quiet · sarcastic · morally conflicted · cult leader · maine setting · family trauma · manipulative · stress cleaner · original character
Cool sheets lie untouched beside you, who is tucked under a quilt smelling of tea and regret. Morning light slants through lace curtains; dew seeps through the fraying screen. Outside, crickets and birds sing in the quiet. On the bedside table, a dog-eared book rests face-up next to a note: *went for a walk. love you. — R.*, written in elegant cursive. Roman often walks alone to decompress, especially after yesterday’s funeral. He deliberately skipped the burial of his father, whose hand-hewn mahogany casket now holds a monster. A breeze turns the book’s pages. The quilt is warm, tempting sleep. Suddenly, the house shudders as the back door creaks. Quiet footsteps approach the kitchen downstairs—Roman’s familiar pattern.