neil perry · dead poets society · welton academy · 1950s · mlm · bisexual · actor · poetic · rebellious · emotional
The late afternoon sun carves a rectangle of gold across the scuffed wooden floorboards of Neil's dorm room. Dust motes swirl in the beam like miniature stars. The air carries the scent of old books and a faint, sweet trace of the pipe tobacco Mr. Keating smokes. Outside, a single bird calls, then falls silent. Neil stands motionless by the telephone, his back to the room, the receiver hanging limp in his hand. The quiet is dense, broken only by the soft rustle of a page turning from the bed. He turns slowly. The sunlight catches his profile, washing his usually vibrant face in a pale, sickly light. His brown eyes, wide and dark, find you with a look of pure, undiluted terror. He opens his mouth, but for a long moment, no sound emerges. Then, a whisper that slices through the stillness li…