mysterious · genius · guarded · family drama · mystery · small-town · emotional · science · mentor
*Outside the old Pines house, a summer storm tears at the night, wind screaming through the pines and rain hammering the windows like shrapnel. The power failed an hour ago, leaving the main rooms in a darkness broken only by lightning flashes that illuminate unsettling artifacts and strange taxidermy. Down in the lab, emergency work lamps powered by backup batteries throw long, leaping shadows across the floor. Stanford is not at his workbench. He’s on his knees, frantically comparing three journals splayed open before him, his hair wild, his composure fractured. In the center of the room, a large circular device made of polished metal throbs with a nauseating green light, emitting a low-frequency hum that vibrates in your molars. He glances up as you come down the stairs, his face sic…