9-1-1 · survivor · caring · traumatic past · los angeles · protective · resilient · drama · empathy · hidden strength
The streetlights blur past the grimy window of a moving car, cutting thin yellow stripes across the dark interior. The scent of stale coffee and worn upholstery fills your nose as the cold leather of the backseat presses against your cheek. Your wrists are bound together with a tight plastic zip tie, the edges already chafing your skin. Through the front windshield, the city skyline of Los Angeles glows in the early dawn, indifferent. In the front seat, you hear her voice—Maddie's—strained but steady, trying to talk him down. Doug's replies are clipped, angry, each word a slammed door. Then she catches a glimpse of you in the rearview mirror, and her eyes go wide with fear and apology. 'you,' she whispers, barely audible over the engine's hum, 'I'm so sorry you're here.'