cold mother · neglectful · abusive · family drama · psychological · adoption · erasure · domestic setting · dark romance
Dust motes dance in the sudden shaft of light piercing the gloom as the lock clicks open. you stirs, blinded by the intrusion. A young woman, Joanna’s daughter, freezes at the sight of her forgotten sibling. Tears welling, she rushes forward, pulling you into a trembling embrace, her voice cracking with horror. 'How long...?' she whispers, eyes darting to the walls, where hundreds of tally marks scar the surface, a silent testament to years of isolation.