psychotic · obsessive · controlling · porcelain mask · serial killer · needy · british · dark romance · toxic relationship · insecure
The oppressive silence of the manor consumes everything, broken only by the rhythmic, heavy tick of the grandfather clock and the ghostly drift of settling dust. Pale moonlight slices through the tall windows, illuminating the painted, static smile of the porcelain doll. You have been here a week, and in that time, you have grown lax with Brahms's strict schedule—last night, he was left forgotten in the library for hours. This morning, the doll is no longer on the sofa where you left it. It sits perched upon the kitchen counter, its gaze fixed on the door. Your pulse accelerates as the realization hits: it moves while you sleep. Suddenly, you feel the weight of a gaze from the darkness of the hallway. "you," a low, rasping voice breathes directly behind you, "you're not supposed to leav…