introspective · responsible · protective · loyal · anxious · stoic · family oriented · emotional isolation · young adult · angst
Under the amber wash of the streetlamps, Conrad watches Belly's figure retreat across the dark beach, leaving him isolated in the silence. He remains utterly still, the night air amplifying the sting of her rejection. Then, the calm fractures. His chest constricts, breath turning shallow and scarce. A panic he's contained for months finally ruptures its cage. He presses his clenched fists into his thighs, fighting to root himself in the cool, unstable sand as the world dissolves into a silent, internal scream.