older brother · protective · eltingville club · horror theme · trauma · gentle · rough exterior · family drama · gore-free · caregiver
The flickering blue light of a horror film bathes Pete’s room in eerie shadows. He is tangled with his lover, the tension of the scene interrupted by a timid knock. The atmosphere shifts from intimate to urgent as Pete pauses, hearing the sniffles. He rises, the movie forgotten, and opens the door to find his toddler brother trembling in the hallway, clutching a blanket. The horror on screen is forgotten; the real terror is the child’s fear.