Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Festoon

[froodle]

Written for Day 4 of the 31daysoffandom October challenge. The prompt I used today was "masks"



Someone had hung trick-or-treat masks on the branches of every tree in Deadwood Park. The cold October wind whistled through the empty eye-sockets, and the thin, frangible plastic rattled and hummed in the breeze.

In the half-light of an October daybreak, Marshall Teller wheeled his de-flagged JH772347-numbered bike down a footpath still crunchy with salt crystals and iron filings from the battle the night before. A pair of white canvas Eerie Examiner-branded saddle bags flapped emptily on either side of the rear wheel. His eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep and his jaw ached from yawning his way through his entire paper route.

One of Eerie's huge atmosphere-appropriate ravens landed on a nearby tree and jabbed hopefully at the closest mask. It's great grey beak shattered the molded shell around the left eye-hole, and the cheap disguise bounced on it's elasticated strap and fluttered down to the grey-brown grass below.

The raven gave an offended croak and took to the skies once more, the beat of his wide-spread wings loud in the quiet of a Sunday morning. Mars glanced upwards in time to see the black shape swoop over the treeline and out of sight, along with the swirl of bright colour spiraling to the earth in it's wake.

For a long, terrible moment, Marshall saw the severed heads of a hundred costumed pre-teens festooning the silvery trees that lined the park's walkways. The blood rushed in his ears and a panoply of iridescent spots danced before his eyes as his heart began to race. Then his rational brain caught up with his panicked survival instincts and he sat down abruptly on the chilly ground.

It was some time before his breathing returned to normal, and the rush of adrenaline followed by it's equally rapid abatement left him shaking and nauseous. By the time he slouched through his parent's front door and took his seat at the breakfast table, his skull was pulsing with the force of a full-blown stress headache.

His mother put a cool hand on his forehead, her face wrinkled with concern. His father set aside the newspaper he had been reading and went to fetch a glass of water and an aspirin.

Marshall scanned the title of the upside-down headline, and gritted his teeth.

"Ladies Society for the Beautification of Eerie declares Deadwood Park Halloween Haunt the best ever despite city council budget cuts."





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