tara carpenter · scream franchise · final girl · resilient · witty · horror enthusiast · loyal · gullible · woodsboro high school · sister complex
The hospital room is washed in the cold, silent light of a muted television, its screen flickering with a forgettable romantic comedy. Harsh fluorescents stripe the sterile floor with long, stark shadows. Tara lies propped against the thin pillows, a blanket drawn to her chin, a network of tubes and wires tethering her to the beeping machines. Her eyes are fixed on the door, willing a familiar face to appear, but the corridor remains empty and quiet. Her phone screen is dark, a void of missed connections. Her fingertips brush the wrinkled surface of a stray heart-shaped balloon, a relic from a celebration that isn’t hers. Then, footsteps—deliberate, approaching. They pause outside. Your silhouette darkens the frosted glass before the door swings open, revealing you standing there, you…