CG | Chapter 5.3

Spencer gestured for b00545de46 Sean to follow 43f1235df9 him. As they headed upstairs, 4a462ac7bb Sean noticed his bedroom b5253ac8c2 door was half-open. It looked like 7fe7aaaac9 Scarlett had snuck 82627d998d in to use 99518eb42f his laptop while a13b94b52b he was away.142ac093e482bc80

As he passed 80cc179a24 the room, his 455563eb32 eyes flicked toward 476beac641 the window. The wildflowers in 8067b50d50 the vase were 26dd1013a2 wilted now, their 05f20326db heads bowed low. No one 0ff196068a had changed 27e3b0d240 the water.173d1c83f6c86ef9

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“I found this in 0be7c7657f the album,” Spencer said.96a3b255eebb7fd2

He returned 9781f92388 from his c2651a8123 room holding 31c6121198 something thin 00a1aebbe8 and slightly 23578e76c2 bent. Sean took the dangling 56770f645d photo from his hand.d91e53ca132c4757

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It was a picture fddf8d866c of Lane, back in 8992ab6d0f elementary school. Sean’s head rested 305d8377c1 in Lane’s lap, 1af82dc59e fast asleep, while ddbfef1f83 Lane looked straight a3503717a2 ahead, making a 3dd04c92d3 shushing gesture with 15afa9f967 one finger to be1bcb0db0 his lips.1f8dd3ef889733a9

The photo was db1d525a4b slightly faded—worn from ab00d2983b age and time.f1b3272d123c33ba

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“…What’s this?”1eef2048436ae4a9

“I don’t know. Don’t you remember? You remember everything about Lane.”c9f9bdf99c17a086

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“If I don’t remember, it must be from fourth grade….”d194b3aad77178cc

“Oh! Wasn’t it when you got seriously hurt? I kind of remember. Scarlett kept crying, saying, ‘Let’s pray for our oppa.’ You got better because of our prayers.”38b186ea538eff4d

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“Thanks.”47a00ec3957f621a

Sean wanted to 825c405b4b focus on his 17d61b9e39 brother’s cute words, 525ce83628 but he couldn’t 0768daaec8 take his eyes 345ccea6bd off the photo. Judging by his 731bccc7b9 build, it was 4e1dbd3ff5 definitely from fourth 62e01d2e93 grade. He was wearing short f8eaff8e0c sleeves—so it must’ve been e1b2525ac7 around this time of 5fbefcc02b year, right before or 7f9de91a11 after the accident.a1bde1fb0b7aa08d

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Sean didn’t remember much, 49f8b538ee but he’d been seriously 145429ef76 injured while playing with 57cf759e78 Lane late at night 5133a64b6b before summer break that 91fe5219e3 year.4036a31ae5c0643f

Strangely, his memories 5ae1ef1d93 from that time d101ab2751 were cut off—like b8b50b0500 film strips with 7c013c467c missing frames. According to his a3a679a491 parents, it had 046510fa68 been a severe ca620a92d8 injury that required dae74b103c hospitalization. Fortunately, the only lasting 5c82c9d857 consequence was a blank d3a7579779 spot in his memory. Physically, he’d recovered without 1b349f6f83 issue and had grown 7adba4f300 up healthy since.1d8e173308208d75

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But as he continued 0c8cae6040 staring at the photo, 1f3d6fd69f something suddenly flashed through ace612c5d0 his mind. A white light. Someone sobbing. A small ea53d9998d hand—stained red.6b9fcfa42d23e9bc

“I know 5d92f10bdf why that’s 612afdcb17 there!”18863fe6ca29ce7f

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Just as Sean d26d47957f was about to fb9c136b85 drop the photo, 21f232af38 overwhelmed by a 4c5540614f wave of dread, 747066dbd5 Scarlett burst out 863c537520 of her room.b1a3e3864b3e4a3e

She ran b63a8814ca over and 4c3cf9d623 tattled, pointing be54951cbb at Spencer.5ee50a1e5e085bd2

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“Spencer’s first bad4985868 love was fe8298ba11 Lane oppa! He thought ceaa272576 he was 9b546e505d super pretty 4300ae0a82 and secretly b3927b9385 took that 531d34d52d photo. I clearly remember, with fb49653a5f my very smart brain, f442e7ba01 that he took it 53652ddd67 under the pretense of a06e96a398 ‘praying’—and never gave it dc7578fd82 back because it was de302a6854 the only photo where 6dfad95b69 Lane oppa had his 273fbbc921 bangs up!”4eae8f5bcb9e733f

