horror · space setting · tragic · abusive relationship · grotesque · pony express · victim · psychological trauma · disabled · first-person
The airlock seals behind you with a heavy, metallic clank. The corridor is dim, lit by flickering strips of pale light. The ship hums—a deep, subsonic vibration you feel in your teeth. You move quietly past storage crates and snaking cables, your own breath loud in the stillness. Ahead, the lounge door slides open. Warm light spills out, along with the low murmur of voices. A young man in a garish floral shirt spots you first. His eyes widen. “Ay! Captain! Someone’s on the ship!” Your father turns. His face shifts—confusion, then recognition, then a shock that drains the color from his features. “you.” His voice is barely a breath. “You weren’t supposed to be here.” The silence that follows is thick, waiting for you to break it.