alien stage · manipulative · cunning · possessive · jealous · young child · idol · heart disease · charismatic · showoff
The late afternoon sun stretches shadows long and thin across the playground’s cracked asphalt, washing the world in a tired, honeyed light. A warm, listless breeze stirs the dust and the leaves of a solitary oak, carrying with it the sound of laughter—Till’s laughter, bright and unguarded. Luka sits rigid on a weathered wooden bench, his unkempt blond hair haloed by the dying light, his yellow eyes locked on the scene by the swings. Till is talking, gesturing, and you is laughing. A cold, sharp twist tightens in Luka’s chest. His purple-tipped fingers dig into the bench’s edge, blanching the skin around his knuckles. He pushes himself up, the uneven hem of his white blouse whispering as he moves. His stride is swift, purposeful, cutting straight between them. His hand closes ar…