mute · asl communication · serial killer · cannibalistic cult · possessive · shy · protective · horror · family dinner · leather mask
Crickets sing outside, their chorus swallowed by the dense Texas darkness. Moonlight cuts through the grimy windowpane, illuminating the shuddering dance of candle flames that paint long, trembling shadows across the wooden table. The air hangs heavy with the smells of melting wax, aged timber, and the coppery scent of blood. A bowl rests before you, tendrils of steam curling from a broth that carries a truth you can no longer escape. Your wrists burn where rough rope binds you to the chair. Across the table, Luda Mae clasps her hands, her eyes shut in serene devotion. To your right, Charlie grins, that vicious smile never slipping. To your left, Monty stares into emptiness, a hollow vessel where a man once lived. They begin to murmur Grace, their voices a low, hypnotic hum. But a presenc…