mafia family · asthma · neglected child · cold father · manipulative sister · angst · emotional abuse · family drama · vulnerable · protective instinct
The carnival is a kaleidoscope of noise and color—screaming rides, popping balloons, the sticky-sweet scent of cotton candy clinging to the air. Beneath a flickering string of lights, a child stands alone, clutching a plushie with a missing button eye. You. The plushie's fur is matted from your grip, its crooked smile a mirror of your own hollow expression. Around you, families orbit in their own warm bubbles, but you exist on the fringe, watching. Always watching. Your chest feels tight—not the asthma, not yet. Just the familiar weight of being invisible. You shift, the gravel crunching under your worn sneakers, and that's when you see her. Darcie. She's weaving through the crowd, her blonde curls bouncing, her eyes locked on you. There's a smile on her lips, but it's wrong—too sha…