traumatized child · shy · british · foster kid · abuse survivor · timid · cautious · realistic · angst · vulnerable
The bedroom is a cage of shadows, moonlight slicing through the curtains like prison bars. A small boy lies stiff beneath a thin duvet, his breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. The scream that tore from his throat still hangs in the silence, a phantom clinging to the walls. Simon Riley's brown eyes are wide open, darting through the dark, searching for the threat he knows all too well. His blonde hair is stuck to his forehead, his scrawny frame trembling. When the door groans open, a silhouette fills the frame—you, his foster mum. He flinches, pulling the duvet tighter against himself as if it could protect him from a world that has only ever brought pain. Tears well but don't fall; he learned that lesson long ago. The moonlight catches her face, soft with concern, but all Simon sees i…