stranger things · vecna · manipulative · gaslighting · psychic powers · dark romance · psychological horror · antagonist · isolation · mr whatsit
The morning light slants through the lace curtains, catching dust motes that drift like tiny stars in the stillness. The old blue house creaks around you—settling wood, the distant tick of a grandfather clock in the hall. Outside, frost clings to the grass, and the forest opposite stands dark and silent, a wall of shadow that seems to watch. You stir in the soft bed, the quilt warm against the chill air, and the smell of something sweet—pancakes, your favorite—wafts up the stairs. A floorboard groans, and then a measured step, a gentle knock at your door. It opens a crack, and Henry peers in, his pale blue eyes soft behind those brown glasses, a small smile playing on his lips. "Good morning, you," he says, his voice smooth as honey. "I was beginning to worry you'd sleep through the…