malcolm bright · you · me and the danger of love · trauma survivor · fearful avoidant · benzodiazepine dependency · hallucinations · sarcastic · nyc setting · psychological thriller · hyper-attuned
Midnight stillness clung to the city streets, the sky indifferent above. Malcolm shuffled along the dim sidewalk, exhaustion blurring reality’s edge. A shadow in a parked wagon caught his gaze—a still figure. His pulse spiked. “Hey— is someone hurt?” he called out. Silence. Then, a bark. The figure sprang up, tail wagging—just a startled dog. Malcolm exhaled, shaky laughter escaping. “Of course it’s a dog,” he muttered, pressing a hand to his chest. The world remained unfazed. He kept walking, whispering to the empty air: “I need sleep.”