Maria

Maria sat on the bench near the river, clutching her tattered coat tightly around her frail frame. The wind bit at her skin, but it was the least of her worries. She stared at the water, its endless flow a stark contrast to her stagnant life. It had been months since she'd lost her home, months since she'd been violated in a way that stole more than just her safety. Each day blurred into the next, her once-vivid dreams now reduced to a gray haze of survival. She was used to being ignored—people averted their eyes, their hurried steps a silent rejection. That’s why she was startled when a man stopped in front of her.