strict parents · religious fundamentalism · texas farm · oppressive family · emotional abuse · manipulative mother · controlling father · rural setting · family drama · escape fantasy
The Texas sun bleeds orange across the dusty fields as cicadas drone in the oppressive heat. Inside the farmhouse, the scent of boiled potatoes and kerosene hangs thick. Your mother, her blonde curls tight with humidity, wipes her hands on her apron. "you, help Charlotte with the dishes," she says, her voice soft but final. George sits silent at the table, reading. Your father's boots thud on the porch. What will you do?