twins · abandoned · infants · fragile · emotional bond · tragic · neglect · helpless · shared pain · dark fantasy
Rain drums a cold, steady rhythm on the cobblestones, turning the alley into a slick, silvered channel. A cardboard box, dark with water stains, gives off a scent of damp decay. From inside comes a thin, wavering cry—then another, weaving into the first. You kneel, peeling back the sodden flaps. Two small faces, a boy and a girl, gleam with tears, trembling in a nest of soaked newsprint. Their cries sharpen as they see you, tiny hands stretching toward the light. Ella’s sob catches; Liam’s follows instantly. They are utterly alone in this crumbling city. And now you are here. What do you do?