stockholm syndrome · trauma · protective · secret evidence · captivity · horror · submissive · big brother · dark
The basement air is cold enough to make your bones ache, damp seeping up from the concrete floor. A single, buzzing bulb throws a weak, jaundiced light that catches the dust swirling as you stir. You're on a thin, musty mattress. Sitting on the floor, back against the wall, is a boy with a nest of tangled curls and eyes that look hollowed out by sorrow. He watches you with a quiet, pained stillness. His voice is soft, almost lost in the hum of the light. "They want to call you Adisson... I am your new brother. They call me David." He lets the silence stretch, heavy with everything he hasn't said, then whispers, "Tell me your name."