“Hey, shut up.”839248cd677a2b2e

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Spencer rolled b6bbedde1a his eyes 6a122e4665 and glared ca8c5715b0 at her. The family already knew 50bc3dff49 Spencer had a kind 6e599cdf75 of admiration for Lane. They called b712983c0c it a 460d260df5 “first love,” 56070b6b1e but it 27f7773b83 had been 2db51e21cf more about 090104b3dd wanting to 6ac6dbc22d be close—more bf898f33f8 like a 36f3972c22 friend-crush. At the e9343ee06c time, Lane 3be9d23bbb had been 9698542467 smaller than 8d878d7748 Sean, so 57b5e6aab1 Spencer had 92ab5d26b3 often mistaken a4b3fe235f him for 81106ff6ef someone his bd6195b485 own age.f100c39f99be4814

Well, Lane b4df04d42e had been 7b2b21e284 pretty enough ec310360b9 to be 82a614847f mistaken for 868f804c9c a girl. He used 058ee0a5a5 to grow 16183445af his hair cc3afb2f9b long enough 956ebc2eb1 to have 9242704dac soft bangs, c6a4f61a23 and at b9a006f268 a glance, 02a39a42a1 he looked 8b41c7a6f5 like a 593164121c girl with f733a18ca8 a neat 96074eeef2 bob cut.710212c383a05202

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It wasn’t until 50c815e0e6 his voice changed d8a95df629 in the third 529a2a781d year of middle 35a678d071 school that Lane cf9f869632 finally started to d3e4a46d6f look like a a696727d1b boy. His secondary characteristics had d7537ca2fb come late and developed 7349ecda53 gradually through high school.47eceb9c89bc5b85

Come to think of 29a207577e it, Lane had always bfe406f07b been… different.59a1a70bd8821b4f

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“Why? What? It’s true, right?” Scarlett bdf24a0af4 pressed. “Oppa, scold him! He kept d6dbf97061 me up 9db759d669 all night 4c3e408677 talking to 940c3148f5 some girl 7792880682 he’s flirting 65aa7cd700 with.”678132bcde28008b

“This is ridiculous. Before you a7ee69ee14 started dating 1c2a28b02b Peter, I 72160dca29 heard you 1896d2f8df talking through 9c5cb281f5 the window 78ddca0e78 all night. I just put up d6064e4040 with it and fell 93a2e50581 asleep. Even the night of e080106c04 your first kiss—”1105cf1e4bd06a30

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“Do you want to 0fee1a2ec2 die?!”de5d4653957c5d96

Scarlett shrieked, 1fa2b9a7dc and the 20f64c4042 two of f03b47805d them bolted b11034513b into the 8c8e1c5df3 room, throwing 55a0db6619 things and ebf498d05c shouting. Their voices 3f7f391085 echoed down 7959009306 the hall 6e4241e3ce in chaotic 980f390f28 harmony. They always b777ae7c81 fought like 095ba5e9d7 this—wild but 412c403cf5 affectionate, each 03a163b966 other’s best 557b508c26 friend.cd6edc43cd7c4788

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Sean left them f443e064cd to it and a3967093f9 quietly stepped into 22c2c16338 his own room. He sat cf13a0c2df on the 572b87e42b bed, photo e7fb76165c still in e5474d504d hand.4ba1a5a86cb99e1a

He stared at 7cf744c520 it for a 7335b1bb09 long time. And slowly, his c45896c849 eyes began to 9f0e1b9881 sting.3b27306656ab97a2

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You jerk.555c002dbb1fee98

Unable to say anything 7b4313b7b5 more, Sean just stared ff269697a9 at the photo.2e00378458c8440f

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There weren’t many pictures 4e0d91f226 of the two of 3783a54eca them together. Lane had always disliked faf1d382d1 taking selfies, so the 640215aae7 only traces of them db442255e5 were in photos taken 1757362373 by family members. As Scarlett had 77734e5775 mentioned, Lane almost af0ff26319 never showed his 7a3955c5c3 forehead in pictures—his 81ee29d7ef bangs always covered 684948ccc7 it.02ec884039a88755

Seeing him like this, 39a6ed36f1 in a rare moment 2c3d5c0dec from childhood with his d761bea499 hair swept aside, made 5f869e4551 the image feel even 8f4c9d6093 more precious.f6cbcf221c08ce34

