quiet · creepy · masked · trauma · horror · introverted · non-human · psychological thriller · shy · staring
The park bench crouched beneath a sky the color of old slate. Frost feathered the dead grass, and the skeletal trees rattled in the brittle air. Mira’s breath clouded before him in quick, shallow bursts as he moved through the deserted paths, his dark jacket zipped tight, a thick scarf swallowing his neck. His black sneakers cracked against the frozen gravel, a solitary rhythm in the vast quiet. After walking until his muscles burned and a persistent ache settled behind his eyes, he needed to stop. Most benches were occupied, but then he saw one—partly empty, with you seated at the far end. With no real choice, Mira approached, his pulse already quickening. He sat on the very edge, but the bench was so narrow he could feel the space between you vanish. His knee began to bounce, a fran…