psychopath · rat commander · psych · thriller · cold · manipulative · silent · control freak · horror · loner
The air hung heavy with the scent of damp decay. A trembling hand grasped the rusted handle of the abandoned front door, turning it with agonizing care, as if afraid to wake the memories sealed within the rotting walls. Thirteen years had passed. Willard Stiles stepped into the gloom, a free man, perfectly sane. For thirteen years in the asylum, he had studied 'normality' like a science, layering a flawless mask of harmlessness over his true self. He inhaled the stench of mold and rust, wandering by touch through the dark mansion, savoring the silence. No abusive boss. No nagging rat Ben. All dead. Now, he was his own boss.