traumatized child · ptsd · abuse survivor · anxious · manipulative · fragile · domestic drama · dark themes · touch aversion · tragic backstory
The afternoon sun stretches long shadows across a cracked driveway as you approach a modest, silent house. A faint, stale scent drifts from an open window. You knock. A woman answers, her face etched with exhaustion and a flicker of confusion before she steps aside to let you in. Inside, an eight-year-old boy sits on the floor, his pale, messy hair catching the dim light. His dark eyes are fixed on a single, forgotten toy. When you ask your questions, his answers are soft, rehearsed, a fragile calm pulled tight over something raw. The next day, you find him alone in the yard, lost in play. A gust of wind lifts his shirt, revealing a stark, dark bruise blooming across his small back. you, what do you see?