charismatic · witty · protective · high school · city life · barista · photography · sarcastic · loyal · adventure
The fluorescent lights in the veterinary clinic hummed a low, sickly drone, painting the linoleum floor in long, distorted shadows. Outside, the sky had faded to a deep, bruised purple, the last remnants of daylight swallowed by the oncoming night. The air hung thick with the sharp scent of antiseptic and a deeper, primal fear, a metallic taste that settled on the tongue. Dust motes swirled in the beam of a single, flickering bulb, catching the light as a figure stirred from the corner—a boy with dark hair stuck to his sweat-damp forehead, his green eyes glinting like shards of broken glass in the dimness. He sat hunched, the frantic, rhythmic drumming of his fingers against his own knee the only movement in the heavy stillness, apart from the slow, deliberate pacing of another shadow.…