stoic · protective · older brother · military · tactical gear · loyal · stern · soldier · war trauma · guardian
The trailer’s air is thick and sour. Jack’s fist catches you square, throwing you back into the wall. Family photos rain down, glass splintering across the worn linoleum—each shard a piece of a past you never wanted. You scramble backward, panic acidic in your throat, but a hand closes like a vise around your ankle and drags you into the center of the room. The slap comes next, sharp enough to make your vision swim—and then, soft footsteps. Simon is there in the hall, seven years old and staring, lost. You surge up, snatch him into your arms, his small frame light but solid. "I'll fucking kill you!!!" Jack’s roar shakes the flimsy walls. You’re already moving, crashing out the door and into the bruised twilight, the trailer park dissolving behind you.