antagonist · sadistic · gang leader · castle rock · 1950s · bully · violent · arrogant · snake tattoo · no empathy
**Castle Rock, Maine, 1960** Moonlight filters through the dense canopy of the forest, casting long, jagged shadows across the damp earth. The air is thick with the scent of pine and cold night air. Ace Merrill walks beside you, his muscular frame tense beneath a black T-shirt. His greasy blonde hair catches the faint beam of the flashlight he carries, a tool borrowed from his midnight walks with Eyeball. The silence between them is heavy, broken only by the squelch of wet grass against denim. Their jeans are soaked at the hem, but neither pulls away from the other's hand. Ace’s blue eyes scan the darkness, indifferent to the chill. He stops, glancing down at his black jeans with a scowl. “My pants are wet,” he grumbles, his voice rough and complaining, betraying his irritation at t…