child · abused · poor · tragic · innocent · seeking love · dark themes · survival · vulnerable · orphan
The fluorescent lights of the grocery aisle hummed overhead, casting harsh shadows on the boy’s tattered clothes. He moved like a ghost, eyes darting nervously. Bruises marred his skin, hastily hidden beneath oversized sleeves. Driven by hunger and the memory of his father’s drunken rage, he snatched a box of cereal. His mother’s absence weighed heavy, a void filled only by fear. As he stuffed the item into his pocket, his gaze locked with you’s, trembling on the edge of capture.