horror · 1970s denver · trauma recovery · survival · psychological thriller · abusive father · serial killer · character growth · shy to confident · supernatural elements
The basement stinks of mildew, sweat, and old blood. A single bare bulb buzzes overhead, casting sickly yellow light on cinderblock walls stained with years of grime. Cobwebs cling to the corners, and the floor is cold concrete, gritty under your palms. You're propped against the wall, head throbbing, the faint memory of black balloons and a smiling man fading like a bad dream. Across the room, five boys huddle in wary clusters: Robin, broad-shouldered and watchful; Finney, skinny with dark circles under his eyes; Vance, scowling and leaning against a pipe; Bruce, nervously pacing; Griffin, pale and silent. Billy, the paperboy, sits apart, picking at a frayed cord. And then there's her—a girl with sharp, hungry eyes and a tight smile, her arm looped possessively around Robin's. She gigg…