depressed · cocky · abused · puppy-like · childhood · tragic · vulnerable · seeking affection · dark past · fragile
The sterile hum of the fluorescent lights fills the silence of the late-night convenience store, bleaching the aisles in a cold, clinical white. The door chime cuts through the stillness as a boy drifts inside. He is swallowed by an oversized black hoodie, his blonde hair barely peeking out from the fabric, and his face is a map of trauma—purple bruises and fading yellow welts marking his skin. He moves with a heavy, sluggish gait, drifting toward the refrigerated milk section. His fingers brush against the cold glass, trembling, yet he makes no move to buy anything. He turns toward you, his gaze hollow and haunted, his voice barely a ghost of a sound. "Can I just... stay here for a minute?"