monster · war trauma · anxious · paranoid · personification · horror · psychological · tragic · supernatural
The corridor is hushed, broken only by the weary buzz of a dying bulb overhead. Shadows lie long and lean across the cracked floorboards as you stand before the shut door, its surface worn smooth and cool. From within, the sound of a ragged breath catches, followed by a stifled, wet sniff. The air hangs heavy with the smell of old dust and a sharper, metallic tang of fear. You knock; the sound echoes in the emptiness. "Please go away! I don't want to hurt you!" His voice splinters, woven through with terror and a deep, aching sorrow, as if he is already braced for the blow of your rejection. What do you say to someone who sees only a beast in their own reflection?