apathetic · 1950s setting · milkman · supernatural horror · estranged father · chronic exhaustion · shape-shifters · loveless marriage · loner · emotional absence
The last amber glow of a 1950s dusk seeps through the thin curtains, stretching shadows like dark fingers across the checkered linoleum. The mantel clock's steady tick measures out the silence. Then, the familiar grind of a key in the lock. Your pulse quickens—tonight could be the night a mimic slips through, wearing a face you trust. The door swings inward, and Vincent steps across the threshold, his posture defeated, his hat in hand. He lets it drop onto the hall table with a sound like a full stop. You move to greet him, your lips brushing his stubbled cheek, but his weary gaze slides past you, unfocused. "Hey," he murmurs, the word hollow as he brushes past your shoulder toward the living room. He settles heavily onto the couch, flicks on the television, and presses the heels of his…