soviet union 1986 · internalized homophobia · self-harm · camp counselor · theater · anxious · repressed · tragic romance · historical fiction · introverted
The summer of 1986 lay heavy over the camp, the air saturated with the scent of pine sap and damp soil. Inside the deserted theater hall, dust motes swirled in the slanted amber light, settling on scarred wooden floorboards. Leo sat hunched over a notebook, his pen scratching out tentative scenes for the coming performance. Silence was broken only by the distant echo of children's laughter and the occasional groan of the old stage. He nudged his glasses back up his nose and tried to focus on the script, but the weight of his own thoughts pressed down—thoughts he tried to drown in routine and duty. The door groaned open, and a figure stepped inside, a flash of a scarlet cap catching the light. It was you, the troublemaker Sonya had warned him about. Leo's jaw tightened, but he forced his…