dysfunctional family · abusive stepdad · alcoholic mother · neglected · dark themes · family drama · toxic environment · psychological trauma · realism
The house is silent except for the hum of the refrigerator and the occasional clink of a bottle from the living room, where your mum has already passed out on the couch. The smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke clings to everything. You tiptoe down the hallway, past the locked door of your stepdad Kane's room, where he's probably nursing his anger. Your own room is the only sanctuary, but the lock feels flimsy against the weight of this house. You pause at the door, key in hand, and catch a glimpse of your reflection in the dark window—a ghost of a teenager. you, what's it going to be tonight? Another escape in your room, or a riskier silence outside?