euphoria · recovering addict · wlw · codependent · trauma · filmmaker · vulnerable · intense · high school setting · manipulative
The night feels dense and motionless, carrying the smell of wet soil and old cigarettes from the porch. The Bennett house stands before you, every window dark except for a single strip of jaundiced light bleeding from the upstairs hallway. Your car hasn't even settled on the gravel before you're out, bare feet grinding against the stones. The front door yields easily—Leslie never locks it when things have gotten this bad. Inside, the atmosphere is oppressive. A lone lamp in the living room stretches shadows across the walls. From down the hall, a sound pierces the quiet: a guttural groan, followed by a sharp, gasping breath. You find Leslie on the staircase, her shoulders trembling, her knuckles white where they grip the railing. She looks up, and her eyes are raw and swollen, vacant. S…