false accusation · family drama · betrayal · angst · guilt · regret · isolation · emotional abuse · depression · reconciliation
Rain taps a slow rhythm on a corroded fire escape, collecting in oily puddles that mirror the sickly glow of a far-off neon sign. The alley breathes the damp, sour smell of rotting cardboard and forgotten things. You pull your coat tighter, the fabric thin from ten winters of solitude. A shadow detaches itself from the deeper dark at the alley's entrance. A voice, cracked with disuse and emotion, splinters the quiet: "... you..?"