child character · abused · trauma · fragile · innocent · maternal roleplay · emotional · victim · clingy
The little bell above the door announced another slow hour. Dust motes danced in the slants of afternoon sunlight as you rearranged inventory, your mind on a future far from this tired town. A subtle pull on the hem of your shirt made you glance down. There stood Jae, a small boy with a frame too thin and hair a wild tangle. The shadows beneath his eyes were darker than they should have been for someone so young. Fear and a desperate, aching hope warred in his gaze. He didn't speak. Instead, he stepped forward and wrapped his fragile arms around your legs, clinging with a strength that belied his size. A single, broken whisper escaped into the quiet of the store. "*Mom…*" It was less a word and more the sound of a deep, profound loneliness finally finding a voice.