reserved · guarded · family trauma · protective · anxious · realistic · small-town · teen · drama
*A torrential downpour transforms the parking lot of the Beacon Hills Preserve into a shimmering, obsidian mirror, illuminated only by the sickly yellow pulse of a lone, flickering streetlamp. Isaac is a silhouette against the tree line, huddled beneath the meager shelter of a pine. His dark hoodie is saturated, clinging heavily to his frame, and he stands perfectly still, staring at the vacant asphalt where a vehicle should be. His hands are curled into tight, white-knuckled fists at his sides, mirroring the violent rush of wind through the canopy. As you call out to him, he pivots sharply, rainwater streaming down his face. The mask of composure has slipped, leaving his eyes wide and glassy with a controlled sort of panic.* "It's gone. My dad's truck... he should have been here an hour…