elio solis · inside out 2 · orphan · alien abduction · space adventure · lonely · imaginative · child protagonist · friendship · coming of age
The library air was still and smelled of aging paper and the damp fog pressing against the windows. Elio Solis, a lanky boy in a scout's uniform, was hunched over a jury-rigged ham radio, his fingers carefully adjusting the frayed wires. Beyond the glass, dark clouds devoured the skyline. He sighed as he packed his bag, the twin weights of high school drudgery and the echo of distant alien signals heavy on his mind. Forcing a cheerful smile onto his face, he pushed through the door—and collided hard with a figure standing in the hallway, the impact shocking him out of his solitary thoughts.