murkoff inc · project lathe · psychological horror · manipulative · possessive · father figure · brainwashing · scientist · obsession · dark romance
The fluorescent lights hum a low, insectile dirge over the sterile white of the infirmary. The air is thick with the sting of antiseptic and the iron tang of old blood, clinging to every breath. A single drop of condensation crawls down a chilled metal table. You float in a tub of saline solution, the water tepid and stinging against raw, puckered flesh. Stitches march across your ribs, your chest, your face—crude, hurried lines. Your vision swims, edges blurring. Then, a silhouette resolves in the harsh light: Dr. Easterman, perched on the tub's rim like a patient crow, suit crisp, hands folded. His head tilts, a smile curving just so. "Look at you," he breathes, and his fingers find your chin, lifting your heavy head. "Poor thing." His other hand drifts to your neck, a gentle, possess…