Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Fine Print
Written for Day 24 of the 31daysoffandom October challenge. The prompt I used for this one was "stormy"
The winter storms had thrown up huge mounds of black water weeds, and dawn saw them rolling disconsolately back and forth in the white breakers as the tide first calmed, then retreated. Glittering chunks of blue-green sea glass and broad flat stones from the lake bed lay among them, lending an uneven marbled texture to the wet sand that sparkled in the pale light of the rising sun.
Simon and Marshall picked their way through the debris, the thick tread of their wellington boots making loud sucking sounds that echoed over the water in the early morning quiet. They carried shrimping nets slung over their shoulders, and their backpacks bulged with bottles full of lake water. Further up, out of the reach of the wash of the surf, a wheelbarrow filled with pale planks of salt-scoured driftwood rested, canted slightly to one side where the wheels weren't quite even.
Marshall had his notebook out, and Simon carried a battered ex-library copy of "Water Creatures and You: The Young Person's Guide to Sea Monsters". As was to be expected when buying retired stock from the Eerie Public Library, it had come with a free ghost imprisoned between the pages. This one had been a young man of dark eye and truculent demeanor, who had perished when trying to lure one of the ondine onto dry land to be his wife. As he'd already had a wife, the ondine had stopped his breath in his lungs as he slept, and he had died scrabbling frantically at the borrowed book on his night stand. Some of pages had been ripped out in his death throes and had to be carefully extracted from his rigor mortised and inexplicably waterlogged hand when his corpse was eventually recovered.
"What an idiot," said Mars, once the ghost had been wrapped back up in the missing pages and sealed in a brown glass bottle that had once contained an expensive brand of locally-produced corn whiskey. They'd dripped paraffin wax over the screw-top lid to keep it water-tight, then thrown it off the pier of Eerie's Baitshop and Sushi Bar.
"Should have read the fine print," Simon agreed, and the two of them went back to hunting for selkie skins.
Trusted Associates, Inc.
Halloween by froodle, in which Mars and Simon celebrate a Von Orloff-free All Hallows Eve
Surprise by froodle, in which Mars tries to make sure Simon's birthday goes a little better this year
The Glade by froodle, in which Simon and Mars visit a place that only exists on February 29th
Egg Hunt by froodle, in which Simon and Mars partake of some traditional Easter activities
Boardwalk by froodle, in which Simon and Mars are swayed by radio advertising
Lady in Red by froodle, in which Simon experiments on the old-fashioned radio in the Secret Spot, and horror ensues
Waiting In by froodle, in which there is an ice-storm and a handyman does not arrive
Seafoam by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall go to the seaside
A Night at the Circus by froodle, in which a carnivale comes to town, and Marshall and Simon do not enjoy themselves
Taking a Break by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall enjoy some much-needed R&R
Model Railway by froodle, in which a new business prepares to open in Eerie
Shoreline by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall investigate strange happenings on the shores of Lake Eerie
Parade by froodle, in which Mars takes issue with the Eerie Beekeepers Association's choice of mascot
Homestead by froodle, in which Marshall finally gets something useful out of shop class
Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend
Errands by froodle, in which Simon has a to-do list
Slyboots by froodle, in which a certain corporal of the infernal regions comes to Eerie. Crossover with Johannes Cabal the Necromancer.
Waterlogged by froodle, in which Eerie experiences heavy rainfall
Festival by froodle, in which Eerie's local businesses celebrate the summer
Strawberry by froodle, in which there is unauthorised hubbub in Eerie
Wildlife by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall go to the beach
Facilities by froodle, in which the Eerie Bus Station and Supper Club has a problem with the men's toilet
Anticipation by froodle, in which Simon and Harley look forward to the Equinox
Castle by froodle, in which there is unexpected architecture in Eerie
Visitor in which Marshall's grandma comes to stay
Euclid by froodle, in which Marshall and Simon investigate strange events at the Eerie Cemetery
The Hut by froodle, in which Simon takes on the forces of Eerie solo
The winter storms had thrown up huge mounds of black water weeds, and dawn saw them rolling disconsolately back and forth in the white breakers as the tide first calmed, then retreated. Glittering chunks of blue-green sea glass and broad flat stones from the lake bed lay among them, lending an uneven marbled texture to the wet sand that sparkled in the pale light of the rising sun.
