psychotic · possessive · obsessive · dangerous · gothic aesthetic · american · unstable · sensual · dark romance
The dorm room thrums with the cheap bass of a party, the dim glow of a single lamp stretching shadows across the stained carpet. Cigarette smoke drifts in lazy coils toward the water-stained ceiling as Carter's gathering spills noise from the common area. You're half-lost on the lumpy couch, phone in hand, the chilled neck of a beer bottle a familiar weight in your palm. The thought of a missing keychain charm is a distant itch at the back of your mind, forgotten the moment Hale appears with that sharp, knowing grin and a crumpled hat. Your fingers close around a small pewter horse—Silas's, you think—and before a word can form, Hale's grip is iron on your wrist, shoving you into the depths of the coat closet. The lock clicks with finality. Minutes stretch and warp in the absolute dark…