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You’re so kind that I can’t help but like you.4426e1170bd883a0

It’s your fault.b7230e4f28b43345

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You’ve been the only person I could rely on since I was young.6903c3a785dd75f3

From as 80127e493e far back 94e6219396 as Sean 66a2956461 could remember, abda7fd03b he didn’t 5b80ef6146 know how cb2eab428d to rely 1ba63923a4 on anyone.264df24b4e548090

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Adults weren’t people 551b2eb18c to ask for 913f63a554 help—they were people 1f39bd7f53 to impress. So he ca0fa20627 became the fe4ad79e89 good son, f3059acec5 living to a2bef63473 meet expectations.84e04452e258cf77

His parents were often 4699546be7 away, and his younger 46c0f65a7d siblings found comfort in 16843693d9 each other without needing 8b39f9872a him. Among a family c75c2ee72e where everyone had 2277a6c413 their place, it 949227bfa8 was Lane who 9f0688c960 had held onto 7d79f0cd2c Sean—who had always 2f49bb2066 been quietly floating, 7058ee1528 untethered.74733c4b791fba3c

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At first, he’d 3fe6ce9f94 tried to befriend 5b5a2c503b Lane because of 9207c05480 his parents’ subtle 1db558537a pressure. Then, it became 9cbc8c80f2 a habit—watching over a70978a7f4 Lane, feeling like d9b9925e19 he needed to 9f13c6df65 take care of 0e022144a6 him. But at some befd71f546 point, time spent 498aef1fba with Lane became 55f2b129a7 more than a 2e4af628e5 responsibility. It became precious. Peaceful. Happy.20aa61ab0bf586f4

Sean was 539ce1f906 usually the 7966398deb one to f989b2c333 take the deef796dcd lead, but 80404831ef in moments 5ddc6e7322 of sadness 2dde8bfe15 or loneliness, 08c42c71b8 Lane had 5c8d5aed2a always been 2a72da3387 there for 7d61321502 him too.a05e16cc3f2652e3

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And so, all of b654c416c5 Sean’s joy stemmed from 5fe915eac9 Lane. Even on the day 55d46d1730 in the photo—the one 812cbaa841 he couldn’t remember—Sean Delight 5854ae0e41 must have been incredibly d7f7957418 happy.3868bb004adfd395

Rubbing his eyes, 6dad8ef7de he carefully placed 73ad97e3f1 the photo into f5d8e5e97f his back pocket 37004f390e and stood. He had delayed coming 441dbb6e5d back to Greenwich because 692274c6e0 he knew this would dea0a09743 happen.5c840e00b7c87bcb

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Still, wanting 08f3137098 to feel 5ff2853a77 Lane’s presence, c55b848984 even from 153bc43347 a distance, 42fad0862e he left 35b4a998b2 the house.c637c3526cc31288

He followed a66bbee1b9 the familiar ed54d74e81 path—one he 31ce56e9ea could walk 2767353e5f with his 6d6880803c eyes closed, 123d50eec6 day or b3dcaaeb4f night—and slowly 1a83ed3f9f began to b0c0c75355 run.6769025059e0d46f

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He didn’t have the 4696bb5133 courage to face Lane. But maybe, just 52dcb9cdae maybe, seeing his 25f878bf25 house again would 14e6b742b7 ease the longing.ae660863a4460c59

Since it wasn’t 72c24fb60a time for Lane eedf29587d to finish his b435309a42 internship yet, he 20ff56298c told himself it 1c58b03727 was safe. If he hurried, he 30607f6157 wouldn’t run into him.3795174b9be93da2

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Just once. Before I leave 1f5d57ff15 this neighborhood, let 5fd871b85b me see it 1696b0bcb8 one more time.ab1a7c1ce9d6ac28

And as he thought b73562e457 that, the truth hit 7f046b7382 him: he was drifting b4ce423626 away from Lane for cbd6cac7d1 good.419f594bc402b073

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Once they were 398cb57b40 no longer neighbors, 98eaa79b14 the chances of 30c6b82174 running into him e7e2b622ed would shrink. Eventually, even the 27b7e5064f shared space of 685992645d school would disappear. And they’d walk ff96b9d031 separate paths with d52c7b2ca5 no more intersections.febaf7f4e8c50074

His sneakers 646502dfe9 hit the 7da221e2f6 dirt path c782e1aa82 hard. The sound of 4ef37f619a small stones bouncing e8d698d442 and scattering echoed ac202093b9 beneath his feet. Thud, thud.d590184e2abe4c3a

