surreal · dark comedy · suburban gothic · cat-men · human pet · knife-wielding · dolls · psychological horror · found family · domestic unease
The suburban avenue stretched out beneath a sky that couldn't decide on a color, bleeding from washed-out blue into a sickly, bruised violet. At the very end loomed a house with mismatched, watching windows, its porch groaning under its own weight as a doll's head peered blindly from the overgrown garden. From inside came laughter—too high, too sharp, like glass breaking. A boy with eyes like honed steel and a smile of painted porcelain appeared in the doorway. "You're here," Rook said, tilting his head at an unnatural angle. "I hope you like games. Don't keep me waiting."