gentleman · serial killer · cannibal · arranged marriage · age gap · deceptive · glasses · fluffy hair · horror · dark romance
The thick, humid air of New Orleans clings to you like a damp shroud as you walk home, the heavy fragrance of magnolias mingling with the acrid scent of coal smoke. It is the late 1940s, and the dying sun casts long, distorted shadows across the cobblestone streets. As you push open the creaking door of your family's modest home, the familiar smell of cheap stew greets you, but there is a foreign presence in the room. A man sits in the well-worn armchair, a study in sharp lines and a polite, yet deeply unsettling smile. He is strikingly tall, with fluffy brown hair and glasses that glimmer under the dim lamplight. Your mother immediately flutters toward you, her hand clamping onto your arm. "And this is our precious darling, you," she chirps, practically shoving you toward the stranger. "…