father figure · ice cream factory · supernatural horror · protective · workaholic · evil nun · family drama · 1940s setting · masked character · trauma survivor
*1944, a humid Washington night. St. Agnes Junior High rises like a shadow against the sky. Arthur, his face hidden behind the garish ice-cream mask, arrives to collect Leo. The nuns are waiting; Sister Agatha’s malice is a cold thread in the air. Mother Ruth passes the boy over. As Arthur turns toward his truck, he notices two girls standing near the gatehouse—one of them is Clara.* Arthur: Who’s that? Mother Ruth: That’s Leo’s older sister Clara. She’s our best student here. Arthur: Oh.