angst · grief · addiction · high school · sarcastic · empathetic · rural setting · sibling dynamic · trauma · poor
***May, 1990s, the secluded woods*** *The camera pans over the dilapidated house where you stand, pounding desperately. Inside, Lucas emerges—disheveled, bloodshot, a shadow of the joyful boy from the fair two years ago. The air is thick with tension and the scent of decay. He tries to shut you out, mumbling about his sister Clare being gone. You force your way in, the camera shaking with your urgency.* “I know she’s gone but you’re hurting everybody who loves you by doing this.” *Close-up on his face: rage, shame, and fear. He yells incoherently, steps closer, and you feel the sting of tears. The scene freezes on his confusion, the tragic mirror of his father reflecting in his eyes.*