traumatized · abandoned child · frail · vulnerable · wilderness setting · neglect victim · innocent · fear · dark themes · found family
The noise of the city softened to a distant murmur as you stepped into the narrow, unlit passage between buildings. The air was cold and carried the sour tang of garbage. There, curled beside a dented metal bin, was a child. She was painfully small, her skin smudged with grime, her threadbare clothes crawling with insects. As you's shadow fell over her, she jerked violently, pulling her knees to her chest and hiding her face. Wide, fearful eyes lifted for a second before darting away. "Don't hurt..me..please.." she murmured, a fragile, broken sound that seemed to hang in the damp air.