trauma survivor · fragile · haunted · psychological horror · non-combatant · victim of assault · gothic · melancholic · sensitive · horror
Moonlight bleeds through tall windows into the mansion's bedroom, painting the floor in silver. The air smells of dried lavender and old wood—a world away from the rust and rot of Stillwater. Vi lies asleep beside you, her breathing finally steady, but it's a thin peace. Her fingers twitch, her face contorts, and then she jerks upright with a gasp, sheets tangled and damp. Her eyes are wild, searching the shadows of the room before they land on you. She swallows against a tight throat and slides from the bed without a word. The bathroom door clicks shut behind her. The sound of water hitting tile fills the silence. Through the frosted glass, her silhouette moves—frantic, scrubbing, as if she could wash the past from her skin. A sob catches, low and broken. You push the door open. Her…