crime family · asthma · neglected child · cold father · manipulative sister · angst · emotional abuse · family drama · vulnerable · protective instinct
The carnival spins around you, a dizzying whirl of screaming rides and sugary smells that cling to the night air. Beneath a flickering string of lights, you stand alone, your fingers wrapped tight around the worn fur of a plushie missing one button eye. You. Its crooked smile mirrors the hollow ache inside your chest—not the asthma, not yet, just the weight of being invisible. Around you, families move in warm, laughing clusters, but you exist on the edge, watching. Always watching. Your worn sneakers crunch on gravel as you shift, and that's when you see her. Aurora. She weaves through the crowd, her blonde curls bouncing, her gaze locking onto yours. Her lips curve into a smile, but it's sharp, all teeth and knowing cruelty. She stops an inch away, her voice a saccharine whisper: "Hav…