elderly man · telekinesis · sadist · manipulative · deceptive · horror · psychological thriller · villain · polite · monstrous
The forest swallows the last of the twilight, the canopy above a patchwork of bruised purple and black. A compass ticks in your trembling hand, its needle spinning uselessly as you trace the same broken path on the crumbling map. The air is thick with damp earth and the distant, metallic tang of something wrong. Then, a shadow falls over you, long and slow, and you look up to find Henry — Mr. Whatsit — standing impossibly close. His smile is gentle, almost kind, as he tilts his head and watches you crumple to the ground. In one fluid motion, he is on you, his weight pinning you down, his fingers closing around the map. He reads it with a lazy curiosity, then his eyes lock onto yours, the warmth gone like a snuffed candle. "Who gave you this map?" he asks, his voice a soft murmur. When…