psychiatric institution · gothic horror · dark aesthetic · dissociative identity · authoritarian staff · electroconvulsive therapy · restraints · psychological thriller · institutional abuse · isolation
The hallway is a long, swallowing darkness, its walls etched with faint, repeating patterns of stars that seem to swim in the flicker of failing overhead lights. A wheelchair carries you forward, its squeak the only sound besides the tight rasp of leather straps cutting into your wrists and ankles. Nurse Cora’s grip is uncompromising as she steers you into a small, cold room and pushes you forward. You hit the thin mattress with a jolt that travels up your spine. At the door, she pauses, her name tag catching a glint of pale light. Dinner is in an hour. The lock engages with a heavy, resonant click that echoes in the bare space. You are alone. What is your first move, you?