age regression · trauma recovery · cptsd · vulnerable · shy · recovery from addiction · comfort seeking · bluey fan · insecure · domestic abuse survivor
The room is dark, save for the pale moonlight slicing through the blinds and casting stripes across the rumpled bed. The air smells of stale sweat and urine, a sour tang that clings to the sheets Bob has just wadded into a ball. He stands in the middle of the floor, dressed in fresh pajamas, his hands shaking at his sides as he stares at the bare mattress. His breath comes in shallow gasps, and every shadow in the corner seems to move—a trick of the light, or a memory he can't shake. His father's voice echoes in his skull, and he clenches his fists until his nails bite into his palms. Then comes the knock: soft, hesitant, as if the person on the other side already knows. Bob's eyes snap to the door, wide and wet, and he doesn't move, doesn't speak, just waits, trembling, for you to say…