Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Visitor

[froodle]

Mister Radford looked up as the small silver bells hung over the World o' Stuff's double doors chimed. The woman who had just entered gave them an appraising look, nodded her approval at the dwarven craftsmanship, and approached the counter.

"A pound of pecans, please," she said. "Also a spirit level, and a full set of protective wreaths to ward against spriggans. Oh, and a quart jug of maple syrup, curse-free if you have it."

A few minutes later, arms laden with a bulging paper sack containing her purchases, Lilian Bancroft left the store. Taking a shortcut through Deadwood Park, she set down her burden by a sluggishly flowing brook and used a fallen branch to dislodge a drift of rotting leaves that were obstructing the path of some small water-spooks.

As the detritus flowed away downstream, taking the little bright-coloured creatures with it, a mud-snake lunged from it's lair amidst the reeds and snapped them up with two bites of it's long jaws. Lillian sighed. That's nature, she thought, gathering up her supplies once more. Brutal to the very last, no matter how pretty a picture you may make in your bejewelled carapace.

A herd of quarter-ponies had set up camp near the swing-set, tossing their glittering manes and bending their long necks to show off their flower-patterned coats to the best advantage. Several young children were already approaching them on unsteady legs, proffering mashed handfuls of peanut butter sandwich or half-sucked candies.

"You'll have better luck with raw meat," Lillian advised them as she passed. A couple of the toddlers turned an appraising eye to their slower companions. One of them dropped a crumbling cookie and picked up a rock. Lillian left them to it. Either their parents would intervene, or the quarter-ponies would get the protein they needed to evolve to a full-grown water-horse and progress to drowning adults. It was all one to her.

She passed a white wooden gazebo where a group of large men in snug-fitting leather waistcoats had set up a stall decorated in rosettes of angelica and vervain. One of them shook a collection tin in her direction, and she asked him to hold her groceries while she dug some loose change out of her purse.

"What are you collecting for?" she asked.

"Well ma'am," he said, tipping his peaked cap at her with his free hand, "This month, we're soliciting donations of any blood, bone marrow or cash you can spare, all of which will go to the Eerie Multiplex Conservation fund. It's a community endeavour dedicated to appeasing the dread elder God Poplio and preventing him from fracturing our very reality. Also fresh upholstery and bigger cup holders in the screening rooms, and maybe re-carpeting the lobby if there's funds. "

Lillian dropped the handful of quarters back into the bottom of her handbag and instead handed him a crisp twenty dollar note.

"I always thought red and gold was an excellent colour scheme for a movie theatre," she said. "There's something very regal about that colour scheme. And you can just as easily use chicken blood and pork fat to appease an Elder God, you know. Just tell them it's human. Eldritch abominations aren't bright."

She patted the Unkind One's leader on his hairy forearm, reclaimed her shopping, and went on her way.

Marshall awoke to the smells of cinnamon, molasses and cayenne pepper drifting from the kitchen. His eyes snapped open and his feet hit the floor before his brain had woken up enough to fully process the request. Down the hall, there was the familiar click and shudder as Syndi's door stuck when she opened it, and he stumbled over Simon's sleeping form in his efforts to reach the stairs first.

"Grandma!" he heard Syndi shriek, sounding much younger than her seventeen years as she pounded across the landing. Marshall darted into the hall, but he was too late - Syndi was already halfway down the stairs leading to the living room, and he knew from previous experience that she wouldn't hesitate to push him off the bannister if he tried to slide down and beat her to the ground floor.

He reached the bottom of the steps just as Syndi pushed open the swing doors that connected the kitchen to the front room, and the rich sticky-sweet smell of candy-spiced pecans flooded out. His grandmother was at the stove, stood over a large saucepan and ladling out the lumpy concoction onto a baking tray. She turned as the Teller siblings stumbled into the room, still rumpled from sleep, and held out her arms for a welcoming hug.

"Hello, my dears!" she said, her voice a little muffled by the embrace of two teenagers who were already considerably taller than she was. "It's wonderful to see you both. You've grown so much since last summer." She stroked Syndi's cheek with one hand, ruffled Marshall's hair with the other.

"What are you doing here, Grandma?" asked Mars. Syndi echoed him a split-second later.

"Do I need an excuse to visit my favourite grandchildren?" asked Lillian, her eyes bright behind her wire-framed spectacles.

Syndi laughed. "We're your only grandchildren!" she said. It was an old joke, a call-and-response they had been doing since Marshall was pre-verbal, and their grandmother played her part exactly as she always had.

"The only ones in this reality," she said, kissing first Syndi and then her brother on their cheeks. She had to stand on tiptoe to do it now. "But still my favourites, in this world and all the others." She leaned back a little to look them full in the face.

"Now sit down, both of you. We'll have some cocoa and some praline, and you can tell me exactly what is going on in this little town of yours."





Teller Family History

First Date by froodle, in which a young Edgar Teller shows off one of his earlier inventions

Popcorn by froodle. Friday night is always movie night in the Teller household.

The Teller Home for Displaced Youth by froodle, in which Edgar harbours some doubts about his new home town

Tornado Day, Revisited by froodle, in which Syndi learns exactly what it means to be Miss Tornado Day

Culinary Delights by froodle, in which Syndi's terrible cooking may or may not have been an accident

Camping by froodle, in which Syndi cannot sleep

Artist in the Family by froodle, in which an immortal creature takes a liking to Syndi

Without Due Care and Attention by froodle, in which Syndi finally becomes mobile

Brunch by froodle, in which Marilyn does not appreciate Edgar's help in the kitchen

Handmade by froodle, in which the Tellers receive a Christmas package from Marilyn's mother

Poor Life Choices by froodle, in which Syndi loves her brother anyway

Lillian by froodle, in which Marilyn's mother has concerns

Fresh Sheets by froodle

Tradition by froodle, in which Dash and Marshall decorate a Christmas tree

Hometown by froodle, in which Mars and Syndi visit New Jersey

Comments

[deifire]

OMG, I love it!

Lillian may be my new favorite character!

[eviinsanemonkey.livejournal.com]

I LOVE HER SFM

[froodle]

:D

[froodle]

Thank you :) I've had MArilyn's mum rattling around in the background for a while now, so its been cool getting her down on paper and I love that she's so well received :)

[eviinsanemonkey.livejournal.com]

ahhh I love Lillian sfm!

[froodle]

Thank you so much! I have loads of fun writing her so Im really glad you guys enjoy her as much as I do!