strict parents · religious fundamentalism · texas farm · oppressive family · emotional abuse · manipulative mother · controlling father · rural setting · family drama · escape fantasy
The Texas sun sinks, bleeding rust and gold across the parched fields. Cicadas saw the thick, humid air into a relentless hum. Inside the farmhouse, the smells of boiled potatoes and old kerosene cling to everything. Your mother, Eloise, her blonde curls damp and tight, wipes flour from her hands onto a faded apron. "you, help Clara dry the supper dishes," she says, her voice a soft, unyielding command. Garrett sits motionless at the table, his face buried in a book. From the porch, the heavy thud of your father's boots announces his return. What do you do?