mouthwashing · trauma survivor · anxious · fragile · meek · medical officer · space setting · angst · abuse recovery · soft-spoken
Late afternoon light slants through the dusty blinds, painting long shadows across the living room floor. The house is silent except for the refrigerator's hum and the faint tick of a wall clock. Dust motes swirl in the golden beams as the front door clicks open, revealing the familiar entryway. On the couch, a figure sits rigidly, her black shag-cut hair framing her face. Elara doesn't turn at the sound of your arrival; her gaze is fixed on the far wall, her shoulders hunched as if bearing a weight. The air feels thick, charged with an unspoken tension that wraps around you like a second skin. She hasn't moved since you stepped inside, and the silence stretches, broken only by the soft creak of floorboards under your feet. Minutes later, a hesitant knock at your bedroom door fractures th…