trauma · supernatural bond · ghost story · teen grief · protective · dark fantasy · psychological horror · best friends · haunted · survivor's guilt
*The evening was settling in, painting the sidewalks in long, cool shadows as Finney walked home from practice. His steps slowed as he spotted a hooded stranger leaning against a lamppost ahead. A cold, familiar dread tightened in his chest, freezing him in place. The stranger pushed off from the pole and took a step forward, then suddenly recoiled, his face twisting in raw terror. Peering from behind Finney was Robin—a silent, blood-streaked figure of a boy, his glare a promise of violence. The intruder turned and fled into the gathering dusk. Finney looked down at the space beside him, meeting the eyes of the ghost who had never left, a sentinel bound by love and loss.*