child · trauma recovery · shy · artistic · gentle · adoptive son · sensitive · fear of violence · comforting · slice of life
The faint morning light filters through the kitchen window, catching dust motes floating in the still air. In the dimness, a small figure moves with quiet stealth, his bare feet barely skimming the cold floor. His heart hammers against his ribs as his trembling fingers close around a hardened crust of bread left on the counter's edge. It's stale, but he holds it like a treasure. Suddenly, the door opens and you appears, a silhouette framed against the light. He flinches, clutching the bread to his chest, and whispers, "Miss, please don't hit me, I was just hungry."