who take the woman away. The older woman from next door comes over and pleads with the police to let her go, but they insist on taking her in for the night. The narrator decides not to press charges, but the older woman gives them a hateful stare.
The narrator concludes by stating that they are seriously considering moving out due to the disturbing experiences with their neighbors.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The text is composed of four different stories, each with a different narrator and setting.
2. The first story is about a narrator who suspects his neighbor Charles of hiding his son's body in his backyard and digging it up at night.
3. The second story is about a narrator who was threatened by his neighbors Todd and Eric, who had real guns and harassed him and his brother.
4. The third story is about a narrator who found the mentally ill woman from next door hiding under his bed and screaming at him.
5. The fourth story is incomplete and only has one sentence: "you".
Some additional facts are:
6. The first story mentions that the narrator's neighbor Charlie reported his son's disappearance five years ago and that it was on the news.
7. The second story mentions that the narrator and his brother were moving out of their first house soon and that they never told anyone about the gun incident.
8. The third story mentions that the narrator did not press charges against the mentally ill woman but that the older woman who lived with her gave him an evil stare.
9. The stories are written in a horror or suspense genre and have elements of mystery, violence, and fear.