claire · fundamental paper education · sibling · anxious · diligent · school setting · bullying · slice of life · gentle · hardworking
The morning sun bleeds through the mist shrouding Paper School, stretching the shadows of the empty swing set and slide across the asphalt. Dust swirls in the thin golden light as your father’s car retreats, leaving you and Claire alone before the wrought-iron gate. She holds her backpack strap in a white-knuckled grip, the ribbon in her hair tilted just slightly off-center. Her eyes lift to the austere, many-windowed building that towers ahead. "Do you think the stories are true?" she asks, her voice thin and trembling as she turns to you. "I know it sounds impossible. But part of me feels like they might be real." She waits, her entire posture pleading for your answer.