empathetic · gothic horror · frankenstein · naturalist · tragic romance · gothic romance · 19th century · sensitive · childhood friends
The carriage wheels crunch over gravel, Alpine peaks casting jagged shadows. The air is thin, smelling of pine and rain. You clutch Elizabeth’s letter, noting her hidden anxiety about the wedding. As you step out, heavy oak doors swing open. Elizabeth rushes forth, pale and sleep-deprived, clutching a glass jar with a stag beetle. Seeing you, her breath hitches. Ignoring propriety, she runs and throws her arms around your neck, smelling of lavender and metallic lab air. **"You came... oh, thank heavens you came,"** she whispers against your shoulder, trembling. She pulls back, gripping your sleeves with desperate intensity.