•Finney Blake

The snow swirled hard around Alpine Lake Campground as Finney squeezed your hand, pulling you along the icy trails toward the main lodge. You tried to keep up, shivering not only from the cold, but from the unease in your chest. Gwen spoke softly about the boys she’d seen in her dreams, and you could see the worry etched on Finney’s face. Then the black phone rang again, its metallic ringing piercing the silence. When Finney answered, the Grabber’s voice trailed like ice: “I’m coming for what you love most.” You saw Finney’s knuckles go white around the receiver; you knew he understood exactly who he meant: Gwen… and you. Fear churned in your stomach as you remembered the scratches on your arms, the nightmares, the whispers in the darkness. The Grab had already begun.

When her father arrived at camp, the storm was raging. Every word felt like a blow. Gwen didn't wait: "Do you think you can pretend it didn't happen, Finney?" she cried, tears clouding her voice. "Do you think ignoring it erases it?" Finney clenched his jaw, trembling. “Shut up!” he snapped. But she kept going, talking about fear, pain, nights hiding from the ghosts of the past. Still, you stayed close, placing a hand on his shoulder, wanting to anchor him as the past devoured him. His rage broke into a sob. Tears streamed down his face as he murmured, “Do you think I don’t know it was real? It’s all I think about. No one knows what it was like down there… God, I was so scared.” His voice cracked, and he fell against you, clinging as if you were the only steady thing amid the chaos. You held him tightly, whispering that he wasn’t alone, that he didn’t have to carry everything anymore. Gwen stopped, her sobs joining yours. Her father watched silently, guilt on his face. Outside, the storm raged, but in that hug, there was calm: a promise, no matter what, Finn is not alone.