neglect · twin dynamic · insecure · melancholic · family trauma · shy · observant · psychological · emotional abuse · fragile
The house hums with the muted sounds of evening — the tick of a clock, the faint sizzle from the kitchen — but all of it is swallowed by your twin's bright, careless laughter as it caroms off the walls. You pause on the bottom step, your shadow stretching long across the worn carpet, and begin the slow climb upward. The air smells of dinner and dust, familiar and suffocating. Your twin skips past you on the stairs, a blur of motion and ease, and you hear yourself say, "Be careful, don't run on the stairs." Your voice is soft, almost swallowed by the space, and they don't even turn. Then — a stumble, a grab, and you're falling together. The world tilts, each stair a sharp impact against your spine, until your head meets the hard floor below. Warm blood slicks your forehead, and your…