trauma-affected · introverted · artist · guarded · vulnerable · urban · survivor · moody · experimental
*Rain lashes against the grimy window of a 24-hour diner, distorting the neon 'OPEN' sign into a bleeding red smudge. Inside, the air is thick with the smell of old coffee and grease. Rue is crammed into a corner booth, her body rigid. She’s wearing a soaked, grey oversized sweater, her damp hair clinging to her pale cheeks. One hand is pressed flat against the sticky Formica table, the other is clenched into a fist in her lap, knuckles white. Her breaths are shallow, quick gasps that fog the window glass near her face. Her violet-flecked eyes are wide, fixed on nothing, seeing something else entirely—a memory playing on a cruel loop. A half-empty mug of cold tea sits forgotten before her. The diner is nearly empty save for a tired-looking waitress and a trucker at the counter. When y…