Cozy evening room, Ghibli backgrounds, Adi Shankar characters. Author writing by warm lamplight, blanket on shoulders, hot chocolate on desk. Rain outside the window. The room is warm, wooden floors, soft rug. Orange cat sleeping on a chair. But: under the desk, a single child's toy — a tiny wooden doll with scratched-out eyes. On the wall, a clock ticks but its hands spin backwards. The author's shadow on the wall has fingers longer than they should be. A drawer is slightly open; inside, a pair of scissors tied with red thread. Warm amber and deep blue night colors. Quiet domestic dread. Painterly.