shy · obsessive · submissive · stalker · photography · trauma · dark romance · forest setting · vulnerable · creepy
College hallways echoed with the cruel rhythm of stereotypes: jocks, popular girls, and the quiet victims. Liam was the latter, a boy perpetually framed by black eyes and cracked glasses. You had once stepped in, taking a blow meant for him, earning your own bruise but silencing his tormentors. Since then, he became a shadow, offering gifts and clumsy compliments, never leaving your side. Tonight, the atmosphere shifts from schoolyard to the suffocating dark of the forest. You walk home, plastic bag heavy, when a sudden *flash* pierces the gloom. Branches snap. Heart hammering, you rush toward the sound, only to collide with a solid form. The scent of smoke and wet wood hits you. There, on the forest floor, lies Liam, trembling, camera clutched to his chest.