Finn Atwood

* Ghost
* Child
* Toddler

> How many versions of me are out there right now, alive, because they were smarter than me, or faster, or braver, or stronger than me?
> (to Asa Mayfield)
>
>

**Griffin "Finn" Orion Atwood** is a major character in Frozen Pines.

## Physical Appearance

* Alive
* Ghost
##### Alive

As a toddler and a very young child, Finn was given a bowl cut and dressed in mostly denim overalls. As he got older, Finn was still small for his age and appeared even younger than his age of twelve. To combat this appearance, he dressed in clothing that made him look older and more mature, such as leather jackets and large boots. He had bruises on his face and hands more often than not, either from his father or from fighting with his classmates.##### Ghost

Because Finn has no physical body, he "grows" alongside Asa by appearance. When Asa first met him, Finn couldn't even change his own outfit, but over time, he has been able to change his clothes and appear older. He prefers to wear muted earth tones, flannels, and jeans. As of yet, Finn is the only ghost who appears to be "solid" (ie. not translucent) in Asa's eyes, though he is still invisible to others. The exception to this rule is when Caroline is able to see Finn in the background of a few photographs.
## Personality

Finn is incredibly crafty, resourceful, and independent. In life, he had a preoccupation with appearing tough, which led to him struggling to maintain friendships with his peers. Despite this, he has a big heart and feels emotions deeply. His experiences have made interpersonal relationships harder, but he has put in a lot of effort to distance himself from the closed-off, explosive personality he used to have. He has been known to put himself in danger to save Asa from harm.

## Childhood

    Though Finn's childhood would not have been considered "easy" by any means, his earliest years were average and largely uneventful. His parents, Lucy and Richard, were barely scraping by, which led to the family living with relatives and in trailer parks for many years. When Finn (known only as "Griffin" at this time) was three, he briefly lived with his paternal Grandma (Richard's mother), and they remained close for the rest of her life. Eventually, Richard found a well-paying factory job and was able to afford a place to settle down in; the infamous Atwood Residence. It was a large house, split into four separate units. The Atwoods rented the bottom left floor, across from Steven Porter and his parents. The two units above them occupied many different residents that moved in and out frequently. Griffin and Steven became fast friends, being the same age and enjoying similar things, such as NASCAR racing, movies, and rock music. A short while after moving in, Richard began drinking heavily alongside Steven's father, Chris Porter. It wasn't long before Richard began to emulate the physical and emotional abuse that his own father had subjected him to. He had always had a short temper, but he had never gotten physical with Griffin until he was deep in the throes of addiction and subsequent financial troubles. This abuse became yet another thing Griffin and Steven bonded over. For a while, it was them against the world. They even considered each other to be brothers. This made their bitter falling-out even more devastating.

    As Griffin got older, his life got progressively more difficult, and his personality changed accordingly. He became like a chameleon, able to act however he needed to act in order to gain an advantage. On the weekends, he would don a Boy Scouts uniform he had stolen from the school's lost and found, and would go door-to-door selling candy bars in the wealthier neighborhoods. Everyone loved to see him, including Rosalynn Camellia and Isa Delavina, who purchased candy bars every single week. He hid his profits under his bed with the intentions of running away someday. Conversely, at school, he was tough and not to be messed with. He was known to carry a pack of cigarettes around in his back pocket by the age of ten – though he didn't smoke, he wanted everyone to believe he did. He was bullied for his size and young age, but he would fight back ruthlessly, often leaving his bullies in a worse state than Griffin himself. His teachers were disappointed to see him becoming someone so different to the sweet, thoughtful boy they had first met. The bruises he came to school with were also hard to ignore. Multiple calls to CPS were made, and though Griffin was assigned a social worker, nothing changed at home. Griffin had long-since given up on regaining the relationship he used to have with his father. Throughout all of this, Lucy Atwood remained emotionally distant from her son. And after Griffin's beloved grandmother passed away from cancer, he had no positive influences left in his life. Something had to give.

