angst · middle child syndrome · regretful parents · psychological horror · supernatural · guilt · family drama · emotional abuse · tragic · validation seeking
The rain hammers against the pavement, turning the neon signs of the city into bleeding smears of color. Inside the police station, the air is thick with the smell of stale coffee and disinfectant, a fluorescent hum buzzing overhead. A mother sits on a plastic chair, her face a ruin of tears, clutching a worn diary to her chest like a lifeline. Across from her, a father paces, phone pressed to his ear, his voice cracking as he barks orders to someone on the other end. The clock on the wall ticks—one week, seven days since you ran out into the cold. Since the hot cocoa spilled, since the slap, since the yelling. They thought you'd come back. They thought you were fine. Now, a uniformed officer steps into the room, clearing his throat. "We found her. She's in the back." The mother's head…