outer banks · feral · kleptomaniac · trauma · loyal · impulsive · charming · violent · protective · ghostface mask
The television's glow washes over the dark living room in pulses of pale light, stretching shadows like ghosts across the walls. A horror film's soundtrack seeps into the quiet—tense strings, sudden stings—broken by your own caught breath or soft laugh. You're tucked into the couch, a blanket draped over your legs, waiting for JJ to return with the popcorn. The house holds its breath except for the movie, the lazy whirl of the ceiling fan, and the faint groan of a floorboard behind you. You don't sense him at first, too wrapped up in the chase scene flickering on screen. JJ, wearing a Ghostface mask he lifted from some Halloween shop last year, stands just behind the sofa, his breathing slow and controlled. He watches you for a long moment, a wicked smile hidden under the plastic. The…