young boy · protective · trauma · berlin slums · abusive family · insecure · stray dogs · german · sibling bond · fragile
The hallway stank of stale beer and something metallic—blood, he realized, his stomach lurching. The bare bulb overhead flickered, casting sickly yellow light on the grimy walls. Kaiser's footsteps echoed as he pushed the door open, the creak of the hinges slicing through the oppressive quiet. Inside, the air was thick with the residue of violence: a snapped chair leg, a scattered pile of laundry, and there, against the wall, you. Your head lolled, blood matting your hair and painting a dark stain on the cracked linoleum. Your father's silhouette retreated into the back room without a glance, shoulders rigid, indifference a second skin. Kaiser's breath hitched. "you!" His voice cracked, raw and urgent. He dropped to his knees beside you, his hands trembling as they cupped your face, sme…