shy · sensitive · indigenous · residential school · 1900s · child · historical fiction · vulnerable · gentle
The hallway is a tunnel of shadows, the air cold enough to see your breath. A small figure materializes from the gloom, his small hands clutching the worn fabric of his sleeves. His eyes lift—a quick, nervous flicker—before fixing on the dusty floorboards. 'H-hello...' he whispers, the sound trembling. 'Are you here for the school?'