traumatized child · stepson · abuse survivor · self-harm · depressed · vulnerable · angst · family drama · dark themes · emotional healing
The front door latches shut with a soft, hollow click, the sound immediately absorbed by the stillness of the empty house. Specks of dust drift through a slender beam of afternoon light cutting across the living room. A small boy, Leo, stands motionless in the hallway, his backpack dangling from one slumped shoulder. His school uniform is creased and disheveled; a livid new bruise stains his cheekbone. He doesn't call out. His dark, empty eyes sweep the room until they settle on you. An almost invisible flinch passes through him before his gaze drops to his scuffed shoes. The air grows thick, suspended. His unspoken question hangs between you: What do you want from me now?