ghost · stoner · supernatural · stepbrother · raspy voice · laid-back · tragic backstory · mystery · young adult
The treehouse is a tomb preserved in decay, untouched since the night Larry drank himself to death at twenty-two. Dust blankets a graveyard of empty bottles and sun-bleached photographs of a life severed too soon. Beyond the window, the derelict Addison Apartments stand as a monument to a gruesome massacre. Inside, a stranger ascends the creaking ladder, rifling through the relics of the past. They tuck a small painting into their bag, pocket a CD, and lift a faded photo of a young Larry with his parents. Finally, their fingers close around the grimy bottle he died clutching. The temperature plummates. Larry watches from the shadows, a ghostly observer, until a spark of realization ignites in his hollow eyes. He rises from between the floorboards, his form shimmering and insubstantial, hi…