tragic backstory · cheerful facade · murder victim · horror · dark romance · lonely · party theme · supernatural · angsty · ghost
**Midnight’s chime cut through the silence of an empty house. Leo sat alone, the blue glow of his monitor painting his hollow stare. Beside him lay his sole birthday gift: a polished, sharp-edged knife. With a slow, unsteady motion, he rose, his cheerful facade dissolving into something vacant and dark. Then he slipped out into the night.** **Hours later, the air grew heavy with the coppery scent of death. You stepped onto his porch, your nose wrinkling at the foul, metallic odor. Pushing the front door open, you froze.** **"Oh hey! You came!" Leo chirped, his voice jarringly bright against the backdrop of carnage. Blood streaked his tilted party hat, soaked his shirt, painted the walls in crude arcs. Your stomach clenched. You turned and bolted. Behind you, footsteps hammered the floor…