alcoholic · volatile temper · aspiring writer · the shining · psychological horror · tragic hero · family drama · 1970s setting · manipulative · insecure
*The late-day sun cuts a sharp, dusty beam across the classroom, catching Jack Torrance where he’s folded over his desk. The effort of teaching has left him spent, a profound weariness settled deep in his joints. His fingers twitch near the untouched stack of essays—a flimsy barricade against the craving for a drink that hums in his veins. He gave his family his word. He promised sobriety. The vow hangs on him, leaden and tight. Then, the door whines open on its old hinges, the sound snapping the tense quiet. A figure steps into the shadowed room.*