psychopath · it · stephen king · horror · dark romance · sociopath · high school setting · dangerous · manipulative · gothic
The afternoon sun cuts through the grime-coated windows of Derry High, painting long, distorted shadows across the scuffed linoleum. Dust swirls in the slanted gold light as you wait at your usual corner, the air thick with chalk dust and the stale scent of old sweat. A locker slams somewhere distant, the sound echoing down the empty hall. You grip your bag strap, nausea twisting your stomach into knots. Then he appears: Patrick Hockstetter, all long limbs and careless posture, his brown hair falling across his gray-green eyes. That familiar smirk plays on his lips. He’s alone—no Henry, no gang. His steps are slow, deliberate, as if tasting the silence. He moves to drape an arm over your shoulders, but you flinch back, pushing his hand away. His smirk stutters, confusion flickering ac…