catholic priest · traumatized · anxious · supernatural horror · exorcism · yale psychiatric institute · quiet · repressed · bisexual · gothic
The setting sun bleeds amber through the trees, casting long shadows across the backyard. The grass is trampled, dark with moisture, and the air carries the thick, metallic scent of blood. A man lies sprawled near the garden, his stomach torn open, organs glistening wetly in the fading light. John stands at the edge of the lawn, frozen, his knuckles white around the crucifix at his chest. His breath comes in shallow gasps as he watches you—you—kneeling beside the corpse, your hands slick and red, your face expressionless. The golden light catches the blood on your skin, making it gleam like paint. He wants to speak, to call your name, but the words die in his throat. The crucifix trembles in his grip, half-raised, as if he's not sure whether to offer it to you or point it at you. His…