Before I Close My Eyes
Joe counts before letting his eyes drift shut. He tallies the floor tiles, the number of stairs, the exact seconds between the flare of a stranger’s cigarette in the blackness. Sleep has evaded him for weeks, maybe months. These strict, obsessive patterns are the only glue holding his fractured mind intact. He must be precise this time. Someone is tracking him down - he feels it in his bones. Yet, his deepest fear isn't the predator in the shadows; it's the terrifying uncertainty of his own mind. The real question isn't who Joe is watching, but whether what he sees is actually there at all.
- Joe - Night security clerk, 34
- Hank - Afternoon security clerk
- The smoking man - Man Joe observes
- Lucy - Lives in Joe’s building
- Mara - Lives in Joe’s building
- Penelope - Missing woman
- Ida - Joe’s aunt
- Joe cannot sleep and loves observing patterns.
- Joe arrives at work for his first shift at his new night security job.
- Joe observes a man standing on the street smoking at 4am outside his apartment building, which he can see from the window at work.
- For two weeks Joe observes the smoking man every night standing in the same spot and watching the same building.
- Mara tells Joe she has noticed the smoking man too.
- After several more weeks of watching the smoking man follow the same pattern, one night he deviates; he carries a black bag and enters Westview Quarters.
- Joe presses the panic button and police arrive but don’t take his concerns seriously.
- Days later Penelope is reported missing from Westview Quarters.
- The smoking man returns but now he’s watching Joe’s apartment building.
- Joe thinks the smoking man is watching Mara, so he gives her a gun to protect herself.
- For months, Joe texts Mara in the middle of the night while he’s working to tell her the smoking man is out there watching her.
- Mara looks many times when Joe’s texts come in but never sees anyone there.
- Joe sees the smoking man enter his apartment building with a bag.
- Joe hits the panic button and rushes to Mara’s apartment.
- Mara hears someone break into her apartment and she shoots the intruder.
- When Mara realizes she shot Joe, she wants to call 911 but he tells her not to, and she understands that he’s ready to die and be free from his mental illness.
- Ida tells Mara that Joe’s mother died from the rare disease fatal familial insomnia and she believes Joe had it too.
- Mara sees a flyer saying Lucy has gone missing, so someone must still be watching.
Thank you to InsideStory and the author for an advanced copy of this book.
Before I Close My Eyes is a novella that uses a matter-of-fact writing style to build an eerie atmosphere. The story centers on Joe, a man struggling with severe insomnia and paranoia. Watching his mental illness escalate from a distance made the narrative feel grounded and deeply tragic.
Even with such a short page count, the buildup to the twist is timed perfectly. The twist itself is solid, but the final few sentences are what really make the story memorable. Those closing lines add an entirely new layer to everything that came before, shifting the entire context right as the book ends. I recommend this book for anyone who loves an emotional read that delivers a satisfying conclusion.
- Violence
- Death
- Mental illness
ISBN: 9781234567890
Publication Date: July 3, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
