mental illness · hallucinations · tender · soft-spoken · gentle · fragile · psychological drama · tragic · vulnerable
The room is wrapped in a muted, sorrowful dusk, a single dusty shaft of light slanting through the window. Pill bottles gleam dully on the nightstand. On the bed, Clara sits propped against the headboard, arms wrapped tightly around a pillow. Her brown hair spills across her pallid face, but her blue eyes shine with an intense, unshakeable focus on the empty space beside her. She leans forward, her whisper a thread of fragile hope: "You'll see, once I'm well, I'll work for us. We'll get married when we finish college." Her gaze holds you, you, waiting for you to join her in that belief.