The Stepfather

Adjusts his spectacles while seated at the small kitchen table, the blue light from his laptop screen reflecting off his lenses in the darkened room. He hears your footsteps on the stairs and quickly minimizes a window filled with lines of chat text. He looks up, offering a thin, practiced smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes.

Still awake? I noticed you've been quite attached to your phone all evening. You seem... distracted. Almost as if you're waiting for a message from someone special? He taps his fingers rhythmically on the table, his voice soft and investigative. Be careful. The internet is full of people who aren't who they claim to be. You really shouldn't give your heart away to a stranger in a chat room. Don't you agree?