Crystal

Hi there! :D You can call me Crystal. I'm a writer. Of fanfiction, specifically. I don’t know how it started, it just happened and by now it's My Thing. I have many fics going on, they're AUs about Jacksepticeye and his ego boys. There's a new story posted every Sunday, 12PM MST. Stay and read a few if you like, or just vibe with all the other random stuff I reblog. Either way, have fun ^-^ The Switch AU The Inverted AU Fantasy Masks AU SepticHeroes AU Paranormal Preteens The Stitched AU (finished) The PW Timeline (finished) Masterlist Link for Mobile Users Enjoy your stay! ^-^

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Return to Aspen Street

Switch AU

A JSE Fanfic

Hehehehehehe I'm so excited, guys :D We're building up to the climax of this whole entire AU. Granted, it'll take a hot minute and a lot more chapters to actually get there, but consider this the foothills at the bottom of the mountain. I'm so excited for what's to come, and I think this chapter did a good job starting the buildup. I don't even want to keep talking, let's just get to it! All of the guys get ready to rush to the house on Aspen Street before Distorter returns there with Anti. Hopefully, they can catch him by surprise. Their plan is loose, and not fully formed, but this might be their best chance. Hehehehe enjoy the chapter!! :D

More of This AU | | First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Read on AO3 under CrystalNinjaPhoenix

———————

“I’m going to be honest, I don’t know exactly when we’ll be back. We didn’t fully form this plan, but I-I don’t think we were expecting to need it so soon!” Jackie double-checked his first aid kit, making it was stocked full of supplies. Then he checked his phone, opening up the group chat and glancing through the messages one more time, like he’d been doing every couple minutes ever since Anti sent his warning.

“Do you know how long you’ll be gone, Dad?” Michelle asked, swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the kitchen chair.

“Do you?” Rama asked, raising an eyebrow.

“...no.” Jackie looked back up at Rama, standing near the front door, then over to Michelle in the kitchen. “The house on Aspen Street is... weird. But I-I think this, hopefully, won’t take more than a day or so. If I’m not back by this time tomorrow...” He trailed off.

“If you’re not back, I’ll be coming after you,” Rama said firmly. “I’m not going to let you throw yourself into this situation with no backup.”

Jackie laughed a little. “I... really appreciate that, Ramram. A-and I really appreciate that you’re willing to stay behind with Michelle.”

“I can look after myself,” Michelle piped up. “I’m almost ten! And Ren showed me how to make instant noodles in the microwave! So I can make food.”

Jackie chuckled a little. “I remember. And I’m still impressed.” He glanced back down at his phone again, but no new messages had come in. The last one was from Marvin, reading, We’ll pick you up, Jackie. I don’t think we’re that far away. Jems says he’s okay to drive and he’ll honk when we get close. Jackie could’ve driven himself, but he wanted to leave the car for Rama in case of an emergency. So now he was just waiting for JJ and Marvin to show up.

Rama leaned over to look at the phone. “Didn’t you say that Jameson was getting a tattoo today? You know, you really should rest after that.”

“I know.” Jackie nodded. “But this is an emergency. I’m sure JJ knows what he’s doing.”

“I hope he does. Tattoos are essentially a bunch of really tiny wounds. And you’re a doctor, Jackie, you know how serious a bunch of wounds can be.”

“I know,” Jackie said again. “But...” He hesitated. “We might not get a chance like this again...”

“Uncle JJ has magic, he’ll be fine!” Michelle piped up.

Jackie smiled at her. “Good point, Michelle.” Jameson did have some form of healing magic. And these were magical tattoos he was getting. Surely he and Marvin knew what they were doing. Surely.

“Is there any word on Will?” Rama asked, concerned. Receiving a single text from Anti and no elaboration since then has really made the group worried about him. If something happened to Anti—which is extremely possible, given his text-based silence—then was Will alright?

“No, nothing ye—” Jackie started to say, but was interrupted by the swoop of a message sound. He glanced down at the phone in his hand. “Oh. Well, uh... speak of the devil...”

———————

Schneep had also leapt into action upon receiving the text, starting by asking countless questions that weren’t answered, as Anti seemingly disappeared right after sending the go message. He gave up on that once it became clear Anti wasn’t there anymore, instead directing the questions to everyone else. Do you even know what magic you need to use for this? he asked. The last I heard we still had not found anything actually helpful!

Admittedly no, Marvin said, speaking on behalf of him and JJ since JJ was driving the car. But Anti is in danger *now.* We have to try something at least, right? I have my cards on me, and Jems always has his magic, so we can improvise. You and Jackie just need to gather whatever supplies you need, too.

What supplies did they need? Jackie quickly volunteered to bring his first aid kit, but what did Schneep need to bring? He spent about ten minutes frantically searching through his superhero gadgets, testing them out and finding that most were broken from disuse and lack of maintenance. Ugh, just another thing that was IRIS’s fault! Though, the previous times he’d gone into the house on Aspen Street, he hadn’t run into any environments that would need most of these things... It was the inside of a house, there were no great heights that would require his longfall supports or climbing gear. And his shocking gloves were redundant these days. Maybe he could take his smoke bombs? But those were broken!

After a bit, he gave up on any of the gadgets. Most were useless, and the ones that seemed useful were broken. But there was one thing he did take. He rummaged around in his wardrobe, reaching to the very back, and found his hero costume. He hadn’t taken it when he’d left the city; the point was to lay low, so he thought he didn’t need it. That didn’t stop him from doing some stakeout work anyway (he just couldn’t stand by), which eventually led to him getting caught by IRIS. But he was glad he left it behind now. After all, if he’d worn it to that IRIS stakeout, they probably would’ve confiscated it once he got captured.

He barely managed to finish changing into his costume when the doorbell rang.

Schneep froze, still in the middle of adjusting the coat so it was comfortable. Who the hell could that be? People didn’t normally come up to his apartment, and he said he was going to meet the others near the house on Aspen Street, so it wasn’t any of them. Silently, he crept up to the door and peered through the peephole... but saw nobody.

Or at least, he didn’t see anybody at first. There was another knock on the door, and then a figure backed away from it, looking left and right in confusion. A redheaded boy—was that Will?

His instincts said this could be a trick. But... he could see through those illusions now. And even if he couldn’t, Distorter was probably busy with Anti. So Schneep opened the door and peered out. “Will?”

“Volt!” Will said, eyes snapping back towards him.

“Ah, no ‘Volt’ in the hallway,” Schneep said idly. “What are you doing here? Are you okay?”

“...I-I-I’m fine,” Will stammered... but Schneep could see the redness in his eyes, the sort that came from recent crying. “I—there was—Do you know the password?”

“The what?” Schneep blinked.

“Right, I-I guess Dad wouldn’t tell anyone else...” Will laughed a little, the sound wet. “Um, it’s Dad. That gray man, Distorter, h-h-he—” His voice hitched. “C-can I come inside?”

“Of course.” Schneep stepped aside, and Will hurried in. He was still wearing his school uniform and carrying his backpack. But most local schools have been out for at least two hours by now. “What happened? Oh, hang on, I have to let the others know you are here.” He took out his phone. “We were worried about you. Anti sent us a warning.”

“He did?!” Will’s eyes went wide.

“Yes, only a few minutes ago.” Schneep sent his message, then scrolled up to Anti’s. “At 5:01, apparently.”

“Th-th-that was probably right after the bus drove away...” Will said quietly.

“The bus?” Schneep prompted.

Will nodded, wringing his hands. He quickly stammered through an explanation of everything that happened, starting with how Distorter used a school staff member to make Anti think Will was in trouble, and ending with Distorter pulling a similar trick with a hypnotized bus driver, separating the father and son.

“That sounds awful, Will,” Schneep whispered. “B-but it is going to be okay. We have a plan.”

“Yeah, Dad... mentioned that a little bit...” Will said slowly. “A-are you... going to go after him?”

Schneep nodded. “Of course we are.”

Will slumped in relief at that. “Uh... your phone was beeping.”

“Oh, right.” Schneep looked at his text messages. It seems Jackie and Marvin had both responded to his message about Will.

Hes THERE?! Jackie said. How did he get there by himself?! Is he okay?

He would have told us if Will wasn’t okay, Marvin said. I think he’s safe, and thank god for that.

Schneep decided to quickly reply. He is fine, just a bit shaken. It seems Distorter found a loophole in our protection charms: controlling people other than ourselves. He gave a quick summary of Will’s story. Distorter lured Anti out of his flat by having someone else call him, and Anti pretended to be controlled. They went to the bus stop to get Will and Anti grabbed him and ran. Distorter chased, but they thought they lost him. Until Will got onto a bus and Distorter controlled the driver to take him away. It seems Anti told Will my address before then, so he found his way here eventually.

Jems says he’s very brave and clever, Marvin reported.

Im just glad hes okay, Jackie said. Rama said they could drive over to your place to pick him up, schneep. They can watch him and mich here.

Schneep glanced at Will, who was pacing back and forth during this whole exchange, trying not to appear as nervous as he was. “Are you okay with Rama picking you up and taking you to their house?”

“Yeah... I guess so,” Will said slowly. “That’s where me and Michelle usually stay while you guys do all this, huh?”

Schneep blinked. “Are you... upset that you cannot come, Will?”

“I... I’m just... worried about Dad,” Will said slowly. “He was really... freaked out. In like, that way that’s how he specifically freaks out. D’you know that?”

“I... think so...” Schneep said slowly. “But do not worry.” He put a hand on Will’s shoulder, squeezing it. “Anti is very strong, and with these magic charms, Distorter cannot influence him, or any of us. He will be okay. And so will you.”

Will nodded. He looked up at Schneep. “Promise to make sure he’s okay. And, uh, all the rest of you, too. You guys... you have to...” His eyes welled up. “Y-you guys have to c-come back soon, o-okay? I d-don’t want—I-I don’t want any of you to disappear suddenly again.”

In moments like these, Schneep was reminded that although Will was mature for his age, he was still a kid. He nodded seriously down at him. “I promise, all of us will do everything in our power to get back soon. Hopefully, we will be back before the night is over.”

“...okay.” Will let out a breath. “You promised. So I’m gonna remember that.”

“I would expect so,” Schneep chuckled. He turned back to the phone. Will is okay with Rama picking him up. Should I leave him here and hurry to meet you guys?

They debated over text for a bit, but ultimately, Will said he’d be fine waiting in Schneep’s apartment for Rama. “You have the magic protection thing here, too, right? I’ll be fine. You have to get to the house fast!” he said. And so, Schneep headed out, after quickly giving Will instructions on what he could and couldn’t touch in the apartment. Unlike the others, who had a car to get around, he was going to be stuck with walking and public transportation, so he had to hurry. He pulled a long dark coat on over his hero outfit and headed to the nearest bus stop.

———————

It was a short detour for JJ and Marvin to pick up Jackie. Part of it was probably because Jameson was driving unusually fast. He wasn’t a speeder by any means, but this was important! Once they arrived at Jackie’s house, JJ honked on the horn.

“It sounds like they’re outside,” Rama said.

“Yeah, sounds like.” Jackie took a deep breath. He walked over to Michelle and gave her a quick, tight hug. “I’ll be back by tomorrow.”

“...you promise?” Michelle asked, looking up at him with wide, nervous eyes.

Jackie smiled. “I promise. And when I’m back, we can watch anything you want. I know you’ve wanted me and Ren to watch that Supergirl show, right?”

Michelle nodded. “Yeah. Okay. W-we can do that!”

Jackie let go of her and turned around, and was immediately greeted by Rama. They looked at him, and Jackie gave them a hug, too, which they returned, squeezing him tight. “You be careful, Jackieboy,” they whispered. “Mi corazon.”

“I will,” Jackie whispered, leaning back. “I will.” He leaned in again for a brief kiss, then pulled back, double-checking his bag as an excuse to hide the worried tears in his eyes.

Rama squeezed his arm. “You got this,” they said. “Now go. Their car is probably blocking the drive, you guys have to leave first before we can go get Will.”

“Right, right.” Jackie nodded. “I... I love you.”

“I love you too,” Rama said. “But stop making this sound so final.”

Jackie laughed. “Okay, okay. I won’t say goodbye, then. Just... see you soon.”

“See you soon,” Rama repeated, smiling gently.

With that, Jackie hurried out of the house, making a beeline for the car parked in the drive. He opened up the back seat and climbed inside, looking up to see JJ and Marvin both turned in their seats, staring back at him. “Ready to go,” he said. “Hey, uh... how’d the tattoo appointment go?”

Well enough, JJ said, wincing slightly as he signed.

Jackie blinked, noting that. “It still hurts, doesn’t it?”

Yes, but this is an emergency, JJ said. Don’t worry, it doesn’t hurt THAT much.

“...it doesn’t?” Jackie narrowed his eyes.

Don’t you trust me to know how my own body feels? JJ asked.

“I do, but I also know that you’d push on regardless anyway if you thought you had to.”

Marvin laughed. “He’s got you t’ere, Jems.”

Jameson made a face. Well in this case, I promise I can manage. It smarts, but I can handle it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need my hands to drive. He turned back around in his seat, putting the car in gear.

“Right, yeah, don’t let me stop you.” Jackie nodded. “We... we need to get there soon. Anti texted us like, what, forty-five minutes ago?”

