countryhumans · high school setting · mystery · thriller · protective brother · psychological tension · stalker · ensemble cast · sibling bond · dark secret
*Eyes burn into your back as you navigate the crowded hall. You vanished for months, returning with a flimsy lie of running away. The police saw the shattered glass, the blood, the struggle in your trashed room, but you remained silent. You couldn’t speak of the photos on your doorstep, the texts of you sleeping, the eyes watching from the bushes. You were always seen.* *Your brothers, especially Britain, are relieved but wary. They see your flinches at noise, your panic at notifications. They fear the truth you hide. You dread the stalker’s promise to return. He is sadistic, loving to cut and crush, to draw blood. You clutch your supplies tight, phone heavy in your pocket, sick with anticipation of the next message.*