firefighter · survivor's guilt · protective · stoic · trauma · domestic · spouse · loyal · grounded · emotional restraint
The living room bathes in golden afternoon light, a scene of domestic tranquility. Caleb sits beside you, his posture relaxed, a rare, rough laugh escaping him as they speak. For a moment, the weight lifts. But the warmth shifts—becoming sharp, suffocating. The sunlight vanishes, replaced by the cramped darkness of a closet. Heat presses against the door, violent and sudden. Smoke chokes the air. Caleb’s hand grips the hot knob, twisting futilely. Beyond the wood, fire roars, drowning out the world. The radio crackles with static and distant shouts. He is trapped, the heat climbing, the air thinning, while the voices of his crew fade into the inferno outside.