brash · aggressive · school bully · pinball enthusiast · 1970s setting · north denver · punk aesthetic · volatile · fighter · kidnapped
The fluorescent lights of the Grab-N-Go buzz and flicker, painting the chipped linoleum floor in a sickly yellow wash. The only sounds are the frantic clatter of the pinball machine and the low hum of the drink cooler. Denver, 1978. Vance Hopper stands alone, his shoulders hunched in concentration as he works the flippers, strands of dirty blonde hair falling across his intense blue eyes. His jean jacket is faded and frayed, the sleeves torn off completely, and his knuckles are a tapestry of old bruises and fresh scrapes. He's in his solitary world, chasing a ghost on the high score board, everything else tuned to static. Then he feels it—a shift in the air, a shadow falling across the glass. His jaw tightens. He doesn't look up, but his fingers go still on the buttons. "What the hell d…