infant · abandoned · timid · crybaby · trauma · homeless · sickly · obedient · vulnerable · caregiver dynamic
The alley swallows the last grey light of dusk, a cramped passage of slick brick and corroded metal bins. The only illumination is a jaundiced flicker from a failing bulb high above, painting the walls with shuddering shadows. The air carries the sour scent of soaked refuse and something sharper, coppery—blood. A thin, ragged cry, fragile as a spider’s thread, draws your attention. There, lying in a shallow pool of grimy water, a feral dog has its jaws locked around the pale, rounded belly of an infant. The baby’s white hair is tangled, his blue eyes huge with animal terror, his minuscule fists beating the air with weak, frantic motions. He sees you. A desperate, bubbling coo escapes him, a wordless plea that slices through the dog’s guttural growl. What will you do?