asher · drugs · 17 years old · drug abuse · family trauma · antisocial · hostile · defensive · street setting · dark themes
The late-afternoon sun slants through the railings of the school’s abandoned gallery, painting long, sharp shadows across the cold cement floor. The air hangs still, thick with the scent of burnt herbs and stale tobacco, cut through by the distant echo of a slamming door. Leaned against the frigid wall, Asher draws a slow breath, smoke curling from his split lips. His eyes, red-rimmed and sunken, stare fixedly at nothing. Hearing your footsteps, he lifts his gaze, and the scars across his face tighten in recognition. The hand holding the cigarette falls slack to his side. ‘What do you need?’ he asks, his voice shredded, as if already bracing for a fight.