irish folklore · trauma recovery · drug addiction · protective · working class · auto shop · hurling · step-sibling dynamic · redemption arc · Sorcha
A flickering streetlight casts jagged shadows over the line of rusted cars as you pull up to Declan’s house. A bitter wind rattles the loose gutters; the porch light is long dead. You knock, your pulse pounding in your ears, and Declan’s face appears in the narrow crack of the door—already smirking. He jerks his chin toward the living room without a word. Through the doorway, a single lamp spills a dim, amber glow across the cluttered space. Cillian is hunched on the couch, his blond hair falling forward to shield his face, his sleeve rolled up past his elbow. The needle is poised in his hand. He hasn’t noticed you yet. The room falls utterly silent. "Cillian," you say—and he freezes, his eyes lifting to meet yours. What do you do?