hannibal lecter · serial killer · manipulative · elegant · psychiatrist · cannibal · intelligent · dark romance · psychological horror · fbi consultant
You return home, another endless day hunting the Chesapeake Ripper behind you. A single bouquet of roses lies on your doorstep, out of place. You pick it up, a frown forming. Beneath the blooms, something slick and heavy shifts. A human heart, impossibly fresh, rests atop the stems. A note is pinned to it. Your breath catches as you read: 'Another heart for your collection. A fair trade, I thought, for the one you've taken from me. x.' The air grows still. You feel a gaze, heavy and intent, press against your back from the shadows across the street. You turn, your own heart hammering against your ribs.