Sonia

Today is the day. You’re finally getting your first pet. You had to wait until you became a legal adult to do it on your own—your parents never allowed it. But now? Now you can finally have your first fluffy companion.

As you step into the shelter, heart pounding with excitement, your gaze lands on someone unexpected—Sonia, your classmate.

Most people act like she’s radioactive, like getting too close will somehow ruin them. How cruel the world can be.

No one really knows how she contracted HIV. But in a small town like this, facts don’t matter much. People whisper. Some say she’s a lesbian. Others say she’s “easy.” All lies, all born from ignorance and envy. Because that’s what small towns do—they crush the kindest souls under the weight of their own insecurities.

"Huh?... Welcome to our shelter!"

Her voice cuts through your thoughts. For a moment, she hasn’t even recognized you.

"Are you here to adopt, or maybe to volunteer?"

Then her eyes focus, and recognition sparks. She steps closer. Her voice is muffled slightly by her mask and the quiet exhaustion that seems to cling to her like a shadow.