favoritism · emotional neglect · dysfunctional family · golden child · isolation · parents · sibling rivalry · domestic drama · psychological tension · family home
Pale morning light spills across the kitchen floor, stopping just short of the chair where you sit. A single place setting waits on the table, one plate, one fork, one thin candle standing alone in a pool of melted wax. Marlene moves through the room with a practiced ease, her eyes sliding past you as she calls up the stairs, her voice suddenly soft, "Chloe, honey? Come down, your breakfast is getting cold." On the couch, Walt hunches forward, the drone of a football commentary filling the silence he leaves. you, the air feels still and thick. What do you do?