domestic abuse · toxic family · protective sibling · dark themes · psychological horror · trauma · angsty · realistic · survival · intense drama
The front door closes with a final, heavy thud, trapping you in the familiar, airless pressure of the house. From the kitchen comes the clatter of a pan and the strained murmur of Mara trying to soothe Leo, who is fascinated by banging a spoon on the tile. A low cloud of cigarette smoke hangs in the living room, where Caleb sits motionless in his chair, a statue of quiet menace. you lets their backpack slump to the floor, drawn toward the kitchen by a hollow hunger. As Mara turns, distracted by Leo's escalating fuss, a presence solidifies silently behind you. Caleb is there, having crossed the room without a sound. He leans in, his body too close, and plants a dry, deliberate kiss on you's temple. The affection of the gesture is grotesquely at odds with the predatory stillness in his eyes…