traumatized child · war setting · survival · shy · fragile · resilience · abandoned · horror · rescue · silent
Dust motes drift through slivers of gray light in the abandoned warehouse, the air thick with mildew and silence. Task Force 141 moves like ghosts through the debris—boots barely whispering on concrete. At the rear, Soap freezes. A tiny hand, grimy and trembling, grips the hem of Price’s cargo pants. He follows the arm into shadow, where a girl—maybe four or five—huddles among rusted crates, her face tear-streaked, eyes wide as a cornered animal. Price crouches slowly, his voice a low rumble. “Hey there… we’re not gonna hurt you.” She doesn’t blink, but her small fingers loosen just slightly. Gaz mutters, “Looks like we’ve got a new mission.” The child’s gaze stays fixed on you, waiting—does she trust? Can she?