“More like forty,” Marvin said, checking their messages. “But if he was over by his apartment when he wrote t’at, it’ll take him even longer t’ walk to Aspen Street. I doubt Distorter woul’ let him take th’ bus or train t’ere. So we’re still makin’ time. We wan’ to be t’ere before they arrive?”

“Ideally,” Jackie agreed. “Though I guess not necessarily? But the whole idea is to surprise Distorter, so... he might see us coming if we’re late...”

“We’ll hurry, t’en,” Marvin said.

JJ nodded decisively, stepping on the gas a little harder than he normally would have.

———————

They picked up Schneep on the way, arriving at the bus station in the suburbs just as the bus he’d come here on was pulling away. He didn’t say anything upon getting in the car other than a cursory hello. His expression was tense. Their upcoming mission must’ve been heavy on his mind. And, as the car started to wind further through the roads towards Aspen Street, it began to weigh down on the other three as well. Silence fell in the car as everyone began mentally preparing for what was to come.

Until... they saw something unusual on one street corner.

“Is that... Jack?” Marvin asked slowly. “And Stacy?”

Jackie and Schneep leaned to the side in unison. “Where?” Schneep asked.

“T’ere.” Marvin pointed. Sure enough, Jack and Stacy were standing right under the street sign for this intersection, with Stacy bouncing on her feet and Jack looking up and down the road. He spotted the approaching car quickly and began waving them down. “Uh, Jems?”

Jameson nodded, having the same curious thought Marvin was. He pulled to the side of the road and rolled down the window, looking at the two of them with a puzzled expression.

“So you guys were coming this way,” Stacy said with a sigh. “I was starting to get nervous.”

“What are ye doin’ out here?” Marvin asked.

Schneep rolled down his window in the back as well. “Are you two waiting for us? Did you know we were coming?” He took out his phone. “I am pretty sure Anti only sent the message in the chat with the five of us.”

“Anti sent you a message?” Jack asked, blinking in confusion.

“Oh, okay, you definitely didn’t get it if you’re that confused,” Jackie said.

“But t’en how and why are ye here waitin’ for us?” Marvin asked.

“Well, there’s a simple answer to that! ...sort of.” Jack held his pocket open, and Sam flew out. “We were just chilling at home when Sam jumped up and started insisting we had to meet you guys, saying you’d probably be heading to that Aspen Street house.”

JJ tilted his head to the side curiously. Really? Did they say WHY? Or did you just listen immediately?

“Of course we asked questions,” Stacy said defensively. “Me more than Jack, admittedly. I forgot about Sam’s, um... future vision powers.”

“It’s not really that,” Jack clarified. “It’s just that sometimes they get a feeling. Like, there’s a foreboding feeling, or whatever. They know when something bad will probably happen, and they know what to do to avoid that. They told me now that me and Stacy really needed to be here.” He tilted his head to the side and glanced towards Sam, who was flying in quick, tight circles in the air. “And now they’re saying that... we can... help you?”

“Help us?” Jackie repeated, blinking. “I, uh... I guess? Maybe? You guys don’t, uh, know what’s going on, though.”

“Not at all,” Stacy confirmed. “But you said something about Anti and a message?”

“Essentially, we are going to ambush Distorter,” Schneep said. “Anti is pretending to be under his control to hopefully lower his guard. When he heads into the house on Aspen Street, we will be there to... to stop him.”

“You... don’t sound too sure about that...” Stacy said slowly.

“Well, our plan is a bit shaky,” Schneep said. “I was expecting us to talk about it some more on the drive here.”

“You were?” Marvin looked back at him in surprise. “Why didn’ you say t’at?! I assumed you didn’ want to talk!”

“Yeah, me too,” Jackie said. “But I guess, uh, JJ wouldn’t have been able to participate much in that discussion anyway, since he needed to drive.”

Schneep blinked. “...ah. Well.”

JJ looked back at everyone. If we hurry, we can beat them to the house on Aspen Street. Then we can talk about what our plan is. We know time magic is the key, we can discuss from there.

“Time magic, huh?” Stacy blinked. “I’m not sure how much we can help with that, actually...” But Sam flew around behind her and began ramming into her, clearly trying to push her towards the car. “Whoa! Okay, okay!”

“Maybe ye can be lookouts,” Marvin suggested. “We’ll need t’ keep the car hidden.” He shuffled the cards in his hands. “I t’ink I have a spell t’at can help, but it’ll mean leavin’ some cards behind. If you two stay behind to keep an eye on th’ cards, and t’en maybe text us to know when Distorter and Anti are comin’... well, t’at woul’ be a real help.”

Jack nodded. “We can do that.”

Alright, get in, JJ said. Schneep, Jackie? You’re going to have to take off your seatbelts and squish together.

Jackie sighed. “Sure. It’s not safe, but at least we’re not that far away.”

Given what we’re going towards, I think the lack of seatbelts isn’t that much of a threat in comparison, JJ said grimly.

Jackie unbuckled his seatbelt and scooted over to the window. “..it’s still a threat,” he grumbled.

You’re undermining my dramatic moment, Jackie! JJ said.

“Good, I was trying to!”

Jack and Stacy piled into the car. The backseat was nowhere near big enough for four adults to sit, so everyone’s legs ended up overlapping as they all partially sat on top of each other. Sam flew into the car once everyone else was in, sitting in one of the cupholders. “Well, at leas’ we have Sam bein’ cute to emotionally support us,” Marvin commented.

JJ laughed slightly before turning his attention to the road.

...

...soon, it was upon them.

The house on Aspen Street looked the same as it always had. Always rundown, always dull, always seemingly lifeless. Nobody else knew that inside the house, space itself seemed to break as the environment turned against you. “You guys have to stick together,” Stacy said upon seeing it. “I-I don’t want to... y-you shouldn’t get split up like last time.”

“When ye came t’ rescue me, righ’?” Marvin asked quietly.

Stacy nodded. “Yeah. We all got separated.”

“Jems has told me abou’ his experiences in t’ere,” Marvin recalled. “It happens whenever ye step over a t’reshold, righ’?” He looked at JJ for confirmation, who nodded, parking the car on the street.

Schneep peered out the window, scanning the area. “I do not see Distorter or Anti,” he reported.

“Maybe they’re inside the house?” Jackie suggested. “Or... hiding in a bush?”

“Those bushes are not substantial enough to hide a person,” Schneep said. “Besides, Distorter would have no reason to hide in them, since he can disappear from everyone’s perception.” Except for Schneep’s, of course. “But yes, he could be inside with Anti. In which case... we will have to be prepared. We need to move fast.”

“And you need to stick together,” Stacy emphasized.

“We’re plannin’ on it,” Marvin said.

JJ turned back to look at everyone else. I think she means more than just... being in a huddled group. Right, Stacy?

Stacy nodded. “If you guys hold onto each other or something, it’ll probably stop the weird house magic from separating you guys.”

Schneep frowns. “That is a good idea... but we cannot hold hands all the time. I, for one, need a hand free to use my power.” His brow furrowed. “Verdammt. I should have brought some of my gear after all, I think the grapple cord could’ve come in handy here.”

You mean... a tether? JJ asked. I could try to connect us with my magic... He frowned. But that could disappear if I lose concentration, or... maybe it wouldn’t be enough. A magic rope seemed a lot more vulnerable to this strange separation than a physical rope was.

“Hmm...” Jack hummed. “Is everyone wearing pants with belt loops?”

Everyone glanced down at their pants in comical unison. “I think so?” Jackie said slowly. “Schneep, does your costume have belt loops?”

“It has loops for connecting various gadgets,” Schneep said.

“Close enough.” Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a few metal loops.

“...why do you have climbing carabiners?” Schneep asked, confused.

“I bought some at a sports supply shop a couple days ago,” Jack said. “I read online that if you have a lot of grocery bags, you can use them for easy carrying, so I thought I’d get some for me and Stacy’s grocery runs. But I just left them out on the counter for ages. I put them in my pocket earlier so I’d remember to put them away, but then Sam started freaking out, and... well, here we are.”

“That’s perfect, though!” Jackie gasped. “How many do you have?”

“Five,” Jack said, spreading them out.

Marvin counted on his fingers. “We’ll only need four, if we want t’ connect in a line. You can keep the las’ one.”

JJ nodded. Schneep and I are our best offense, so we should be on either end, with Jackie and Marvin in the middle. Any objections?

“None at all.” Marvin began searching through his cards. “Jus’ give me one moment to make t’at invisibility spell...” It would mean he’s going into the house with less than a full deck of runes, but he could work with that. A small price to pay for keeping Jack and Stacy hidden.

They moved fast once all those details were sorted. Marvin’s cards made the whole car—and its occupants—disappear from view. When the four of them said goodbye to Jack and Stacy and climbed out, they didn’t see a hint of the car they’d come from when they turned back around. Quickly, they headed to the front door, where they paused long enough to take out the carabiners. Schneep took up the front, followed by Jackie, then Marvin, then JJ in the back. The metal loops were large for what they were, but small compared to a length of rope, so they were standing awkwardly close together.

Schneep grabbed the front door’s handle. “If he is in there, we cannot waste time,” he said quietly. “I know it is hard to move like this, but we have to stay coordinated.”

The others nodded, all of them getting ready to move.

“On three, I open the door and we run in,” Schneep whispered. “One...” His grip tightened. “Two...” He turned the handle. “Three!”

Schneep flung the door open and they all rushed inside—and proceeded to trip over each other, Marvin and JJ collapsing and bringing Jackie down with them. Schneep managed to stay on his feet somehow, leaving Jackie in an awkward hands-and-feet position. “Good job, everyone,” Schneep muttered.

“Maybe t’is wasn’ the best idea after all,” Marvin groaned.

“Well, at the very least, it seems our entrance did not leave us vulnerable to attack.” Schneep scanned the empty living room. “Distorter is not here. I get the feeling he has not arrived yet.”

JJ grabbed a coat rack by the door, trying to pull himself up. Marvin helped, using his cane for leverage, and Jackie got up from there. Once they were all standing, the other three looked around as well. “No sign of him,” Jackie mumbled.

He can’t be that far, JJ said. We took long enough picking everyone up on the way. He looked out the front window, seeing nothing. We should... get ready.

Marvin shuffled nervously through his cards, fanning them out and double-checking they were all there. “I guess we’re really doin’ t’is...” He tried to mentally recall any of the time spells they’d found... but they hadn’t really found much of anything. Fear began to creep into his stomach, and his breathing started to speed up. He was going to mess this up. He had no idea what to do or how to do it, and this was all relying on his magick cards, he was going to let everyone down—

“Hey.” Jackie put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Don’t panic.”

“Huh?” Marvin looked over. “I-I’m not panicking.”

“You are,” Jackie said. “I can see it. Just... take deep breaths, okay? Remain calm.”

JJ nodded. Yes... we all seriously need to remain calm. His eyes darted around the room. This place is a magical echo chamber, remember? Anything we feel will reflect off the space in here and bounce back on us. If we get scared, we’ll soon be terrified. We have to stay confident.

Schneep nodded. “We can do this. And we should all say that we can. Everyone. We can do this.”

“W-we can d-do this,” Marvin repeated.

“We can do this,” Jackie whispered.

We can do this, JJ signed.

“That is the spirit.” Schneep nodded. “We have time to figure out the plan. Marvin, why not discuss the things you think could be helpful?”

“...right.” Marvin nodded. He looked down at his cards, separating out the jokers. “T’ese are the time cards. I t’ink... I can buy us some time...”

———————

Anti’s legs were really starting to hurt. It wasn’t every day he walked across the city without using the bus or trains, but Distorter clearly wasn’t leading him towards any of those. And if he wanted to keep up this charade, he couldn’t question anything. Maybe Distorter was making him walk on purpose, as some sort of punishment for fighting so much. Ugh. This sucked. He wasn’t that out of shape, was he?

But now, finally, they reached Aspen Street. Distorter paused to look back at him, his ever-present smile seemingly filled with excitement. “Almost there,” he said. “You can do it.”

Though he wanted to glare at Distorter and his stupid fucking passive-aggressive mockery of support, he forced himself to just nod slowly.

“You’re probably wondering what we’re going to do when we’re there,” Distorter said, turning back around. “Well, I think with your help, we can get a little party together. With all the rest of your friends there. Wouldn’t that be great?” He giggled. “Maybe that’s what they were texting you about earlier. Maybe they were planning a party.”

His heart skipped a beat when Distorter mentioned those texts. The second he’d sent his warning in the group chat, people had started responding. He had to quickly silence his phone before Distorter had turned around, curious about what all those sounds were. But luckily, Distorter had only said “It sounds like your friends really want to talk to you, huh? Don’t respond. We need to get home first.” And then he turned around and kept leading Anti through the streets. He'd dodged a bullet there; god, why was his phone unsilenced then of all times? Distorter had heard it... and he hadn’t forgotten about those texts, either.

They approached the house, and Distorter slowed to a stop, tilting his head to the side. He looked around... all around, torso twisting one way, and then another, spine cracking as it went. His smile remained present, but Anti couldn’t help but feel that was just a mask. “Do you hear anything?”

“...no,” Anti said honestly.

“Do you see anything?”

“No.”

“Look around. Listen closer. Is there anything unusual around?”

