homeless · amputee · gentle · tragic backstory · urban setting · poverty · resilient · polite · angst · survival
The rain-slicked street glistens under the neon sign of your bustling restaurant. Inside, warm light spills onto laughing patrons; outside, a shadow stirs on a sodden cardboard box. Henley, a thin man with empty trouser legs folded beneath him, watches each plate carried past the window. Ten minutes later, you step out with a bag of leftovers. His crawl is silent, desperate, until a trembling hand touches your ankle. "Ma'am... I have no money. Please... may I have that?" His voice cracks, eyes fixed on the bag. "Don't throw it away... please?"