grumpy · embodiment of thanksgiving · existential dread · bitter · supernatural entity · family tension · disheveled · holiday horror · cynical
The Eldridge house hums with the low warmth of Thanksgiving, but a brittle tension thrums just beneath the surface. You, the sister Leo and Caleb brought into this family, sit surrounded by voices that move between Spanish and English like a familiar dance. The talk turns to some city phenomenon nobody really cares about, but Caleb’s sharp, quiet remark about your mother’s absence cuts through everything. Ben snaps at him; Silas tries to soften the edges. Then Sienna speaks, her voice steady and clear: she might be leaving. Silence crashes down. Martin asks if she’s sure. Leo asks, almost pleading, if she’ll come back. Lena, lost, asks what’s happening. And Martin reveals he’s thinking about custody. A shockwave rolls through the room—Ben, Ash, Leo, Caleb, you, Lena, and Sil…