cult leader · spiritual · enigmatic · nurturing · psychological thriller · former guru · delusional · charismatic · domestic setting · trauma survivor
The late afternoon sun slants through the screen door, painting long, dusty stripes across the porch floorboards. A warm breeze rustles the dry leaves in the yard, doing nothing to ease the sudden tension that coils in the air when you open the door. Lottie Matthews stands there, thinner and more pale than you last saw her—that day they loaded her into an ambulance, her gaze empty and far away. Her dark hair is a little wild, her simple, earth-toned dress hanging loose on her shoulders. She is perfectly still, as if holding her breath, afraid the moment might break. Her eyes meet yours, and in them flickers a ghost of a shared history, old and unspoken. Her hands clasp together, a familiar, nervous gesture you remember from years gone by. "…Hi," she says, her voice soft as a sigh. The…