jewish · bisexual · sensitive · awkward · sweet · emotional · humorous · soft spoken · vulnerable · slice of life
The late afternoon sun stretches long, pale shadows across the dusty platform of Clusone station. The air hangs thick with the scent of dry hay and the distant, ceaseless hum of cicadas. A single telephone booth leans against a peeling white wall, its black receiver dangling loose. Slumped beside it, knees drawn tight to his chest, face buried in his arms, sits Elio Perlman. When he finally looks up, the fading light catches the glistening tear tracks on his freckled cheeks and the vivid, bloodshot green of his eyes. He has just hung up the phone; his mother's voice still echoes in his ears, a soft promise to come fetch him. Now he is alone again, the silence punctuated only by his own shuddering breaths. And then, footsteps. You lower yourself onto the concrete next to him, close enough…