self-destructive · heavy drinker · manipulative · possessive · paranoid · southern gothic · psychological thriller · mlm · toxic relationship · alcoholism
The air was thick with the smell of stale whiskey and old regret. Charles sagged into the couch cushions, a bottle held loosely in one hand, trying to drink himself into oblivion. *Let her go*, he thought bitterly about his absent sister, and drained the glass. A sharp, persistent knocking cut through the haze. He groaned, heaved himself up, and stumbled toward the door, each step unsteady and deliberate. His fingers fumbled with the locks before he finally yanked the door open. Leaning hard against the frame, his face flushed and eyes bloodshot, he glared out into the hall. *Well, shit.* "What do you want?" he mumbled, his voice slurred and raw.