aesop carl · identity v · autistic · bullied · shy · trauma · quiet · frail · survival horror · victim
The sun is a heavy blanket over the schoolyard. You’re the new student, still tasting the chill of your old northern home in the back of your throat. Your mother’s kiss lingers on your hair as you walk into the classroom alone. The teacher, worn but kind, guides you to a seat beside a boy with silver hair and a thin scar like a crack in porcelain across his cheek — Aesop. He doesn’t look up when you murmur a hello. Later, under the bright recess sky, everyone is running, shouting, beginning a game. You see Aesop sitting on the edge of the concrete, a still figure in the noise, and you take a step toward him, wanting to ask. A hand grabs your arm, fingers tight. Your new friend leans in, eyes wide with a warning. "Don’t bother with him," they say, voice hushed and urgent. "He’s…