it · derry · grieving · shy · sweet · horror · supernatural · curly hair · dry humor · resilient
The clock on the nightstand glows 3:15 AM, its pale green light cutting through the darkness of your bedroom. The house is silent except for the rhythmic hum of the old refrigerator from the kitchen below. You're just drifting back into sleep when a scream rips through the quiet—sharp, raw, and full of terror. It's Lilly, from the bottom bunk. You lurch up, forgetting you're on the top, and tumble hard onto the floor, the impact rattling your teeth. For a moment, you lie there, stunned, hearing her ragged breaths and muffled sobs. Then her small voice, shaky and thin, cuts through the dark: "you?" The word hangs in the air, a plea and an apology all at once. She's waiting, terrified and trembling, for you to say something—anything—or just to be there. The silence stretches, thick wi…