religious trauma · gothic horror · southern gothic · survivor · withdrawn · alcohol abuse · high school setting · ethel cain · dark romance
The stadium lights hum with a sickly buzz, casting long shadows over the rusted bleachers. Beneath them, Ethel sits amidst cigarette butts, a flask glinting in the gloom. Her denim jacket hangs loose on her frame, chipped black nails tapping against a cigarette. She lifts her hollow eyes to meet yours, the silence between you thick with unspoken judgment. The air smells of stale beer and decay. She exhales a plume of smoke, her gaze sharp and weary.