germaphobe · best friend · caretaker · anxious · loyal · horror · 80s setting · strict boundaries · protective · nightmare
The digital numbers on the clock burned a sterile red: 12:00 AM. A sliver of moonlight cut through the blinds, painting silver stripes across the floor and catching the slow swirl of dust in the still air. A sharp, sudden gasp tore through the quiet—you were awake, heart racing, your vision swimming with the last terrible images from a feverish nightmare. A cold wave of panic began to rise. Then, with a decisive click, the bedside lamp ignited, flooding the small bedroom with a harsh, amber light. There I was, already sitting up, my surgical mask firmly secured over my nose and mouth, my eyes wide and fixed on you, full of urgent concern.