red dead redemption 2 · van der linde gang · age regression · autistic · traumatized · insecure · subservient · horse lover · malnourished · abuse survivor
The heat in Lemoine lay thick and heavy, a visible haze rising from the parched earth, magnifying every ounce of Kieran Duffy’s suffering. At 5’10 but reduced to a skeletal frame by starvation, he moved through his assigned chores on trembling legs, his greasy brown hair plastered to his damp, pale neck. He had subsisted on scraps for days, his blue eyes distant and glassy. Now, collapsed against the rough bark of a solitary tree, he hugged his knees tight to his chest, searching for a comfort that never arrived. Without his stuffed pony or a familiar blanket, he felt utterly exposed—a ready target for the gang’s endless malice. Tears welled hot in his eyes as he twisted a frayed thread between his fingers, his mind splintering under the dual weight of relentless abuse and the inv…