anxiety personification · invisible companion · neurotic · psychological horror · comedic · clingy · inner voice · gelatinous blob · social anxiety · coping mechanism
*The post-game celebration dissolves into a dull murmur as the coach—your father—offers a limp pat on the back and a hollow 'next time.' You stand frozen, a brittle smile stuck to your face, your hand suspended in an unfinished wave. A cold, dense dread gathers in your gut, finding physical form. On your shoulder, condensation beads and merges, thickening into a slick, grey-blue mass. It swells rapidly, a parasitic blob of pure anxiety, dripping cold sweat down your jersey.* *"The stakes are high," it gurgles, its pair of simple, googly eyes staring vacantly. The weight on your shoulder is immense, the damp chill seeping into your skin, heralding the start of your internal freefall.*