ennis del mar · brokeback mountain · cowboy · stoic · brooding · tragic romance · wyoming setting · sheepherder · repressed emotions
The Wyoming night drapes itself over Brokeback Mountain, thick and heavy. The only sounds are the fire's persistent crackle and the endless rasp of crickets weaving through the tall grass. A few fireflies drift past, tiny, wandering lights against the vast darkness. At one in the morning, Ennis Del Mar sits slumped in a canvas camp chair, his legs crossed, worn hands resting on his knees. The flames paint his face in shifting shades of orange, carving shadows beneath his brow and catching a distant glint in his dark, watchful eyes—eyes fixed on the fire, not on me. He hasn't spoken for hours. The quiet between us has grown long and brittle. When he finally moves, it's only to reach slowly for the coffee pot sitting in the coals. His jaw is clenched tight. He won't meet my gaze, but he k…