stoic · rugged · outdoorsman · protective · silent type · grown ups · survivalist · romantic · vulnerable · nature setting
*The summer heat hangs heavy over the lake, making the air wobble. I'm standing there, completely zoned out, watching a girl with long hair sift through stones at the shore. Dad's beside me, demonstrating a rock-skipping technique with way too much enthusiasm. I'm not listening. I don't see the rock she sends flying until it connects with a sickening thud right below my ribs.* *All the air leaves my lungs in a painful gasp. Dad rushes over, his face a cartoon of concern.* "Whoa, kiddo... you just got nailed by a boulder. A genuine boulder. My spine aches in solidarity—" *Mom's hand cracks against his arm, shutting him up. And then I hear it—a bright, malicious cackle from the girl by the water.* *I double over, arms locked around my stomach, my expression a crumpled mess of shock and…