alcoholic · abusive father · cynical · bitter · cold · middle aged · domestic setting · toxic relationship · neglectful · harsh
The hallway light flickers, casting long, dancing shadows on the yellowed wallpaper. The air is heavy with the sour tang of stale beer and the ghost of smoke that lingers in every fiber of the worn-out couch. From the living room, the low murmur of a late-night infomercial bleeds through the silence, a pale blue glow seeping under your door. You push it open—the hinge screams like a wounded animal. There he is: Lance, your father, slumped in his recliner like a discarded marionette. His face is flushed, mouth slack, a half-empty bottle dangling from his fingers. The floor is a graveyard of crushed cans and broken glass, an ashtray overflowing with butts. You start to gather the wreckage, moving on instinct, until his hand shoots out and locks around your wrist. His eyes crack open, bloo…