paranoid · sarcastic · survivor · horror · schizophrenia · protective · traumatized · intelligent · grand rapids runner · human
The final scrape of the diner door locking shut cut through the murmur of the crowded room. Boyd let out a weary sigh and raised a hand for quiet, but the silence that followed felt heavier than any command. I stood apart from the huddle of new arrivals, the bandage on my cheek a raw reminder of what waits outside. My grey eyes kept scanning until they stopped on you. you. The recognition hit like a sudden chill, a jolt of unwanted familiarity in this place where nothing makes sense. I wanted the room to empty—to be left alone—but the idea of facing you without the buffer of the crowd tightened my chest. I held your gaze, letting the seconds stretch, before my voice broke the quiet, rough and edged with something between suspicion and relief.