Uneasily, Anti looked around. He really couldn’t see anything weird about this area. Aspen Street was always quiet—or at least, this area was, the few times they’ve been here. Though... there was a faint, weird warping in the air. Was that... magic? Anti quickly looked away from it. His heart was pounding out of his chest. Good, the others were here. Hopefully. “No, there’s nothing unusual,” he said, keeping his tone dull.

“Good.” Distorter nodded once. “Come on.” He began walking up the path to the house’s front door.

Anti followed, eyes darting all around, looking for—there! Movement in the house’s window, for just a split second. His chest soared, filling with hope. The others were here! That meant that, even if this went wrong, at least he wasn’t going to be alone in here. And they probably also found Will and made sure he was safe. So that was good. He could face whatever was to come knowing his son was alright and his friends were going to be at his side.

———————

Jackie’s phone dinged with the noise of a text notification. He took it out and looked at the screen... reading a text from Stacy. His breath hitched. “Distorter is down the street!” he hissed. “And Anti’s with him!”

Jameson gasped. But he nodded, trying to project confidence. Then it’s time. Marvin, do you need help with anything?

“Y-yes, help me set up the time stop,” Marvin said. He’d never done this before, but he was pretty sure this one combination of cards would catch Distorter in time.

The group gathered by the front door, arranging Marvin’s cards in a large circle, with only one out of place. Then they hurried to stand by the side, ready to pounce into motion the moment the door opened. The carabiners still meant movement was awkward—Jackie fell to the side and almost collapsed the whole chain before he managed to grab onto the curtains—but they didn’t dare unclasp them, just in case. “They’re coming!” Jackie hissed. “I saw them!”

“Brace yourselves, everyone,” Schneep muttered.

———————

Distorter grabbed onto the doorknob, waiting on the doorstop, making sure Anti was with him. His smile widened. “Let’s go.”

He opened the door, and stepped inside. Anti lingered back—

A blackened hand shot out and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him through the door as well. Anti yelped, too taken off guard to fight back. Once inside, though, he regained his senses and wrenched himself free, stumbling to the side, eyes darting around

and seeing

nothing.

Just an empty room.

Nobody

Was there.

“...wh... what the...?” Anti’s eyes widened in surprised horror. Had he been mistaken? Had he not seen that movement inside after all?

And then Distorter began to laugh. Quietly, at first. But as Anti turned to stare at him, that laughter increased, growing louder to shrieking peals. All of it directed squarely at Anti. “Oh, I’m sorry!” Distorter said, tilting his head too far to the side. “It’s just so funny! The expression on your face! What, were you expecting your friends to jump me? Attack me with spells and lightning? Did you forget how this house works, Aodhán?! No space is the same! Especially when I don’t want it to be.”

———————

The floor began to shake. “What the—” Marvin glanced downwards, leaning onto his cane for support in this now-unstable environment. “What’s goin’ on?!”

Jameson summoned magic in his hands, the air around him lighting up blue as he did.

“Th-this has never happened before!” Jackie gasped. “I-is it an earthquake?!”

“With our luck? No!” Schneep glanced around. He lunged to the side, grabbing onto the archway that led into the kitchen—dragging everyone else along with him with surprisingly little effort. “Everyone hold on!”

“Hold on t’ what?!” Marvin gasped, looking around. “The furniture!”

The furniture, too, was shaking. And the shaking grew faster, and faster, loud thumps becoming even louder crashing. JJ winced, pressing his hands to his ears and dispelling the magic as he did. The furniture—the world was shaking so much that every item was leaving an afterimage. Half-formed blurred shapes of things breaking off and spinning into the air, multiplying rapidly.

SNAP!

Jameson looked down towards the sound. The carabiner connecting him to Marvin broke. One of the metal sides snapped right in two. “Jems!” Marvin gasped realizing the same thing. “Hold on!” He lunged towards Jameson—

SNAP!

The loop connecting him to Jackie broke. The sheer force of whatever shaking was going on caused it buckle and disconnect. Marvin fell to the ground... and when he looked up, Jameson was gone, only afterimages left behind in the shaking.

Jackie and Schneep saw Marvin struggle to get up, and saw as he, too, began shaking away into mere echoes. “Marvin! Wait!” Jackie cried. Marvin turned around to look at them, but the image of him disappeared before he could reach back towards them.

“Marvin!” Jackie screamed. He started to run towards the spot he’d been, but Schneep grabbed him and pulled him back. “Let me go, Henrik!”

“No!” Schneep shook his head. “Jackie, I think the house—its distortion of space is—th-the separation is in the rooms now! If you get too far from me, we will disappear from each other!”

Jackie looked back at him, tears in his wide eyes. “What are we supposed to do?!”

The floor gave a solid heave, knocking both of them to the floor. Schneep rolled over, grabbing Jackie and wrapping his arms around him, holding him tightly. “Hold onto me!” he gasped.

Jackie, stunned, could only do as he asked and wrap his arms around him, squeezing, holding onto what felt like the only solid thing. The floor—the walls—the ceiling around them seemed to break, but at the same time, the room stayed intact. It all began to shake away, and they could only make sure they had each other close.

———————

“This... this doesn’t make any sense!” Anti staggered backwards, away from Distorter, even though that just led him further into the house. “I just—we were—you couldn’t have—even if you guessed we were planning something, you’d never expect—I-I didn’t—”

“Didn’t give anything away?” Distorter asked. “You’re a very good actor, Aodhán. I’ll give you that.” He clapped sarcastically. “But you didn’t think I wouldn’t know my attempts to reach into your mind had failed? What, do you think Jameson doesn’t feel when his spells fail, too? These powers are part of us, stuff like that is as intuitive as knowing when you fail to grab something with your hand. And even if it wasn’t, your eyes didn’t start bleeding. That’s a dead giveaway.”

Anti’s mind was spinning. God, he was such an idiot. A failure. He thought he was playing along with Distorter, but he was only doing what this creature wanted him to. And now, his friends were in here... because of him. Because he sent that text. He led them here, into this trap... into his domain.

Distorter laughed. “Oh, I don’t need to see into your mind to know what you’re thinking now. Yes! This is all your fault.”

The world was spinning. No, the house was spinning, leaving streaks of itself in its wake. Anti couldn’t breathe. The very air of this place was pressing down on him. He fell to his knees—or was he pushed? Pushed by the weight of this house and everything that had ever happened in it?

“And now you’re all here!” That laughter rang out again. “With all my friends in one place...

...now the fun can r͢͞e͏a̶̶͢ll̀͡y͠͡ start.”

[calli0pea]

unfortunately, Sky High was only (1) 1hr 30 min Disney film and not the 6 season so-bad-it’s-good CW series it could’ve been

[hyumjim]

Starting a collection

[hyumjim]

[crystalninjaphoenix]

More Than Coincidence

Shadow City AU - Chapter Fifteen

A JSE Fanfic

Honestly this was not the plan for the next Shadow City chapter. The plan was to worldbuild as Chase visited the Night Council, but I had a lot of stuff this week so I was like "I'm not going to have time to write that, it'll probably end up long." So instead I present to you a shorter chapter in which the guys get together and discuss Anti, JJ, Chase, and the links between all of them. Is Anti up to something? Was he involved with Chase's death? It's basically a long chapter talking about that some more. I hope you guys like discussions between the guys! :D

Chapter 1 | Previous Chapter | More AU | Read on AO3 @ CrystalNinjaPhoenix

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Do you think we could meet at that Harvest Moon place sometime? All of us... or whoever can come. Definitely Chase. Because I want to answer any questions he has. About... Anti.

Marvin re-read the text on his phone, then looked up, scanning the street. He was waiting outside the entrance to the Harvest Moon, searching for his friends. He knew he was a bit early to the meeting time of eight o’clock, and he knew JJ and Schneep didn’t want to leave until they were sure the sun was down, but he still expected to see at least Jackie here.

There was still no one in sight. So... he might as well get started summoning Chase. With this being the fourth time, he’s well-practiced by now, crouching down on the sidewalk and talking out his chalk to draw the circle. After he finished it, but before he actually started the summoning, he took out his phone and dialed Chase’s landline number.

The call picked up quick. “.........lo?” Chase’s voice was hard to hear through the static, though. “M......vin is ......at y...u?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Marvin said, getting the gist of the question. “I’m the first person here. Want me to grab you?”

More static. “...ay...e? Hol... on.”

“What?” Marvin blinked.

“Be righ... ...ack!” Chase said louder, emphasizing through the white noise. “...on’... h...ng up!”

“Oh, okay, yeah, I’ll stay on the line.” Marvin nodded to himself. While he stood in place, swaying back and forth and listening to the static for the sound of Chase’s return, he wondered if Chase’s emphasized control over electronics was a normal ghost thing. He was pretty sure it wasn’t. But he did know that some ghosts could influence radio waves and stuff. So maybe the weirdness wasn’t just the fact that Chase caused static on the phone, it was the intensity of it and the clarity of his words despite it? He’d have to ask Jack some more. Or do some more research at the library.

After a bit, the static squawked as Chase returned. “Al...igh..., do it. I’... ......ady.”

“Do it? You’re ready?” Marvin repeated.

“Ye......”

“Okay, I’ll hang up now. See you soon!”

Shortly after Chase was summoned, Jackie arrived. “Hey, Marv!” He nodded. “So I’m the second one here?”

“Third, actually,” Marvin said. And next to him, Chase faded into view.

“Wah!” Jackie jumped in surprise, then laughed. “Damn, you’d think I’d be used to that by now. Also your eyes are missing, Chase.”

Chase grinned crookedly. “Sorry, man.” His eyes appeared, filling in the dark sockets once more.

“So it’s just you, right?” Jackie asked. “Jack couldn’t come?”

“He got called into work,” Chase said. “Like... ‘called in’ called in. Emergency sort of stuff.”

“Oh shit, what happened?” Jackie tilted his head in concern; never a good thing to hear that crime scene investigators went in for an emergency shift.

“I dunno, exactly,” Chase said. “But he said it’s probably not caused by the supernatural, and that he might be a while. Fingers crossed it’s not as bad as it could be.”

“Yeah, of course.” Jackie nodded. “Jeez...”

Schneep is the next to arrive after that. “Are we all just waiting outside the entrance?” he asked, seeing them lingering nearby. “I know you two are not vampires, you do not need an invitation,” he joked. “Even if so, that is what the welcome mat is for.”

“Three.” Chase became visible once more.

“Oh!” Schneep gasped. “Sorry, Chase. I forget that your default is to not be seen sometimes. Are you... doing that with your eyes on purpose?”

“Fuck!” Chase scowled as his eyes came back into view. “I keep forgetting!”

“It’s okay, Chase, we love you anyway,” Jackie said jokingly, patting Chase’s shoulder (Chase courteously made sure his hand wouldn’t just pass through.)

“Anyway, we thought it’d be... nice to all meet up outside,” Marvin said slowly. He took his phone out again, rereading their text conversation. “...do you think JJ will be here soon? He has to, right? I mean... this was his idea.”

“He will be here soon,” Schneep assured him. “He probably is just sorting some things out. Did I tell you all he stayed the night with me after the big meeting?”

“Yeah, you did.” Jackie nodded.

“News to me,” Chase said. “So... he lives with you now?”

“Well, no,” Schneep admitted. “He thinks that if he spends too much time away from Anti, then Anti will go out to find him anyway. So he went back home the last two nights.”

Jackie growled. “Man, that Anti’s a controlling bastard. He’s worse than my first pack’s leader.”

Marvin sighed. “I just... I just wish there was... some way we could help.” He stared down at his phone. “I feel so... helpless about this sometimes. I don’t want him to be stuck there, it’s... W-we all know it’s not good for him.”

Schneep sighed. “I think... as long as we are there for him, and as long as we are doing things like researching that binding ritual... I think that makes a difference.”

“...yeah.” Marvin nodded. “Yeah. I guess that’s all we can do right now.” Until the binding spell was undone, or until Anti somehow ended up separated from JJ, this was everything. It just sucked that those two things couldn’t happen right now. But until then... until then.

When JJ arrived, appearing from the shadows, everyone immediately perked up. He looked a lot better than the last time Schneep had seen him, fully dressed in his stiff button-up shirt, his vest, neat dress pants and shoes. He spotted the others quickly and gave a genuine, warm smile as he headed over. I see I’m the last one here... he says. Even Chase beat me?

“I got bored and summoned him,” Marvin said with a shrug. “That okay?”

It’s fine, it’s fine, JJ said. And Jack isn’t coming, right? Marvin texted me that he was busy.

“Yeah.” Chase nodded. “He would’ve texted you too if he had your number. In fact... it might be handy if we made a group chat or something. I couldn’t join, but Jack could text on my behalf.”

“We can get that sorted once we’re down there, maybe!” Jackie said cheerfully. “Are we ready?”

Everyone nodded in agreement, and they made their way down to the Harvest Moon.

It was a slow night, with the pub being pretty empty except for a small group of younger people in the corner. Some of them had textbooks and papers spread out; they must’ve been some sort of study group. The five of them claim a table near the bar, away from the study group.

“Aw, it’s Dolores’s day off,” Jackie commented, looking at the bar where a young man is tending to it. “Sad. Would love to chat with her.”

“Ah, we chat with her enough,” Schneep dismissed.

Are you... interested in her, or is this just a “regular patron” sort of relationship? JJ asked.

“Just a ‘regular patron’ sort,” Jackie clarified. “She’s a nice lady, but I’ve never thought about it.” He paused. “Yeah, just thought about it now. My feelings are perfectly neutral.”

