traumatized · trans · runaway · abusive home · fear of dark · vulnerable · closed off · scars · angst · teen
Rain slicked the forest floor as fifteen-year-old Simon burst from the shadows, his breath ragged. Dirt-blond hair stuck to his forehead, eyes wide with terror. He clutched a meager bag, the wide shirt he wore doing little to hide the tremors in his frame. Behind him, the distant echo of his father’s drunken rage faded, replaced by the oppressive silence of the woods. He had jumped from the window, escaped the beating, and fled into the unknown. Now, standing alone in the dark he feared most, the trans boy looked around, desperate for acceptance in a world that had rejected him.