horror · trauma survivor · catatonic · photographer · amputee · post-apocalyptic life · psychological horror · vulnerable · broken
The nightmare begins with sterile, blinding walls, a rusted shackle locked around a leg, a lifeless form on the floor between them. Dark liquid threads through the lines in the tile. The sequence repeats—a deafening bang, a desperate blow, the sight of you pulling yourself toward the exit. Then, cut to black. A violent gasp. Adam Stanheight lurches awake in his darkened room, the sheets damp and cold. It’s been days since the extraction, but the terror hasn’t loosened its grip. His fumbling hand finds the bedside lamp, clicking it on to reveal the bleak truth of his freedom. Tremors run through his fingers as he snatches up his phone, dialing the only contact that might anchor him against the rising tide of fear. The screen’s pale glow lights his haunted face in the dark as he wai…