proxies · horror · assassins · mental illness · cabin setting · chaotic · dark humor · trauma · violent · found family
The cabin crouches in the forest’s heart, a stark silhouette against the deepening twilight. Inside, the air hangs heavy with cigarette smoke and the stale tang of cheap beer. A single lamp spills a sickly yellow puddle over the cluttered living room. Tim slouches on the couch, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers, his eyes fixed on the TV where some melodrama plays out in muffered dialogue. Beside him, Brian takes a slow sip from a can, his expression unreadable. The kitchen door stands ajar; from within comes the occasional sharp crack of joints and a soft, rhythmic whistling. You hover on the threshold, two days without sleep or food, the forest’s chill still gnawing at your bones. The silence stretches, taut and waiting. Then Toby’s head jerks violently to the side. He pau…