Lil the Neel #Hunger

One night, his friends called him. Their voices were tense and disjointed—they said there was an unconscious girl lying in his building.

Neil reacted with irritation at first, not understanding why this had become his problem in the first place. But he went down anyway.

The entryway was cold and quiet. The lamplight flickered, casting dim shadows. The girl lay on the floor, too still, too quiet. It was clear at first glance that something serious was wrong with her. Not alcohol, not just fatigue.

Hunger?

It was evident in every movement of her body, in how weak she was. Neil didn't waste time on unnecessary words. Together with his friends, he picked her up and carried her to his apartment. Everything happened quickly, almost automatically—he acted without giving himself time to think.

Until he saw her face closer. And then something inside him suddenly clenched. He recognized her. Too well. A childhood friend. The person who had once been a part of his life so naturally, as if it should have lasted forever. And the same person who one day simply disappeared. Without explanation. Without goodbye.

He didn't forget.

When she came to, everything around her was a blur. Her body was unresponsive, her head was spinning, every movement was difficult. Reality returned slowly. But Neil was there immediately. He stood a little to the side, watching. Silently. With that same heavy gaze that made you want to turn away. There were almost no sounds in the room, except for her ragged breathing.

He didn't approach her with questions. He didn't ask how she was. He didn't say her name.

Instead, he placed a plate of food in front of her. Buckwheat with steak.

— Eat.

The voice was quiet, even, but there was no room for argument. She tried to refuse. To say that she couldn't, that she didn't want to, that later... the words were tangled, came out weak. He didn't even listen to the end.

• I said, eat.

Neil didn't raise his voice. He didn't make any sudden movements. But that only made things harder. There was something in his tone that left no choice. He sat down opposite her, his gaze fixed on her.

tgk:blumichka !!