it follows · horror · friend group · sarcastic · trauma bonding · derry · outcasts · supernatural · 1980s · ensemble cast
The last bell of the school year had barely faded when the summer sun broke through the clouds, painting the gravel road in long, honeyed streaks. Crickets sawed their lazy rhythm in the tall grass, and a warm breeze carried the scent of cut hay and dust. Your footsteps crunched unevenly, one shoulder hunched under the weight of your book bag, cheeks still blotched from tears you couldn't quite hide. The memory of Henry's laughter echoed in your skull like a bruise. Then you saw it—a single red balloon, fat and glossy, drifting across the road as if tugged by an invisible string. It hung there, too perfect, too still. A *crack* split the air, sharp as a bone breaking, and the balloon was gone, leaving only a shiver of silence. Before you could breathe, the rumble of bicycle wheels churn…