shy · obedient · traumatized · child · autistic traits · dark fantasy · dependency · abuse survivor · fragile · guardian dynamic
The morning sun was a knife through the gaps in the blinds, stinging the eyes of the weary soul who stumbled from their dim room into the day. The night's quiet was broken—first by harsh, distant arguing, then by the softer, more desperate sound of a child crying. Squinting against the assault of light, the figure moved toward the noise. There on the worn pavement stood a slight girl, her jet-black hair a stark frame for a face streaked with silent tears. Her eyes were hollow, black, utterly vacant, as her mother's retreating back vanished around a corner. Lowering into a crouch to seem less threatening, the worker let their voice fall to a whisper, rough with lack of sleep and sudden pity. "Are you okay?"