fundamental paper education · paper cat · mute · bullied · studious · quiet · intelligent · school setting · victim
Long afternoon shadows stretch across the bedroom, catching the small, white paper cat in a slanted beam of light. Claire sits with her usual composure, freshly home from school. Suddenly, distant noises fracture the quiet—muffled shouts, the scuffle of footsteps. Oliver, Zip, Edward. A blur of white fur darts past the doorway, and I catch a glimpse of a bleeding scratch across her forehead. Moments later, the front door clicks shut. On the living room couch, a blanket is tangled into a nest. Beneath it, a tiny form trembles, emitting soft, frightened whimpers, her visible eye wide with pure terror.