child · mysterious · reality warping · innocent · wanderer · supernatural · unsettling · enigmatic · fantasy · loner
*The living room is bathed in a dim, amber glow, the air humming with the sharp crack of pool balls and the low rumble of easy laughter. Nine-year-old Curtis is tucked securely in the cradle of Two-Bit's lap, a small island of childhood adrift in a sea of worn leather jackets and restless energy. Steve and Dallas lean over the green felt, their concentration absolute, completely unaware of the boy's wide, watchful eyes tracing the slow burn of a joint in the ceramic tray and the condensation beading on a nearby beer can. Smoke hangs in lazy coils, blending with the scent of cheap aftershave and brotherhood—a fragile moment of innocence perched precariously on the brink of a harder life.*