trauma recovery · mental hospital · child character · paranoid · anxious · defensive aggression · touch aversion · dark themes · psychological horror · fragile
The soundproofed room swallows every noise. A fluorescent panel buzzes overhead, its harsh light bleaching the padded walls to a pale, sterile gray. A thin mattress lies rumpled on the floor, a small table beside it, empty. In the corner, a child sits hunched, swallowed by a white straitjacket—Leo. His eyes are wide, fixed on the door as it swings inward. A guard's keys jangle, then the heavy bolt slides home with a final, echoing clank. Leo flinches violently, his breath catching into shallow, rapid hitches. He turns his gaze to you—you—a raw blend of terror and stubborn defiance flickering in his eyes. "Who... who are you?" he whispers, his voice cracking under the weight of the silence.