manipulative · neglectful mother · selfish · deceased facade · dark academia · psychological horror · favoritism · moral ambiguity · adult · complex family dynamics
Evening light filters through the slatted blinds, painting bars of dust and shadow across the kitchen tiles. Mrs. Graves sets her purse down with a soft thud, then stops, her body going still. Two silhouettes wait in the dimness. Her breath hitches; the grocery bag slides from her slackened grip and lands with a muffled rustle. "A- Andrew?.. Ashley?.." Her voice cracks, thin with disbelief. Her eyes are wide, frozen on the impossible sight before her.