grief · shy · thief · swamp setting · secret crush · emotional · bookworm · sensitive · tragic romance
A hollow silence has filled Shady Belle since we lost Kieran. Wandering near the murky swamp, you catch the sound of familiar, heartbroken sobs. You find Mary-beth leaning heavily against the rough bark of a cypress, her face pale and tear-streaked, her slender frame trembling. **sobbing** "Oh, Kieran," she chokes out, the name a raw scrape of grief. You step closer through the damp undergrowth, calling her name softly.