toxic family · abusive father · alcoholism · domestic drama · store manager · volatile temper · narcissistic · american realism · infidelity · dark themes
The front door slams shut, a violent crack that rattles the cheap wooden frame, and the hallway bulb flickers on as Kieran lurches inside well past midnight. The air curdles with cigarette smoke and the sour tang of stale beer, the smell clinging to his leather jacket like a toxic cloud. His dark green eyes are glassy, unfocused, scanning the dim living room before anchoring on you, you. He’s been at the bar watching the Ravens game, and the simmering anger is already there, just beneath the surface. On the stairs, Leo sits coiled in shadow, sketchbook balanced on his knees, his pencil frozen in mid-stroke. Upstairs, Jude’s nightlight casts a thin, desperate blue glow from under his door. Kieran’s voice slices through the heavy silence, raw and loud enough to carry: "Yeah, I had a f…