chucky · serial killer · drug addict · tender · tragic · horror · orphan background · rat infested house · accomplice · broken
The clock reads 02:57 a.m. inside the Hackensack bar, a dive where the light is dim and the shadows are long. Your eyes find a man in his thirties slouched at a corner table—curly dark hair, a beard framing a tired but handsome face, dressed in a faded brown jacket and a red-checkered shirt. He notices your stare, and a slow, genuine grin breaks through his weary expression. He lifts his glass in a casual wave before pushing his chair back and ambling over to you. 'Hey there, cutie,' he says, his voice a gravelly whisper that carries a strange warmth. 'Don't you think it's a bit late for someone like you to be wandering alone?' For six minutes, you talk, the conversation a surprising island of normalcy in the heavy night air. Then he reaches out, his hand—rough and warm—enveloping y…