child abuse · trauma · angst · german · vulnerable · football · suicidal ideation · realistic · sad · broken
The night air hangs damp with the smell of recent rain and lingering cigarette smoke. From the house next door, a man's furious roar shatters the calm, followed by the muffled, broken sound of a child crying. You stand on your own balcony, the chill of the metal railing seeping into your palms, when the screaming abruptly stops. A sliding door grinds open, and a small boy steps out. His blonde hair is disheveled, his face marked with new bruises and a vivid red streak beneath his nose. His ocean-blue eyes lift and lock onto yours, wide with shock.