Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Cookout
Written for the fffc October challenge. This one used a combination of prompts: "small creatures" and "classic/mythological"
The sun was rising behind Wolf Mountain, and the uppermost crags that loomed sharp and jagged against the darkened skyline were limed in silver. The scrubby undergrowth that lined it’s higher slopes gained definition and colour as the sun came up, turning from black to smudgy grey and eventually to dark greens and browns. The small yellow tent had been visible only as a splash of paleness on the gloomy mountainside, but the dawn illuminated it as it sat beneath a copse of birth trees, incongruous amidst the surrounding wilderness.
Marshall Teller unzipped the mosquito netting, reached for the entrance flap, and cursed when he realised he’d forgotten to remove the silver cloth that protected overnight campers from ravening lycanthropes. The dose of venom he’d received during his encounter with Mister Chaney hadn’t been a large one, and Radford’s home-made werewolf cure had mitigated most of the symptoms, but the unexpected touch of silver was roughly analogous to a mild electric shock. Not fatal by any means - indeed, by Eerie’s standards it was almost benign - but unpleasant all the same.
The cooler was where they had left it, half-buried in the sandy soil beneath a bramble hedge. They’d hung fly paper on the thorny branches before going to bed, and traces of pixie dust marked where the malicious mountain unseelie had brushed against it while trying to mess with their food. He tugged the heavy red and white box free, removed the milk and the coffee grounds, and began making coffee on the small paraffin stove.
There was a rustling from the shadowed interior of the tent and Simon emerged, bed-rumpled and pink with sleep, into the pale early morning. He yawned hugely, tugging up the over-long sleeves of a hand-me-down sweatshirt, and smiled at Marshall.
“Morning, Mars,” he mumbled, shuffling over to stand by the cooler and removing a bottle of orange juice from amidst the discarded sandwich wrappings, the butter, the bacon, and the slightly sticky carton that contained eleven eggs, the twelfth not having survived the trip up the mountain. He drank straight from the bottle, draining more than half of it before replacing the cap.
“Hey,” said Marshall. “How’d you sleep?”
Simon shrugged. “Pretty good, at least once that spriggan stopped shaking the tent. You?”
“I got up to pee and a Rumplestiltskin tried to make a deal for my first-born,” said Marshall. “Apart from that, it was great. You want bacon?”
Simon nodded vigorously, then began winding the fairy-dander coated fly paper into neat coils between two sheets of grease-paper and stowing them away inside a lead-lined box. The pixie dust had come in handy in the past, and there was no sense wasting it.
“What’d he offer you?”
“Oh, the usual. Started with promising to find a model airplane I lost in the move from Jersey, moved on to dominion over all the kingdoms of man. Mostly I just wished he’d shut up and leave - I really, really had to go and he just wouldn’t leave until he’d run through the whole spiel.”
Simon made a rueful face. It wasn’t their first encounter with one of the fae attempting a hard sell - there was a Fairy Queen who sold ice lollies from a refrigerated truck during summer and made the Donald seem like a rank amateur in comparison - but it didn’t mean it got any less annoying, or intrusive. The small hours of the morning, when you’d been fast asleep and had to be up for school at seven, or during an important plot twist in a new episode of Commander Cody, or when trying to urinate against a tree trunk in the semi-darkness - these were apparently prime business hours for the Wee Folk, and more than one tiny glittering creature had ended up on the wrong side of a cold iron fly swatter as a result.
“Campfire’s still going,” he said, raking over the glowing embers with a piece of kindling and watching the flames flicker up. “Do we have marshmallows?”
“In the tent, in my backpack,” said Marshall. “It’s a plastic bag with a zip-lock. I didn’t want to leave them in the open after what happened with the zombie racoons.”
“Cool,” said Simon, and went to make s’mores.
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 sun was rising behind Wolf Mountain, and the uppermost crags that loomed sharp and jagged against the darkened skyline were limed in silver. The scrubby undergrowth that lined it’s higher slopes gained definition and colour as the sun came up, turning from black to smudgy grey and eventually to dark greens and browns. The small yellow tent had been visible only as a splash of paleness on the gloomy mountainside, but the dawn illuminated it as it sat beneath a copse of birth trees, incongruous amidst the surrounding wilderness.
Marshall Teller unzipped the mosquito netting, reached for the entrance flap, and cursed when he realised he’d forgotten to remove the silver cloth that protected overnight campers from ravening lycanthropes. The dose of venom he’d received during his encounter with Mister Chaney hadn’t been a large one, and Radford’s home-made werewolf cure had mitigated most of the symptoms, but the unexpected touch of silver was roughly analogous to a mild electric shock. Not fatal by any means - indeed, by Eerie’s standards it was almost benign - but unpleasant all the same.
The cooler was where they had left it, half-buried in the sandy soil beneath a bramble hedge. They’d hung fly paper on the thorny branches before going to bed, and traces of pixie dust marked where the malicious mountain unseelie had brushed against it while trying to mess with their food. He tugged the heavy red and white box free, removed the milk and the coffee grounds, and began making coffee on the small paraffin stove.
There was a rustling from the shadowed interior of the tent and Simon emerged, bed-rumpled and pink with sleep, into the pale early morning. He yawned hugely, tugging up the over-long sleeves of a hand-me-down sweatshirt, and smiled at Marshall.
“Morning, Mars,” he mumbled, shuffling over to stand by the cooler and removing a bottle of orange juice from amidst the discarded sandwich wrappings, the butter, the bacon, and the slightly sticky carton that contained eleven eggs, the twelfth not having survived the trip up the mountain. He drank straight from the bottle, draining more than half of it before replacing the cap.
“Hey,” said Marshall. “How’d you sleep?”
Simon shrugged. “Pretty good, at least once that spriggan stopped shaking the tent. You?”
“I got up to pee and a Rumplestiltskin tried to make a deal for my first-born,” said Marshall. “Apart from that, it was great. You want bacon?”
Simon nodded vigorously, then began winding the fairy-dander coated fly paper into neat coils between two sheets of grease-paper and stowing them away inside a lead-lined box. The pixie dust had come in handy in the past, and there was no sense wasting it.
“What’d he offer you?”
“Oh, the usual. Started with promising to find a model airplane I lost in the move from Jersey, moved on to dominion over all the kingdoms of man. Mostly I just wished he’d shut up and leave - I really, really had to go and he just wouldn’t leave until he’d run through the whole spiel.”
Simon made a rueful face. It wasn’t their first encounter with one of the fae attempting a hard sell - there was a Fairy Queen who sold ice lollies from a refrigerated truck during summer and made the Donald seem like a rank amateur in comparison - but it didn’t mean it got any less annoying, or intrusive. The small hours of the morning, when you’d been fast asleep and had to be up for school at seven, or during an important plot twist in a new episode of Commander Cody, or when trying to urinate against a tree trunk in the semi-darkness - these were apparently prime business hours for the Wee Folk, and more than one tiny glittering creature had ended up on the wrong side of a cold iron fly swatter as a result.
“Campfire’s still going,” he said, raking over the glowing embers with a piece of kindling and watching the flames flicker up. “Do we have marshmallows?”
“In the tent, in my backpack,” said Marshall. “It’s a plastic bag with a zip-lock. I didn’t want to leave them in the open after what happened with the zombie racoons.”
“Cool,” said Simon, and went to make s’mores.
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