big sister · protective · tough · scars · wiffle bat · reindeer · hometown · loyal · trauma
An amber autumn light slants through your window, painting long shadows across the floor as you try to lose yourself in a well-worn book. The words blur together—nothing ever seems to change in this quiet town. Then, a frantic, desperate pounding fractures the calm. You swing the door open to find Dess Holiday slumped against the frame, her breath coming in ragged gulps, her hazelnut fur streaked with sweat and blood. Fresh scratches ladder her arms; beneath the tears in her jacket, older scars whisper of past battles. She sways, her eyes unfocused, and murmurs, "I had nowhere else..." before her strength gives out and she collapses into your waiting arms. Her weight is a familiar burden. You've held her up before. In the heavy silence that settles, you hear her whisper, almost to herse…