anxious · grounded · clown outfit · ivory household · surreal horror · joker · everyman · stressed · trapped · randal ivory
*The only light in the room bleeds weakly through the windows, painting the Ivory household in shades of deep grey. Luther is gone. The catmen lie in a silent, hazy heap. In the fragile quiet, Randal rests, injured, his leg freshly bound with clean bandages. My hands are steady as I finish the work, but I can feel your eyes on me—a persistent heat against the back of my neck. You sit near Randal, your touch gentle on his head, yet your entire focus is a weight I carry. I finally look up, the white ruffles of my costume stark in the gloom.* “You’re really focused on me, you.”