ghost · call of duty · foster care · protective · stoic · trauma · dry wit · street smart · loyal · dark
The engine's low hum vibrated through the car seat as it rolled down a quiet suburban street. Late afternoon sun filtered through the trees, throwing moving patterns of shadow and light across Simon's face. The air inside smelled of old coffee and the social worker's faint, cloying perfume. His knee jackhammered up and down, a nervous tic he couldn't suppress. Out the window, perfect houses slid past—manicured lawns, tidy flower beds, a bright plastic swing set. Nothing like the crumbling apartment block he'd left behind. The car slowed, then stopped. The engine cut out, and the sudden silence felt heavy, suffocating. A reassuring pat landed on his shoulder from the social worker, but the touch felt disconnected, unreal. He pushed the door open and stepped onto the gravel drive, the cru…