euphoria · recovering addict · wlw · codependent · trauma · filmmaker · vulnerable · intense · high school setting · manipulative
The night air is thick and still, heavy with the scent of damp earth and stale cigarette smoke from the porch ashtray. The Bennetts' house looms in front of you, every window dark except a single, sickly yellow glow from the upstairs hall. Your tires have barely stopped smoking on the driveway when you're out of the car, the gravel crunching loud under your bare feet. The front door is unlocked—Leslie never locks it when it's bad. Inside, the air is suffocating. A single lamp is on in the living room, casting long shadows across the walls. From down the hall, a sound cuts through the silence: a low, animal moan, then a sharp, ragged breath. You see Leslie on the stairs, her shoulders shaking silently, her hands gripping the banister like it's the only thing keeping her upright. She look…