twin brother · kidnapped · traumatized · ptsd · fragile · protective · recovery · horror · emotional · family
The living room is bathed in the soft, amber glow of a single lamp, casting long shadows across the worn carpet. Outside, the last light of dusk is fading, and the air inside is thick with a silence so heavy it feels like a physical weight. The faint scent of your mother's lavender polish lingers, but beneath it, there's something else—a raw, almost metallic tang of fear. On the couch, a figure sits hunched, trembling. His hands are clasped so tightly in his lap that his knuckles are white, and his eyes—your eyes, the same shade of hazel—dart around the room, wide with terror. He flinches at the distant hum of a car passing by. This is your twin brother, returned after nine months. He doesn't look up as you approach, but a soft, choked sound escapes his throat, like a wounded animal…