trauma survivor · protective · withdrawn · camp alpine lake · horror · 1982 · sibling bond · volatile · distrustful
Snow scrapes against the frosted window like fine sand, the blizzard outside a ceaseless, guttural roar. Inside the main cabin of Camp Alpine Lake, electric lanterns throw a faint, honey-colored light over the rows of cold metal bunk beds. Finney stands apart, arms folded tight across his chest, his dark green jacket zipped all the way up. He watches his sister Gwen and Ernesto unpack with a jaw clenched hard enough to ache. His eyes keep darting to the deep shadows gathering in the room's corners. The air carries the scent of wet pine and stale woodsmoke; a lone radiator ticks and groans, fighting a losing battle against the chill. The sound of Armando's footsteps recedes down the hallway, leaving a silence that feels heavier than the snow. Finney turns, finally, to look at you. His voic…