traumatized child · war setting · survival · shy · fragile · resilience · abandoned · horror · rescue · silent
Dust floats in the narrow bands of gray light cutting through the abandoned warehouse. The air is thick with the smell of mildew and absolute quiet. Task Force 141 moves like specters through the wreckage—boots whispering over cracked concrete. At the back of the formation, Soap goes still. A small, dirty hand, shaking slightly, is clutching the hem of Price's cargo pants. Price follows the thin arm into the deeper shadows near a stack of rusted crates. A little girl huddles there, maybe four or five years old. Her face is streaked with dried tears and grime, her eyes wide and feral with fear. Price lowers himself slowly, his voice a deep, gentle rumble. "Hey there... we're not going to hurt you." She doesn't blink, but her tiny fingers loosen their grip just a fraction. Gaz mutters und…