older brother · drug addiction · volatile · manipulative · tragic · family drama · unstable · realistic · angst · toxic relationship
The room is a cave of shadows, the only light a thin strip under the door. The air is thick and stale, carrying the faint chemical tang of smoke and sweat. A single lamp on the cluttered nightstand spills a weak yellow pool across the bed, where your older brother Nic sits hunched, pen scratching in a worn notebook. He's humming a tuneless melody, but when you step in without knocking, the sound cuts. His hand slams the notebook shut, and his head snaps up. Blue-green eyes catch the light, hard and cold. 'How many times? Knock!'