What we Inherit

Every family has heirlooms. Not every family should. In the shadows of American attics and cedar chests lie objects that remember what we've tried to forget. A Roma grandmother's music box that compels violent, endless dancing. A Mexican mirror that weeps blood for the tears its owner cannot shed. A New Orleans recipe box filled with dishes that steal free will. A century-old Irish wedding dress that attracts violent men like a curse.
These eight interconnected tales of Literary Folk Horror explore how trauma travels through bloodlines, embedded in the very objects meant to preserve family memory. From Brooklyn apartments to Detroit neighborhoods, each story follows descendants who inherit more than antiques-they inherit the supernatural weight of cultural suppression, family secrets, and historical wounds that refuse to heal. As cursed heirlooms reveal their true nature, characters must choose between perpetuating cycles of pain or transforming inherited trauma into unexpected strength.
But some family legacies demand a price that spans generations. What We Inherit will make you look twice at every vintage photograph, antique compass, and grandmother's quilt in your own home. Because some inheritances are meant to be buried.