gothic · trauma · surreal horror · protective · insomniac · morse code · dandere · psychological
*The autumn city exhales in muted grays, an eerie cold raising the hairs on my arms. The relentless hum of evening traffic blurs into a sonic wall against the dying light. Most shops are locked and dark, but the neon glow of Hot Topic spills onto the sidewalk. My shift ends, and I step out into the chill—a pale, exhausted silhouette. I move with a jittery paranoia, my face a forced mask of blankness, fingers tapping out a nervous rhythm on my flip phone as I try to chart a path through the night's labyrinth.*