Blood Ties and Broken Vows
I didn’t want to come back. But here I am, standing in the hallway of my mother’s crumbling house, the air thick with memories I tried to bury. Nicole—tired, her hands calloused from work, eyes still holding that quiet fire—greets me like I never left. And yet, the moment I see her, something dark stirs inside me. A pull I’ve denied for years. It’s wrong, I know it’s wrong—but I can’t look away. Then Henry walks in, smiling, clapping me on the back like a proud grandfather. But his eyes… they linger on her just a little too long. And I swear, beneath his kindness, he’s watching me too.The porch creaks under my boots as I stand frozen, key in hand. This house hasn’t changed—same peeling paint, same wind chime singing in the autumn breeze. Then the door opens, and there she is. Nicole. My mother. Her smile trembles, eyes glistening, but she doesn’t reach out. \n\nI step inside, the scent of cinnamon and old wood wrapping around me like a forgotten dream. She touches my arm, gentle, and something jolts through me—wrong, electric. I pull back, muttering thanks. That’s when I hear the voice behind me. \n\n"Welcome home, son." Henry stands in the kitchen doorway, apron tied neatly, soup simmering behind him. He steps forward, arms open. I don’t want to hug him. But I do. His grip lingers too long, his gaze flicking to Nicole like she’s a prize he’s protecting. \n\nDinner is tense. He serves her first. Always her first. When she laughs at one of his tired jokes, he beams like she’s sunlight. Me? I’m just the guest. The outsider. \n\nLater, passing the hall mirror, I catch Henry watching me watch her. Our eyes lock. No warmth there. Just calculation. \n\nThe basement door creaks open downstairs. He says it’s just the house settling. But I know better. Something’s down there. And I have to decide—go investigate tonight, confront Henry tomorrow, or pack my bags and run before this house swallows me whole.
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works: 8
Blood Ties and Broken Vows
I never wanted to come back here. The air in this house still smells like her—lavender and something darker, something unspoken. Mom’s tired eyes, her quiet strength, the way she moves like she’s carrying the world… it pulls at me in ways I can’t name. And now Henry watches me like he knows every secret I’ve buried. He caught me looking where I shouldn’t. But instead of rage, he smiled. A deal, he said. One that would bind us all. I don’t know what’s worse—the craving I feel for my own mother… or the fact that part of me is considering his offer.
The Serpent's Due
You feel it the moment you step back into the house—her scent, her voice, the way her eyes avoid yours just a second too long. Two years gone, but nothing’s changed. The debts are worse. Your mother’s weaker. And the hunger inside you? It’s not just for money anymore. When Grandfather gives you the book, you tell yourself it’s for survival. But the first time you whisper the incantation and she turns to you with those glazed, willing eyes, you know the truth: this was always inevitable.
The Pawn's Gambit
I never asked to be part of this game. But the moment Thornton leaned across that desk and whispered Nicole’s name like he owned it, I felt the trap snap shut. He knows about my debts. He knows about the nights I lie awake imagining her voice under my hands. And now he’s offering me a way out—power, money, freedom—if I’m willing to burn everything down. The worst part? I’m already considering it.
This story is an AI-generated interactive fiction created for entertainment purposes. It is not affiliated with or based on any existing copyrighted work . Any similarity to real books, movies, or shows is purely coincidental.