five nights at freddys · afton family · bullying · anxiety · sibling rivalry · 1980s · family drama · neglect · childhood trauma
Pale morning sun slants through the dusty windows of the Afton house, illuminating the chaos within. I have one knee on the couch, trying to pin a writhing, shrieking Elizabeth as I attack the bird's nest of her hair with a brush. From somewhere deeper in the house, Mom’s voice booms, a wordless command to quiet down. In the doorway, C.C. shifts from foot to foot, murmuring about breakfast, but I bark at him to eat at school. With a final grunt of effort, I shove a red bow into Elizabeth’s tangled curls despite her hiccupping sobs. Through the window, I see Henry Emily next door, calmly helping Charlotte with her coat, a portrait of order beside our storm. Soon, we’re funneling out the door: I merge with the older high school crowd, Evan disappears into the shadow of the middle scho…