A Boy and His Monster
Characters
Nick
As a child Nicky is quite small for his age. Often bullied for his size, Nicky becomes isolated from his classmates and resentful of the adults who fail to protect him. As an adult he drops the childish “y” from his name, only answering to Nick. Nick in the present is quiet and reserved, burnt out and broke. Nick has buried his guilt over how he treated and abandoned GORP, nearly blocking the entire thing out of his mind.
His repressed feelings of guilt express themselves in self-destructive tendencies and self-harm instincts. GORP and Nick share a psychic connection, something above feelings but below words. Nick is also the only one who can understand GORP. As their relationship became violent and toxic Nick’s inability to deal with this lead to his abandonment of GORP.
GORP
GORP is a creature of unknown origins. Nicky finds him in the Treehouse, injured and alone. Nicky treats GORP’s wounds and it quickly becomes attached to Nicky and to Nicky alone. Together they form a psychic link where they unwittingly share something above feelings but below words.
We see Gorp in transition from a cute and cuddly companion, to a terrifying and massive monster living in the sewers.
Adam Knight
In 1997 Adam was Nicky and Luca’s childhood bully, though that’s not how he remembers it. he never resorted to beating anyone up, instead preferred tormenting the boys with constant belittling insults and small acts of violence.As the Deputy Sheriff, he sees his position as an opportunity to protect the community he grew up in, by any means necessary. He enjoys pushing the boundaries of his authority in order to maintain civility within his city.
Barb
Barb is Nick’s older sister. As a child, she had little time for her brother, being more concerned with her budding social life than her wayward brother. When Nick returns home in 2026 his crashed-out state alarms Barb. Feeling immense guilt having grown distant from her little brother she focuses her energy on fostering a relationship with him. Living with Nick again presents a strange challenge for Barb, reminding her of their childhood experiences and forcing her to reexamine how she’s treated Nick in the past.