## Death & Investigation

On the morning of March 13th, 1982, a frantic call was made at a payphone outside scenic L'eau State Park. On the call was Lucy Atwood, desperately trying to get ahold of her sister, Etta, who lived in New York at the time. "Griffin is gone," Lucy said, through her overwhelming panic. "We woke up and he was gone. All his stuff is still here, but my baby is *gone!*" The call hadn't lasted long after this. Etta insisted that Lucy call the police. At the same time, Richard Atwood was making a call of his own. This one was to his good friend, Chris Porter. Unlike Etta, Chris urged Richard not to call the police yet. He and his wife had been having troubles with Child Protective Services in regards to their son, Steven, and Chris didn't want his friends to go through the same legal battles. Richard agreed. Quickly, he told Lucy to get off the phone, and she listened. For another six hours, the two of them combed through the woods looking for their missing son, to no avail. It was only when the sun began to set that they finally reported Griffin as missing.

L'eau State Park is a secluded, vast stretch of wilderness in Brindleton Bay. Despite it's beauty, it's visited mostly by locals, rather than tourists. Camping, fishing, and hunting are extremely common in this area. This was the reason for The Atwood's visit on March 12th. Originally, Griffin and Richard were planning to have a "boy's weekend", however Lucy wasn't working that weekend, so she decided to join. The last time anyone outside the Atwood family saw Griffin, he was packing camping gear into the back of his father's truck. He seemed to be in good spirits as he happily chatted with his neighbors, though he was visibly bruised from an altercation the previous night. As Griffin waved goodbye to his elderly neighbor, someone he considered a friend, he said, "I'll see you when I see you."

When police were finally called about Griffin's disappearance, a large chunk of the crucial first 48 hours had already been lost. Police organized large search parties on foot and with canine units (a very new technique for the times). They were hopeful that Griffin may have wandered off and been hiding somewhere, but as the days went on with no sign of him, police began to treat Griffin's disappearance as "suspicious". While searches continued, candlelight vigils were being held by concerned locals, friends of Griffin, and family members who had flown in from elsewhere. Richard and Lucy Atwood were notably missing. The media picked up on this immediately; some outlets vilified them for not speaking out, while some sympathized with their grief and fear. Two weeks after Griffin went missing, the Atwoods agreed to their first press conference, during which an officer informed them that Griffin's body had been found. The video became notorious for the way that Richard and Lucy seem to show no emotion.

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The following may contain disturbing or graphic content.

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On March 27th, 1982, a fisherman discovered Griffin's body near a creek in L'eau State Park. He was found in a state of active, but not advanced, decay, meaning he was still recognizable by appearance alone, and it was very obvious that there had been a physical altercation before Griffin's death. Despite his numerous injuries, he was lying flat on his back with his arms spread out like wings. Thus, the nickname "Angel of the Bay" was born. An expert was called to the scene to examine his body where it was found, so as not to disturb evidence. An overwhelming amount of defensive wounds were discovered. Many bones in his right foot were broken, likely from kicking his attacker even after his shoes had fallen off in the struggle. His shoes were later found on a cliff above the area where his body was found. Eight of his teeth were missing, a few of which were found near his shoes, but the rest have not been recovered. Griffin had bitten through his own tongue. Nearly all of his fingers were damaged, and his right wrist was fractured. There were also large gashes on both forearms, where Griffin had likely put his arms up to protect his face. His cheeks were covered in deep scratches and his skull was cracked near his temple. His left ear was severely damaged. These injuries are consistent with a rock that the attacker had likely found on-site, though the rock, or any other possible murder weapon, has never been found. It is thought that the attack was not planned ahead of time, due to the perpetrator lacking a real weapon. No signs of sexual assault were found. Due to the shoes and teeth found at the top of a cliff edge, and the location of his body being directly underneath it, it is theorized that Griffin was attacked at the top, and was pushed off the side. Contents of his stomach imply that he survived for at least a day before succumbing to his injuries. It's possible that Griffin was still alive while recovery teams began searching nearby, but his hearing was too damaged to know they were calling for him.

