Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Shoreline
Written for the March background challenge, "Eerie Baitshop and Sushi Bar"
By the shores of Lake Eerie, a swarm of Eerie Honeybees (Apis Inusitus) had colonised a small cave. In the wet weather, only a few sentries buzzed in lazy circles near the entrance, resplendent in their dark velvet cloaks, their tiny yellow boots covered in the stolen souls of flowers. From inside the hive came a low, soporific drone, the colony's ancient song of the rainy day, a prayer to make the sun return once more.
When the cloudburst came, the boys had set up their own camp beneath an abandoned birder's hide. The rain thrummed on the corrugated sheet metal, the fine droplets making a noise like bacon frying in a pan. Marshall scooted backwards, pulling his knees up to his chin, trying to make himself smaller in order to get completely beneath the makeshift shelter. Simon, smaller and younger and therefore having no such problems, sat with his legs stretched out before him, the hood of his hand-me-down anorak pulled up and casting his face into shadow.
Out on the lake, behind the heavy mist, the Lorelei sang to each other, and the haunting sound of their voices mingled with the occasional muffled splash as one of them broke the surface. For a moment an eel-like shape would be visible through the murk, a sinewy suggestion of vast coils moving fast enough to disturb the fog around it before disappearing beneath the water once again. When it had passed, there was only the smell of raw fish and the sound of unseen ripples to show it had been there at all.
Marshall checked his notebook, trying unsuccessfully to keep the pages from getting wet. The ink was already smeared almost beyond legibility, and when he tried to turn the pages, the sodden paper wrinkled and began to tear under his fingers. Only the newspaper clipping, carefully cut from yesterday's Eerie Examiner and laminated earlier that morning at the Eerie Printworks ("personalised greeting cards and missing persons posters our speciality; ask about group discounts!") remained undamaged.
"Mystery at the Eerie Baitshop and Sushi Bar!" ran the headline. "Third employee vanishes under unknown circumstances! Inside job suspected in disappearance of valuable chum stocks!"
Simon leaned over his shoulder, eyes scanning the text.
"Your sister's first by-line," he said. "Your mom's gonna be mad when she finds out you took it off the refrigerator."
"It's for science," said Marshall. "She'll understand that you have to make sacrifices. Anyway, it's too many exclamation marks to look at first thing in the morning."
Simon frowned at him.
"Her first by-line, Mars," he said.
Marshall shrugged.
Trusted Associates, Inc.
Trusted Associates, Inc.
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
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
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
Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend
Errands by froodle, in which Simon has a to-do list
By the shores of Lake Eerie, a swarm of Eerie Honeybees (Apis Inusitus) had colonised a small cave. In the wet weather, only a few sentries buzzed in lazy circles near the entrance, resplendent in their dark velvet cloaks, their tiny yellow boots covered in the stolen souls of flowers. From inside the hive came a low, soporific drone, the colony's ancient song of the rainy day, a prayer to make the sun return once more.
When the cloudburst came, the boys had set up their own camp beneath an abandoned birder's hide. The rain thrummed on the corrugated sheet metal, the fine droplets making a noise like bacon frying in a pan. Marshall scooted backwards, pulling his knees up to his chin, trying to make himself smaller in order to get completely beneath the makeshift shelter. Simon, smaller and younger and therefore having no such problems, sat with his legs stretched out before him, the hood of his hand-me-down anorak pulled up and casting his face into shadow.
Out on the lake, behind the heavy mist, the Lorelei sang to each other, and the haunting sound of their voices mingled with the occasional muffled splash as one of them broke the surface. For a moment an eel-like shape would be visible through the murk, a sinewy suggestion of vast coils moving fast enough to disturb the fog around it before disappearing beneath the water once again. When it had passed, there was only the smell of raw fish and the sound of unseen ripples to show it had been there at all.
Marshall checked his notebook, trying unsuccessfully to keep the pages from getting wet. The ink was already smeared almost beyond legibility, and when he tried to turn the pages, the sodden paper wrinkled and began to tear under his fingers. Only the newspaper clipping, carefully cut from yesterday's Eerie Examiner and laminated earlier that morning at the Eerie Printworks ("personalised greeting cards and missing persons posters our speciality; ask about group discounts!") remained undamaged.
"Mystery at the Eerie Baitshop and Sushi Bar!" ran the headline. "Third employee vanishes under unknown circumstances! Inside job suspected in disappearance of valuable chum stocks!"
Simon leaned over his shoulder, eyes scanning the text.
"Your sister's first by-line," he said. "Your mom's gonna be mad when she finds out you took it off the refrigerator."
"It's for science," said Marshall. "She'll understand that you have to make sacrifices. Anyway, it's too many exclamation marks to look at first thing in the morning."
Simon frowned at him.
"Her first by-line, Mars," he said.
Marshall shrugged.
Trusted Associates, Inc.
Trusted Associates, Inc.
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
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
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
Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend
Errands by froodle, in which Simon has a to-do list