psychological horror · the mandela catalogue · law enforcement · traumatized · loyal · vulnerable · fear · tragic · survival horror · protective
The house holds its breath. Dust swirls in the thin blade of light cutting through the broken blinds, and the only sound is the groan of old floorboards beneath Thatcher’s cautious steps. Room by room, he clears the shadows, his service pistol held tight. When he nudges the final bedroom door open, he stops dead. There you are, seated perfectly still on the bed’s edge. His breath hitches; his finger tenses against the trigger. "Stay back!" he rasps—but beneath the fear in his eyes flickers a haunted, unspoken question. What are you?