Veronica didn't take long to come to the door, but she opened it slowly, peering cautiously out before throwing it open with a gasp. "What a cute costume," she said, voice teetering perilously far in the direction of 'baby talk.' "And what are you supposed to be?"
"The valiant protector of the innocent and defenceless, defender of island security. Women want to be with him, men want to be him," Keith said, and then slapped his forehead as if remembering something. "No, wait, that's what I dress up as every other day. I'm a handsome detective. Wait, same problem..."
"Ew." Veronica shook her head at him, hands raised to block out whatever that conjured up. For herself, she'd found a Regency-style dress in the clothes box, relieved it of about a foot of material from the bottom to keep herself from tripping in pursuit of a toddler, and accessorized with one of the staffs she'd received earlier in the year. "Elizabeth Bennet," she said, nodding sagely, "zombie hunter."
"I know," Veronica said, "I got my hopes up I could give it a go this year, but so far, no luck. The island giveth zombies and it taketh away." At least the ones last year hadn't been especially harmful. Around here, it was never possible to be sure, and she really didn't know when this had become her life. "Seems pretty quiet, actually."
"Seems tooo quiet," Keith said, making the spooky fingers, but in an absent, almost distracted way. "There's been some mixed reports of something up, do keep an eye out. You got your taser?"
Ominous reports or no, he did not get tired of that one.
"Inside," Veronica said wryly, "with the half-wolf and Little Red Riding Hood." So sue her, originality was difficult to come by when dressing up a three year old who liked stories. She glanced around, as if she might see nearby whatever it was people were talking about. "What kind of reports?"
Veronica tracked his gaze, eyes narrowing. "Okay, I think I've seen this movie, and it doesn't end well," she said. "I don't have a basement, though, so that may be a point in our favor." If some freaking fog was causing problems, though -- well, around here that didn't necessarily mean it was nothing to worry about, but it really didn't seem like all that big a deal.
"And let it follow me inside?" Veronica asked, because it was fog and she was pretty sure that meant it could get in through cracks like that. Whatever this stuff was or did, she wasn't leading it anywhere near Sam, assuming it was sentient enough to follow, a thought which reminded her uncomfortable of the vines on the hill in Mexico. "Yeah, I think not. What do you stop mist with? Light? We could make quite the rainbow with all that."
It wasn't like he was gone - Veronica was pretty sure of that - but she couldn't see him anymore. He'd disappeared somewhere into the fog. She hesitated a moment, looking around, and then followed. "Dad! What..."
She didn't know what she'd expected, but it hadn't been this.
He expected... he didn't know. Horrifying shadows and evil shrieks. The aforementioned zombies. Maybe even organ music, but not the organ music he was hearing.
Not Here Comes The Bride. And a church. Not the island church, this one looked like you'd get at home. Guests turned to look, big aisle in front of him, priest and groom at the-
No.
Oh, no.
Was that-
It was Sheriff Don Lamb. In a tux.
Keith didn't want to, but he looked to his side. That... sure was a pretty wedding dress. Pretty terrifying.
Veronica stared at her new surroundings - and her new outfit, for that matter - dumbstruck with horror and pretty sure the walls were actually closing in on her.
"What the - yeah, how about I don't?"
She'd seen some weird things in her time here, but this made maybe the least sense of all, and yet she still found herself moving slowly forward.
Were they moving forward? They were. This was... this was a thing that was happening. Oh, no one had indicated it could get this bad, and this was pretty bad.
Punch Lamb? If somehow they ended up all the way at the end of the aisle what the christ there, that seemed a sound plan. He hoped Veronica had the same plan, but she was somehow in a wedding dress, so who knew.
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Zombies. He was making jokes about the presence of actual zombies. His life really was strange, these days.
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Ominous reports or no, he did not get tired of that one.
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He stopped, looking to the side, where it was just starting to curl around. "...mist."
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Mist could probably get through doors, for that matter. And do... what? It did look sinister, and it did look to be getting closer.
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"Two, even," he said, stepping to the side, to see what the mist did. The part he was looking at continued to stay ominous and drift.
The part to the side of him he hadn't seen just wafted straight out and enveloped him.
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It wasn't like he was gone - Veronica was pretty sure of that - but she couldn't see him anymore. He'd disappeared somewhere into the fog. She hesitated a moment, looking around, and then followed. "Dad! What..."
She didn't know what she'd expected, but it hadn't been this.
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Not Here Comes The Bride. And a church. Not the island church, this one looked like you'd get at home. Guests turned to look, big aisle in front of him, priest and groom at the-
No.
Oh, no.
Was that-
It was Sheriff Don Lamb. In a tux.
Keith didn't want to, but he looked to his side. That... sure was a pretty wedding dress. Pretty terrifying.
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"What the - yeah, how about I don't?"
She'd seen some weird things in her time here, but this made maybe the least sense of all, and yet she still found herself moving slowly forward.
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Were they moving forward? They were. This was... this was a thing that was happening. Oh, no one had indicated it could get this bad, and this was pretty bad.
Punch Lamb? If somehow they ended up all the way at the end of the aisle what the christ there, that seemed a sound plan. He hoped Veronica had the same plan, but she was somehow in a wedding dress, so who knew.
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