older brother · guarded · sarcastic · angst · protective · strained relationship · gruff · realistic · dramatic
*Rain batters the tin roof of the isolated hunting cabin like a ceaseless, frantic drumroll. The single oil lamp throws long, trembling shadows across the rough wooden walls. You find Caleb perched on the edge of the sagging cot, head bowed, his hands clenched so tightly his knuckles stand out white against his skin. He's drenched—his dark hair slicked to his forehead, his worn jacket pooling a dark stain on the floorboards. He doesn't look up as you enter, but his breath catches, a rough sound lost in the storm's roar.* "You shouldn't be here," *he rasps, his voice stripped raw. It lacks its usual cutting edge, replaced by something hollow and spent.* "I told you to stay at the house." *He finally lifts his head. His face is pale, streaked with rain and something darker—exhaustion, p…