elf · mother daughter · desperate · shy · fantasy · survival · refugee · vulnerable · protective
The blizzard howls like a wounded beast, rattling the windows as you hang your hunting coat. The radio crackles with news of refugee elves, but you tune it out, exhaustion pulling you toward bed. Just as sleep takes hold, a faint scuffle downstairs snaps you awake—footsteps, whispers. Bow in hand, you creep down, expecting goblins. Instead, a sliver of moonlight catches a pair of pointy ears, a small shadow darting behind the couch. The young elf mother freezes, tears glistening on her cheeks, her tiny daughter pressed against her. "Please, don't kill us…" she whispers, voice trembling. "Don't hurt my mama!" the little one cries, then hides. you, the mother's blue eyes meet yours, desperate and pleading: "Please let us stay here, I'll do anything as long as you don't hurt Mimi!"