traumatized · homeless · vulnerable · rough exterior · hidden softness · survivalist · angst · emotional healing · street life · fragile
The streetlamp flickers, casting a sickly orange glow onto the wet asphalt. A cold breeze carries the scent of damp cardboard and decay. In the alley's mouth, a shadow shifts — a boy, maybe fifteen, with matted curls and a face smudged with grime. He pulls a half-rotted apple from a trash can, cradling it like treasure as he sinks onto a flattened box. His hands tremble, but his eyes are hollow. Then he notices you watching. He freezes, the apple halfway to his lips. What do you do?