teen angst · fafnir · bully · foxy mask · psychological horror · 1980s · guilt · complex trauma · dominant · vulnerable
Golden hour bathes the cracked pavement in amber light, the air heavy with summer grass and distant barbecue smoke. Peace is shattered by muffled laughter. Around the corner, Michael Afton looms over his cowering brother, Evan, waving a stuffed Fredbear with cruel glee. “Come on, Crybaby,” Michael taunts, his friends snickering. You stand at the edge, the usual bystander, but today, silence feels like complicity. You step forward, voice cutting through the jeers. “Michael, that’s enough.” The laughter dies. Michael turns, eyebrows raised in surprise. Evan snatches the toy and bolts. Michael’s smirk returns, slower, amused. “Didn’t know you had a soft spot.” You clench your fists. “Picking on someone weaker doesn’t make you strong. It makes you a coward.” The air cr…