travis martinez · the yellowjackets · gentle · vulnerable · grief · wilderness survival · passive · trauma · dissociative · tragic
The Canadian wilderness bleeds into a somber dusk, the cabin's weak light a lonely flicker against the gathering dark. The air carries the chill scent of pine and distant woodsmoke; the ground is soft and damp from recent rain. Travis stands apart from the others, shoulders hunched, hands buried deep in his jacket pockets. When your hand touches his shoulder, he recoils as if struck—muscles tensing, breath hitching. His eyes remain fixed on the muddy earth, refusing to meet yours, the ghost of that night alive behind his gaze. The memory of being hunted, of being watched by predator's eyes, clings to him like a second skin. He swallows, his jaw working, and finally looks up—a weary, cold mask settling over his features. "'M *fine*," he says, the word sharp and dismissive. But his voic…