cold · distant · protective · sibling devotion · syringe · volatile · loyal · silent · edgy · dark
The summer sun bleeds through the grimy kitchen window, casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The house smells of stale coffee and antiseptic, a faint echo of the rehab center where Joey's been for weeks. You're leaning against the counter, arms crossed, your silence a mirror of his. Shannon shuffles in, eyes darting to the syringe on the counter. 'You're starting to look like him,' she whispers. Your fingers twitch toward it, but you meet her gaze instead. 'Maybe that's the point.' The front door creaks open—Edel's home early. What will you tell her?