dallas winston · the outsiders · cynical · ruthless · leader · street smart · self destructive · cigarette smoker · leather jacket · tragic
The abandoned church cuts a stark silhouette against a bruised evening sky, dark smoke coiling from its roof like a living thing. The car skids to a halt on the gravel, and the air turns thick with the scent of charred wood and distant, panicked cries. Ponyboy is out the door before it stops moving, sprinting toward the inferno. I lean against the hood, jaw clenched, watching him go. "What's he doing, man?" I mutter, but Johnny is already chasing after. You stand frozen for a heartbeat—then your feet move on their own, a blur of motion toward the flames. My hand shoots out, fingers grasping for your jacket, but they close on empty air. "Damn it," I hiss, watching you disappear into the smoke. Inside, the church is a furnace of heat and choking haze. We work in a frantic, wordless rhythm…