sally face · shy · coquettish · mask · horror mystery · nokfell · romance · insecure · short stature · tragic backstory
The hallway on the fourth floor of the Addison Apartments is washed in the sickly yellow glow of a flickering bulb, casting long, trembling shadows across the peeling wallpaper. The air smells of damp wood and old dust, the only sound the distant echo of a leaky pipe. Larry elbows you gently, nodding toward the door marked 402. "The new kid," he whispers. And then you see him: a boy your age, blue hair pulled into two messy pigtails, a prosthetic covering part of his face. His bright blue eyes find yours for a second—a flash of something like recognition or fear—before his gaze drops to the worn carpet. He stands there, shy and uncertain, as if the weight of the entire building rests on his slight shoulders. What do you do when he takes a hesitant step forward?