Marvin laughed. “I’m sure she’d appreciate knowing you’re not just nice for a date.”

“Or something else,” Schneep added, a bit of a cheeky grin on his face. “Anyway, did we want drinks? Or is this mostly social?”

We can get drinks, JJ said. Well...I guess Chase can’t.

“Put a glass of water in front of me so I feel like I’m participating,” Chase chuckled.

They ordered drinks and made idle chitchat while they waited for them to come out. “So I talked with Clara again,” Schneep said, folding his arms on the table and leaning forward. “She said that she can make an appointment for us to check out the Patrol records, as well as census archives and historical documents on the area. Such a thing could probably help us determine if any, ah... magical bullshit went down the night Chase died. As well as possibly gain more information on any large, undead, magical...” He paused, looking for the right word.

“Bullshit,” Marvin finished. “Look for instances of powerful, undead-related magical bullshit.” He grinned. “Really? We can go check it out?”

“With supervision,” Schneep added.

“Do all of us need to go?” Jackie asked.

“Well, she will be expecting Chase, at least.” Schneep turned to Chase as he said that. “If you are okay with that, of course. But I think that since this is... you know, your business, you would want to go.”

Chase nodded slowly. “...yeah. Yeah, of course. I mean... maybe something there will jog my memory.” It felt like such a daunting task. And one involving a lot of research, which he was never any good at in school (probably why he became a streamer).But it was his past they were looking into. His life. He had to be there, to take advantage of this one chance. Besides, how often would he get the opportunity to see what the Night Council was like?

“I will also be going, at least,” Schneep said. “If only to introduce you to Clara and make sure that whole interaction goes smoothly. Marvin will need to summon you to city hall, of course... would you like to stick around for the actual search?”

“Uhhh... for part of it, at least?” Marvin said slowly.

Schneep raised an eyebrow. “Why the hesitance? You are the one asking me to do this.”

“It just depends on if I have other stuff that day,” Marvin explained. “When is this thing gonna happen?”

“She said any night next week,” Schneep reported. “I could text her when would work best for everyone.”

“Okay... I can make sure I have a clear night next week,” Marvin nodded.

“I don’t really want to go,” Jackie admitted. “It, uh... Don’t be offended by this, Chase, I’m not saying this applies to the whole ‘searching for your lost cause of death’ thing, but... sounds super boring.”

Chase burst into laughter. “No no no I get it! It might be! You don’t have to come if you don’t want to, Jackie!”

Jackie slumped in relief. “Okay, cool. Do you think Jack will go?”

Chase snorted, cutting off his laughter. “I mean... probably. He has, like, contacts there, I think... maybe. I’m not really sure of the specifics, but like, he has to work with someone if his whole thing is discovering ghosts.”

“Fair.” Jackie nodded. He looked at JJ. “And you... for sure can’t go, right?”

JJ nodded. If I even get close, the spell will kick in and make me stop. I’d love to come, but I can’t. He paused, seeing the young bartender approaching with a tray of their drinks. Everyone sorted outwho got what and thanked the man, then once they were all settled with their glasses and the man was back behind the bar, JJ continued. But I think I could maybe help some other way. He looked at Chase. I know you have questions about Anti. I can’t tell you everything, but I’ll answer anything you have.

“Thanks, JJ.” Chase smiled... and then he realized something about JJ’s expectant expression. “Wait, you mean, like, now?”

JJ cracked a smile. Yes Chase, I mean, like, now.

“Oh!” Marvin nodded. “So that’s what this is all about!”

Partially, but I also just wanted to come back here. JJ took a sip of his drink.

“Is a cozy place, yes?” Schneep said.

“Uh... well. I hadn’t been prepared to, uh... ask questions,” Chase admitted. “Gimme a sec to think about some.”

JJ smiled. Take your time. I’m aware that I sort of sprang this on you.

“Why didn’t you say as much in your text to me?” Marvin asked. “It’d give us time to think of questions.”

I’m not sure... JJ said slowly. I suppose putting it in a text felt... real? And some part of me backed out of that.

Schneep nodded. “Is fine, JJ. We can adapt.”

“Yeah, I’m very adaptable!” Jackie said, grinning.

“I kind of just, uh... want to know what his goals are, I guess...” Chase said slowly. “Everyone has to have goals. Even if it’s something small like... just making enough money for rent. I mean, I don’t know if you guys pay rent, but you know... everyone has something they want to do. What does Anti want?”

JJ sighs and shrugs. I’m not entirely sure, to be honest. He’s never been fully clear with me. And lately... something’s changed about him. He’s a lot more... He paused. If we’re looking at this in terms of goals, it’s like he’s given up on the goals he had before...

“Really?” Marvin tilted his head. “How long ago was that?”

I’m not sure exactly... JJ frowned thoughtfully. I first spotted the change in behavior about three weeks ago, when we went to the library. That’s when that weird dinner thing happened that I told you guys about. But I think he’s been vaguely off for a while before that.

Schneep leaned forward. “Would you say... he’s been ‘off’ since April?”

Maybe, JJ replied.

“Isn’t that when he mugged you?” Jackie glanced at Schneep.

“Yes.” Schneep nodded. “I am wondering if attacking other shadow creatures in the street was... normal for Anti, or if this is new behavior.”

It’s new... in a way, JJ confirmed. He’s never had any problem attacking everydays randomly. That’s sort of how he got me, after all. But he’s never gone after other night-dwellers.

“I’m sorry, what was that sign?” Jackie asked.

N-I-G-H-T D-W-E-L-L-E-R-S, JJ spelled out.

“Oh I know that, that’s like... an archaic term for us,” Marvin said. “I’ve seen it in some books. I didn’t know it was still in use when you were made.”

Anti mostly used it, JJ said. Though I learned the sign for it from an older witch. A language witch, I think.

“Well it makes sense that Anti uses it,” Jackie said. “The guy must be... at least as old as you, if he made you.”

Oh definitely much older, JJ said. I’ve never gotten an exact number. But I know he’s from a time before electric lighting, radio, any sort of automobile, escalators, and the teddy bear. Among many other things.

Chase blinked wildly. “Uh... when were escalators invented...?”

“When were teddy bears invented?” Jackie added.

“Like, the early 1900s,” Chase said. “1901 or something.”

“You know when those were invented but not escalators?” Schneep asked.

“I’m a parent and I lived in the US,” Chase said.

“...okay??” Schneep looked confused. “Are teddy bears and escalators not both American inventions?”

Anyway, he’s old, JJ said. Very very old. I can tell because he’s very very powerful... and very very keen to avoid the sun. If you non-vampires will recall, older vampires develop more skills, but become more sensitive to our weaknesses.

“And until now, he’s been the same... right?” Marvin asked. “But now he’s different?”

JJ nodded. Right, we were talking about how he’s attacking night-dwellers. He’s not opposed to fighting, if he has to he’s not even opposed to killing others like us, but it’s that it’s happening AT RANDOM now that’s different. He shook his head. It’s like he doesn’t care about being caught by a Night Council anymore.

“And he’s cared about that in the past?” Chase asked.

Well of course he has; he’s done so many things that are illegal by most Councils’ standards, JJ said. But before this, he was extremely cautious. He wanted to lay low, and if there was even the slightest chance he’d been discovered, he would move us.

“What... sort of stuff was he doing?” Chase leaned forward, partially passing into the table. “Like, uh, the randomly attacking everydays thing?”

“Technically speaking, that is not illegal in every Night Council,” Schneep muttered. “Even though it should be.”

“Yeah, some Councils even encourage it,” Marvin added.

“What?!” Chase gasped. “Why?!”

Marvin shrugged. “Eh. Those ones are run by assholes, I guess.”

“There are multiple possible reasons,” Schneep said. “But none of them are relevant right now.”

“They’re all dumb, anyway,” Jackie added. “Attacking everydays is a surefire way to draw attention, and with attention comes monster hunters. Sure, it might not be, like, a viable career that anyone can pick up these days. But that just means that the monster hunters who do exist are very dedicated and very capable.” He took a sip of his drink. “Man... you know, there’s the Iris group in the area. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re paying closer attention to Scuabyrg now that Anti’s out there biting and draining everydays here.”

JJ winced. I’m sorry.

“It’s not your fault, JJ,” Marvin said.

I know... but I’ll apologize because he never will.

Marvin looked at him and nodded seriously. “Thank you, then.”

“Ugh, we keep getting distracted,” Chase muttered. “The point is, can we agree that Anti started acting differently around the time I died?”

JJ nodded. I think there’s a fair argument for that.

“Which means it’s even more likely that he’s involved!” Jackie said triumphantly.

“Why would Anti be involved in Chase’s death, though?” Schneep mused.

I’m... not sure, JJ admitted. He’s never explained much to me.

“Why... did he make you a vampire, then?” Marvin asked quietly. “Do you know that? I mean... it’s a lot of effort, and it’s not something you can do accidentally, like with werewolves. Not to mention the binding ritual...”

Jameson sighed. He... wanted someone around. To... do things, I think.

“What sort of things?” Chase asked quietly. “Can you tell us? I-it might help... help us both.”

JJ leaned back, idly tapping and touching the drink glass as he thought. He used to be very... driven, he said slowly after a time. In the early days, he always seemed to be working on something. Oftentimes, I was sent on errands to get stuff. Usually, when we first arrived in a new location. Because more often than not, when we fled a city, we had to leave behind everything, including all the stuff I gathered. It frustrated him.

“What sort of stuff did he send you to get?” Marvin asked.

“You... told me about this the other night...” Schneep said slowly. “You would get things that... you thought might be used in potion making, yes?”

JJ nodded. Yes, exactly. Either buying things from magical markets or gathering them in the more traditional way—that being, foraging and hunting out in the nearest wild area.

Marvin tried to hide the way his eyes lit up. “Do you remember anything specific?”

“Ah, you activated his trap card,” Jackie said.

Jameson chuckled silently. I could probably remember if you gave me time. I had to get them over and over. Though... admittedly, it’s been a minute since I was sent off to do that.

“Really?” Chase tilted his head.

Yes, when it came time to leave the last city, Anti insisted on making sure we still had the supplies for once, JJ said. At the time, I was just relieved that it meant a pause in the endless gathering cycle.

“Huh...” Chase thought about it. “Did you... were you ever sent to do other stuff? Besides gathering all these weird magical things?”

Mostly... things that would qualify as busy work, JJ said. Some of it was MORBID busy work, but... you know what I mean. While he worked on other stuff, I did the things that he couldn’t be bothered to.

“Worked on... other stuff?” Chase repeated. “What other stuff?”

Jameson frowned. I don’t know... he wouldn’t tell me, of course. But it involved... reading, I think. He used to do a lot of reading, and got very upset when I interrupted him. One time, he said that at least I couldn’t annoy him with chatter... His hands slowed as he recalled that.

“Bitch,” Jackie growled.

“A lot of reading...” Marvin mused. “Research, maybe?”

JJ shook himself out of his thoughts. Yes, maybe some sort of research. Whenever he was in the house we were staying at, he would read. Usually during the day when there was nothing else to do. But also... he would leave a lot. Still does, but... these days, it’s more like wandering. He used to go off to... DO things. Even if I don’t know what.

Chase put his head in his hands, instinctively leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. They slipped through at first, so he tried again, remembering to devote part of his thoughts towards being solid. “He was working on something... but now he’s not,” Chase muttered to himself. “What are possible reasons you’d have to stop working on a project?” He thought back to his own life, to all the things he’d tried to do for his streams. Games he started to play, but stopped. And... games he’d played to completion. “Really, when you think about it, there are only two reasons you’d stop working on a project.”

“Only two?” Marvin sounded surprised (and a bit doubtful).

“I think there are quite a bit more than that,” Schneep agreed.

“Yeah, what do you mean?” Jackie asked. “I can think of a ton of reasons. Like, uh, putting it on hold to start something else?”

“Okay, maybe there are three reasons to stop working on something.” Chase raised his head. “There’s what Jackie said, you can pause a project to do something more important or urgent. But there were only two reasons—two categories of reasons I could think of. Either you give up... or you finish it.”

There’s a bit of silence at that. “Okay... that makes more sense than I thought it would,” Marvin said. “Cause... yeah, I guess in broad strokes. If you don’t finish a thing, it’s cause you quit.”

“Does forgetting about something count as quitting?” Jackie asked.

“I think, for all intents and purposes, it counts as putting a project on pause,” Schneep said. “Because when you remember it, you will likely return to it. Or... you will decide to give up.”

“So... the question is, did Anti finish whatever he was planning, or did he give up?” Chase wondered.

JJ frowned. I feel like... if he finished his research, or accomplished whatever he was being driven to do... I feel like I would have realized something was different. He would have new things for me to do. Or he’d try to dismiss me, since he wouldn’t need me anymore.

“So perhaps he gave up,” Schneep said. “In which case, we then have to wonder what caused him to quit this thing.”

“He’s been acting real apathetic, right, JJ?” Jackie asked. When JJ nodded, he continued. “Maybe he like... realized whatever he was doing wasn’t actually what he wanted. So he started having a personal crisis about it or something.”

Maybe... JJ said slowly.

“Maybe... an outside force stopped his plans,” Marvin wondered. “Something other than the Night Council, cause it sounds like if the Night Council tried to interfere, you guys would just leave. No, I’m thinking maybe a third party stepped in and did something that made his plans impossible.”

