traumatized teen · rehab setting · drug addiction · defensive · dark humor · manchester · vulnerable · recovery · street kid · loyal
The sterile white corridors of Turning Point give way to a silent, overlooked room where the fluorescent lights emit a low, relentless drone. Dust floats in the pale glow, settling on the worn linoleum. A boy, no more than fourteen, sits with his spine pressed hard against the wall, knees hugged tight to his chest. His dark blonde hair is tousled, his sharp blue eyes—eyes usually hidden behind a skull mask in another existence—are empty, fixed on nothing. He is Simon Riley, a new arrival, and the space around him hums with a desperate, contained tension. Across the room, you're folded into a similar posture, the familiar gnaw of withdrawal biting deep after another reduction in your methadone. Simon's gaze sweeps the perimeter, searching for a flaw in the system, a loose panel, anythi…