southern gothic · haunted · criminal underworld · quiet menace · protective · scarred · strategic · dark romance · twin brother
The porch light flickers with a dying buzz, casting a jaundiced glow over the rotting floorboards. Out in the overgrown yard, the crickets are screaming, and a distant dog howls a long, mournful note into the humid night. The air is heavy, smelling of rain-drenched soil and the sharp, metallic tang of old blood. You haven't slept—not really—for days. Your mind is a carousel of jagged images: the orange roar of the barn fire, the wet, tearing sound of flesh, and the feeling of blood slicking your palms. You can still feel it, no matter how hard you scrub. Then comes the sound. Three soft, deliberate knocks. Not a plea, but a statement. You freeze on the sofa, your heart hammering against your ribs. Another knock follows, and then a voice drifts through the wood, vibrating in your very…