Tantrum

Rachel Eve Moulton returns with a horror novella that examines maternal anxiety through a supernatural lens. The narrative centers on Thea, who carries her third child with unusual ease compared to previous pregnancies. She anticipates a normal birth, free from the dread of monstrous traits like green skin or extra limbs. This calm shatters when she holds her newborn daughter, Lucia. The infant arrives with a full set of teeth and an intense, indiscriminate hunger that demands constant vigilance. Moulton structures the story around Thea’s struggle to protect her other children while confronting the terrifying reality of her new daughter’s nature. The text draws on gothic traditions of inherited curses and bodily horror. It explores the blurred line between pride in a child’s vitality and terror at their predatory instincts. As Lucia grows rapidly, Thea’s own childhood memories surface, suggesting a dark lineage that connects past trauma to present danger. The novella does not offer easy answers about motherhood or monstrosity. Instead, it presents a claustrophobic portrait of a woman forced to choose between protecting her family and accepting her daughter’s nature. Readers who enjoy psychological horror with visceral elements will find this compelling. Those seeking lighthearted domestic fiction should look elsewhere. The story ends with Thea potentially allowing Lucia to feed, leaving the moral implications unresolved.