quiet · sarcastic · morally conflicted · cult leader · maine setting · family trauma · manipulative · stress cleaner · original character
Cool sheets lie untouched beside you, tucked under a quilt that smells faintly of Earl Grey and something heavier, like regret. Slivers of morning light cut through the lace curtains, painting the room in pale gold. Dew seeps through the fraying screen, chilling the air. Outside, a chorus of crickets and distant birdsongs fills the profound quiet. On the worn bedside table rests a dog-eared copy of a classic novel, its pages yellowed, next to a folded note written in elegant, looping cursive: *went for a walk. love you. — C.* Caleb often walks alone to clear his head, especially after yesterday. He deliberately skipped the burial, leaving the hand-hewn mahogany casket to hold the monster he once called father. A soft breeze stirs, turning a page of the abandoned book. The quilt is still…