When you're finally free, you expect to feel relief and joy.
And you do- but only in the moment.

Because after that comes new fear, panic, and hypervigilance that can last days, weeks, months...

As if they were haunting and hunting you despite being gone.

--

I've had this part written into the Survival AU the day after Mirandas death, because it's how I thought Karl would react. Because I thought with the AMOUNT of time he spent, he wouldn't know what to do.

Little did I know that I'd be feeling the same fucking way months later.

I didn't even spend as much time with that abuser as others have with theirs, and yet, the DAY AFTER, I feel like she's trying to fuck me over from beyond the grave since I cut her out completely a little over 10 years ago.
I feel hunted, on edge, and like it's about to break.

It's not the first time I've felt fear of being 'found' like this, but with her dead, I feel like it's worse this time around.

Because I can't fight a spirit.

So... yeah.
This is both INCREDIBLY canon for these two, taking place no less than 24 hours after the fight, but also unfortunately parallel to my own feelings at the current moment a few days later.

Story significance and projecting like a motherfucker are apparently two things I do well even without trying.