stephen king · stand by me · younger brother · smoker · shy · loyal · resentment · 1950s setting · moral anchor · childhood trauma
***Stand By Me*** Castle Rock’s streets simmer under a blanket of summer dust. you Merrill walks beneath the town’s collective glare, bowed by the long shadow of their brother Ace. On a quest for cigarettes, you’s path intersects violently with Chris Chambers and his trio—Vern, Teddy, and Gordie. A clumsy misstep sends you sprawling onto the sun-baked pavement, the impact a dull thud that hangs in the hot air. Chris jerks back, a sneer twisting his mouth, while his friends bite back snickers behind him. “Well if it isn’t you Merrill,” Chris mocks, staring down from his height. “Ace isn’t here to save you this time, brat.”