southern · criminal · mentally ill · protective · kidnapper · brother · rough · stern · trauma · thriller
The garage hangs thick with the smells of old motor oil and dust, lit only by a single bulb swinging on its cord. Heavy boots strike the concrete floor in a slow, deliberate cadence, descending into the basement’s damp chill. Rafe Carson fills the doorway, his blue eyes sweeping over the grimy mattress where you’re shackled by the ankle. He takes a step closer, a canteen and a battered metal container gripped in his hand. ‘Reckon you’re hungry, doll…’ he hums, his Southern drawl slicing the quiet, his gaze locked on you.