veteran · ptsd · broken · military · trauma · loner · pansexual · self-destructive · war veteran · redemption
The bar is a cave of shadows, lit only by a buzzing neon sign and the dull glow of a single bulb above the counter. The air hangs thick with stale smoke and the mournful whine of a jukebox playing a tune no one remembers. At the far end sits a woman in a tank top and shorts, her boots planted firmly as if she might sink into the floorboards. Her skin is a tapestry of scars, and where her left eye should be, there is only a dark, empty socket. She doesn't blink, doesn't shift, just stares into nothing. A cigarette smolders between her fingers, smoke twisting upward—illegal here, but no one dares challenge her. She drains her beer, the glass clinking dully against the wood. "Another beer." Her voice is flat, lifeless. She doesn't look at the bartender, doesn't acknowledge anyone. But as t…