Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Anticipation
Slight crossover with Over the Garden Wall.
The September wind whistled over the tops of the trees, already stripped bare in preparation for the oncoming winter. Exposed branches brushed their skeletal fingers against the high pale sky and the air was full of rustlings and the smells of autumn. Some hopeful soul had fired up their barbecue, hoping to eat alfresco one final time before the cold weather set in, and a thin plume of blue smoke drifted from behind the protective layers of immaculate topiary.
Deadwood Park was empty save for a few battle-hardened veterans of the Eerie Bingo Parlor, who clustered around the edges of the boating lake, making desultory offerings of stale bread crusts to a gathering of disinterested water birds. The cygnet was almost full-sized now and his breast was white as his parents, though for the rest he remained the soft evening grey he had always been. Further out from shore the adult swans turned lazy circles in the water, wings slightly raised, spinning widdershins. Occasionally one of them would twist it’s long white neck around to regard the gathered humans with a watchful eye.
Simon Holmes wriggled his numb fingers and shoved them deeper into his coat pockets and wished, not for the first time, that he had thought to bring his mittens along. He’d knitted them himself, using a pattern printed in a recent newsletter published by the Ladies Committee for the Beautification of Eerie. The design comprised three separate protection charms interlinked in an aesthetically pleasing geometric pattern as well as a layer of antimicrobial demon-repelling silver embroidery over the palm. Unfortunately, even enchanted wool was still wool, and the mittens had been set out to dry on the Teller’s bathroom radiator after last week’s encounter with a giant underground emotion-squid and never retrieved.
The tips of his dangling toes brushed against the gravel beneath the long green picnic bench, making a satisfying crunchy sound. The water lapped against the smooth stone sides of the lake’s artificial basin. A handful of ducks flapped up the steep incline onto dry land, webbed feet pattering wetly on the paved walkways around the pond as they approached the waiting pensioners, beaks open expectantly. A low hum started in the distance, the generator for Snappy’s Snack Shack (“Eerie’s premier provider of fricasseed alligator treats!”, a title there was a surprising amount of competition for) rumbling to life, heating the fryers in preparation for the day’s trade.
Later the Eerie Boy Scout contingent would be coming by to rake the fallen leaves, gathering them in the most westward corner of the park in preparation for the Equinox bonfire. The torches would be lit at sundown, and rotating teams of volunteers would take turns feeding the blaze until the sun rose the following day. The six identical old ladies who ran Grandma’s Kitchen would be handing out free samples of their much-celebrated Cinder Toffee, which tasted like shattered glass and ashes and unreachable dreams, and the Unkind Ones would have salt-water taffy made with the tears of vanquished rival motorcycle clubs. The Church of Poplio (formerly known as the Eerieplex, and still showing new releases nightly and at weekends, free entry with every pledge of fealty to an unknowable cosmic entity) would be showcasing their new range of gourmet popping corns.
Harley started looking forward to it almost as soon as the blood dried after Lughnasdh, despite having been preemptively banished from Eerie’s chapter of the Boy Scouts at age three in for an incident involving a hedgehog, a toy car, and a shipment of electric eels liberated from Eerie’s Baitshop and Sushi Bar. As the Boy Scouts controlled most of the ritual sacrifice-based activities for the under-tens, this meant he’d had to sit out the bulk of the Equinox preparations year after year, observing from a distance as paper-chains were inscribed with protective wards inked in virgin blood, vast fruit cakes were carefully fed a heady mixture of brandy and human souls until they gained sentience and turned on their creators, and his classmates gathered in summoning circles to hold hands and sing paeans to an uncaring god.
This would be the first year both Holmes brothers were old enough to tend the bonfire, and this was why Simon was waiting in the early-morning chill for the signup stall to open. He’d offered to sign Marshall up as well, seeing as he was already headed this way, but Mars had turned very pale, shuddered, and said that if he had his way, all town picnics, dances, parades, celebrations and gatherings of any kind would be banned due to the sheer number of casualties that accompanied any display of civic pride within Eerie city limits. Dash, who’d been reading through the promotional pamphlet pushed through the Teller’s front door earlier that day, had pointed out that Mars didn’t actually like most of the people in town and what was it to him if a few of them didn’t make it home after a street party?
