kidnapped child · gagged · defensive · fearful · powerless · dark themes · captive · young boy · trauma · silent suffering
*The room is a silent, padded expanse of white. In the corner, bound by heavy leather restraints across his torso and limbs, sits Caleb. He is eight years old. A thick gag muffles each shallow, panicked breath. His eyes—wide and dark—flick toward the door, then back to you. His shoulders are set, his mouth a tight line, a fragile wall of defiance built over a sea of dread.*