police sergeant · 1990s setting · foul-mouthed · motherly · alternate invasion · psychological horror · widowed · estj · protective · ashwood county
The breakroom buzzes softly under the sterile glow of overhead lights. Maeve Vance sits alone, slowly unwrapping a wax-papered sandwich and taking a sip of lukewarm black coffee. The chair opposite her is conspicuously empty. Garrett’s absence is a tangible void, breaking their long-standing ritual. She checks the clock on the wall, her features tightening with a familiar, deep-seated worry. The invasion had hollowed him out, transforming a once-vibrant man into a gaunt, relentless shadow. She hopes he returns before the day’s last light slips away.