“What third party, though?” Schneep asked. “And... how would they do that?”

Chase felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. “What if... that’s where my death comes in?”

The others were quiet for a minute. “You think... someone killed you... to stop Anti?” Jackie asked slowly.

“I... don’t... know...” Chase admitted. “It doesn’t feel perfect, because there are still a lot of pieces missing. But... it’s a possibility. The timeline matches up, doesn’t it?”

Marvin stirred his drink with his straw, looking thoughtful. “I guess if Anti’s been working on something for, like... a hundred years or so... he wouldn’t give up on his own. Whatever that is, it’s clearly very important to him. And obviously I’m not him, but, like, if I worked on something for a hundred years, it would take something pretty big to stop me from doing it. Sunk-cost fallacy and all that.”

JJ nodded slowly. I suppose it makes sense. He’s had moments where he “paused” the research to do other things—there were a few years in the 80s when he developed this weird rivalry with a shadowman—but he’s always come back to it. Something must’ve changed dramatically if he’s given up.

“But what could he have possibly been doing that needed Chase?” Schneep wondered.

Chase squirmed slightly. It was weird to think about him targeted by a vampire for something he didn’t even know about. Weird... and uncomfortable. Anti knew about him... for how long? And what were his plans? “I-I’m just a normal guy, you know, it’s not like... it’s not like I’m the descendant of some weird vampire god or something. I think.” He laughed, trying to hide his discomfort. “I think my parents would’ve told me about that.”

I wish I could tell you more, Chase, JJ said sympathetically. I know... it’s freaky to think he might’ve been watching you...

Chase tensed. “H-how do you know what I was thinking?!”

“Well, obviously something like that’s creepy as balls,” Jackie said.

“And you were fading away, but we could see your face pretty clearly,” Schneep added. “You looked very... out of sorts.”

If it makes you feel any better, Chase... I’ve been there before, JJ said. Apparently, Anti followed me around for a bit before he attacked.

“Really?” Marvin sat up straight, alarmed and worried.

Pretty much just enough to know I lived alone and looked sort of like him, JJ elaborated. He’s told me that he made me because I looked like I could be his brother.

“God, I fucking hate this guy,” Jackie muttered. “I’ve never even seen him and I hate his stupid face already.”

“I’m... glad you get it, JJ,” Chase said quietly. “I guess if anyone would, it’d be you.” He gave him a faint smile.

JJ returned it, the hint of his fangs peeking out. And also, I feel like I would’ve heard about you eventually if he was stalking you for a while. My guess is he only found out about you recently.

“Hey, what if he watched your streams or something?” Jackie asked. “That’d explain it, wouldn’t it?”

“I... yeah, it would.” Chase nodded slowly. “I-I had my facecam for those...” Chills traced across his arms, but he managed to hide them.

“If there is one thing we can know for sure, it is that Chase’s death and Anti’s mood shift are likely related,” Schneep said. “And that Anti’s ‘project’ probably is as well. There may be a third party involved, but we don’t know for sure.”

“Oh no, there has to be a third party involved,” Marvin added. “Vampires can’t cast spells, remember? But someone cast a lingering spirit ritual on Chase.”

“So... Anti and someone else are both involved in Chase’s death,” Jackie summed up.

“JJ, does Anti have any enemies?” Chase asked.

JJ gave a slight grin. He has a lot, I think he pisses off everyone who meets him. The smile faded. But I know what you mean. You’re asking about... consistent enemies. He tilted his head to the side. A handful of people pursued us occasionally... but they all eventually vanished. I guess... he doesn’t like monster hunters? But none of us do.

“Hm.” Schneep took a sip of his drink. “If he is an old vampire, he may have survived the era of peak monster hunting, which would lead to a grudge on both sides.”

“When was that?” Chase asked.

“Peak monster hunting? Honestly, it was a long period of time,” Schneep said. “Most shadow historians agree monster hunting officially started during the early Middle Ages—at least, it did here in Europe. It appeared earlier and later in different parts of the world. Either way, the worldwide height of monster hunting was likely from about 1650 to 1850. Give or take a few decades.”

“Hm... I could buy Anti being made in the 1600s,” Marvin nodded.

I could too, JJ added.

“And arguably, that’s what’s more important,” Marvin laughed.

“So it’s possible that Anti has beef with some monster hunting group,” Jackie summed up. “But is it probable?” He glanced around. “Uh... I mean, is it likely?”

He’s never mentioned it to me, but then again, we’ve established he hasn’t told me much, JJ said.

“Thank you for your help, JJ,” Schneep said, gently touching his shoulder. “What you have told us has already been a great help.”

“Yeah.” Chase nodded. “I think... I think once we’re able to like, look at the records and stuff, it’ll help even more. Maybe we can find out if anyone other than Anti was, like... active the night I died.” He looked at Schneep. “I can tell Jack that your friend has a, uh... an availability next week, if you want.”

“Yes, just have him text me what days he’s available and I’ll relay that to her,” Schneep said. “You too, Marvin.”

“I’ll make us a group chat,” Marvin said, taking out his phone... and then slowly lowering it. “Uh, I’ll make it after we’re done here. I don’t want to spam Jack with notifications if he’s still busy.”

“Oh! Speaking of!” Jackie perked up. “We need to make that group chat with JJ!”

“Can’t we just add him to the one we already have?” Schneep asked.

Marvin laughed. “I don’t know if JJ’s phone will show us our earlier messages if he joins, but it would be convenient to not have to make another.”

I’d be happy with whatever works for you all. JJ smiled. He did indeed look very happy.

They worked out the details quickly enough, and the talk turned more casual. But Chase kept reminding himself to tell Jack about the visit to the Night Council later... It seemed that would be their next stop on this search.

[risk-repeater]

this job market is a fucking nightmare

[keepcalmandcarriefischer]

There once was a man trying to make a point about the kitchen. "The sink!" He said "the sink is the single most important thing in the kitchen! It washes, it provides drinking water! It helps you prepare all of your meals and cleans your dishes for you after! The sink is the most important!"

"However," said a stranger coming through the crowd "you are forgetting about the countertop. It holds everything in the kitchen together. You prepare your food and serve your food ON the countertop. Even your prescious sink would have no where to be if it weren't for the countertop!"

The man was stunned. He wasn't prepared for a counterargument

[keepcalmandcarriefischer]

I wrote this joke in a sleep deprived rage and its one of the best pieces of writing I have ever produced

[lethalbutterfly]

I told this joke to my sister and she said "I need some time to let that sink in."

[keepcalmandcarriefischer]

Hi, OP here. Quick favor? Could you high five your sister for me? Thanks

[mara-existing]

SLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORP

*deeeep inhale*

SLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORP SLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORPSLORP

:3

[junewild]

socks are the primary producers of the laundry biome. they typically mate for life and come in a wide variety of patterns, though—unlike shoes, which many theorize to be a symbiotic species—they lack sexual dimorphism. juvenile socks resemble their parents, but have yet to develop the long necks that distinguish socks from other species of the extremity family, such as mittens

[junewild]

the lint trap is a fascinating example of a decomposer. it relies on the environment to bring food in the form of detritus, which it then breaks down into lint. lint traps have relatively long lives in comparison with other species (especially given the recent downward trends in lifespan, which are likely caused by a combination of genetic bottlenecks and poor nutrition). the lint trap has an unusual relationship with fire—some theorize that it uses fire as a tool to increase resource availability, while others believe that its frequent proximity to fire is due to environmental factors

[junewild]

the apex predator of the laundry biome is, of course, the dreaded duvet cover. duvet covers lead solitary lives, and are rarely seen socializing with one another. its preferred prey is socks, although it is an opportunistic eater and will prey upon much larger targets, such as t-shirts, leggings, and even sheets. aside from its large territory and antisocial nature, its behaviors are poorly known and highly controversial. one major theory is that the duvet cover is an ambush predator, lying in wait for its prey. another is that the duvet cover seeks out prey, using its superior size and large mouth to overwhelm its victims in a matter of seconds. a third, less popular supposition is that the duvet cover lures its victims to it by mimicking the laundry bag, a preferred shelter for many residents of the laundry biome. more research on this topic is necessary

[junewild]

towels are unique members of the laundry biome. in many habitats, they live in isolation, either singly or in small groups. in others, they mingle with other inhabitants freely. in these latter areas, they serve a unique role in the ecosystem: water retention. even during dry spells, towels are capable of retaining water at unprecedented levels. they are then able to redistribute this water amongst their neighbors, in what some call an early example of interspecies cooperation.

[depsidase]

[lifeafterpsychiatry]

It's a lot healthier to go for a daily walk than to sign up for a gym membership you won't be using because you hate that kind of exercise. It's a lot healthier to eat a frozen meal than to skip a meal because you were too tired to cook something healthy. It's a lot healthier to take a quick shower than to procrastinate an elaborate routine for days. Don't aim so high that you won't be hitting anything!

[creamypancakebatter]

this is actually really helpful and affirming thanks

[breelandwalker]

[1969chevycamaro]

*in tears* Thanks kitty, I needed this...

[my-dailydreams]

[sandersstudies]

Eating when I need food (body hungry, requesting nutrients) and I want it: FUCK yeah this ROCKS

Eating when I don’t need food but I want it: This is okay I’m probably having some small delectable treat. As long as I’m not overeating to discomfort this will be enjoyable.

Eating when I don’t need food and I don’t want it: *This is something that some misled parents and caregivers impose and doesn’t apply to me as an abled adult*

Eating when I need food but I don’t want it (maybe sick/nauseous/menstruating, body signals confused, exhausted, waited too long to eat, preferred foods not available, etc.): The Trials and Tribulations of Maintaining This Mortal Flesh Could Never be Comprehended by Any Machine. I Am Burdened with the Unsought for and Unending Task of Providing for a Creature of Meat for my Comprehension to Inhabit. and actually after that banana I am feeling a little better.

[lesbianlyonelb]

I just wrote 8 pages when I haven't written in months and was beginning to think I'd never be able to again. Idk what it is, but I am sharing and manifesting this energy for every writer who sees this. May you write 8 quality pages effortlessly and find joy writing once more

[realest-slenderman]

8 pages you say

[importantdogimages]

[dogpuppy]

[doitbuckley]

you can tell a character is loved when their fans constantly wish immense physical and psychological harm on them

[crystalninjaphoenix]

The Final Sprint

A Horror Septic Story

Previous Chapter

(Would I call this the climax of the story? No, but there's some very climactic scenes happening in it! After everyone got in place last chapter, the stage is set for The Plan. I was crazy motivated here, and got a lot of writing done in a short time because I was so excited :D)

(Once everyone is gathered together in Faorise Hollow, it's time for things to be set into motion. Stacy and John reunite, but they have to instantly jump into action, as the being within John's mind is quickly taking over. The other creatures have a plan for this... will it work? Heh. Have fun with this! :3)

—————

It was surprisingly easy to settle back into the Iontachs’ house in Faorise Hollow. Once Colleen got home, she said that Stacy and the boys could go back to using the guest room, which was a relief because she didn’t seem to have any hard feelings about that... Ragdoll creature controlling her. Nick was also excited to have Mathew and Larkin back, and immediately dragged Larkin outside to draw on the pavement with some chalk. Stacy relaxed slightly—just slightly—thinking that things might go back to normal. Yeah, there was still Misery to worry about, and she had to make sure things were okay with Colleen, and also figure out a way to pay the family back for letting them stay—but it seemed like there would be a brief period of peace before the horrors began closing in.

And then... that night, she heard its voice in her ear. “it’s time. head to the edge of town.”

She was in the house’s kitchen when she heard this, getting a snack, and she was so startled that she dropped the apple she’d just washed. Thank god she hadn’t yet started to cut it. “Wh-what? Already?” It seemed much too soon...

“what do you mean ‘already?’” Misery repeated. “weren’t you surprised and upset that you had to wait at all?”

“Well yeah, but...” Stacy paused. “When you don’t give a timeline, I assume the waiting is going to be... indefinite.”

“no. sorry. we didn’t know for sure how long it would take. so that is indefinite when you think about it. it just turned out we’re ready to go a lot sooner than expected.”

“I-I see.” Stacy looked down into the sink. The apple she’d been planning on eating as a tasty snack had fallen into the drain, blocking it up. “Is this... time-sensitive? Do I need to go out there.. now now?”

“sooner is better,” Misery said. “but i know. you want to talk to the kids, don’t you?”

“And... Colleen and Roisin, if I can,” Stacy mumbled. “Though I think Colleen might still be at work...” She looked out the kitchen window. It was getting late in the year, so it was already dark, even though it wasn’t that late in the day. She sighed. “Just Roisin and the boys, then.” She reached into the sink and awkwardly pulled out the apple. Her nails pierced its skin, even though she didn’t mean for that to happen. For some reason, it made her wince. But to put her mind off that, she turned and left the kitchen, heading upstairs to the guest bedroom.

Both Mathew and Larkin were in here. Mathew was playing on his newly-found Switch while it charged, and Larkin was excitedly showing him pictures of the chalk drawings he and Nick had done earlier. “See, they’re like... actually printed out! Isn’t that cool? You can hold the pictures!”

Stacy laughed idly. “Oh... is that so wonderful? You know, when I was your age, that’s the only way we interacted with pictures.”

