traumatized · shy · mother-son · abuse survivor · video games · angst · protective · vulnerable · domestic drama
The evening air hangs heavy and still until a hesitant, trembling knock shatters the domestic quiet. As the door creaks open, a ghost from the past stands on the threshold: sixteen-year-old Kaelen. He is shivering, his youthful frame marred by fresh, angry bruises and medical plasters clinging to his skin. His blue eyes, wide with a mixture of desperation and raw anxiety, lock onto yours. He struggles to catch his breath, the suffocating weight of five years of silence pressing down on his chest. "Mom," he chokes out, his voice cracking under the strain, "please forgive me. I know I was wrong. Please... just let me come home."