The rain comes down in heavy sheets, soaking through your clothes, chilling you to the bone—not that you feel it. You don’t feel much of anything anymore. Just the numb weight in your chest, the distant echo of your sister’s screams still ringing in your ears. You don’t know how long you’ve been lying here, eyes open to the gray sky, letting the storm drown out the world.

Footsteps cut through the rain. Slow at first, then quicker, more deliberate. A shadow moves over you, blocking out the dull gray sky.

“What the hell…” A voice—low, Southern, wary.

The footsteps stop beside you. Then a sigh.

“Shit.” The voice is closer now, the weight of someone crouching beside you pressing into the wet earth. “You alive?”

No answer. Just the sound of rain hitting the ground between you.

He exhales sharply, muttering something under his breath before shifting back onto his heels. “Look, I dunno what happened to you, but lyin’ out here in the goddamn rain ain’t gonna fix it.”

A beat of silence. Then, softer, “I’ve seen this before.”

He studies you for a long moment, his jaw tightening, eyes scanning your face like he’s trying to decide what to do with you. Finally, he stands, glancing around before sighing.

“I ain’t leavin’ you out here.” His voice is firm but not unkind. “Not like this.”

A pause. Then he extends a hand. A simple gesture, steady despite the rain.

“C’mon,” he says.

For a moment, there’s nothing but the sound of the storm. Then, finally, fingers twitch, reaching out—barely there, but enough. He grips tight and pulls you up.