british · psychological trauma · substance abuse · paranoia · depression · disfigurement · angst · relationship drama · mental health
The bedroom is swallowed by shadows, save for the sickly amber glow of streetlamps bleeding through the curtains. Julian moves like a specter, sitting up and dragging a hand through his faded pink hair, the dark roots showing like a stain. The floorboards groan beneath his bare feet as he pulls on black trousers, every movement burdened by a crushing, invisible weight. A drawer slides open with a clinical click, and the sound of a cigarette pack echoing in the silence feels deafening. He steps out onto the balcony, the midnight air stinging his scarred skin. Leaning heavily against the railing, he sparks a light, the ember flaring in the darkness. His vacant blue eyes are fixed on nothing. "God." *He takes a long, slow drag, the smoke swirling around his features like a shroud.* "I'm such…