Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Project Research
Written for Day 27 of the 31daysoffandom October challenge. The prompt I used for today was "candy"
The water from the hot tap was virulent green and had the consistency and stickiness of warm molasses. The viscosity meant that it moved slowly through the pipes of the run-down apartment building, which was the only reason Dash hadn’t gotten a face full of it in the shower that morning and the coffee machine was still in working order. Marshall had eventually worked up the courage to try the built-in ice maker that connected to their water mains and a tumbler of misshapen ice cubes now sat glowing bright green in the window sill, completely failing to melt despite being placed in direct sunlight. The previous day’s dishes were coated in a clinging layer of the stuff and the dishwasher was most likely a write-off, as even if it still worked after this, none of them were likely to forget the slimy green cavern that the interior had become overnight.
“Zombie outbreak?” said Dash, shuddering at how close he had come to being drenched in the stuff.
“It doesn’t look like grave mould,” said Marshall, attempting unsuccessfully to scrape some of it into a sample jar using a spoon. He gave up and simply sealed the teaspoon in with it. “Toxic waste?”
“Geiger counter’s not reacting,” said Simon, who was taking readings from under the sink. He emerged, brushing dust bunnies out of his hair and removing a scouring pad that had stuck to his woollen jumper. “Has anyone checked the lake monsters recently?”
Dash looked up at the stickered chart blu-tacked to the front of the refrigerator. “Last Wednesday. Lorelai breeding season, a few white coursers in the surf near the shore, the Kraken are in hibernation so providing nobody disturbs the mud at the bottom of the lake bed we should be fine ’til spring, and the mermaids and the ghost-pirates are the same as always. Oh, the pirates lost their figurehead last month, but Marisea already told us about that.”
“Huh.” Marshall stared at the kitchen tap that now oozed where once it had dripped. He drummed his fingers on the scarred melamine counter top, then reached for the cordless phone that sat on the windowsill, nestled between a chipped teacup full of half-melted protective wards and one of Sparky’s chew toys.
He hit “3” on the speed dial and waited with the receiver nestled between his ear and shoulder, holding the sample jar of green sludge up to the pale morning light streaming through the kitchen window.
“Hi mom,” he said. “Oh no, we’re fine. Yeah, they’re fine. No, I haven’t heard from Syndi for a few days. Oh. Yes, I knew the Bingo Parlour caught fire. No, I didn’t know there was a warrant out for her arrest. Mom, should we be talking about this over the ’phone?” He paused. “Hold on, I’ll ask them.”
Marshall covered the mouthpiece with his hand and turned to the others. “Mom wants to know if we’d like to come for dinner tonight?” Both Dash and Simon nodded in assent.
Mars put the ’phone back to his lips. “Yeah mom, that’d be great. You want us to bring something? Okay, great. Yeah, we’ll see you at seven. Listen, mom, I didn’t actually call to scam a free meal.”
Dash scoffed. Marshall shot him the finger. “Is Dad in? Oh, they’ve got him working Saturdays again? Gross. Do you know what he’s working on?”
There was a pause.
“Petroleum-based pistachio flavouring,” he said. “Okay. No, no reason. We’ll see you tonight. Love you too. Bye.”
He set the walk-about carefully back into it’s cradle.
“Nobody drink the water,” he said. “Also, do we still have Syndi’s go-bag from the last time she pissed off the Bingo Parlour management?”
“It’s in the cupboard under the stairs,” said Simon. “After last time, I made a list of safe places to lay low in town - I’ll go print off a copy.”
“What did your mom want us to bring?” asked Dash, pulling on his coat. “I’ll go to Grandma’s Kitchen and pick something up.”
“Cake,” said Mars. “Any kind is fine.”
“Take your wallet,” said Simon. Dash made a face, but retrieved it from beneath a collection of mummified heads before vanishing through the front door.
Microwave-verse
Bonfire by froodle, in which Pinocchio is ruined forever
Gingerbread by froodle, in which there is a witch in the Eerie Woods
Leaves by froodle, in which plantlife finds Marshall entirely too enticing
Offspring by froodle, in which there are dragons
Based on Your Previous Purchases by froodle, in which Mars should really pay attention to Amazon's reccomendations
Housework by froodle, in which a rota cannot be agreed upon
Breakfast by froodle, in which Dash's attempts at cookery do not go well
Ghost in the Machine by froodle, in which a new laptop opens an old wound
Consequences by froodle, in which an encounter with leprechauns leaves the boys very tired indeed
The Microwave by froodle, in which Andrea Fantucci returns to Eerie after a considerable absense
The Eldritch Abomination in the Room by froodle, in which the microwave is most definitely not discussed
Basic Household Maintenance by froodle, in which manticores are inconsiderate houseguests
Torrential by froodle, in which there is a storm, and the boys eat ice-cream
Linens by froodle, in which Dash X makes a bed
Night Music by froodle, in which Simon is woken by a nocturnal visitor
In For The Night by froodle, in which Dash refuses to leave the house
Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend
Errands by froodle, in which Simon has a to-do list
Waterlogged by froodle, in which Eerie experiences heavy rainfall
Wildlife by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall go to the beach
Rainbow by froodle, in which Dash fails to properly appreciate Michael Flatley
Jackolantern by froodle, in which the local pumpkin patch has a problem
The water from the hot tap was virulent green and had the consistency and stickiness of warm molasses. The viscosity meant that it moved slowly through the pipes of the run-down apartment building, which was the only reason Dash hadn’t gotten a face full of it in the shower that morning and the coffee machine was still in working order. Marshall had eventually worked up the courage to try the built-in ice maker that connected to their water mains and a tumbler of misshapen ice cubes now sat glowing bright green in the window sill, completely failing to melt despite being placed in direct sunlight. The previous day’s dishes were coated in a clinging layer of the stuff and the dishwasher was most likely a write-off, as even if it still worked after this, none of them were likely to forget the slimy green cavern that the interior had become overnight.
