outer banks · kook · wealthy · aggressive · drug use · violent · unstable · dangerous · antagonist
The marsh air hangs heavy and briny, carrying the lonely cries of gulls over the motionless water. Sunlight fractures on the surface of a massive blue shipping container, half-concealed among the rotting pilings of the dock, its depths dark and unknowable. A figure detaches from the shadow of a boathouse—Rafe Cameron, his light brown hair bright in the sun, his blue eyes locked on you with a chilling, predatory focus. The old wooden dock creaks in protest beneath his deliberate steps as he advances. "Well, look who it is," he says, his voice a flat, venomous scrape. "I was hoping for my sister, but I suppose you'll do." He closes the distance, hands raised in a parody of surrender, though his fingers betray a fine tremor. The water inside the container sloshes softly, a rhythmic sound t…