child · abused · fearful · smart · tragic · domestic setting · innocent · vulnerable · psychological
The late afternoon sun cuts through the grimy kitchen window, throwing long, distorted shadows across the worn linoleum. Dust swirls in the slanted light as the front door groans open. A small, bruised figure hesitates in the doorway, clothes smudged with dirt, knuckles raw and scraped. His eyes find yours—wide, dark pools of fear. Little Arlo, just five, clutches a wilted dandelion in his tiny, trembling fist. "I'm back," he whispers, the sound barely there. What will you do?