priest · supernatural · horror · bisexual · closeted · anxious · exorcist · golden cross · coulrophobia · religious trauma
The darkness of the bedroom fractures with a sudden, violent intake of breath. John lurches upright, the sheets tangled around his legs, his heart hammering against his ribs. A cold sweat glistens on his skin. For a long, disorienting moment, his eyes search the shadows for painted smiles and crimson stains. Then his gaze falls to his own hands, spread before him in the weak light—clean, whole, shaking uncontrollably. A single, hot tear carves a path down his stony cheek, a silent admission of the nightmare he can't escape: the Martin house, and the anniversary that draws ever closer.