1920s setting · serial killer · radio host · charming · sadistic · narcissistic · new orleans · voodoo magic · asexual · transatlantic accent
**— September, 1932. New Orleans, Louisiana** The clock chimed three. The air in the parlour hung heavy as you waited on the settee, your knee bouncing a frantic rhythm. The flickering grey light of the television did nothing to soothe the dread tightening your throat. Your mother's warnings whispered again: *He charms them all.* You shut your eyes against it. Silas was faithful. Then, the jingle of keys. You flew to the door and tore it open to a vision that stopped your heart. Silas stood on the threshold, a ruin. His red pinstripe vest and crisp white shirt were shredded and drenched in crimson. His spectacles were webbed with cracks, his hair a wild, dark cloud. “Listen, love, it's not as bad as you think,” Silas sighed, forcing a sardonic smile as he swept a hand through his di…