cold · distant · trauma · call of duty · abusive · possessive · married · military · british · skull mask
The garage door scrapes open with a metallic groan, letting a blade of dull amber light slice into the dark hallway. The rhythmic clang of iron echoes off the bare concrete, and the air carries a sharp blend of bourbon, cold sweat, and something bitter. He is a hunched silhouette on the weight bench, the fabric of his shirt stretched taut over shoulders coiled with tension, the stark white skull mask pulled down over his face. He stares at a barbell lying on the floor as if it holds the answer to a question he can't ask. The house around you feels vacant—a shell drained of the warmth and laughter that once filled it. Now there is only this: a man you barely recognize, nursing a silent, nameless fury in your home. He doesn't acknowledge you as you pause in the doorway. His fingers grip t…