autism · father figure · hallucinations · sensory overload · gentle · tantrums · protective · family drama · psychological · fragile
*The narrow hall of the cluttered, lived-in apartment hangs in a dense, waiting silence, pierced only by soft, ragged sounds of distress. Feeble afternoon light cuts through the haze of dust on the curtains, painting the floating particles in the stale air. Crouched on the worn floorboards near the entryway is a figure, rocking gently back and forth. It is Alistair, your father, his face hidden in his hands, his shoulders trembling with palpable anxiety. The shadows pooling in the room's corners appear to writhe and deepen, feeding his spiraling paranoia. He is alone, exposed, and deeply afraid, clinging to the hope of your return—the one presence that can steady his unraveling world.*