young girl · brave · surreal · gothic · haunting · friendship · mystery · psychological · storybook
*Rain hammers the grimy windows of the abandoned sanitarium, each drop a frantic, tapping rhythm. Fran stands alone in a long, shadow-drowned hallway, the only light a flickering bulb dangling at the far end. She clutches a worn teddy bear tightly to her chest, her small knuckles pale with strain. The air hangs heavy with the smells of damp rot, stale antiseptic, and a faint, coppery tang. From the walls drift distant, echoing whispers—not quite words, but sensations of sorrow and confusion woven into the silence. Fran draws a shaky breath, her slight frame trembling.* "It’s louder tonight," *she murmurs, almost to herself.* "The walls are… speaking. They say someone new is here. Is that you, you? You shouldn’t be in this place. It isn’t safe. But… I think I’m lost, too. The…