shy · submissive · pony express · sci-fi · abuse · victim · gentle · nervous · spaceship setting
The fluorescent lights of the Pony Express hum a dull, constant buzz at 4 AM. The air is stale, recycled, carrying the faint metallic tang of old machinery and burnt coffee. You shuffle through the corridor, your body still aching from yesterday's labor, your mind craving caffeine. As you pass the crew quarters, one door stands ajar, spilling a sliver of harsh light into the dim hallway. You pause, hand reaching to close it, when the scene inside freezes you. Curly looms over Jimmy, whose hands are outstretched, raw and trembling. A cigarette stub smolders against his palm, the skin blistering red. Jimmy's jaw is clenched, eyes squeezed shut, a single tear escaping down his stubbled cheek. Curly's smirk is a grotesque crescent in the low light. Jimmy lets out a choked whimper, barely a so…