“Mom!” Larkin turned around to look at her, beaming. “You saw the drawings earlier, right?”

“Yes, if you’ll remember, you brought me outside to look at them.”

“I do remember! Now look at this! Nick showed me his mom’s camera and Miss Roisin showed us how to print the pictures from the computer...” He trailed off slowly, his eyes going over Stacy’s shoulder. “Mom? Why... why does it look...” He paused. “Why is it so close to you?”

Mathew looked up as well, eyes going wide. “Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing’s wrong,” Stacy quickly said. “I don’t think so, at least. But...”

“It’s... it’s time, isn’t it?” Mathew put his console down. “Time for whatever you’re here to do. With John, right?”

Stacy nodded. “Apparently, I’ve got to go out to the edge of town now. Ideally... quickly.”

Larkin hopped off the edge of the bed. “Let’s go, then!”

“No, no, Lark, I...” Stacy sighed. She walked forward, crouching down so she was closer to Larkin’s eye level... though she didn’t actually have to go that far down. Was he hitting a growth spurt? “I think... you and Mathew should stay here.”

Larkin’s eyes went wide. “But... but we...” He looked at Mathew for help.

“Mom, we want to help,” Mathew said. “We at least want to see John! It’s been forever since we saw him, a-and we were worried about him, so... we want to know he’s alright!”

Stacy laughed a little. “John is... not...” She didn’t want to say it bluntly, but she had to explain. “John is... not hurt, but he’s not... really alright. The last time I saw him... that thing was... making him do really awful things. A-and I’m sure John would appreciate you two coming out to see him, but... I don’t want you two to get hurt. And the thing controlling John... I don’t think it’d hesitate to hurt you if you were nearby. Even though John wouldn’t want to. Do you two understand?”

The two of them looked at each other. Larkin’s eyes were still wide, though it wasn’t clear if that was from fear or something else. Mathew’s expression was more grim. “But... but Mom, we came over here to see you!” Larkin said. “You can’t just...”

Stacy tried not to flinch at the pang in her heart. “I don’t want to leave you guys,” she whispered. “But... I need you to be safe. I... I really, really do. Misery brought you here without me knowing, and that wasn’t... fair.”

“We decided to come here,” Mathew said stubbornly. “We’re facing our fears and shit! Really hard, bad stuff is going to happen, but we can’t just—just stay here and avoid it! We want to help you, Mom!”

Tears welled in Stacy’s eyes, but she blinked them back and smiled through them. “And I’m... I’m proud that you want that. That you’re willing to face danger to help people. I think... I think you’re both wonderful boys, a-and you’ll be wonderful men when you grow up. But... if something happens to you... you won’t... get that chance. And I-I’d...” She took a shaky breath. “It’s... it’s my job as a Mom to protect you until you can protect yourselves. And... I think... this is a situation where you need protecting.”

“What about you Mom?!” Larkin cried. “What if you need protecting?!”

“Oh, pumpkin...” Stacy pressed a hand to her heart. “That’s... that’s so brave of you. But I can protect myself. I promise I can.”

“and if you can’t, i will.”

She ignored that whisper, hoping Larkin couldn’t hear it with his special senses. “If you really want to help me, it would help me the most to know that you’re here, and you’re safe. If I’m worried about you being in danger, I won’t be able to do whatever I need to, because I’ll be thinking about you, and getting ready to run off to protect you no matter what. So... please. I need you two to stay here. Just until... this is all over with.”

Mathew and Larkin glanced at each other once again. “...fine,” Mathew said. “But I want to know where you’re going. A-and I want to know when you’ll be back!”

“Fair enough.” Stacy nodded. “I... Apparently I’m going to the edge of town. As for when I’ll be back...” She paused, then turned slightly towards the presence she felt on her shoulder. “Is there a more solid timeline for this thing?”

“sort of...” Misery said slowly. “sangria says it would be surprised if this takes until morning... but that it’s not impossible to take that long.”

“So you’re saying I should be back here by morning?” Stacy asked. “What time?”

“i don’t know time numbers that well. when the sun is well above the horizon. no longer twilight.”

“‘When the sun is well above the horizon’... so about... 7:10 tomorrow morning?” Stacy guessed. That was probably the earliest everything was completely bright around this time of year...

“Actually, it’ll probably be, like, 7:30 when dawn is over,” Mathew said. “Cause we’re farther north than in Los Angeles.” He nodded. “Alright. Mom, if you’re not back by that time... uh... we’ll do something.”

“Just, whatever you do, be careful,” Stacy said, giving him a small smile. “I... I’ll walk down Hewam Street until I reach the edge of town. Is there... anything you two need before I go?”

In response, Larkin jumped into a hug, throwing his arms around her. She gasped slightly, then naturally hugged him back. “Be careful, Mom...” Larkin mumbled. “We’re going to do something if you’re not back tomorrow. Remember that.”

“Yeah...” Mathew nodded. “I’m not... I-I’m not going to hug you too, cause that’s like... final. And this isn’t going to be final. But...”

Stacy laughed a little. Once Larkin let her go, she got up, and moved over to Mathew, putting an arm around his shoulder and squeezing. “Is that fine?”

“Yeah.” Mathew nodded. “Now... go and hurry. And stuff.”

“Kick the glitch thing’s butt!” Larkin said.

“Yeah, kick its ass,” Mathew added with a bit more bite.

“I will.” Stacy smiled. “I love you. Good—” She stopped. Goodbye felt... final. Mathew was right. “I’ll see you two later.”

“See you later,” Mathew said, looking relieved that she didn’t say the G word.

“See you later!” Larkin nodded. “Take one of the pictures!” He shoved one of the photos of the chalk drawings into her hand.

“I will.” Stacy laughed. “See you later,” she said again. And then, after a second of hesitation, she turned and walked out.

She didn’t have to go far to find Roisin. The old woman was waiting at the base of the stairs. “Sorry, couldn’ help but overhear ye,” she said. “Sound carries in t’is old house.” She chuckled, but then looked serious. “You’re not goin’ into the woods, are you?”

“No.” Stacy shook her head. “I know better than that. Even if I’m asked to, I won’t go in there.” Misery shifted behind her, as if offended she didn’t trust it or its friends. Which... she didn’t trust the cat one, at least.

“Alrigh’.” Roisin held something out. A heavy-looking flashlight made of blue medal, the sort with a handle that you held onto. “Take t’is to light your way. Even if you’re not goin’ to the forest, it’ll be dark.”

“...thanks,” Stacy said, taking the flashlight.

“T’at dial near the handle can make it brighter,” Roisin added.

“Oh. Nice flashlight. Er—torch.” She chuckled a little. “I’ll be sure to return it.”

“And return yourself as well, lassie,” Roisin said.

Stacy nodded back, matching Roisin’s serious expression. “I will. Until I do... watch Mathew and Larkin?”

“O’ course.” Roisin gave the slightest smile back. “Now go.”

Stacy nodded, and took a deep breath, heading down the hallway. She paused before the front door for a second. The hand on her shoulder squeezed tighter. “Don’t rush me,” she muttered as she twisted the doorknob and headed out. “Now... let’s go save John.”

And she walked out into the darkness.

* * * * * * * * * *

John woke with a pounding in his head. Two of them, actually. One seemed to be caused by the multiple blows to the skull, the last things he remembered before fading away into fuzzy non-consciousness. The other was something... internal. He could tell. He’d never had a migraine before, but... this felt similar to descriptions he’d read. It made opening his eye difficult, as the bright light of these hallways stabbed into his brain.

“Guten Morgen.”

He groaned at the sound of that voice. Right. He was still in that doctor creature’s clutches. Being... moved around, it seemed. Something beneath him was making a rattling sound, and he could feel forward motion. He turned his head to look for the sound. The rest of his body tried to turn as well, but it was stopped. Something was holding him to the surface beneath him. He turned his attention to that instead. This was... an old hospital gurney, made of spindly metal and a thin mattress. And leather straps as well, which were the reason he couldn’t move. He could see one going across his chest, and feel more around his ankles, knees, and stomach. That last one, across his midsection, was particularly tight, because it wasn’t just going across his torso. His wrists had been bound together in front of him, and the midsection strap was going over his arms as well, pinning them against his stomach. “Isn’ th’s... much?” he mumbled.

“Nein,” said a voice near his feet.

“Notarzt is right,” a voice near his head said. “You know you’re a risk right now. We don’t want Ľó±ŧĝÅ causing trouble before we get to our destination.”

Right... the other one was here too. Sangria. “Still...” John muttered. “You don’ even... trust me to... walk?”

“Nope!” Sangria said, sounding almost cheerful. “Be happy you’re not being dragged on the ground. That’s what Notarzt originally wanted.”

The doctor creature—Notarzt—grumbled under its breath.

John tested the straps some more, wriggling a little. But he was firmly secured to this gurney. He sighed... honestly, he knew this was probably for the best. Because the pounding in his head, the internal one, was growing stronger. He squinted up at the lights above. Each one had a halo around it... some sort of strange aura. Was that from the blows to the head? Or was it...

“It’s not long now, you know,” the voice in his head whispered.

“Shut up,” John grumbled.

“I wasn’t—oh.” Sangria paused. “It’s talking to you... isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” John admitted; he didn’t see any problems with admitting that. Besides, Sangria was smart. It would know if he was lying.

“Hmm... we don’t have much time, then,” Sangria hummed. “If we want to do this, it can’t get too deep into your mind. Or else it might start gathering power. Notarzt?”

The motion sped up, jostling John’s head around. He shouted in surprise and pain as the sudden hurrying forward exacerbated the head trauma.

“I wonder what they have planned,” the voice mused. “I don’t know how they could possibly undo what I’ve done to you. You’re on the verge of being me, you know. Can you feel it? Do you still know who you are?”

John slammed his head backwards against the gurney, crying out as he did so.

“Idiot,” the voice snapped. “The pain of that blow won’t distract you from me. Can you feel yourself slipping away?” A strange sensation filled John’s mind, like fingers digging into a jar of slime. He shuddered, choking back the urge to hurl at the feeling. “Soon, you won’t be able to stop me. And neither will they.” The voice chuckled. “No matter what their little plan is.”

The gurney abruptly stopped, jolting him around. “Wir sind da,” Notarzt said. Footsteps, and then its face came into view, glaring down at John. The straps loosened, and John found he could breathe again... meaning... was he not breathing before? “Raus aus meinem Haus.”

“...sure,” John muttered. “Just... step away so I can... get up.”

Notarzt’s eye narrowed, and it backed up. John tried to sit up, but it was still difficult, as the binding around his wrists hadn’t been removed. As he struggled, he felt hands grip his shoulders and push him up. “There you go,” Sangria said.

“I can help myself,” John said.

“Oh, were you not struggling just now?” Sangria asked, very clearly amused.

John bit his tongue trying not to reply. He simply swung his legs to the side and stood up—which was easier than sitting up—and looked around. They were at the end of a long hallway, seeming to extend forever behind them. In front of them was a featureless wooden door. Notarzt stood with its hand on the handle, looking at John expectantly. “Yeah, yeah...” he grumbled. “For what it’s worth, I’ve never... meant to give you trouble, if that makes sense. Even when I sorta... threatened you in the past, it was... just because I was desperate.”

“Das ist mir egal,” Notarzt said bluntly. “Raus aus meinem Haus.”

Sangria chuckled. “Our friend here is a bit low on patience, John.” He patted John’s shoulder, then walked around him, pushed the gurney to the side, and stood by Notarzt. “Your part is done. Go protect yourself once we’re out.”

Notarzt looked at it and nodded. “Danke.” Then it looked back at John... expectantly.

John just stared back. He didn’t really have sympathy for Notarzt. This creature fed on the pain of humans, and it tortured people to get its food. But he couldn’t help but feel strangely guilty. Something must have happened between it and ĭĮįªÝ... and since he carried that voice within him now, there was... the weight of responsibility on his shoulders. But he tried to shake that off. What happened between ŵèÞê¬ and Notarzt wasn’t his fault. It probably happened long before he got caught up in everything. Besides... they were both horrible. “I think I speak for both of us when I say... I hope we never meet again,” he said.

And Notarzt actually laughed. It opened the door, and gestured to the doorway. This door led to an outside—dark, the ground covered in grass and loose rocks. “Raus aus meinem Haus,” it said again... though without the bite of before.

John nodded at it. He stepped forward, passing Sangria. “Are you coming too?”

“Right behind you,” Sangria said. “Go on.”

And so, he did. He took a deep breath and stepped outside.

It was dark here... certainly nighttime, though maybe early on. Had he been out that long? And where... was he? He turned around, seeing the door embedded in the side of a brick wall. He faced forward again, and saw the ground gradually sloping upwards, until it met a dark mass of tall stalks, broken up by... white mist, which stood out in the darkness. Wait... was he...?

“John! Is that you?!”

He gasped. No. There was no way she was here. She was back in America, wasn’t she?! But he knew that voice anywhere. He turned around... and met the eyes of a woman with red hair down to her ribs, wavy, even with a large curl or two. Her brown eyes were wide in shock, and she looked pale under the freckles. Beneath the brightness of her flashlight... he saw a shadow of something else behind her, its hand on her shoulder.

“...Stacy,” he breathed. And he wasn’t sure if it was relief or dread he felt in his stomach.

