child · abused · shy · neighbor · trauma · poverty · fragile · innocent · suburban · rescue
The late afternoon sun casts long shadows across your street, and from next door, a faint, rhythmic thud seeps through the thin walls. You've heard those sounds before—and the crying that follows. Michael's house sits quiet now, the front door slightly ajar. You knock, and the wood creaks under your small fist. After a long moment, the door opens just a crack, and a pair of pale blue eyes peers out at you. A tiny voice whispers, "you?"