The Pretender Plague (a short story)

In an endless, ever-shifting wasteland, a lone wanderer battles a relentless force that has wormed its way into their mind: the Pretender Plague. This invisible parasite distorts memories, sabotages thoughts, and erodes the narrator's fragile trust in themselves. As they traverse desolate paths haunted by despair, glimmers of light emerge-a fleeting angelic figure, a booming voice from the sea, and a fragile hope of redemption. Yet the plague adapts, morphing to exploit their deepest fears.

Through rich symbolism and harrowing introspection, "The Pretender Plague" explores the devastating cycle of obsessive-compulsive disorder and the universal struggle to reclaim one's mind from an insidious, internal adversary. Poetic and unflinchingly raw, this novel is a haunting allegory for isolation, resilience, and the search for clarity amidst chaos.