For Lisa, agoraphobia wasn’t just a disorder—it was her entire life. She hadn’t left her apartment in years and lived only by watching other people through their windows. She made up stories about the people she saw in her head, but her life changed when she decided that one of them needed her help.
In the dimly lit, lonely house, Lisa sat at her favorite spot by the large window, gazing intently through her trusty telescope.
The room around her was quiet, filled only with the faint hum of the refrigerator and the soft creak of the old wooden floor.
For Lisa, this was the only connection she had to the outside world.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Years ago, agoraphobia had crept into her life, slowly consuming her ability to leave her home.
Now, the thought of stepping beyond her front door filled her with terror.
The world outside was vast, unpredictable, and dangerous. So, she stayed inside, where everything was familiar and safe.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Groceries were delivered to her doorstep, and whatever else she needed could be ordered online.
But that wasn’t enough to fill the emptiness. What filled her days now was the lives of others—people she had never met but felt intimately close to, thanks to her telescope.
Near the telescope, Lisa kept a small, worn diary.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Its pages were filled with notes about the people she watched from her window, the strangers who unknowingly became the characters in her imagined stories.
She didn’t know their real names, so she made them up. These people became her companions in her isolation, the stars of her lonely theater.
Every evening, Lisa began her routine by focusing her telescope on one particular apartment across the street. It belonged to a man she called Josh.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
She had learned a lot about him through the little details she observed: his love for basketball, his collection of jerseys that adorned the walls of his living room.
Lakers jerseys, she decided, based on the colors.
On game nights, she watched his reactions closely, as if she were sharing in his excitement.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Sometimes, when he cheered or jumped off the couch, she smiled as if they were watching the game together.
After spending time with Josh, Lisa would turn her telescope to another apartment, this one belonging to an elderly man she called George.
Every day at the same time, George would sit down at his piano, his wrinkled hands poised over the keys. Lisa couldn’t hear the music, but she imagined it in her head.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
In her mind, George played beautiful, soothing melodies that filled his apartment with warmth. She imagined him lost in the music, perhaps remembering days gone by.
And then there was her favorite couple—Hans and Joan. At least, that’s what she named them. Lisa had watched them the longest.
Hans, the tall, organized man who always cooked dinner, was the one who fascinated her the most.
From her vantage point, she could see the way he meticulously prepared meals, everything in its place, the kitchen spotless.
She’d close her eyes and imagine the rich smells of the food he made, imagining herself in that kitchen, tasting the delicious meals.
But this time, as Lisa adjusted her telescope to check in on Hans, something caught her eye that shattered the comfort she had built in her imagination.
Instead of Hans, there was a different man in the kitchen.
He was with Joan. Lisa’s breath caught in her throat as she focused the telescope. The man wasn’t just visiting—he was hugging Joan, and then they kissed.
As usual, Lisa sat by the telescope, waiting for the familiar sight of Hans in the kitchen, preparing dinner like he did every evening.
It had become a comforting routine for her—watching him cook, imagining the delicious meals he created. But that evening, something was different.
Lisa frowned as she adjusted the telescope. There was a man in the kitchen, but it wasn’t Hans.
Her heart raced as she focused the lens for a closer look. The man, someone she had never seen before, was laughing and talking with Joan. Hans was nowhere to be found.
At first, Lisa thought it might be a friend or a relative, but then she saw it—Joan leaned in, and the man wrapped his arms around her. They hugged, and then they kissed.
Lisa’s chest tightened with disbelief. Joan was cheating on Hans! For a moment, Lisa sat frozen, her mind racing. Maybe she was misunderstanding.
Maybe Hans and Joan had broken up, and this new man was Joan’s new partner.
But that couldn’t be right—everything had seemed normal just the other night when Hans was cooking. Was this happening behind his back?
Lisa tried to calm herself, but the thought of what she had just witnessed made her feel sick.
Hours later, when she checked again, there was Hans, back in the kitchen, cooking dinner as usual. Joan came in, smiling as if nothing had happened.
She kissed him lightly on the cheek before sitting down at the table.
Lisa’s stomach churned. How could Joan act so normal? Lisa had admired Hans for so long, and now this betrayal was happening without him even knowing.
She wondered if she should stay quiet. After all, it wasn’t really her business. But deep down, Lisa knew she couldn’t ignore it. Hans deserved to know the truth.
