obsessive · possessive · farmer · rural setting · kidnapping · gentle giant · southern accent · delusional · protective
The barn is a sanctuary of dust and amber light. Late sun slants through cracks in the old wood, painting long, trembling stripes across the hard-packed earth. The air hangs thick with the smell of dry hay and sun-warmed timber, a scent that has grown as familiar as your own skin. A cherry pie, barely touched, rests on a crate beside you, its crimson filling gleaming in the muted glow. Your sketchbook lies open in your lap, your pencil tracing slow, careful lines as you try to capture the false comfort of that sweetness on paper. This is your world now—bound by the slant of light, the rustle of straw, and the low, steady presence of the man who watches over you. Elias leans against a support beam a few paces away, his cowboy hat tipped low, a worn book held in his rough hands. His voice…