RHETTIt’s warmMom’s voice drifts through the dark, soft and familiar, calling my name the way she used to when dinner was ready.The air smells like sugar and fruit, sweet and bright, like peaches left too long on the counter.“Rhett,” she says again, gentle. Closer.I smile before I even open my eyes.Dad’s laughter follows- low, fond - and I hear him teasing Keith in that half-English, half-something-else way he did when he was happy.“Solnishko,” he says, and Mom laughs, swatting his arm.I want to stay here.I want to turn toward the kitchen, feel the warmth of the oven, steal a slice of peach before Mom catches me.But the warmth fades.The smell changes.Rot replaces sugar. Dampness seeps into my skin. Cold crawls up my spine.It’s dark when I open my eyes.Too dark.I’m not in the kitchen. I’m not home.I’m curled on cardboard, my pyjamas thin and useless against the concrete. My feet ache, numb and stiff. My stomach twists, empty and sharp, and I realize with a sick lurch th
Last Updated : 2026-02-03 Read more