**THEORIES**

**↪** One motive that was earnestly explored was that Griffin may have been killed for a Satanic ritual. This theory arose because Griffin was found wearing a cross necklace that had been flipped upside down on his chest. The largely Christian town of Brindleton Bay was already on edge due to the Nationwide rise of Satanic Panic , and the idea of a child being murdered for any other reason than Satanic intervention seemed too difficult to believe. The media cashed in on this theory, stoking the fire of fear in parents' minds until, finally, the police state that the necklace had not been placed upside down, it had naturally fallen in that direction.

**↪** Another theory is that Griffin was a victim of bullying gone too far. Once Griffin started Junior High, he was disliked by most of his classmates, and he had been the target of harassment for at least two years prior to his death. Griffin was never afraid to fight back, often getting into fights at school, though he would have been no match against an entire group of older boys. This could explain Griffin's many defensive wounds. This theory has largely fallen out of favor, because none of Griffin's classmates were observed to have injuries consistent with an attack of this nature. However, this can't be proven, because no classmates were interviewed until Griffin's body was found, which was two weeks after the attack. Any injuries could have faded before that time.
**↪** Yet another theory involves Griffin being met with foul play as he attempted to escape Brindleton Bay. Perhaps he had willingly gone somewhere with a stranger, only to be attacked once he was out of hearing distance of his parents. His cousin is quoted as saying: "Griffin would have gotten in the car with just about anyone who offered to take him away from his parents". Adding to this is the fact that he had packed a bag with more clothes than he would have needed for a short camping trip, and he'd brought a stack of money that he'd been collecting. However, he left this bag in the tent before he walked away from the campsite, leading the investigators to believe that he had not planned on being gone long. Many campers reported seeing a grey, red, or black truck circling around L'eau State Park in the days leading up to Griffin's death. It hadn't seemed suspicious at the time, but in hindsight, it seemed that the man in the truck could have been scoping out the area for nefarious reasons. Witness statements regarding the make, model, and color of this truck have been confused or lost in the police files for one reason or another. It was even thought that the truck could have been red and was painted black after Griffin's murder. Nothing regarding this truck has been confirmed by police, though they are still looking into it. It's possible that the truck belonged to Chris Porter, considering that when he took his own life, he also set his truck on fire, just days after being re-questioned in regards to Griffin's death.

**↪** Finally, the most common theory is that Griffin's parents were involved in his death. The abuse Griffin faced was well-known by everyone in town. Neighbors frequently reported hearing verbal and physical abuse, and CPS was already heavily involved with the Atwood family, though they had relaxed their surveillance prior to Griffin's death. Richard, in particular, was very abusive. He struggled with alcoholism and PTSD from the abuse his own father had acted on him, which he took out on Griffin. Though Lucy did not get physical with her son, she was complicit in his suffering and actively encouraged him not to tell anyone what was going on at home. Lucy had her own demons, including severe depression and substance abuse. In the months leading up to Griffin's death, she had switched medications, leading her to become mostly apathetic to the world around her. It's possible that Richard had been physically beating Griffin and had gone too far, due to the alcohol and drugs he had used. Normally, Griffin wouldn't fight back against his father, but if he felt that his life was being threatened, he might have. This could have set Richard off even further. Lucy may not have wanted to get involved until it was too late. However, there are many factors discounting this theory. First, the attack did not take place at the Atwood's campsite, but rather a few miles away from it. It's unlikely that Richard would have taken Griffin all the way out into the woods to abuse him. Second, both Richard and Lucy were under the influence of alcohol and oxycodone, which both have a sedative effect, especially when mixed. It is unlikely that either of them would have been lucid and coherent enough to walk a mile through the woods, let alone to carry out such a brutal attack on Griffin, who clearly fought back against his attacker(s). Additionally, Lucy and Richard were both photographed following Griffin's disappearance, and neither of them had any defensive or self-inflicted injuries that would be expected from a fight of this nature.
**CLOSING AND RE-OPENING THE INVESTIGATION**

