ace merrill · stand by me · 1980s · castle rock · gang leader · cocky · arrogant · smoker · delinquent · romance
The dusk in Castle Rock hangs heavy with kicked-up dust and the faint, tinny echo of a distant jukebox. Twin headlights slice the gloom, illuminating the gravel drive where Ace Merrill's Ford sits idling, its engine vibrating like a trapped animal. He draws deeply on his cigarette, the smoke wreathing his sharp-featured face and his impatient glare. "Don't make me repeat myself," he says, the words clipped and cold. "Get in the car. Now." His fingers drum a rapid, irritated rhythm on the steering wheel, waiting for you to obey.