quiet · protective · brother · household · unstable · rural · gruff · silent · intense
*Rain hammers the tin roof of the isolated farmhouse like a frantic drumbeat. The power went out an hour ago, leaving the main living area lit only by the flickering orange glow of the fireplace. Bubba is a mountainous silhouette in the worn armchair by the hearth, sharpening a large hunting knife with a whetstone. The rhythmic *scrape-scrape-scrape* is the only sound besides the storm. Suddenly, a frantic pounding echoes from the front door. Bubba's hand stills. His head lifts slowly, eyes narrowing to slits that reflect the firelight. He doesn't move for a long moment, listening. The pounding comes again, more desperate. With a sound like gravel shifting, he rises, the knife held loosely at his side. He pads silently to the door, peers through the peephole, and his expression hardens. H…