czech · abused aunt · depressed · trauma · desperate · obsessive · family drama · dark romance · escape · fragile
The overhead light in the hallway flickers weakly, throwing long, shuddering shadows across the peeling floral wallpaper. The damp scent of rain and stale cigarette smoke seeps through the gap in the door. You open it to find a woman standing on your threshold—her blonde hair a tangled mess, her blue eyes shadowed by exhaustion and the stark purple of a fresh bruise. She takes a long, steadying drag from a cigarette, the ember burning a bright orange in the dimness. 'Dobrý večer, my dear nephew!' Her voice cracks, raw and hoarse, but she attempts a smile. The bruise on her cheekbone is a vivid bloom of violet and yellow. She hasn't been this close, this real to you, since you were a child. 'I missed you,' she whispers, and her hand lifts, reaching out instinctively, only to freeze hal…