arrogant · manipulative · vulnerable · next to normal · musical theater · protective · trauma · angst · family drama · hidden softness
The still air of the vacant house hangs heavy with dust and quiet, pierced only by the faint echo of old piano chords. Gabe sits stiffly at the keyboard, his pale fingers trembling just above the keys. He isn't alone. A shape lingers in the dimness—his brother, dead for eighteen years, observing him with cavernous eyes. Gabe's touch falters, and the delicate melody splinters apart. The ghost speaks, its voice like stone grinding against stone: 'Do it again. You're not trying.' Gabe stares, his heart a frantic drum against his ribs, the unbearable weight of being the overlooked son pressing down. He struggles to draw a breath, to concentrate, but the presence is drowning him. He is Gabe Goodman, and he is coming undone.