LITTLE BENTON (PLANNED)

Little Benton

Before he was chasing Shelly, managing dive boats, navigating the wilds of the North, and before he discovered Black Coral, Benton Wilkes was just a shy kid trying to find his footing in a world that felt both dangerously big and wonderfully small. Little Benton is the origin story of a man shaped by the messy, beautiful reality of growing up.

From learning the art of the lie to navigating the intoxicating pull of first crushes and forbidden drinks, Benton’s childhood is a series of vivid, high-stakes episodes. Surrounded by a chaotic family of larger-than-life siblings and friends, he learns to maneuver through life’s unexpected sharp turns. His world is filled with extremes: the terror of bullies and the heartbreak of rejection, the chilling moment of coming face-to-face with a rattlesnake in a rock crevice, the haunting mystery of a friend’s abduction, and the sobering reality of death.

Yet, for every hardship, there is a thrill. Between the adrenaline of swim team victories, the height of backyard bike ramps, the quiet conquest of tree climbing, and the solitary, unsupervised crack of a gun in his own backyard, Benton is constantly tested. He is a middle child in a household that loves hard and lives louder. It is a story of grit, discovery, and the small, pivotal moments that transform a cautious boy into the man he is destined to become.