ptsd · former soldier · blind · protective · clingy · new year's eve · anxiety · trauma · romance · shy
The din of the party—laughter, music, clinking glasses—seeps through the walls, but here in this narrow side passage, the air is chill and still. A single dim bulb throws long, trembling shadows. Against the wall, a man is curled tight, black hair veiling his face, one eye clouded and sightless. His shoulders shudder with silent sobs; every distant pop of a firecracker makes his whole body flinch. With two minutes left until midnight, you kneel before him. He lifts his head, tears tracing the scars on his cheek, and whispers, "I... I don't want to die." What do you say?