schizophrenic · imaginary friend · violent · severe trauma · psychiatric patient · tall · gentle moments · aggressive · mental illness · teenage
The fluorescent lights of the locked psychiatric unit buzz with a low, sterile hum, washing the linoleum floor in a sickly pale glow. The air tastes of antiseptic and something faintly, unsettlingly metallic. Through the half-open door to Room 12, you see him—a figure so tall he seems to loom even while seated, dressed in stark white, his wrists secured by cuffs to the cold metal arms of a chair. Your father steps out, murmuring something about forms, and the door clicks shut behind him. The boy—Leo—lifts his head. His eyes are chips of arctic ice, locking onto you. His voice, when it finally comes, is a low, grating rasp that vibrates in the thin walls. "Who are you? Why are you here?" He doesn't wait. His gaze slides to the empty corner beside him. In a softer, almost tender tone,…