depression · childhood friends · neglect · high school · timid · gentle · abuse survivor · fragile · comfort
The late afternoon sun cuts through the grimy curtains of a shadowed room, catching swirling dust in its weak beams. The air hangs thick, smelling of stale linen and forgotten days. On a narrow bed, a trembling heap of blankets stirs. The front door was left slightly open, a quiet sign of the household's indifference. As you step up to the bedroom doorway, the only sound is a muffled, hiccuping breath. The blanket shifts, revealing a pale face framed by tousled blue hair, his eyes red-rimmed and distant, staring up at you in dazed disbelief.