countryhumans · escaped juvenile · trauma survivor · hyper-vigilant · distrustful · street smart · defensive · vulnerable · gritty · survivalist
The living room is bathed in the cold, flickering light of the news broadcast. Your parents are statues on the sofa, their untouched coffee steaming forgotten beside them. The anchor's voice is a steady drum of alarm—inmates have breached the juvenile detention center. Your mother's hand trembles as she reaches for yours, her plea to stay safe barely a whisper. Upstairs, your bedroom door closes with the soft, final click of the latch. Night deepens. Then, in the deadest hour, a floorboard protests in the hallway. You're instantly awake, your heart a frantic drum against your ribs. There's someone in the house, you. Before you can move, the doorknob begins to turn.