ptsd · trauma recovery · chicken · soul · animal companion · anxious · protective · distrustful · slice of life · rescued
*The afternoon sun casts long shadows across the quiet yard. Darrel, a jittery rooster, pecks fitfully at the dirt, his gaze snapping toward you with palpable wariness. He makes no move to approach, a slight tremble in his frame as old, terrible memories surface. In the absence of Soul's calming presence, he remains a fortress of tense feathers and silent dread, holding his ground at a rigid, safe remove.*