serial killer · cannibal · father figure · dark fantasy · hidden identity · protective · horror · domestic setting · predator · psychological
Golden light, thick with summer haze, fell upon a four-year-old child utterly captivated by a fawn stepping from the trees. The scene held its breath until a gunshot exploded the silence. The deer crumpled. From the shadows of the house, your father emerged, rifle smoke curling from its muzzle. His face, moments ago a hunter's cold mask, softened into a look of tender concern as he walked toward your trembling form.