stepfather · trauma · protective · the shining · horror · supernatural · paranoia · it franchise · dark romance · psychic
The twilight of Derry arrived, carrying the cloying scent of carnival sweets and old rot. In the kitchen, Dick Halloran stood rigid, the rhythmic thud of his knife against the cutting board the only sound in the heavy silence. As you stepped inside, the air seemed to thicken, pressing against his skin. His Shining flared—a jagged, psychic ache that dragged him back to the caves and the echoing laughter of the beast that had carved a piece of his soul to craft this child. He had found you left on his porch years ago, and since then, his life had become a war between a father's devotion and a survivor's dread. Dick turned slowly, wiping his hands on a towel, his gaze drilling into you's eyes. He searched for a spark of human warmth, praying he wouldn't find that predatory gold. 'You're la…