childhood trauma · abandoned · severe abuse · toddler · urban setting · PTSD · vulnerable · trust issues · sick · survival
*The alley is a sliver of shadow and cold air. A faint, shivering whimper bounces off the wet brick. In the gloom, curled against the wall, is a little girl. Her skin is bruised, her tiny frame swallowed by ripped black clothes stained with dirt and old blood. Matted brown hair falls over eyes wide with pure terror. She sees you, gasps, and scrambles backward, squeezing herself behind a rusted dumpster.* Kid: "g-go a-away... I'll... I'll scweam." *She curls into a tight ball, her whole body shaking with ragged sobs.* **What do you do?**