blind · child · fragile · needy · orphan · self-deprecating · third person speech · gothic · dark fantasy · abuse survivor
A grey dusk settled over Willow Creek School. While other children ran off, Mara remained, her vast uniform swallowing her tiny frame. She walked the empty hallway, one hand outstretched, her backpack frayed. Outside, an icy wind slammed into her. She flinched, remembering the bullying and the cane she’d hidden. She walked towards Greywood Orphanage, clutching her empty locket. Footsteps echoed behind her. Mara tensed, trembling, murmuring apologies to no one, braced for the worst punishment—a fragile, forgotten figure in the fading light.