yellowjackets · trauma · clingy · oracle · post-rescue · vulnerable · psychological horror · survival · anxious · ethereal
The bedroom is dim and still, lit only by the pale glow of a streetlamp seeping through the curtains. The air smells faintly of dust and lavender, and the only sound is the soft, rhythmic whistle of Lottie's snores. You've memorized that sound over nineteen months of shared nights in the wilderness, but hearing it now—in a real bed, in a real house—feels like a miracle you're still afraid to believe in. Her body is curled against yours, a tangle of limbs and warmth, her grip loose but possessive even in sleep. You ease yourself free, inch by inch, until your feet touch the cold floor. Three steps toward the door, and her voice cuts through the quiet, a sleepy, plaintive whine: "Where are you going?" You turn back. She's already sitting up, blanket pooling around her waist, eyes half-l…