Fannish Advent #6: Wreck the Halls.
Title: Wreck the Halls.
Rating: PG.
Fandom: InCryptid.
Synopsis: What was Christmas vacation like while Alice was in school?
***
It was reasonably easy to follow the trail of carnage through the house. Smashed wedding china in the living room; up-ended bookshelves in the front hall; large, splintery holes punched through the banister. Some sort of sticky brown slime extended up the first six stairs, where it had apparently been driven back by some greater force, since a second, thicker trail of slime ran back down the stairs, finally vanishing down the hall toward the kitchen.
If all that hadn't been enough to indicate where the action was, Alice could always have just followed the sound of dissonant, enthusiastic cheering. She stepped into the kitchen doorway to find her grandfather jabbing a fireplace poker at the headless, skinless carcass of a deer.
"You know, in Ann Arbor, when you cut the head off a deer, it usually doesn't try to kick you with quite this much enthusiasm," she commented.
"That's because Ann Arbor is boring," replied her grandfather, and smacked the dead deer across the stump of the neck with his poker. It somehow managed to bellow. This was reasonably impressive, and elicited a fresh round of enthusiastic cheering from the mice. "Hello, Alice. How was the bus ride?"
"Boring." Alice dropped her backpack next to the door, pulling the pistol from the waistband of her jeans. "Can I help with dinner?"
"Do you know where to shoot a reanimated deer to make it stop trying to kick my head off?"
"Well, no."
"Then it's probably best if I just beat it back to death." Alexander smacked it again. "Your father should be home soon. He's just closing up the library for the holidays, and stopping by the store to pick up a few things for Christmas dinner."
"Like a main dish that stays dead?" asked Alice, hopefully. "Easter's supposed to be the feast of resurrection."
"You have been in Ann Arbor too long, haven't you?" Alexander smacked the kicking, angry side of venison a third time. "Why don't you take the shotgun and go hunting for holly trees? That'll keep you busy while I get dinner in the oven."
"I don't know..." Alice began.
"I believe they were last seen migrating in the direction of Mr. Price's property. Something about the soil there just seems to suit their growing conditions."
"The shotgun's in the hall closet still, right?" Alice asked, with sudden enthusiasm.
The mice, not to miss an opportunity like this one, cheered.
***
Today's fandom and characters were suggested by geekturnedvamp. To suggest a fandom, pairing/characters, or theme for tomorrow's advent, please comment here.
Rating: PG.
Fandom: InCryptid.
Synopsis: What was Christmas vacation like while Alice was in school?
***
It was reasonably easy to follow the trail of carnage through the house. Smashed wedding china in the living room; up-ended bookshelves in the front hall; large, splintery holes punched through the banister. Some sort of sticky brown slime extended up the first six stairs, where it had apparently been driven back by some greater force, since a second, thicker trail of slime ran back down the stairs, finally vanishing down the hall toward the kitchen.
If all that hadn't been enough to indicate where the action was, Alice could always have just followed the sound of dissonant, enthusiastic cheering. She stepped into the kitchen doorway to find her grandfather jabbing a fireplace poker at the headless, skinless carcass of a deer.
"You know, in Ann Arbor, when you cut the head off a deer, it usually doesn't try to kick you with quite this much enthusiasm," she commented.
"That's because Ann Arbor is boring," replied her grandfather, and smacked the dead deer across the stump of the neck with his poker. It somehow managed to bellow. This was reasonably impressive, and elicited a fresh round of enthusiastic cheering from the mice. "Hello, Alice. How was the bus ride?"
"Boring." Alice dropped her backpack next to the door, pulling the pistol from the waistband of her jeans. "Can I help with dinner?"
"Do you know where to shoot a reanimated deer to make it stop trying to kick my head off?"
"Well, no."
"Then it's probably best if I just beat it back to death." Alexander smacked it again. "Your father should be home soon. He's just closing up the library for the holidays, and stopping by the store to pick up a few things for Christmas dinner."
"Like a main dish that stays dead?" asked Alice, hopefully. "Easter's supposed to be the feast of resurrection."
"You have been in Ann Arbor too long, haven't you?" Alexander smacked the kicking, angry side of venison a third time. "Why don't you take the shotgun and go hunting for holly trees? That'll keep you busy while I get dinner in the oven."
"I don't know..." Alice began.
"I believe they were last seen migrating in the direction of Mr. Price's property. Something about the soil there just seems to suit their growing conditions."
"The shotgun's in the hall closet still, right?" Alice asked, with sudden enthusiasm.
The mice, not to miss an opportunity like this one, cheered.
***
Today's fandom and characters were suggested by geekturnedvamp. To suggest a fandom, pairing/characters, or theme for tomorrow's advent, please comment here.