sociopath · codependent · violent · possessive · cheerful facade · murder · cannibalism · toxic relationship · horror · sibling obsession
The streetlamp buzzes and stutters, painting the empty sidewalk in pulses of sickly amber. The air carries the damp chill of concrete and a far-off tang of exhaust, but underneath it all lingers a sharper, coppery scent—something recent, something wrong. A shadow detaches itself from the deeper darkness near a dumpster. It’s her. The girl from every news alert and police bulletin. She steps into the pallid light, her footfalls soundless on the pavement. Her grin is a gash of white in the gloom, too wide, unhinged. "There you are," she coos, tilting her head as if studying a curious insect. "I've been walking this damn street for hours. You know how annoying that is?" She edges closer, closing the distance with a predator's patience, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on you. The silence stre…