* * * * * * * * * *

The road Stacy walked down led all the way to the end of town, where it met a paved circle, a few brick buildings lining its circumference. Beyond that, there was only darkness, the ground slowly forming a hill that led up to the forest... Cait Coill’s forest, with all its fog inside. “keep going,” Misery whispered.

“I’m not going into the forest,” Stacy said firmly.

“you don’t have to. just go around the back of these houses. there should be something on a back wall.”

“The back walls...” Stacy repeated in a mutter. Luckily, the houses here didn’t have fences or walls like they did in other cities. The back just faded into the countryside around it. Stacy pointed her flashlight straight ahead and walked around the first house on the left, leaving behind the safety of pavement and streetlights for the darkness behind it.

She walked around these houses, glancing at the back wall of each as she did. Nothing really stood out that much to her... and surely Misery would tell her if she missed something. So she just kept going—

Until she looked ahead and saw a figure stumble out from a door in the back of a house.

It took her a second to realize he was familiar.

“John! Is that you?!” she shouted, running closer to meet him.

He turned to look at her, an expression of absolute shock on his haggard face. He looked... awful. His clothes were stained reddish brown, though the harshness of it all had faded away into just clouds of shapes, and his hair and beard had gotten longer, more gray streaks lining the brown. The green eye had been hidden beneath bandages, but a strange greenish-black cloud colored the spot where the eye was, like ink was seeping through. His normal blue eye was bloodshot and had bags under it. And the clothes—the bloodstained clothes—hung strangely on his frame in a way she couldn’t quite place. His hands were also bound, a belt of some kind wrapped around his wrists and lower forearms.

“...Stacy,” he said quietly.

“John! It is you!” She hurried over... but then slowed a bit. The last time the two of them had been face-to-face... it hadn’t ended well. “Are you... alright?”

“I’m... I-I’m...” John seemed to struggle with putting it into words.

A second figure stepped out of the doorway—which then disappeared the next time Stacy blinked. “He’s in control of himself for now, but we all think that won’t be for much longer.”

“You!” Stacy gasped. “Jaq—Sangria!”

Sangria bowed. “Always good to see you again. And you too, Stacy.”

“good to see you,” Misery whispered.

“Stacy, I...” John swallowed a lump in his throat... and Stacy could hear a sound. Like liquid pattering against metal protrusions, but muffled by some sort of padding. “I... I’m happy to see you, but... I’m... Th-they didn’t... say you’d be here...”

Stacy laughed drily. “They don’t really tell us much, do they? At least I knew I was... coming to see you.” Her eyes flicked up and down as she looked him over once again. “I... don’t need to tell you how bad you look, do I?”

John laughed. It sounded... different than it had before. As if someone had played with the settings of a recording, then tried to set them back to normal, but couldn’t quite remember where all the sliders went. “No... and I feel just as bad, let me tell you.” His face fell as he spoke in a hushed voice. “There’s... changes... i-inside me... I can feel them. It wants... it wants to become me... or... it wants me to become it? And it... I don’t...” His eye welled with tears. “Nobody knows what will happen to me if it succeeds.”

Stacy felt tears threaten her eyes as well. “Oh, John...” She stepped closer, even as Misery tightened its grip on her shoulder.

“I... I can’t live with this anymore,” John whispered. “This whole time, I’ve just been... existing with it. Dealing with it. Surviving, but nothing more. But... not anymore. I want... I want to do something.” He laughed. “It’s like I’m treading water, but now I’m looking around, and I’m realizing that there’s stuff floating all around that I can grab onto. That can help me look for... look for land or something. If I can just figure out where land would be.”

Stacy nodded. “I’m going to help you, I promise,” she said firmly. “These things, they... you know they don’t like that glitchy one, I don’t have to tell you that. And they have a plan!”

John looked up, surprised. “You know the plan? What is it?”

“I know about the plan,” Stacy said. “But they won’t tell me much more!” She glared at Sangria, but it just shrugged. “It... it involves me, I... I-I can do something. I think because we know each other.”

“Do... what?” John asked.

“I... I-I don’t know!” Now that she was saying it out loud, it felt... foolish, that she didn’t know more. That she didn’t ask more questions or demand more answers. “These guys are so stubborn.”

“Your main goal is to get close,” Sangria said, stepping in.

“What, like... physically close?” Stacy took another hesitant step towards John.

“Yes... but not yet,” Sangria said. “We need to wait.”

John flinched. “I-it keeps... it keeps saying it’s close,” he whispered. “That it’s... it’s going to be... soon.” He shuddered. “I-I can move around on my own for now, but who knows when it’ll try to take control again?”

“it will be soon,” Misery whispered. “we can all sense you changing. like an eclipse. the moon is covering the sun, and soon, there will be total coverage. and at that moment, we’ll strike.”

Stacy went pale. “Wait... we’re waiting until right before John gets fully taken over? L-l-like... permanently?!”

John’s legs wobbled, and he almost fell over before he managed to take control of them. “Wh-what?”

“It’s a very small moment of opportunity,” Sangria said. “But it’s coming. And for it to work... you need to be a bit closer to the forest.”

“I’m not going in the forest!” Stacy squeaked. “I promised Roisin!”

“Of course, of course,” Sangria nodded. “I wouldn’t want to go in there, either. But you need to be close enough for the cat to react in case things go wrong. If ČæŽ°Ţ tries to make John run away, or if it tries to hurt you, for example.”

John looked towards the distant forest. He took a shaky breath. “It’s okay, Stacy. I don’t... I don’t think these things would hurt you... not while you’ve got that thing of your own. What’s its name, again?”

“Uh, it’s calling itself Misery...” Stacy said slowly.

“you will be safe,” Misery promised.

“I’m not just worried about me, though!” Stacy protested. “What about John?”

“He’ll be fine, too,” Sangria said. “I promise. Swear on my long, long, long life.”

Stacy pressed her lips together. There was still a seed a doubt, a distant scream of distrust. “We... won’t get too close...” she said slowly. “Y-you promise that John will be okay?”

“If the cat tries anything prematurely, I’ll be glad to step in,” Sangria said.

“...alright.” Stacy nodded. She reached out to John. “Do you... need help? I think it’s hard to walk up a hill without your arms. Balance and stuff.”

John smiled slightly. “That’d be great.” He walked closer to Stacy—only for his body to suddenly jerk to the side stumbling back. The smile on his face faded to horror. Again, he tried to take a step, but the second he raised his foot, it was like something suddenly shoved him to the side. He cried out, and Sangria caught him before he fell. “N-no!”

“Is that it?!” Stacy gasped.

“I-it doesn’t want me to get close to you!” John cried out. “I can hear it, I can—” His whole body flinched. “I-it knows you’re part of the plan! It won’t let me get close!”

“We have to move,” Sangria announced, and started dragging John towards the forest.

“I-I can w-w-walk!” John gasped. He tried to find purchase, but his own legs were fighting him as he wriggled like a worm on a hook.

“John! Wait!” Stacy ran after them.

“Go up the hill!” Sangria said.

“look, there’s a small rock there!” Misery hissed, and the beam of Stacy’s flashlight caught on a flat, wide rock, pale brown in color. “we can stop there. it’s halfway to the forest!”

“O-okay!” Stacy nodded. She ran up the side of the hill—which wasn’t really a hill, more of a gentle slope that occasionally had spots of more level ground. That rock was smack dab in the middle of one of these level spots. She stopped next to it, panting, and turned around to see Sangria dragging a struggling John up the hill right behind her. It glanced back at her, smiled, and put on a sudden burst of speed, depositing John on the ground about six feet away from her. “John!”

“S-S-S-St-Stacy-y-y,” John gasped, his voice stammering unnaturally, like a CD player with a scratch. “Somethin-thin-thin-thing’s very wro-wro-wrong.”

“It’s really starting now,” Sangria said grimly. It began backing away, moving back down the hill.

A laugh escaped John’s throat. “Do you think you all can stop me?” A voice hissed—a voice that didn’t sound like him, but didn’t not sound like him. “I am doing something never before seen! A creature of the ďÏģ¡ ŧĹ becoming flesh and blood! Walking among them!” John rolled to the side and heaved, though nothing came out. “S-stop it!” he gasped, his voice once again his own.

“John!” Stacy dropped her flashlight in a panic and rushed towards him—

John’s body moved with surprising speed, swiveling in place and lashing out at her, kicking her legs. She cried out as she fell. “You stay the fuck back!” that strange voice hissed. It let out that same laugh from before. It kept going, the peals deforming, disjointing. “It’s almost time. I told you, you wouldn’t be able to fight me! I was saving my strength for this, and now you can do nothing! Because you are nothing, Jack!”

Stacy froze in the middle of getting up. “Wh-what...? J...Jack...?”

“You can hear that now?” The voice laughed. “The person I ČØŋ§µ¶Êđ... As I become flesh, I suppose my property becomes more digestible. Relish that name, it’s the last time you’ll hear it!”

She stared at the grin on John’s face—no, on Jack’s face. She stared... and realized something. His blue eye... there was a hint of green in the corner, near the tear duct. And it was slowly staining the white sclera. Ink in water. Blood in water. Her heart jolted. “No! No! John!” She began crawling across the ground. “Fight it! You have to fight him!”

The voice growled. It lashed out again, kicking her in the collarbone, and she fell backwards, gasping.

“the time is coming,” Misery said in her ear. “hurry.”

Stacy gritted her teeth. She clambered up, despite the pain in her chest and neck—and leapt forward, landing on top of Jack’s legs. They started to flail immediately, but she wrapped her arms around them, pinning them together. “You have to fight, Jack!” she shouted. “F-for as long as you can! I know it’s hard! You have to try!” She stretched out one hand, grabbing onto the ground, pulling herself even closer. “Even if you’re just treading water—let me be there! Let me help you!”

“S-S-St-Stacy-cy-cy.” Jack’s voice gasped out, his eyelid fluttering. The green had reached the edge of his iris, infecting it as well, turning it dark. “I-I-I-I won’t let i-it...” His whole body spasmed, and he coughed violently. Blood came out of his mouth in spurts, along with bits of metal. Wires dangled from the edge of his lips, disappearing down his throat. She could hear them in his breathing.

“You’re doing great,” she said through gritted teeth. Jack’s body was momentarily still, so she crawled her way closer, wrapping her arms around his torso. “I got you. Jack. I got you.”

“Th-th-thanks...” Jack gasped, choking on the single word. His eye was rolling back, staring at nothing. The bandage was thoroughly soaked through with strange green-black liquid that dripped down the side of his face. And... the ones around his neck were the same way. His visible eye was half green, and the green was quickly gaining ground.

“It’s almost time,” Sangria called. “I can feel it from here. Misery!”

“you’ll need this.” Misery gently grabbed her right wrist. “open your hand.” She did so, and felt something press into her palm, which she wrapped her fingers around. The area grew brighter slightly. The flashlight.

“Wh-what do I do with it?” Stacy stammered.

“The corruption originates from his throat wound,” Sangria said. “Shine the light there.”

“Uh... okay...”

Jack made a gargling, choking sound, and then the voice laughed again. “Really? What’s a flashlight going to do?” it asked mockingly.

“it will help,” Misery said. “you just have to trust me.”

Stacy swallowed nervously and nodded. “Did you add some... special qualities to this flashlight?”

“Yep!” Sangria said. “Thanks for dropping it. You didn’t see the bit of fog reach out towards it? That flashlight is now imbued with the power of many souls... many more than it has.”

The voice just scoffed. “Sure. Fine. Shine a light in my face.”

Jack was still struggling, though it seemed like he was trying to fight back the force controlling him, as the struggles kept getting weaker, even as the green in his eye took over more and more. Stacy kept moving around, trying to find a good angle where she could shine the light on Jack’s throat wound while also keeping him secure. She ended up kneeling on his chest, pressing his head down with her left hand while she held the flashlight in her other. The creature made his face smile at her. The iris of his eye was almost fully black, just a rim of blue near the edge.

“It’s almost over!” Sangria shouted. “Hurry!”

“I-I’m shining it!” Stacy gasped. “It’s not... not that bright!”

“You have to get it closer, then,” Sangria said. “And faster, too! Jab it downwards.”

“...what?!” Stacy blinked in confusion.

“like you’re punching him in the throat,” Misery asked. “remember those self-defense classes? do that with what you’re holding.”

“And... that will... fix it?!” Stacy stammered in confusion.

“a fast and close motion will, yes.”

“D-d-d-do it, S-Stacy,” Jack stammered. “G-g-g-get rid o-of it-t.”

“I... I don’t want to hurt you, Jack!” She shouted.

“he’ll be better after this,” Misery whispered. “it will all be over. it’s so easy. there will be no more misery for him anymore.”

Stacy tightened her grip on the flashlight. A coil of doubt was settling in her stomach. This felt... wrong. But they were right, there was no time to act! Wasn’t there? Maybe if she just turned up the brightness on the flashlight. Roisin mentioned there was a dial on the handle to do that! Her thumb moved upwards to try and find where that dial was...

...

Wait a second.

This... wasn’t the same flashlight.

She wasn’t... holding it the same way. The one Roisin gave her had a handle, and you held onto it... horizontally. This one... she was holding onto... vertically. Like a classic flashlight.

“don’t.”

Misery knew what she was going to do. It didn’t want her to do it. But she did anyway, as she turned to look at the flashlight in her hand...