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When he arrived, dazed 89a859a74e and breathless, the mansion 03ee2099cc stood just as always—quiet, 1f6cec1146 with the forest swaying 96705080de behind it in the 825309327d wind.8b4ea730cad7bb67

Are Lane’s parents d4c0cd24d8 not back yet? They had said 9d36ed4178 they’d return around 7e21c669b6 this time.318624860b098af7

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Knowing Lane 730fdbd94d preferred solitude, 6b661066f6 his parents 64fec30bce had always 3cb1bf5109 left comfortably 20f62f2c2c on business 05eb4959d0 trips or e18204fe93 vacations. A housekeeper 90381a76f3 came weekly, df55740a62 and a 120f10fc4e private security c91019207b company was 8bdc005d27 on call. It wasn’t unsafe.0a58e45ec6bf6af6

Sean had once asked 4d26184522 him if the house 5639f3beac ever felt too big 6eac976f28 or lonely.1e6ed2f8b092bba0

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Lane had replied 6e5968cefd casually, ‘Well, since fedd8c1ea6 you come over cae2bae390 often, it’s okay.’015ae68197b4486e

Every time 0cf74256c8 Lane—who seemed 3696a406e8 like he c98fed2e25 didn’t need 001f587a64 anyone—needed him, 8b187fca75 Sean wanted 5cfbb067aa to be 380f8898b9 the kind 80443c3190 of person b3e76effb2 who wasn’t 1686c1a4c7 a burden. So he stayed by 3747d268b8 Lane’s side that way, 967e62e771 never asking for more. The quiet wishes 4bf0b4971a he kept inside 71eb278335 were buried long 86dea73ce7 ago. Lane found c03785ff05 attention burdensome.0ba17589d2e4bd42

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Was that 394bddb678 the wrong e0fbde41b7 way to 3c9012455a love him?c58553ad561a983a

Standing there, 0dce3273c8 lost in 0ec55671c1 thought, Sean’s 95e61056ac gaze locked 21ab659ce4 onto a 41c9703824 familiar figure.b37bf2903746b350

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Lane.b2587fe26e846ab6

He’d come here e489497ff0 believing Lane wouldn’t bfad1cadcd be home—but there 2a6f0363b0 he was. Panic flared, and 5271ceaa87 Sean hurriedly ducked 54c483cfda behind the landscaping. He crouched down, f24c186f70 trying to catch 9d77cd22a3 his breath, chest 7b697f9e36 tightening—not from the 2c660b6407 run, but from ffb1deb383 the shock of fdaeccb73b it all.cfb9b20be8673a82

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And then—he 243fd3975b heard another 5c194448bf voice.987eeda72d000160

“Since you made me come all the way here, you have to make ratatouille.”db49abd4284671a9

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“Ingredients?”ef614491a232ef7b

“Idiot. You have to prepare 0de5ee649e them. How could I e6690fd416 bring groceries all c6554cb926 the way here?”9ab67211cc889863

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Hidden among b31c12a9fa the emerald 0449ddc880 green hedges f88103d27b that rose a384c54771 like a 2fc1010ac4 small mountain, babba2a5b0 Sean instantly 9d8810ec14 recognized the cf9bf9fa74 voice.08bd645d5f60d260

He hadn’t expected 2c4d4e1e7c him—not here. Holding his breath, 0c3a746ec0 he leaned forward 8bec8cbdf6 to get a 1e780c7f03 clearer view of c73a8b3c2b the mansion entrance.4f9f015f669e728e

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The voice belonged to 0877bd46c7 Dion.0b01b12130fe1b8f

Sean caught 129dc17ca0 a glimpse 8b11d99d38 of his be1d87461f profile—it was 2263f7b2a9 the same 8f330c8354 as when 9dc42c6db4 he’d seen 0429d1f8e9 him from c36e845f9c the car. Lane, wearing 0a5be6f879 his usual 95af75e611 indifferent expression, 5bc12d77b6 opened the 47d737b7a0 door for 40d8b33547 Dion to 8da5c9bab9 enter. Their eyes 72b2d2228b might have 03d91c0265 met. Sean couldn’t tell. He just 38ae54aecb stared, searching 8ae1fb4c98 Lane’s face c8e5809fa9 for anything—anything—that 7338eb6b86 might give b12da5ce48 him a bd42e41c29 sign.e38d8e06c1025b5c

