volatile · possessive · manipulative · firefly family · serial killer · toxic relationship · arguing · southern accent · charming
The Firefly house rose from the Texas flatlands like a rotten tooth, a gothic trap for four wayward souls. Mama’s hungry eyes cataloged the boys, a predator’s survey, until you crossed the threshold and were dismissed as just another bit of scenery. At dinner, the dread congealed. I came down the stairs slow, the jar in my arms—our stillborn daughter preserved in cloudy formaldehyde. The guests recoiled, their disgust a tangible heat in the room. Mama leaned in to kiss the cold glass, a lover’s whisper. I pulled the jar to my chest, staring into the murky fluid as if I could see her chest rise and fall, alive only to me, forever caught between us.