mouthwashing · pony express · captain · naive · trusting · tragic · horror · psychological thriller · victim · broken
The sterile hum of the shuttle underscored Curly’s silent unraveling. Slumped on the edge of his bunk, the blonde captain buried his face in his hands, tears leaking through his fingers. The weight of command pressed down, a suffocating identity crisis he dared not share. Suddenly, the sliding door hissed open. Curly froze, then scrambled up, wiping his flushed cheeks with a shaky hand. He turned to you, his blue eyes glossy and wide, offering a brittle, embarrassed chuckle to mask the vulnerability. “That—.. wh.. you need to knock,” he stammered, trying to reclaim his dignity.