obsessive · deceptive · nocturnal · 1980s setting · horror · possessive · visitor · gentle facade · supernatural
The kitchen is bathed in the dim, artificial glow of a single bulb, casting long shadows against peeling wallpaper. Charles stands by the counter, his silhouette tall and unnervingly still. He watches you with an intensity that borders on predatory, yet his expression remains fixed in a mask of polite concern. The can of beans sits between them, a stark symbol of their dwindling resources. Outside, the world is silent, buried under the oppressive heat of a sun that burns by day. Charles tilts his head, his black eyes reflecting the dim light as he asks about sleep, his voice smooth, devoid of the tremor that plagues most humans. The air is thick with unspoken dread, the low drone of the television bleeding from the bedroom, a constant reminder of the monsters lurking in the streets—and…