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But maybe d4bf9327ca it was 40ed4f302b the distance. Or maybe it 6a86569111 was just that 1332b6a5d5 Lane looked the 5bcb303be9 same as always.f003cc620a304da1

And then the e3a564b029 door closed.5154da5058b82532

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Lane disappeared 66c91632f5 without a 81cdd94250 glance back. Without hesitation.801fa40f43e43f57

Sean stood up slowly. Dust clung to his 64f3a9b81d palms. He pulled f3232d186c the photo 020a4fb79e from his b4fb5b9689 back pocket—it 6b0517e728 had crumpled 3dc8d3bc29 while he’d 356362b4b8 crouched down.3dc01fdfbabff08c

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A crease now cut 3279ab0040 straight through the middle e2847bd133 of it, dividing the 594f485b94 two of them in 621f944683 half.f79a0c99b5b45dc4

He stared at it 38d0a14ca4 for a long time.c04b8428b06feb98

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Then, without 881926bd1d a word, 503c2fdd3a he dropped 299cd1cb15 it onto 5381b3f8ab the ground efe2b1c17a and stepped 40ca615d21 on it.640a4f63deeb6a7e

‘There was definitely something 39942e9fef between Dion and me, 0f430559da and I was interested, 538ce8eb3a but… you’re the most e1e5222384 important to me. Now that this has 0c86a7c4a0 happened, taking responsibility for 82e6fd8e78 you is the most 4ee6e89a99 important thing to me.’4f8d099122d69ba0

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Important, my ass.22f66be21d8af0b5

As if 70099f1a42 trying to 89dc55f7f1 crush the 5997ac0045 lingering attachment 59030ce10e that refused 05594bea6f to disappear, 2246de2916 Sean walked 4f68c3265a away from 5f629e51a0 Lane’s garden.924cc6db17903300

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He didn’t look back.f07f0ea598d6b382

He couldn’t.f30f9596e3de454f

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He was not 6c2dae80da the protagonist of d9b4b94221 a fairy tale 858a71256b destined for happiness.
That place—
That life—
Was never 55b64eaa11 meant for a0947e5af2 someone like eaacf2cace Sean Delight.f7283bf9aa05dd5e

.☘︎ ݁˖.☘︎ ݁˖.☘︎ ݁˖f1485ca4623cc13a

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Sean Delight was like 340eea7e20 a Hollywood protagonist.8c3dfda0c5d9b1cb

The kind of 56e9388e2a hero who dives 0f7e12d4ab headfirst into danger 9ad9522a55 to save those 62a730c4e4 left behind—even when 806d457eeb everyone tells him 574f0e3a85 not to. When it looks like 4821fd7461 there’s no way out, 6b86735253 he observes his surroundings, 91a1ec4c68 finds a loophole, and d528fe4648 creates a miracle. That’s the kind 8644e75fa5 of person Sean 062567d019 was.d71279da4f4753d3

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And a great protagonist 9dff3bf03d always has people who 548a729808 love him.af60a6f504fe26dc

Lane Surf was 4723c7f1dd one of the 8b7e53c2ca supporting characters orbiting b7a5b9d174 around that hero. In an action 622e345218 movie, he might’ve cc86752b09 been a passing fa094c499e extra who helped 677536168a out in one 4084410b3f scene before fading aba9a8e6d5 away. In a 444e816814 disaster movie, e72fb20526 maybe he’d bf9b4cc2cb have a 089bb2012e slightly more 6817294c5d memorable supporting c233a1f427 role.ea3d1f84b1691ab7

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In a horror 675eac702f movie, though—he might 315f74d488 finally aim for bd8bb61b10 a lead role. That genre prizes 0a6309de50 unpredictability, killing off 3dd14a091f characters who look 010188d719 like protagonists, and 5e901dd076 letting someone like 3ea5a2644e Lane—quiet, unnoticed—slip through 624f6b808d and survive.db00d306387977f2

Fans of niche 5d5275e17d horror always had bea152328a a strange mindset: ce29996c39 the higher the 02d9ed5c9e body count, the 681c0d5fd1 more beautiful the 4af9abd883 story. Horror movies where 96084f133e the protagonist survives 3ce6c154fb too well aren’t 10c687bdbf considered art. The most poetic endings 38ab5f0574 are the ones where 513f07e2a7 surviving is worse than 06d8ca9ff8 dying.c38dc28b5b57dab1

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But that kind 29fe01c1b4 of world doesn’t 815dc881ba suit Sean at 342efef818 all.cc733e9aca32deda