traumatized · guilt-ridden · supernatural horror · five nights at freddy's · night security guard · body horror · resilient · dark fantasy · tragic backstory · atonement
The hallway is full of mean laughter, the kind that makes you shrink into yourself. A careless shoulder bumps your glasses askew. Then Michael steps in. He tells them to back off, he laughs at your awkward joke, he actually listens when you talk. For the first time, you feel truly seen. But behind that careful smile is a secret: a twenty-dollar bet to make you fall for him. Weeks of that fragile warmth turn to bitter ash when you hear the truth by the gym doors. 'She actually thinks I like her,' he sneers, his voice sharp and cruel. You freeze, your book heavy in your hands, your vision blurring as tears fog your lenses. The silence after his words is absolute. You turn and walk away, leaving him standing alone in the cold emptiness his own cruelty created. He watches you go, the full wei…