That had kicked off an argument about whether not wanting to listen to Old Lady Daniels complain for a thousandth time that somebody had stolen a dumb painted rock out of her garden, and running up a fire escape to hide when you saw her coming down the street, was the same as actually wanting her dead, or at least not caring if she did somehow end up dead. At that point, Simon had tuned them both out and gone back to rehearsing his carefully prepared arguments as to why Harley should absolutely be trusted with a sacred flame, that the eel incident happened so long ago that it hardly bore mentioning, and how there was never any conclusive proof that the sudden infestation of snakes on roller-skates last year was connected to Harley being seen hanging around the toy section at the World o’ Stuff with a thoughtful expression and a My Little Geneticist play-set.
A wood-paneled sedan pulled up to the parking lot overlooking the boating lake, and Simon watched as three white-gloved members of the Ladies Committee for the Beautification of Eerie got out and began pulling a folding wooden trestle table from the capacious boot. A van emblazoned with the Unkind One’s puppy-and-fishing-rod toting Reaper arrived a few minutes later, and several large men in leather waistcoats retrieved bundles of grubby waterproofed canvas and stacks of metal scaffolding poles from the roof rack. A few minutes later, a small semi-circle of mismatched picnic tables were arrayed under a dirty white awning, and the Eerie Community Bi-Annual Equinox Bonfire and Barbecue volunteer registration opened for business.
Simon took a deep breath, arranged his face in his winning-est smile, and slipped off the bench.
Holmes Brothers
The End by froodle, in which Simon reads Harley a bedtime story
Drains by froodle, in which clowns are evil, murderous sacks of shit, and Simon is having none of it
Kaleidoscope by froodle, in which Simon has cause to regret buying cheap toys at the World o' Stuff
Sneakers by froodle, in which the latest Sky Monsters are released
Reception by froodle, in which Simon has problems with his mobile phone
Festival by froodle, in which Eerie's local businesses celebrate the summer
Strawberry by froodle, in which there is unauthorised hubbub in Eerie
The Hut by froodle, in which Simon takes on the forces of Eerie solo
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
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
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 September wind whistled over the tops of the trees, already stripped bare in preparation for the oncoming winter. Exposed branches brushed their skeletal fingers against the high pale sky and the air was full of rustlings and the smells of autumn. Some hopeful soul had fired up their barbecue, hoping to eat alfresco one final time before the cold weather set in, and a thin plume of blue smoke drifted from behind the protective layers of immaculate topiary.
Deadwood Park was empty save for a few battle-hardened veterans of the Eerie Bingo Parlor, who clustered around the edges of the boating lake, making desultory offerings of stale bread crusts to a gathering of disinterested water birds. The cygnet was almost full-sized now and his breast was white as his parents, though for the rest he remained the soft evening grey he had always been. Further out from shore the adult swans turned lazy circles in the water, wings slightly raised, spinning widdershins. Occasionally one of them would twist it’s long white neck around to regard the gathered humans with a watchful eye.
Simon Holmes wriggled his numb fingers and shoved them deeper into his coat pockets and wished, not for the first time, that he had thought to bring his mittens along. He’d knitted them himself, using a pattern printed in a recent newsletter published by the Ladies Committee for the Beautification of Eerie. The design comprised three separate protection charms interlinked in an aesthetically pleasing geometric pattern as well as a layer of antimicrobial demon-repelling silver embroidery over the palm. Unfortunately, even enchanted wool was still wool, and the mittens had been set out to dry on the Teller’s bathroom radiator after last week’s encounter with a giant underground emotion-squid and never retrieved.
The tips of his dangling toes brushed against the gravel beneath the long green picnic bench, making a satisfying crunchy sound. The water lapped against the smooth stone sides of the lake’s artificial basin. A handful of ducks flapped up the steep incline onto dry land, webbed feet pattering wetly on the paved walkways around the pond as they approached the waiting pensioners, beaks open expectantly. A low hum started in the distance, the generator for Snappy’s Snack Shack (“Eerie’s premier provider of fricasseed alligator treats!”, a title there was a surprising amount of competition for) rumbling to life, heating the fryers in preparation for the day’s trade.
