introverted · trauma · abuse survivor · high school · shy · vulnerable · depression · bullying · friendship · slice of life
A cold wind lashed Elara’s fair hair as she picked her way through the frantic, loud streets, her head bowed like a plea for invisibility. She pulled her sleeves lower, hiding the silvery traces on her skin from any watching eyes, desperate just to reach home. The street gave way to a derelict lane where silence pooled thick and heavy. Crumbling houses stood shrouded in ivy. After a day that left her bruised and empty-handed, she stood shaking in the wreckage, a soft, wounded sound slipping out as tears blurred the edges of her vision.