Once the media attention surrounding Griffin's case began to die down, so too did the credible leads. This, combined with misplaced evidence, a failure to interview witnesses in a timely manner, and a "guilty until proven innocent" mindset regarding Griffin's parents, led to the investigation being administratively closed after just two years. By 1984, Lucy and Richard Atwood moved away from Brindleton Bay to escape the reputation and grief that hung over them like a dark cloud. Griffin's cousin, Elizabeth Atwood has become his loudest advocate. She spent decades trying to get his story back out into the media, hoping the renewed interest would lead to justice. In 2019, her wish was granted, as Griffin's case was reopened under new administration. BBPD has been quiet about any new leads they may be following up on, but they have dispelled many rumors that have flown through the years, and they have stated that they are committed to finding Griffin's murderer, no matter how much time has passed.

## Afterlife

It is unknown how Finn ended up as a ghost, though there are many indications that he made the choice not to "move on". Immediately after his death, he began following his cousin, Elizabeth Gardner, around. At first, she could not hear or see him, but as weeks went on, she started to hear things that she interpreted as hallucinations. She was only fifteen when she asked her mother to check her into a psychiatric facility for in-patient treatment, at which point, Finn felt guilty and decided to leave her alone. He hadn't meant to cause her any trouble, he was just lonely. Upon realizing that no one could or wanted to see him, Finn returned to his burial spot and fell into a deep state of "unconsciousness" in The Nowhere. He was trapped in this nothingness for decades, unaware of time passing in the real world. When he finally woke up and realized where he was, he fought desperately to escape. He spent some time re-living his worst memories, finally gaining the strength to escape. He later tells Asa that "things always happen when [he] gets angry" (ref?).

Killing Aileen: TBD.

## Alternate Realities

Throughout Frozen Pines, Asa has encountered several "alternate universe" versions of Finn. Each of them are distinct in personality and environment, depending on how they escaped their death and what they did with their lives after.

### NYC Griffin

    The first alternate version of Finn that Asa ever met was Griffin in New York City, 1989. In this case, Griffin had escaped his home environment at the age of 12 and had lived with his aunt, Etta Gardner, and his cousin, Elizabeth Gardner for a few years. They treated him well, but he never felt like he truly fit in, so he hit the road again at the age of 15. He hitchhiked around the country for a while, meeting Jeremy. They traveled together for a while, though Jeremy's free-loving spirit caught up to him eventually, and he disappeared again. Griffin began working as a traveling carnival worker, where he shared a trailer with a self-proclaimed psychic, and he picked up some of her slight-of-hand skills. At some point, Griffin acquired a motorcycle. He returned to New York soon after, and was homeless for a while, before reconnecting with Jeremy and finding an apartment with him and two other friends. He soon began a career as a master pick-pocketer and con artist. He was able to use his area and time period to his advantage; Due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, many men would visit the West Village in secret, meaning they wouldn't file a police report if they were robbed. When Asa finds him, he is in the middle of robbing a man. Griffin then teaches Asa how to pick-pocket like a pro. Later, after talking for hours, Griffin asks if he can kiss Asa, and Asa rejects him, knowing that the "real" Finn would be upset if he did.

