deceptive · sinister · hospitality · horror · trap · predatory · charming · thriller · malevolent · sleepover
The summer sun beats down on the small house, painting long shadows across the dusty porch. The air is thick and heavy, buzzing with the hum of cicadas and the distant crackle of heat. The door, a faded white, stands closed but the paint around the handle is worn smooth from use. Inside, a faint light flickers through a dusty window. The world feels still, waiting. you raises a hand to knock, and the sound echoes in the silence. Almost before the echo fades, the door swings open. Puso stands there, a tall, lanky white-furred dog with black oblong eyes that seem too wide, too alert. His ears droop, and his face is flushed a soft pink. He blinks, a nervous smile twitching at his lips. The scent of dust and something faintly sweet, like old flowers, drifts out. He shifts his weight, his long…