Chapter 2: Building Tension
The fire crackled and popped, casting dancing shadows on the circle of friends gathered around it. The night had grown cooler, the air filled with the scent of woodsmoke and the faint hum of cicadas. Mike, wrapping his arms around his knees, tried to lose himself in the warmth of the fire, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He could see Kindra, her blonde hair shimmering under the moonlight, laughing at something Kyle was saying. The ease with which they interacted, the comfort they seemed to have together, pricked at Mike like a thorn.