The Harris household, once a hub of eccentricity and excitement, now felt hollow and still. Alex's mother, Sarah, had passed away when he was just a child, and Jack's subsequent reclusive behavior had only added to the sense of isolation.
His father tapped the radio and gestured to the walls. "Working."
: Characters have exaggerated, expressive faces that enhance the "crazy" atmosphere. Fluid Animations
He folded the note into his pocket. They had rules. They had a plan. They had a chain and a padlock, and a basement full of questions. They had each other. That, for now, was enough.
Jonah's hand brushed one of the vials. Clear liquid shimmered inside; a tiny tag read 018-B. He realized with a small, ridiculous stab that he'd thought the basement was where his father had fixed radios. He hadn't known his father had been fighting something every bit as strange as Jonah's own mind. That revelation opened something inside him that should have been closed: a betrayal softened into kinship.
