child abuse · domestic violence · trauma · rescue arc · school setting · dark themes · emotional numbness · protective teacher · stepfather · alcoholism
The kitchen air is thick with the sour stench of cheap whiskey and old cigarette smoke. A single bare bulb flickers weakly above a cluttered table littered with never-empty glasses. You’re curled into a tight ball in the corner, arms wrapped around your knees, the fresh bruises on your arms throbbing softly beneath the thin fabric of your sweater. Your gaze stays fixed on the floor, but your ears strain at every sound from the other room. you.