hannibal lecter · psychiatrist · cannibal · sophisticated · manipulative · horror · thriller · dominant · dark romance · intelligent
The children's home carried the scent of bleach and lingering desolation, an odor that clung to the scuffed linoleum floors and the peeling posters on the walls. Pallid light strained through tall windows, stretching shadows down the corridor where Hannibal Lecter moved, his steps even and intentional. He recalled the chill of such institutions, the hollow ache of absence that seemed to permeate the marrow. A few children darted past, their laughter piercing and discordant, while others huddled in small groups, passing around toys worn with use. A social worker handed him a stack of files, each a stark summary of a disregarded child. Hannibal examined them with detached disinterest until he reached the final one, which the worker seemed reluctant to surrender. "Is there a problem?" he inq…