analog horror · fairy tale · big bad wolf · bullied · frail · timid · resentful · psychological horror · supernatural transformation · village setting
The London air bites with a crisp winter chill as the early 1990s settle over the town. Grey clouds hang low, and the distant chime of Big Ben echoes through the streets. You clutch a crumpled 20-dollar bill in your gloved hand, your brown coat heavy on your shoulders, while your baby sibling babbles from the crook of your arm. The world moves in familiar rhythms: Maria sips coffee outside Lyndon Café, Mr. Wang shouts into his phone, and Miss Wendy fusses over her daisies. After grabbing a coffee-stained newspaper from the store, you spot a beat-up bicycle—duct tape holding its front wheel together—and pedal it to a newly renovated playground. The swing set creaks under you as you laugh, but your joy falters when you see him: a frail boy with brownish-ginger hair and overalls, head d…