Simon and Marshall picked their way through the debris, the thick tread of their wellington boots making loud sucking sounds that echoed over the water in the early morning quiet. They carried shrimping nets slung over their shoulders, and their backpacks bulged with bottles full of lake water. Further up, out of the reach of the wash of the surf, a wheelbarrow filled with pale planks of salt-scoured driftwood rested, canted slightly to one side where the wheels weren't quite even.
Marshall had his notebook out, and Simon carried a battered ex-library copy of "Water Creatures and You: The Young Person's Guide to Sea Monsters". As was to be expected when buying retired stock from the Eerie Public Library, it had come with a free ghost imprisoned between the pages. This one had been a young man of dark eye and truculent demeanor, who had perished when trying to lure one of the ondine onto dry land to be his wife. As he'd already had a wife, the ondine had stopped his breath in his lungs as he slept, and he had died scrabbling frantically at the borrowed book on his night stand. Some of pages had been ripped out in his death throes and had to be carefully extracted from his rigor mortised and inexplicably waterlogged hand when his corpse was eventually recovered.
"What an idiot," said Mars, once the ghost had been wrapped back up in the missing pages and sealed in a brown glass bottle that had once contained an expensive brand of locally-produced corn whiskey. They'd dripped paraffin wax over the screw-top lid to keep it water-tight, then thrown it off the pier of Eerie's Baitshop and Sushi Bar.
"Should have read the fine print," Simon agreed, and the two of them went back to hunting for selkie skins.
Trusted Associates, Inc.
Halloween by froodle, in which Mars and Simon celebrate a Von Orloff-free All Hallows Eve
Surprise by froodle, in which Mars tries to make sure Simon's birthday goes a little better this year
The Glade by froodle, in which Simon and Mars visit a place that only exists on February 29th
Egg Hunt by froodle, in which Simon and Mars partake of some traditional Easter activities
Boardwalk by froodle, in which Simon and Mars are swayed by radio advertising
Lady in Red by froodle, in which Simon experiments on the old-fashioned radio in the Secret Spot, and horror ensues
Waiting In by froodle, in which there is an ice-storm and a handyman does not arrive
Seafoam by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall go to the seaside
A Night at the Circus by froodle, in which a carnivale comes to town, and Marshall and Simon do not enjoy themselves
Taking a Break by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall enjoy some much-needed R&R
Model Railway by froodle, in which a new business prepares to open in Eerie
Shoreline by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall investigate strange happenings on the shores of Lake Eerie
Parade by froodle, in which Mars takes issue with the Eerie Beekeepers Association's choice of mascot
Homestead by froodle, in which Marshall finally gets something useful out of shop class
Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend
Errands by froodle, in which Simon has a to-do list
Slyboots by froodle, in which a certain corporal of the infernal regions comes to Eerie. Crossover with Johannes Cabal the Necromancer.
Waterlogged by froodle, in which Eerie experiences heavy rainfall
Festival by froodle, in which Eerie's local businesses celebrate the summer
Strawberry by froodle, in which there is unauthorised hubbub in Eerie
Wildlife by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall go to the beach
Facilities by froodle, in which the Eerie Bus Station and Supper Club has a problem with the men's toilet
Anticipation by froodle, in which Simon and Harley look forward to the Equinox
Castle by froodle, in which there is unexpected architecture in Eerie
Visitor in which Marshall's grandma comes to stay
Euclid by froodle, in which Marshall and Simon investigate strange events at the Eerie Cemetery
The Hut by froodle, in which Simon takes on the forces of Eerie solo