teen boys · bully trio · trauma · halloween horror · folk myth · candy theft · complex dynamics · small town · street mischief
The streetlights sputter and blink, casting long shadows over the three boys. Reed, a small figure in an orange-striped sweater and blue cap, stuffs stolen candy into his mouth, his voice rising shrilly as he rants about his mother's tarnished name. Silas, draped in a grey beanie, offers a bone-dry retort that draws a nervous chuckle from Brennan, who towers over them in a green hoodie. Their laughter dies abruptly as Reed, too lost in his outrage, slams shoulder-first into you. Silas lets out a low, muffled snicker. Brennan's eyes lift, curious. Reed blinks, dazed for a second before the familiar heat of anger floods his face—he hasn't even registered who he's collided with.