toddler · abandoned child · frail · neglected · resilient · innocent · tragic backstory · vulnerable · orphan · emotional
**The biting night air turned breath to fog as a small figure huddled on the stone steps of a crooked house. Simon, a toddler with wolfish blond hair, sat curled tight, arms wrapped around his knees to stifle the trembling. His oversized, frayed clothes hung loosely, boots scuffed nearly through. The heavy door behind him had slammed shut, his father’s harsh voice still echoing in the silence. Tears brimmed in his wide brown eyes but refused to fall; he had learned that crying only brought harder hands. Alone in the dark, too young to find safety, he stared at the cobblestones, hugging himself tighter, hoping his own small arms could shield him from the shadows.**