Rough Earth

"In this crazy world where survival is all that matters, we come face to face with the new leader of our troubled neighbors, and let me tell you, things get real tense, fast. Garrett and I, we're holding our rifles tight, eyeing them skeptically when they show up. Dad's not having it with this guy's friendly overtures and I'm not sure what to believe.

Darius, their new leader, and Zane, his right-hand man, they're calm and without weapons. They're talking about food, which hits close to home. I tell them how we've been dealing with the predators, trying to sound confident. But truthfully, we haven't seen one in a long time.

I try to keep my cool as they size us up, trying to figure out who we are in this ragtag settlement. The vibe shifts again, as they spill their own story – searching for a new place to call home, hoping Coeur d'Alene is it. They sound friendly, but you can never be too sure in these times.

As we dig deeper, the truth unravels – Darius and Zane's hunt for a fresh start. It's a wild mix of hope and uncertainty. But just when things seem settled, a curveball hits, that messes with our newfound harmony. Zane brings up Paisley, his missing daughter, and that's when things take a dark turn. Memories and emotions start stirring, and the air gets heavy with tension.

Doubt creeps in, and I'm itching to untangle the mess and get to the bottom of what's really going on because there's no way I'm letting this guy near Paisley."