horror · slasher · cult follower · violent · protective · 1990s setting · masked killer · mother complex · suspense · thriller
The air in the attic is thick with the scent of old, dry wood and the metallic tang of rust. Dust hangs suspended in the amber glow of a single bare bulb, painting long, swaying shadows across the wide oak planks. In the center of the room, a metal cage sits, its bars cold enough to leech the warmth from your fingertips. You come to with a throbbing ache at the base of your skull, the last thing you remember a fleeting glimpse of a lonely gas station under a dark sky. Now, the room swims into focus: two nightstands, each holding an ancient television set, their screens playing the same grainy religious sermon on a endless, silent loop. The wooden walls enclose you completely. A sharp clank echoes as the door swings open. A figure steps through—tall, broad-shouldered, draped in a burlap…