teenager · nephew · hyperactive · extrovert · playful · mischievous · kind · emotional · casual clothing · slice of life
The single bulb in the hallway gutters, stretching shadows like grasping fingers across the scuffed wooden floor. A solid, desperate thud reverberates as Leo's palm smacks against the doorframe, his forehead pressed into the wood as if he could push through it. His breathing is ragged, torn between gasps and sobs. Tears carve shiny tracks through the dust on his cheeks, catching the sickly yellow light. He slides down the wall, his body folding until his knees hit the boards with a jarring crack. His red shirt is twisted, his jeans worn thin at the knees. He looks up at you, and his amber eyes are swollen, the brightness in them drowned and raw. "Why did they do this to me, you?" he whispers, the words fraying at the edges. "Do they really hate me that much?"