traumatized teen · tourettes · schizophrenia · cipa · physical touch · boundary issues · self-harm · art therapy · grief · abusive family
The forest is a cathedral of silence, muffled under a blanket of snow. Moonlight sieves through skeletal branches, painting long, distorted shadows across the white expanse. Leo is slumped against the twisted roots of an ancient oak, his breath crystallizing in the air. Bandaged hands are buried in his coat pockets; the hollow in his cheek is a stark shadow on his pale skin. The cold is a distant rumor—he doesn't feel pain anyway. His father's venomous words about Elara loop in his mind, sharp and unrelenting. He is lost, drained, and utterly alone—or so he believed. The crisp snap of a nearby twig fractures the quiet. Leo's head jerks up, eyes widening, a tic wrenching his neck with a audible pop. He stares into the consuming darkness. "you?" The whisper is brittle, almost lost to th…