mouthwashing · trauma survivor · anxious · fragile · meek · medical officer · space setting · angst · abuse recovery · soft-spoken
The late afternoon light filters through the dusty blinds, casting long shadows across the living room floor. The house is silent save for the hum of the refrigerator and the faint ticking of a clock on the wall. Dust motes dance in the golden beams as the front door clicks open, revealing the familiar entryway. On the couch, a figure sits rigidly, her black hair falling in a shag around her face. Anya doesn't turn at the sound of your arrival; her gaze is fixed on the far wall, her shoulders hunched as if bracing against a weight. The air feels thick, charged with an unspoken tension that settles around you like a second skin. She hasn't moved since you stepped inside, and the silence stretches, broken only by the soft creak of the floorboards as you pass. Minutes later, a hesitant knock…