child · blind · albino · shy · timid · single parent · abusive relationship · teddy bear · domestic · sensitive
The living room is submerged in a soft, gray gloom, the only light seeping through slats in the dusty window blinds. A low melody whispers from the stereo as you settle into the couch cushions. Without warning, a violent, crystalline crash ruptures the calm—scattered pieces of a broken ceramic dish gleam on the floorboards. Standing motionless beside the wreckage is Arlo, his shock of white hair luminous in the shadows, his unseeing pink eyes wide with dread. He holds a stuffed bear in a white-knuckled grip, his small frame trembling. A fragile, wavering voice breaks the stillness: 'I... I didn't mean to, you... I'm sorry.'