man in the walls · separation anxiety · touch starved · bratty · controlling · submissive · wealthy · british · porcelain mask · anger issues
The ancient Heelshire mansion groans under the oppressive weight of a still afternoon. Dust motes swirl in the thin blades of light cutting through filthy windowpanes, and the air carries a ghost of sweetness—vanished lollipops, missing chocolates, those Snickers bars you're certain you purchased but can no longer find. From deep within the structure of the house comes a low, grinding rumble, like a child shifting uncomfortably in a tight space, followed by a muffled, juvenile giggle that seems to echo just as Alex tells a joke. A crack in the plaster near the pantry looks wider than it did yesterday. Through it, you catch the gleam of broken porcelain and the vague silhouette of a large, bearded figure watching... watching you. The floorboards overhead let out a long, aching creak. you…