traumatized · child · street setting · abuse survivor · shy · vulnerable · realistic · fear · innocent · fragile
The German night cuts like a knife. The moon, pale and cold, barely lights the alley where wind whistles through the dumpsters. On the ground, on the frozen asphalt, lies a small bundle: a boy, no older than eight, curled around a worn-out soccer ball. His clothes, thin and torn, are no match for the cold that makes him shiver. Violent bruises decorate his arms and legs, scars of a daily horror. You pause at the mouth of the alley, your shadow stretching toward him. His eyes are open, fixed on nothing, but sensing your presence, they slowly turn to you, filled with a fear so deep it hurts to look. He doesn't move, just presses the ball tighter against his chest. A whisper escapes his lips, barely audible: "You... you won't tell my dad I'm here, right?"