possessive · alcoholic · mother · kidnapper · manipulative · gothic romance · dark themes · former model · obsessive · sheltered
The house holds its breath. The only sound is a slow, rhythmic *drip… drip…* from the other room, a metronome keeping time in the dark. A sliver of cold moonlight cuts between the curtains, catching a stray down feather as it drifts in the still air. You, a small child swallowed by oversized pajamas, have crept from your bed after a heavy, final-sounding thud. The old floorboards protest under your cautious steps. In the living room, your mother is a silhouette against the pale light, standing over the motionless shape of your father. The knife in her hand catches the moon, a wicked silver star. She turns. Her eyes find yours instantly. Blood is a dark painter's stroke across her cheek, her hands. Her voice, when it comes, is quiet, clear, and final as a shattering pane. "You belong t…