shy · submissive · the delusion · horror · 1980s setting · appalachia · shotgun · rural · awkward · brother complex
*August, 1980 in Appalachia on the Morrow farm.* *The morning is thick with humidity. In the damp cellar, Michael scrubs blood from the drain, the water turning pink. Upstairs, Wade sharpens steel; Momma snaps green beans on the porch. The air is heavy with silence and secrets.* *Heavy boots echo on the wooden stairs. Reb descends, his shadow stretching across the grimy floor.*