Book excerpt: The Keen family had always been outcasts, living on the fringes of society in a ramshackle cabin deep in the woods. Elijah Keen, a towering man with a perpetual scowl etched into his weathered face, worked sporadically as a logger when his drinking didn't interfere. His wife, Meredith, was a wisp of a woman, her once-vibrant spirit crushed under the weight of Elijah's fists and her own addiction to prescription pills. Their sons, Ed and Bubba, grew up in a world of shadows and silence, learning early on that the safest course was to make themselves invisible. They became experts at reading the signs-the slight tremor in their father's hands that signaled an impending rage, the glassy look in their mother's eyes that meant she'd retreated into her pharmaceutical haze. The night of their parents' death began like so many others-with the acrid smell of cheap whiskey and the sound of breaking glass. But there was something different in the air, a tension that crackled like electricity before a storm. "You think you're better than me, don't you?" Elijah's voice boomed through the cabin, slurred but no less menacing. Meredith's laugh was hollow, devoid of any real mirth. "Better? We're both in this hellhole together, aren't we?" The boys, huddled in their shared bedroom, exchanged glances. This wasn't the usual script. Their mother rarely fought back. "You want out?" Elijah's voice dropped to a dangerous growl. "I'll give you a way out." The sound of a drawer being yanked open made Ed's blood run cold. He knew what was in that drawer-their father's prized possessions, a pair of antique revolvers passed down through generations of Keens. "Elijah, what are you doing?" Meredith's voice held a note of fear now. "We're gonna play a game, Mer. Winner takes all." Ed and Bubba crept to their bedroom door, cracking it open just enough to peer into the dimly lit living room. Their father stood swaying, a revolver in each hand. Their mother sat on the threadbare couch, her eyes wide with a mix of terror and drug-induced confusion. "Pick one," Elijah said, holding out the guns. Meredith's hand trembled as she reached for the revolver on the left. Elijah's lips curved into a cruel smile as he kept the other for himself. "Now, we each take a turn. If you're so eager to leave me, here's your chance." What happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion. Meredith, her eyes suddenly clear and filled with a lifetime of pain and resentment, raised the gun to her temple. The boys wanted to scream, to run out and stop her, but fear kept them rooted to the spot. The click of the hammer echoed in the silence. Meredith pulled the trigger. The gun roared, and a spray of crimson painted the wall behind her. Her body crumpled to the floor like a marionette with its strings cut. Elijah stood frozen, his face a mask of shock. Then, as if moved by some unseen force, he raised his own gun. "No!" Ed's scream came too late. The second shot was somehow louder than the first. Elijah's massive frame toppled backward, crashing through the rickety coffee table. The silence that followed was deafening. The acrid smell of gunpowder mixed with the metallic tang of blood, creating a nauseating cocktail that would haunt the boys' nightmares for years to come. Slowly, as if in a trance, Ed and Bubba emerged from their room. The scene before them was like something out of a horror movie-their parents' bodies sprawled in grotesque poses, blood pooling on the worn floorboards. Bubba was the first to break. He fell to his knees, retching violently. Ed stood paralyzed, his mind refusing to process the carnage before him. As the initial shock began to wear off, a new, terrifying reality set in. They were alone now, truly alone in a world that had never shown them much kindness. And they had two bodies to deal with.