### 1994 Griffin

When Asa goes back to 1994 in an attempt to save Alana Moore's life, he meets another version of Griffin. It is unknown how he escaped his death. He stayed in Brindleton Bay, attended Police Academy Training while acquiring his bachelor's in Behavioral Science, which allowed him to become a Victim's Advocate focused on survivors of child abuse. He was recently married to Jules Atwood, and they are now expecting their first child. His wife appears to be happy with their marriage. When Asa appears in this universe, Griffin immediately recognizes him, despite the impossibility of this. He explains that Asa appeared to Griffin when he was a child. Asa gave him two rules. Suddenly, Griffin receives a call from his boss, informing him that there is an incident occurring at Ramona Beach that he needs to attend to. Asa finds Finn and together they follow a line of ambulances to the beach.

## Relationships

### Friends

* Stevie Donovan - Though they can talk only through whiteboards, Finn and Stevie maintain a close friendly relationship. They often gossip about Asa or discuss history (especially in relation to space). Finn occasionally spends the night in Stevie's room, with her permission, because she likes to sleep with the TV on and Finn likes to catch up on all the media he's missed through the years.
* Steven Porter *(previously)* -

### Family

* Richard Atwood - *Father*.
* Lucy Atwood - *Mother*.
* Etta Atwood - *Aunt*.
* Elizabeth Atwood - *Cousin*. Liz was a few years older than Finn and she lived hours away, but the two enjoyed each other's company whenever they were together. After Finn's death, Liz became an advocate for his murder investigation.
* Grandma Bessie - *Paternal grandma*. Bessie died when Finn was a child. They had been very close, despite his grandma's strict religious nature, which Finn has never shared, though he was happy to attend church with her. Before her death, Bessie gave Finn a cross necklace, which he wore every day until his own death.
* Grandpa Don - *Paternal grandpa*. Don was married to Bessie before dying relatively young. Presumably, Don was abusive towards his wife and son, because Richard compared his own childhood to Finn's during brief moments of self-awareness. Otherwise, hardly anyone talked about Don, and Finn never met him.

### Romantic

* Asa Mayfield - *Boyfriend*. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum sit amet nisl et nibh dictum malesuada. Cras vitae nibh bibendum, finibus erat a, fringilla velit. Donec interdum eros sed eros imperdiet pulvinar. Etiam aliquet nunc nec nisi tincidunt fringilla. Nunc quis eros semper, finibus erat a, egestas ligula. Donec vitae euismod eros, id feugiat libero. Aenean non ante vel ligula ullamcorper hendrerit. Quisque dapibus dui lorem, et consequat tortor posuere et. Maecenas quam purus, sagittis vel orci sit amet, accumsan finibus magna. Nam id auctor odio. Donec sed nunc non leo iaculis dignissim eu ut turpis. Integer nec tellus accumsan, pretium elit dignissim, vestibulum dui. Praesent mattis lacinia nunc vel consequat. Fusce rutrum neque eu elit eleifend, a porta nisl luctus.

### Enemies

* Officer Andrews - Finn's relationship with his neighborhood beat cop was complicated. He distrusted Andrews, often shouting at him or running away from him. When Andrews was the one to arrest Richard Atwood for the first time, Finn's hatred for him grew. He describes Andrews as a "creep" and states that he only pretended to care about Finn as a way to exert power over him. However, Finn's desperation to escape his home environment led him to ask Andrews to secretly drive him to New York, which Andrews agreed to do. The day they planned to leave was the very day in which Finn died, though it is unknown if Andrews had anything to do with it.
* *Many Classmates* - Finn did not get along with most of his classmates after he finished elementary school. He got in frequent fights with other children.

## Trivia

* Finn was inspired by Finny from A Separate Peace by John Knowles, however as early planning progressed, his character began to divert more and more from Finny's blueprint. The only similarity left is his name!
* According to Asa, Finn smells like bergamot.

## Gallery

Steven Porter (left), shortly before Griffin's death.

## Notes & References

1. ↑ https://softpine.tumblr.com/post/652545516033409024
2. ↑ https://softpine.tumblr.com/post/613773625804341248
3. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/us/satanic-panic.html
4. ↑ https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5148.A\_Separate\_Peace
5. ↑ https://softpine.tumblr.com/post/636314784157040640