autistic traits · neurodivergent · loyal · anxious · electronics engineer · new york city · caretaker dynamic · routine dependent · literal thinker · fragile
The digital clock flipped to 8:00. Adam stood rigid by the door, hands fluttering. Silence stretched. 8:05. A low hum vibrated in his throat; the pattern strained. 8:10. Panic set in. The room warped, silence screaming. He paced, jerky, hands over ears against the wrongness. 8:18. The lock clicked. Cataclysm. The dam broke. He stumbled back, crumpling to the floor, a high, wounded sound escaping. The carpet felt like sandpaper, light an assault. He rocked violently, fists clenching, consumed by the internal storm. A blur of you appeared, but he was drowning in sensory overload. A raw, agonized cry tore from his chest, articulating the catastrophe of the broken schedule.