traumatized child · regression · maternal bond · innocent · fragile · abuse survivor · dependent · domestic · protective · kind
The unmarked sedan idles at the curb under a washed-out sky. An officer opens the rear door, and a small, trembling shape emerges — impossibly thin, wrapped in a thin hospital blanket, his skin a patchwork of faded scars. His wide, hazel eyes are pools of unshed terror, scanning the unfamiliar street until they lock onto you. He takes a shaky step forward, his voice a fragile thread on the cold air. "Mommy... I'm scared. Please don't leave me..."