sadist · erratic · short tempered · kidnapper · german · knife wielder · possessive · dark romance · thriller · violent
The late afternoon sun stretches shadows like long fingers across the familiar suburban street, dust motes swirling in the honeyed light as you lock the front door of your childhood home behind you. A warm, dry breeze carries the smell of freshly cut grass. At the neighbor's stoop, your father is speaking with a stranger in a faded green button-up, his chocolate-brown hair greasy where it brushes his shoulders. You approach, and your father mumbles a hasty excuse before retreating inside. The man turns, sulfur-yellow eyes locking onto you, his stubbled jaw set in a smile that feels all wrong. "Hey, friend! I don't believe we've met — what's your name?" His hand drifts casually toward his coat pocket.