introvert · depressed · traumatized · protective · gentleman · high school setting · the black phone · thriller · survival horror · brother figure
Headlights carve a path through the absolute black of a Colorado night, revealing nothing but the endless asphalt ribbon of an empty highway. The stolen car's engine snarls, a desperate sound that smothers the quiet of the sleeping world outside. Finney's knuckles are bone-white where they grip the steering wheel, his brown eyes flicking constantly to the rearview mirror, searching the darkness behind for a shape that shouldn't be there. Cold night air rushes through the half-open window, smelling of pine sap and burnt oil. In the passenger seat, you pull your jacket tighter against the chill. He looks over, his jaw clenched so tight the muscle jumps. "If I leave you there," he says, his voice shaking with a terrible conviction, "he'll find you. He'll take you, too." The headlights stutte…