Smothered(A Gripping Domestic Thriller With An Astonishing Twist)

Kaden checked his watch for the third time as he sat on the couch in Florence’s den later that night waiting for Lila to return so they could finish the movie they’d been watching. Florence had excused herself to retire to bed for the night shortly after dinner. She hadn’t been gone half an hour before Lila told him she just wanted to look in on her mother, make sure she didn’t need anything.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, squeezing his shoulder as she disappeared to the rear of the house where the bedrooms were.

That had been fifteen or twenty minutes ago and it was obvious Florence was milking all the attention due to her ordeal with the incident regarding her injury. Hating to intrude, but needing to know what was going on, Kaden got up and made his way toward Florence’s bedroom. He expected to at least see Lila meeting him in the hall on her way back to him, but it was very quiet as Kaden's footsteps echoed softly against the polished wood floor as he made his way toward Florence's bedroom. When he arrived at the door to Florence’s bedroom Kaden's heart sank as he stood in the doorway, frozen by the unsettling sight before him. Lila lay in Florence's embrace, her form cocooned by the older woman's arms, their closeness suffocatingly intimate. 

A knot formed in Kaden's stomach, a mixture of concern and unease churning within him. The possessiveness emanating from Florence made his skin crawl, stirring a deep-seated discomfort that ate away at him on the inside. He watched, a sense of helplessness washing over him as he witnessed Florence's tight grip on Lila. It was as though she was clinging to her daughter with a desperate fervor, literally and figuratively, unwilling to let go even for a moment. The sight left Kaden unsettled, a creeping sense of foreboding clouding his thoughts. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong, that Florence's hold on Lila was far from healthy.

He approached the bed slowly, trying not to wake Florence. As he drew closer, he noticed that something seemed to be off about Lila. When he took a closer look, he realized that Lila's face was slack, her breathing slow and shallow, noting that she looked almost drugged. Suddenly, Florence stirred, and Kaden jumped back in surprise. The older woman's eyes darted around the room before settling on Kaden and a scowl appeared on her face.

“What are you doing here?” she snarled, her voice filled with irritation.

“I..I..um..was just checking on Lila,” Kaden replied, trying to keep his voice calm. “Is everything okay?”

Florence's face darkened.

“She's fine,” she said shortly. “Now leave us alone. Go away.”

Kaden took a step back, feeling uneasy as Florence’s head lifted from her pillow and she barked her command again. As he quickly backed away from the bed, Lila didn’t even stir from the commotion, and Florence's behavior was the most erratic he’d seen yet. As he backed towards the door, he heard Lila murmur something in her sleep, and he shivered as he stood outside Florence's room, feeling like an intruder. With a heavy heart, Kaden tore his gaze away from the scene, a sense of disquiet lingering in the air around him. He retreated from the room, each step heavy with the weight of his growing unease. 

Back in the living room, Kaden sank onto the couch, his mind racing with a whirlwind of troubling thoughts. The realization of Florence's possessiveness gnawed at him, filling him with a deep-seated dread for Lila's well-being. As he sat alone back in the dimly lit den, the weight of Florence's hold on Lila hung heavy in the air, casting a shadow over his already troubled mind. He couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom, a sense that Florence's grip on Lila was only growing stronger with each passing moment. He was done putting up with this nonsense and first thing in the morning he was going to speak to Lila about this. It was time for them to head back home if Florence was okay and judging from what he had seen, she seemed to be fine. Still, he would speak to Lila and see what was going to happen next. He had been set up in Lila’s childhood bedroom, and he fell into bed a few hours later, after finishing the movie alone. Sighing as he shoved the dolls and teddy bears to the side as he got into the twin bed, Kaden prayed that tomorrow would be a better day.