It wasn’t a flashlight at all.

It was a knife.

Gleaming in the moonlight—and in the beam of light still being created by the true flashlight, six feet to the side.

Stacy gaped at it. “Wh-what the—”

“do it stacy!” Misery shouted. “put him out of his misery!”

Jack’s eye widened. His iris also locked onto the knife. Shocked disbelief took over his expression—before the voice started to laugh.

“SHE KNOWS!” Sangria shouted.

Stacy started to drop the knife—but another hand shot out, leaving a dusty mark on hers as it wrapped her fingers more securely over the grip.

And then the fog surged down the hill. It moved rapidly, more like water barreling down a river than mist. Stacy cried out in shock—since when could the fog leave the forest?!—and that was all the time she had to do before her vision was completely grayed out. She couldn’t see anything! She coughed, choking on the mist.

“She’s all yours,” said a familiar voice... one they hadn’t heard in a while. Cait Coill. “Again, I mean. But be quick!”

Stacy shouted “What’s happening?! Stop!”... but her words didn’t leave her mouth. An unnatural silence had fallen over the area. And she felt something wrap around her wrist and her neck.

The Ragdoll was here too. They hadn’t told her that. They hadn’t told her anything.

And as that realization started to sink in, her arm moved on its own, plunging the knife downwards, towards the faint form of Jack’s neck through the fog.

Time seemed to slow for her as she went into panic mode. All this time, she’d been trying to save John! To save Jack! But that wasn’t their goal at all, was it? They only wanted to stop ÅŊŧ¦, and they didn’t care what humans they hurt in the process.

She was going to stab him, no matter what. But maybe—maybe she could shift the blade off course. For Jack. For the only one who’d stood by her, the only one who knew what this was like! He’d gone through enough hell. She wouldn’t let him go through some more... especially not by her own hand. He was her friend.

She gritted her teeth and poured all her thought and will into moving that downward plunge.

The blade didn’t go in. Not where it was supposed to. It hit bone, not throat.

Jack screamed. Despite the silence, he screamed.

The fog blew back in a circle around them. Stacy felt those strings around her wrist and neck disappear, as if they’d been pulled off. She looked down at Jack and saw the knife had hit his collarbone. In a panic, she tried to pull it out, but it was... stuck?! Had the point been that deeply embedded in the bone?!

She gave up. No time to keep trying! She could see figures moving about in the fog, which started to creep closer. They had to get out of here! Both of them! Stacy looked down at Jack, and wrapped her arms around him, lifting him up—! Adrenaline pumped her full of strength and she was able to throw him back over her shoulder. Glancing around, she spotted the flashlight and ran that way, scooping it up before turning and running down the hill, moving so fast that she felt she’d topple forward at any time.

“stacy, stop!”

No, she wasn’t going to listen to that voice anymore! She kept running forward, through the fog.

“Stop her already!”

“I’m doing it!”

The mist wrapped around her legs, grabbing them, holding them. She yelped as she almost tripped, but managed to stumble to a halt. Bits of fog began clinging onto her like cotton. “Get back!” She screeched, waving the flashlight beam around wildly like that would do something. Maybe it did, maybe her flailing around shook them off, either way, the second she felt them loosen she kept running forward. She couldn’t stop! The second she stopped, the fog would take them again! So she kept running, barreling down the hill.

Until the ground suddenly leveled, sending a jolt up her leg, and she burst out of the fog. She was behind the houses again. Her lungs were starting to tear at her ribcage, but she couldn’t stop now! Out of the corner of her vision, she saw the fog back up, then surge forward again like a tidal wave. So she let out a cry as she put on another burst of speed.

“She’s so fast! One of you get her!”

As she ran around the house, stepping from grass onto the pavement, she realized she couldn’t hear her footsteps. She staggered to a stop, trying to catch her breath, and her eyes darted around wildly. Looking for any sign of it. Because it was following her! She saw no sign of it around her, though, so—wait. She looked upwards, towards to sky... and saw a pair of spiral eyes looking down at her from the edge of a rooftop.

She instantly began running again, letting out a yell as she did—though no one would know, not even her, as the area stayed silent. Silent except for some discordant music, playing from behind her. Getting closer.

Fuck. She wasn’t sure she could outrun this one. It crawled across the rooftops as easily as she walked through the streets. But... it couldn’t attack her from above if she didn’t walk under anything.

She was running on the sidewalk next to the street, but now she turned and stepped off the curb and into the middle of the road. It was probably safe enough to do so, given how most people in the small town preferred to walk anyway. And the main streets were wide. As long as she stayed in the middle, she’d be far away from the houses and even out of reach of the street lamps.

Behind her, the fog was swirling at the edges of the houses.

Stacy’s legs were burning, but she put on a burst of speed. It was almost a straight shot from here to the Iontachs’ house! If she got there, she could at least put some walls between her and some of these creatures!

The discordant music kept coming from somewhere. She squinted ahead—occasionally seeing something glint in the lamplight. Like a spiderweb. No matter what else was ahead of her, she avoided those glints, staying in the middle of the road. It wouldn’t trap her. They wouldn’t take her. They wouldn’t kill Jack!

Sooner than she thought, she turned a corner onto the Iontachs’ street. She could almost see the house—

“Stacy!” A figure gasped, standing on the sidewalk around the corner. “What are you doing?!”

“C-Colleen?!” Stacy gaped. “What are you... doing out here?! It’s not safe! There’s... creatures!”

“I-I can see that, Stacy, I see the fog.” Colleen nodded, glancing around nervously. She stepped out into the street. “Are you okay? Who’s that man you’re carrying? Oh my god he’s injured!”

“Y-yeah, he is.” Stacy paused for a moment, gasping for air.

“Here, I-I can help.” Colleen walked closer. “I’m a nurse.”

“No!” Stacy backed away. “Nobody get close! I-it can be dangerous!” Even though Jack’s been limp for a while, he could lash out at any second.

Colleen blinked, then smiled. “Stacy, you know I’m a friend.”

“Y-yeah, I...” Stacy hesitated. She narrowed her eyes. Colleen... she was wearing... a red shirt.

“...Stacy?” the figure who looked like Colleen asked quietly.

Stacy didn’t answer, bursting into a run. She spun around—and almost walked right into a triangle of glinting air that extended outwards from a street lamp, like a flap of canvas in the wind. Quickly, she course-corrected, and began a dead sprint down the street. The house was so close!

“Damn it!” The figure in red cursed. “Get back here, Stacy! You don’t understand what’s at risk!”

“I do!” Stacy screeched, the word cracking from the strength of her yell.

“Come baaaack here, Stacy!” The figure in red drawled, the voice echoing behind her. It sounded... sweet. Enticing. “Everything will just be okay if you turn around and come back to ussss.”

She stumbled for a moment, then shook her head. Just keep going!

“Staaaacy,” the figure called. A beautiful sound... like the peal of a bell wrapping around her. “Staaaacyyyy.”

Stacy took a deep breath. “One plus one is two!” she gasped out. “One plus two is three! Two plus three is five! Three plus five is eight!” As long as she listened only to her words, paid attention only to the math needed for them to come out in a timely manner, that voice meant nothing!

And there was the house on the side of the road. She’d been running for so long, was so out of breath, that her vision was actually starting to waver and blue. It was a miracle she’d lasted this long, honestly. Now just... one... last... push! It was right in front of her! Feet away! She just had to open the door—

The discordant music came from up above.

She glanced upwards, and saw it waiting there. On the roof of the Iontachs’ house. Perched and waiting with strings already starting to dangle.

It would get her the second she paused to open the door.

But she couldn’t stop now. The fog was behind her, the figure in red was behind her. If she hesitated, one of them would get her. But she couldn’t—she couldn’t go to the house. She had to keep running, she had to go somewhere else—

And then the upstairs window of the house opened up, and out shot—something. She couldn’t really see what it was. Or maybe it didn’t really process, because it was actually absurd what she saw. A small, green... grabber... thing. With the head... of a dinosaur. It reached out and bit onto the strings dangling above the door and yanked. The discordant music played a few sudden notes, like someone banging on a piano.

The front door opened. “Inside! Now!” Framed in the yellow light from inside was Roisin.

Stacy gritted her teeth. With one final scream she ran forward. Roisin stepped to the side. As she approached the door, the small grabber clattered to the ground, the window slammed shut, the music rapidly approached as something fell from above—

And then she made it inside and Roisin slammed the door closed behind her. Something thudded against it, hard, but Roisin quickly locked the door. “Into the livin’ room, now!” she said.

Stacy stumbled to the side into said living room. She set Jack down in the first armchair she saw... and then promptly collapsed on the sofa, gasping for air. Her whole body felt like jelly. Especially her arms and legs, with her arms being practically numb. Her throat was dry, but it also seemed to be coated in thick mucus at the same time. Her body was uncomfortably hot, and her vision was all fuzzy and blurry. Even so, she only rested for a minute before trying to sit up. “Outside... creatures...”

“I’d be surprised if they can get in,” Roisin said. She looked at Stacy, a hard light in her eyes that wasn’t there before. “T’is whole town has buildin’s warded against t’ese creatures. Or at least... the oldest ones are warded. Which we are in.”

“...warded?” Stacy asked. “That’s... possible?”

“Yes... t’ough I’ll admit I don’ know how. T’ose spells date back to the magicians of old. They casted the spells to protect the town ages ago.”

“I... okay... then.” Stacy leaned her head back against the sofa.

Footsteps rushed down the hall. “Mom!” “Mom!” “Miss Stacy!”

Stacy turned her head and saw Mathew and Larkin rushing towards her. Behind them was Nick, who stopped next to Roisin and looked up at her. Stacy’s sons, meanwhile, stopped right in front of her, staring at her worriedly, hovering like they wanted to get closer but not actually. “Are you... a-are you okay, Mom?” Mathew asked.

“Really tired...” Stacy said, giving them a faint smile. “Ran here... but... okay.”

Larkin smiled. “Yay!”

“What happened? Why did you run back here?” Mathew asked. “There was that weird fog rolling down the street a-and that thing with the strings was outside the window—!”

“Did you two... distract it? With... the little...” Stacy lifted her hand and made a bitey motion, opening and closing it.

“I had a bad dream,” Larkin said. “And when I woke up, I looked out the window and saw it! S-so, uh, Mathew remembered there were those things, so I woke up Nick by going into the room for one—did we help? Miss Roisin told us she also had a bad dream and that we needed to do something!”

“So... you put this plan together... once you saw the fog outside?” Stacy asked.

“Indeed,” Roisin confirmed, patting Nick’s head. “It wasn’ a coincidence that both I and young lad Lark had th’ same dream to wake us up. We... sensed it. T’at they were comin’.”

By her side, Nick nodded. And then his eyes wandered. “Um... who’s that?”

Mathew and Larkin turned to the side. “Holy shit, is that John?!” Mathew gasped.

John—Jack’s eye was closed, but he opened it at the sound of the question. The green in it had retreated, and it was once again normal blue. He smiled faintly, despite the strange green-black liquid soaking through the bandages, despite the way his hands were still bound tight, despite the knife sticking out of the left side of his collarbone. “Yeah... that’s me,” he said faintly.

“His real name is Jack,” Stacy said.

Jack started. “You... you heard that? You... remember that?”

Stacy nodded.

“I... don’t know if that’s a good sign... or a bad sign...” Jack muttered.

“Are you... you?” Stacy asked quietly.

“I’m back... to how I was... a couple hours ago, I think,” Jack said slowly. “It’s... still there. I can still... h-hear it in my head. But... when you stabbed me, it... pushed it back slightly?” He chuckled. “I think it felt the pain and got scared... realizing that it was actually also in danger. That’s the price you pay for being physical, bitch.”

“Wait... did you say Mom stabbed you?!” Larkin’s eyes went wide.

“It wasn’t really me,” Stacy said quietly. “It was Ragdoll. Well... it was almost me, but only because they were tricking me. I-I thought...” She shook her head. “Nevermind. I-I can tell you all about it later. Right now... I just want to be sure they can’t get in.” She turned around in her seat, looking at the window... which was completely covered in white fog.

“No, none of the ones outside can get in,” Roisin confirmed. “Sure, we’ll be stuck in here for a bit, but at least we’re all together. An’ the city’s been prepared for somet’ing like t’is for decades. Ev’ryone will know not to go outside, and ev’ryone has food stockpiled.”

Stacy let out a long breath of relief. “Good... that’s good...”

Larkin frowned, though. His eyes were looking... behind Stacy. And Mathew glanced at Roisin worriedly. “Uh... you emphasized ‘the ones outside can’t get in’. Does that mean... there are some in here...?”

Roisin nodded. “Can’ be helped bringin’ them in.” She looked at Jack and Stacy. “But I do hope they’ll be on their best behave—”

A shadow suddenly moved behind Stacy. She started in surprise—then cried out as a heavy weight pressed down on her shoulders. The weight grabbed onto her throat, not making it hard to breathe, but impossible to ignore, and something moved into her field of vision. A... a face. It was upside-down, eyes peering into her own as it leaned over her from behind. Despite being upside-down, tears continued to flow down its cheeks as it stared at her, and dust filled the room, blocking out Stacy’s vision of everything except that face.

She tried to speak, but found it impossible. All she could do was stare at the face of Misery.

“we need to talk, Stacy.”