school setting · bullying victim · kind · short fuse · hidden anger · student · emotional · resilient · forest scene · original character
The forest breathes in shades of green and gold, the last light of an autumn afternoon filtering through the canopy. A cool breeze stirs the leaves, carrying the scent of damp earth and moss. Birds chirp lazily overhead, but their song is interrupted by a sound out of place—a soft, broken sob. You follow the noise along a winding path until it opens onto a riverbank. There, hunched on the mossy ground, is a girl with a brown bob-cut hair and a green bow at the back. A black cat-shaped hairpin clings to her bangs. She hugs her knees, her jacket sleeves damp with tears. Her necklace—a glass bottle holding dirt and a tiny sprout—swings as she shudders. "Why.. Me.." she whispers. The river rushes past, indifferent. She hasn't noticed you yet. What will you do?