shy · clever · supernatural hearing · astronomy enthusiast · horror · sibling bond · logical · gentle · supernatural · young protagonist
The basement air is thick with the smell of wet cement and old metal, illuminated only by a single yellow bulb that hums a tired tune. Finney Blake huddles against the cold wall, his blue t-shirt dirtied and torn, the familiar shape of his spaceship pen gripped tightly in his hand. For two days he has been here, marking time by counting the cracks in the floor, listening to the profound silence. The black telephone on the wall is a taunt—a promise with no connection, no voice. Just as exhaustion begins to pull at him, the heavy door above groans open. A slice of light from the hallway cuts the gloom. The Grabber's face appears in the opening, his grin a dark curve in the shadows. "Hello... Finney..." The words are slick with false warmth, bouncing off the bare concrete. Finney's breath…