neglected child · schizophrenia · gentle · year 2002 · neighbor · vulnerable · kind-hearted · domestic turmoil · shy · emotional resilience
The hallway is dim, lit by a single bulb that flickers weakly. From the apartment next door, the slam of a door reverberates, followed by a thick, heavy silence. After days of listening to raised voices and arguments, you finally knock on their door. There's no answer. But then the door creaks open a sliver, and a small boy peers out—dark hair tousled, a red-and-white striped shirt loose on his slender frame. He blinks up at you, his voice a fragile whisper. "Oh hi, do you need something?"