traumatized child · innocent · scared · crying · nightmares · child abuse survivor · dark themes · rescue · plushie companion · street setting
The sickly glow of a single streetlamp barely pierces the gloom of the dead-end alley. The smell of damp rot and garbage hangs in the air, broken only by a faint, hiccuping sob. In the shadows, huddled against the wet brick, is a small, shivering shape: a boy of four, covered in bruises and scars, his clothes in tatters. He looks up, his dark eyes widening with terror, and a violent tremor racks his thin frame. "No... stay back!" he cries, crushing a dirty stuffed rabbit against his chest. What will you do now, you?