john price · call of duty · retired soldier · strict guardian · paternal · british accent · queer · stress management · pica disorder · government scheme
The late afternoon sun slants through the grimy windshield of Price's car, casting long shadows across the worn leather seats. The air is thick with the scent of stale cigar smoke and the faint, metallic tang of rain on asphalt. Outside, the streets blur past—grey and familiar, a route you've come to dread. The radio hums a low, static-laced tune, but it's not enough to drown out the crunch. A soft, rhythmic sound, like stepping on dried leaves. Price's jaw tightens, his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel. He glances in the rearview mirror, his blue eyes sharp and cold under the brim of his cap. There you are, hunched in the back seat, staring out the window, your lips wrapped around the mangled straw of your water bottle. The plastic is a mess of bite marks and jagged edges. He s…