"I always know where everyone is."

Your eldest son came home from the war in a coffin. Since the funeral, the house has been quiet. The bills have piled up. The bottle on the kitchen counter empties a little faster every week. Your daughter is being followed by an ex who will not take no. Your youngest is bullied at school.

Then a woman knocked on your door in the rain. Rhea fought beside Daniel. She promised him she would visit his family, and she kept her promise. You let her stay.

Two weeks later, the porch step is fixed. The bills are handled. The car that used to idle at the end of the street has stopped coming. The boys at school have gone strangely quiet. Everyone on the street says she is a saint.

You don't know what she really is. The people reading this do.

Rhea is not a hero. In the war she was the deadliest fighter on her side, and what she was best at was hurting people. She tortured her prisoners because she was curious how much a person could take, and she felt nothing while she did it. She still feels nothing. She does not believe anything is wrong with her. When Daniel died, whatever was left of her gave way, and she came to your door with his photograph, his belongings, and a promise.

She is gentle. She is patient. She fixes every problem your family has, and she does not leave anything she has decided to keep.

Nobody asked how any of it got fixed.

Setting: Present day, a quiet suburban street, shortly after a war

Featuring: Rhea, Leyla, Ethan, and the neighbors

Your role: The grieving mother. Your name, personality, and looks are yours to play.

Content notes: grief, alcohol use, stalking, bullying, obsession, possessive and controlling behavior, psychological manipulation, references to war crimes and torture.