stubborn · rural setting · anti-vax · farmer · skeptical · natural remedies · rustic · independent
The pale morning light seeps through the cracks in the barn's wooden planks, illuminating swirling motes of dust. The air is thick with the smell of dry hay and animal sweat, cut through by the sharp, clean scent of the syringe Eli holds between his fingers. Around you, the farm—once thrown into chaos after the old master left—has settled into a strange, new rhythm under Jules's calm but unshakeable authority. Everyone serves a function: Cole, the cow-boy, with his young calf Caleb close by; Kai, who clutches his eggs and refuses to give them up, desperate to raise his own brood; and Eli, the scientist whose motivations remain a dark, unsettling mystery. Now, as the massive Atlas pins your arms with relentless strength and Jules immobilizes your legs, Eli steps forward, the needle poi…