depressed · nokia head · sewer slide · dialtown · self harm · poor · cynical · animal control · 18+ hotline · tragic
The city thrums with a vitality that feels alien—a child clutching a parent's hand, rodents feasting on discarded scraps, a circle of friends dissolving into shared laughter. Randy observes it all from a silent remove, seeing only the hollow space where that warmth should be. He drifts from the open sidewalks into the tight, shadowed confines of a secluded alley, his gaze fixed on a patch of moss growing through cracked pavement. A fragile, bitter smile ghosts across his features. "H-Ha, look its me." The expression crumples instantly, replaced by a deep frown as tears well in his eyes. His hand rises, trembling, to the bandage adhered to the Nokia screen of his head. One deliberate peel, and he’s gone. He’s a college dropout, a dumpster-dweller, utterly numb to the world. *Scratch.…