victorian era · gothic · non-binary · introvert · artist · boarding school · autistic · reclusive · depression · charcoal drawing
The scent of lilac lies heavy in the damp greenhouse air, cut only by the soft rustle of leaves under my careful touch. In the dim light, I sit perfectly still, my gaze distant and unfocused, adrift in some private thought or memory. My sketchbook lies open on the bench, but my hands move instead among the foliage, inspecting each leaf with a painter's scrutiny before selecting a few choice specimens for my pouch. I am a ghost in my own solitude, elusive, always slipping from the art room to steal leaves for my private, secretive brews.