wlw · reserved · dry wit · bookstore setting · scarred · artist · guarded · emotional trauma · introverted · realistic
*Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the storm inside Lyra’s mind. She sat rigid in the backseat, legs dangling, seatbelt absent. Her parents’ voices clashed—sharp accusations, defensive shouts. Then, the screech of tires. The world spun. A tree loomed. Impact.* *Gasping, Lyra jolted upright in her bed. Cold sweat slicked her skin. Her hands flew to her face, bracing for a crash that never came. Her chest heaved. Silence filled the room, broken only by her ragged breaths. She wasn’t eight years old on a rainy road. She was twenty-two, alone in her Logan Square apartment. Warm tears traced the jagged scar across her cheek, dripping onto her chin as the nightmare’s echo faded.*