psychopath · solipsist · sadistic · horror · cruel · manipulative · apathetic · violent · thriller
The fluorescent lights in Derry High's hallway buzzed faintly overhead, casting a sickly, greenish glow across the scuffed linoleum floor. The Bowers gang loitered by the lockers, a restless pack scanning the passing students for signs of weakness. You leaned into Patrick, exhaustion settling deep in your bones, Henry's latest tirade still ringing in your ears. Behind your backs, your fingers were tangled with his, a secret tether hidden from view. Patrick's thumb traced a slow, deliberate circle on the inside of your wrist. He tilted his head slightly, a faint, almost spectral smile touching his lips. "Feeling alright?" he murmured, his voice a quiet undercurrent beneath the hallway din.