Later the Eerie Boy Scout contingent would be coming by to rake the fallen leaves, gathering them in the most westward corner of the park in preparation for the Equinox bonfire. The torches would be lit at sundown, and rotating teams of volunteers would take turns feeding the blaze until the sun rose the following day. The six identical old ladies who ran Grandma’s Kitchen would be handing out free samples of their much-celebrated Cinder Toffee, which tasted like shattered glass and ashes and unreachable dreams, and the Unkind Ones would have salt-water taffy made with the tears of vanquished rival motorcycle clubs. The Church of Poplio (formerly known as the Eerieplex, and still showing new releases nightly and at weekends, free entry with every pledge of fealty to an unknowable cosmic entity) would be showcasing their new range of gourmet popping corns.
Harley started looking forward to it almost as soon as the blood dried after Lughnasdh, despite having been preemptively banished from Eerie’s chapter of the Boy Scouts at age three in for an incident involving a hedgehog, a toy car, and a shipment of electric eels liberated from Eerie’s Baitshop and Sushi Bar. As the Boy Scouts controlled most of the ritual sacrifice-based activities for the under-tens, this meant he’d had to sit out the bulk of the Equinox preparations year after year, observing from a distance as paper-chains were inscribed with protective wards inked in virgin blood, vast fruit cakes were carefully fed a heady mixture of brandy and human souls until they gained sentience and turned on their creators, and his classmates gathered in summoning circles to hold hands and sing paeans to an uncaring god.
This would be the first year both Holmes brothers were old enough to tend the bonfire, and this was why Simon was waiting in the early-morning chill for the signup stall to open. He’d offered to sign Marshall up as well, seeing as he was already headed this way, but Mars had turned very pale, shuddered, and said that if he had his way, all town picnics, dances, parades, celebrations and gatherings of any kind would be banned due to the sheer number of casualties that accompanied any display of civic pride within Eerie city limits. Dash, who’d been reading through the promotional pamphlet pushed through the Teller’s front door earlier that day, had pointed out that Mars didn’t actually like most of the people in town and what was it to him if a few of them didn’t make it home after a street party?
That had kicked off an argument about whether not wanting to listen to Old Lady Daniels complain for a thousandth time that somebody had stolen a dumb painted rock out of her garden, and running up a fire escape to hide when you saw her coming down the street, was the same as actually wanting her dead, or at least not caring if she did somehow end up dead. At that point, Simon had tuned them both out and gone back to rehearsing his carefully prepared arguments as to why Harley should absolutely be trusted with a sacred flame, that the eel incident happened so long ago that it hardly bore mentioning, and how there was never any conclusive proof that the sudden infestation of snakes on roller-skates last year was connected to Harley being seen hanging around the toy section at the World o’ Stuff with a thoughtful expression and a My Little Geneticist play-set.
A wood-paneled sedan pulled up to the parking lot overlooking the boating lake, and Simon watched as three white-gloved members of the Ladies Committee for the Beautification of Eerie got out and began pulling a folding wooden trestle table from the capacious boot. A van emblazoned with the Unkind One’s puppy-and-fishing-rod toting Reaper arrived a few minutes later, and several large men in leather waistcoats retrieved bundles of grubby waterproofed canvas and stacks of metal scaffolding poles from the roof rack. A few minutes later, a small semi-circle of mismatched picnic tables were arrayed under a dirty white awning, and the Eerie Community Bi-Annual Equinox Bonfire and Barbecue volunteer registration opened for business.
Simon took a deep breath, arranged his face in his winning-est smile, and slipped off the bench.
Holmes Brothers
The End by froodle, in which Simon reads Harley a bedtime story
Drains by froodle, in which clowns are evil, murderous sacks of shit, and Simon is having none of it
Kaleidoscope by froodle, in which Simon has cause to regret buying cheap toys at the World o' Stuff
Sneakers by froodle, in which the latest Sky Monsters are released
Reception by froodle, in which Simon has problems with his mobile phone
Festival by froodle, in which Eerie's local businesses celebrate the summer
Strawberry by froodle, in which there is unauthorised hubbub in Eerie
The Hut by froodle, in which Simon takes on the forces of Eerie solo
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
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
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