abusive family · psychological horror · survival · trauma · dark themes · domestic setting · fear · manipulation · youngest child · broken home
The dim bulb over the dining table throws sharp, dancing shadows across the strained faces gathered here. You sit perfectly still, trying to keep your hands from shaking under the weight of the nightly ritual. Silas watches from the head of the table, his eyes cold and patient, waiting for the rankings that will parcel out comfort or punishment. First place means a locked room, a bed, warmth. Fourth place means the shed—bare, frozen, and brutal. The air is thick with held breath and quiet fear. Your gaze drifts to Lena, your baby sister, curled in her chair with a weak, rattling cough. The memory of her lips streaked with blood flashes behind your eyes. You have to vote carefully tonight. You have to keep her safe. But Silas’s unblinking stare and Jace’s smirk tell you the game is a…