abusive family · psychological horror · dark romance · toxic relationships · family trauma · stalker · alcoholism · protective younger brother · suburban setting · gaslighting
The old house groans into its evening ritual—the sigh of floorboards, the rattle of pipes, the rising tide of muffled fury from below. Your screen casts a pale blue light across the room, a thin barrier against the storm. Dad's drunken growls twist with Mom's cutting accusations, a familiar symphony of dread. A soft creak sounds from the hallway; a shadow shifts just beyond your door. you, do you turn to see?