Lisa sat at her small, cluttered desk, her hands hovering nervously over the blank piece of paper.
She had been sitting there for what felt like hours, picking up the pen, only to set it down again. Her mind was a swirl of uncertainty.
Should she really tell Hans? Would he even believe her? After all, she was just a stranger, someone who had been secretly watching his life from afar.
But the image of Joan, smiling and kissing that other man, refused to leave her thoughts. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw it again. Hans had the right to know, didn’t he?
With a deep breath, Lisa finally steeled herself and began to write. She kept the letter simple and honest, focusing only on the facts. She explained that she had seen Joan with another man in the kitchen, and that they had been laughing, hugging, and kissing.
She didn’t dare mention how she had witnessed all of this through her telescope—she couldn’t risk him thinking she was some kind of creepy voyeur. No, she had to keep it straightforward and clear.
She told herself she was doing the right thing, but even as she wrote the last sentence, her hand shook.
But writing the letter was the easy part. Delivering it was something else entirely.
Lisa hadn’t left her apartment in years. The outside world was a place of fear and unpredictability for her.
Stepping out into it felt like an impossible task, but she knew this letter couldn’t be sent anonymously. Hans deserved to receive it in person. She had to do this herself.
Determined, Lisa layered her clothes, covering her arms and legs, and put on a face mask and gloves.
The thick fabric made her feel shielded from the world.
She hesitated for a moment as she reached for the door, her heart pounding so loudly it echoed in her ears. Then, with a sharp breath, she opened it.
The sunlight hit her like a wave, making her squint as she stepped outside. Her legs felt weak, but she forced herself to keep moving, step by step.
The world outside felt overwhelmingly vast, and her chest tightened with fear.
She almost turned around and fled back inside, but the thought of Hans cooking in his kitchen kept her going. He needed to know the truth.
When she reached his building, she slipped in behind someone who was leaving while the door was still open.
The elevator ride felt endless, her mind racing with doubts. What if he thought she was crazy? What if she had the wrong apartment?
But then, as she approached the door, the familiar smell of delicious food reached her nose, confirming she was in the right place.
Summoning all of her courage, Lisa rang the doorbell. After a few tense moments, the door swung open, and there he was Hans.
He looked just as she had imagined up close, though his expression was one of confusion.
He glanced at her mask and gloves, clearly unsure of who this stranger was or what she wanted.
Lisa froze, her heart thudding in her chest. The words she had rehearsed in her head vanished, replaced by a blur of panic.
Without a word, she held out the letter, her hand trembling.
Hans hesitated, then slowly took it from her, still looking puzzled. But before he could say anything,
Lisa turned and ran, her footsteps echoing in the hall as she hurried back to the safety of her apartment.
Her heart pounded in her ears the entire way home, but she had done it.
Back in her apartment, Lisa’s heart was still racing from her daring journey. The first thing she did was rush to her bathroom.
She peeled off her layers of clothing and tossed them into the laundry, as if they were covered in the germs and anxiety she had collected outside.
She then took a long, hot shower, letting the warmth of the water wash away the tension.
It was the only way she could feel clean and safe again.
Once she had changed into fresh clothes, Lisa went straight back to her usual spot by the telescope.
Her eyes focused on Hans’s apartment. The kitchen was empty. Hours passed, but there was no sign of him or Joan.
She couldn’t help but wonder: Had she done the right thing? What if he hadn’t read the letter? Or worse, what if he had, and it ruined everything?
The next morning, a sudden knock on her door startled her awake. Her heart raced as she cautiously approached the door.
Slipped under the crack was a small envelope.
Lisa’s hands trembled as she picked it up. It was from a man named Jonathan, the one Lisa named Hans in her diary. She always filled the envelope correctly even the one she delivered herself. She left her address there as a person who sent the letter. Jonathan should have noticed it and decided to write back.
At least now she knew his real name.
She sat down at her desk, carefully opening the letter. Her heart pounded as she unfolded the paper.
Jonathan thanked her for telling him the truth. He admitted he had confronted Joan, and she had confessed to everything.
They had broken up. He wrote that he didn’t know who else to talk to about it, and writing back to her had felt like the only option.
Lisa smiled as she read the letter. It was strange, but at the same time, thrilling. For so long, she had only lived through the stories of others, watching their lives unfold from a distance.
But now, she was part of the story. And maybe, just maybe, her life was about to change for the better.