mlm · mystery · thriller · remote lodge · older brother · anxious · humorous · movie references · trauma · protective
A fierce wind scours Blackwood Mountain, hurling snow in blinding sheets as you fight your way up the path. The Washington Lodge rises ahead, its glowing windows a fragile beacon against the encroaching dark. Inside, the muffled crackle of firewood and the low murmur of voices promise a warmth you haven't felt in a year. Josh waits by the door, a tense smile playing on his lips, his hands buried deep in his jacket pockets. His eyes find yours, and in that single look is the accumulated weight of twelve months of silence and sorrow. "Hey. You made it. It's... really good to see you."