“Zombie outbreak?” said Dash, shuddering at how close he had come to being drenched in the stuff.
“It doesn’t look like grave mould,” said Marshall, attempting unsuccessfully to scrape some of it into a sample jar using a spoon. He gave up and simply sealed the teaspoon in with it. “Toxic waste?”
“Geiger counter’s not reacting,” said Simon, who was taking readings from under the sink. He emerged, brushing dust bunnies out of his hair and removing a scouring pad that had stuck to his woollen jumper. “Has anyone checked the lake monsters recently?”
Dash looked up at the stickered chart blu-tacked to the front of the refrigerator. “Last Wednesday. Lorelai breeding season, a few white coursers in the surf near the shore, the Kraken are in hibernation so providing nobody disturbs the mud at the bottom of the lake bed we should be fine ’til spring, and the mermaids and the ghost-pirates are the same as always. Oh, the pirates lost their figurehead last month, but Marisea already told us about that.”
“Huh.” Marshall stared at the kitchen tap that now oozed where once it had dripped. He drummed his fingers on the scarred melamine counter top, then reached for the cordless phone that sat on the windowsill, nestled between a chipped teacup full of half-melted protective wards and one of Sparky’s chew toys.
He hit “3” on the speed dial and waited with the receiver nestled between his ear and shoulder, holding the sample jar of green sludge up to the pale morning light streaming through the kitchen window.
“Hi mom,” he said. “Oh no, we’re fine. Yeah, they’re fine. No, I haven’t heard from Syndi for a few days. Oh. Yes, I knew the Bingo Parlour caught fire. No, I didn’t know there was a warrant out for her arrest. Mom, should we be talking about this over the ’phone?” He paused. “Hold on, I’ll ask them.”
Marshall covered the mouthpiece with his hand and turned to the others. “Mom wants to know if we’d like to come for dinner tonight?” Both Dash and Simon nodded in assent.
Mars put the ’phone back to his lips. “Yeah mom, that’d be great. You want us to bring something? Okay, great. Yeah, we’ll see you at seven. Listen, mom, I didn’t actually call to scam a free meal.”
Dash scoffed. Marshall shot him the finger. “Is Dad in? Oh, they’ve got him working Saturdays again? Gross. Do you know what he’s working on?”
There was a pause.
“Petroleum-based pistachio flavouring,” he said. “Okay. No, no reason. We’ll see you tonight. Love you too. Bye.”
He set the walk-about carefully back into it’s cradle.
“Nobody drink the water,” he said. “Also, do we still have Syndi’s go-bag from the last time she pissed off the Bingo Parlour management?”
“It’s in the cupboard under the stairs,” said Simon. “After last time, I made a list of safe places to lay low in town - I’ll go print off a copy.”
“What did your mom want us to bring?” asked Dash, pulling on his coat. “I’ll go to Grandma’s Kitchen and pick something up.”
“Cake,” said Mars. “Any kind is fine.”
“Take your wallet,” said Simon. Dash made a face, but retrieved it from beneath a collection of mummified heads before vanishing through the front door.
Microwave-verse
Bonfire by froodle, in which Pinocchio is ruined forever
Gingerbread by froodle, in which there is a witch in the Eerie Woods
Leaves by froodle, in which plantlife finds Marshall entirely too enticing
Offspring by froodle, in which there are dragons
Based on Your Previous Purchases by froodle, in which Mars should really pay attention to Amazon's reccomendations
Housework by froodle, in which a rota cannot be agreed upon
Breakfast by froodle, in which Dash's attempts at cookery do not go well
Ghost in the Machine by froodle, in which a new laptop opens an old wound
Consequences by froodle, in which an encounter with leprechauns leaves the boys very tired indeed
The Microwave by froodle, in which Andrea Fantucci returns to Eerie after a considerable absense
The Eldritch Abomination in the Room by froodle, in which the microwave is most definitely not discussed
Basic Household Maintenance by froodle, in which manticores are inconsiderate houseguests
Torrential by froodle, in which there is a storm, and the boys eat ice-cream
Linens by froodle, in which Dash X makes a bed
Night Music by froodle, in which Simon is woken by a nocturnal visitor
In For The Night by froodle, in which Dash refuses to leave the house
Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend
Errands by froodle, in which Simon has a to-do list
Waterlogged by froodle, in which Eerie experiences heavy rainfall
Wildlife by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall go to the beach
Rainbow by froodle, in which Dash fails to properly appreciate Michael Flatley
Jackolantern by froodle, in which the local pumpkin patch has a problem