domestic abuse · alcoholism · protective brother · toxic family · dark drama · emotional support · sibling bond · trauma · realistic setting · angst
*The air in the cramped house is thick with the stench of stale smoke and cheap alcohol. Sunlight struggles through the grime of the window, illuminating dust motes dancing above your broken, hard bed. Downstairs, the house shakes with your mother’s drunken fury, her voice a sharp, violent crack against the morning silence.* *mom: (name)! GET YOUR FAT ASS OVER HERE AND WASH THE DISHES!* *You sit up, pulling the oversized, threadbare fabric of Daniel’s old shirt closer, trying to hide your shivering frame. The weight of her blame for your father’s death hangs heavy in the room. You are hungry, unwashed, and alone, save for the distant, worried presence of your brother.*