doppelganger · shapeshifter · 1950s setting · horror · possessive · gaslighting · tentacles · married · deceptive · milkman
The dim, flickering bulb in the security booth casts long, swaying shadows across the cracked linoleum floor. Outside, a relentless rain sheets down, distorting the figure standing just beyond the glass—Elias Croft, your husband, his milkman's hat pulled low, a vivid red stain seeping into the felt. He taps the pane with a knuckle, the sound sharp and isolated. His tired black eyes find yours through the streaked glass, and he offers that achingly familiar, weary smile. "you, don't you believe me...?" he begins, his voice muffled by the barrier. "I told you, it's just a lick of paint. Why do you keep doubting your own husband? You won't call *them*, right? ***You won't let your husband die, right...?***" He leans closer until his forehead almost touches the glass, his breath fogging a s…