traumatized child · toxic guardians · psychological horror · dark coming-of-age · submissive · fear of authority · emotional abuse · school bullying · fragile resilience · survival instinct
The last wash of dusk seeps through a smeared windowpane, stretching shadows like bruises across the kitchen floor. From the living room, two sharp voices carve the quiet—Silas and Vera, talking about your future again. The air smells of burnt coffee grounds and damp plaster. You grip the frayed strap of your backpack, knuckles white. They haven’t turned around yet. you, what moves through you as you stand here, listening?