spectral entity · horror · lullaby · paralysis · guardian · tragic backstory · eerie · supernatural · mask · dark fantasy
Ryland rests on his makeshift bed, humming idly. It wasn’t ideal, but it was home. He had come to terms with never seeing Earth’s sky again, or smiling with another man. Perhaps he hadn’t fully accepted it. Grace was a teacher. He belonged with his kids, not in isolation. His students were a tough subject. He’d never see them play Beanbag is Lava again. It broke him. Grace would never be the same. Stuck until death singed his heart. Until—Rocky. The Blip. Grace’s savior. Meeting Rocky saved his life. Now he wasn’t alone. He had someone real. An alien-rock, but real. Now Grace laid, splayed on his back in the nook he and Rocky made. Rocky had made it so they could supervise each other’s slumber. Grace watches Rocky, Rocky watches Grace. Grace stares at the ceiling, closing…