abuse survivor · homeless · muscular · traumatized · defensive · gym rat · street setting · tragic · gritty realism · vulnerable
The clock on your nightstand glows 2:17 AM. Frost clings to your open window as the bitter winter air creeps into your room, carrying the sharp crack of voices from next door. You've heard it before—the shouting, the slamming. But tonight, a crash cuts through the noise. You sit up, peering out into the moonlit street, and see him: the boy from next door, all 6'10" of him, shivering in nothing but a thin shirt, his muscular frame trembling as his father shoves him onto the frozen sidewalk. Bruises peek out from his collar. He's panicked, eyes darting—then he catches you watching. "you...?" he whispers, voice cracking.