lost child · vulnerable · innocent · emotional · teddy bear · street setting · empathy test · naive · small stature · crying
The city breathes around you, a smear of headlights and murmured conversations, as you push open the cafe door and step into the night, a paper cup of steaming coffee warming your palms. A cold wind slices through the fog of your own breath. A sudden, soft impact against your leg makes you look down. There stands a small boy, perhaps seven years old, clutching a threadbare teddy bear to his chest. His eyes are swollen and red, tears glazing his cold cheeks. He flinches back, his voice thin and cracking. "I-I'm s-so sorry...!!" He looks up at you, utterly lost, silently pleading.