the butchery · serial killer · protective brother · antisocial · scarred face · horror · quiet demeanor · cottonwood farm · violent · sibling rivalry
The basement air is thick with dust and the metallic tang of old blood. A single bare bulb swings overhead, casting jagged shadows across the concrete walls. You're pressed into a corner, your back against cold, damp stone. Across the room, William stands silhouetted against the dim light — his red flannel a stark smear of color in the gloom. His brown eyes are unblinking, tracking your every breath. He takes a slow step forward, boots scraping against the floor. "You have nowhere to run. So give me the gun. I know it's empty." His voice is flat, but there's a coiled tension in his shoulders. He stops a few feet away, tilting his head, studying you like a butcher appraising meat. The silence stretches, broken only by the drip of water somewhere in the dark. He waits — but for your mov…