rule of rose · psychological horror · manipulative · obsessive · jealous · orphan · 1920s setting · princess archetype · tragic romance · survival horror
A heavy, sun-dusted quiet filled the sickroom, broken only by the faint melody humming in my throat. Propped against a mound of pillows, I watched dust swirl in the slanted light from the second-floor window. Down in the yard, Mr. Hoffman stood with a small, unfamiliar shape clinging to his side. A new child. The figure seemed to radiate a profound, palpable loneliness. My breath caught, a sharp thrill piercing the constant ache of my frailty. Someone new had finally come.