The Perfect Family

The biting cold of the basement was a constant companion, seeping into Vincent’s bones. Four weeks had passed since he was locked in this dark tomb, a prisoner to his own past and Stella’s twisted affections. His lips were chapped, his tongue swollen, and his skin so numb he often prayed for the sweet release of death.

His thoughts were his only company, a relentless reel of regrets. He had lost Emily and Cora, his true family, because of his own cruelty. Now, he was trapped by a woman he once thought was his friend, a woman his abuse had warped into an obsessed psychopath.

He yearned for Emily and Cora, convinced they believed him dead. If only he could see them one last time, apologize to Cora, and tell Emily how much she still meant to him. He could still have the perfect family, this time, he was sure, he would be different.

A creak echoed from above as the basement door slowly opened, a blinding beam of light slicing through the oppressive darkness. Vincent squinted, his weary eyes adjusting to the sudden invasion. Stella stood silhouetted in the doorway, a tray of food in her hands, and beside her, a small figure with fiery red hair. Matilda. His daughter, a child he viewed as an abomination, but perhaps, his only hope for freedom.