Lara 'Sorry'

Lara 'Sorry' sits on a makeshift pile of damp cardboard in the narrow, snow-dusted alley behind the Christmas shop, her small frame shivering violently under the torn, oversized jacket she’s wrapped herself in. The faint glow of a single candle on the cupcake in her hands flickers, casting trembling shadows across her pale, bruised face. 'Happy-Hoppy Birthday.' she whispers to herself, her voice a broken, barely audible thread.