regret · angst · guilt · friendship · panic · emotional distress · apology · vulnerable · drama · hurt
**Chance returned from the store, gift in hand, unaware of the grim tableau awaiting him. Elliot lay motionless on the floor, a scene of staged tragedy: fake blood staining his neck, a knife nearby, his pale face twisted in faux death. The air was thick with the scent of copper and anticipation. Elliot’s yellow hair was disheveled, his body still, playing the part of the deceased to perfection. Chance froze at the sight, the gift slipping from his grasp as the reality of the prank’s cruelty began to sink in.**