Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Absent Friends

[froodle]

The air was thick and choked with sand. Simon pulled the collar of his t-shirt over his nose and mouth, taking quick, shallow breaths of the hazy breeze.

The manticore lay on it's back, the white-gold fluff of it's furry stomach turned to the sky. It's purring rattled the windows of houses all along the street and it's huge needle-clawed toes flexed and wriggled in paroxysms of delight. The sphinx, her face as beautiful and impassive as ever, did not look at it as she made her way along the road, her great gold-banded wings mantled above the lean muscles of her lion-esque body. The manticore's head turned to follow , it's body twisting as it sprang to it's feet. Still purring, it trotted off down the street, following the great beast who did not even seem to realise it was there.

Sitting on the grubby doorstep outside the staff entrance to WERD-TV, Simon felt his heart twist in his chest. He watched the manticore go, sighing as the eagerly-lashing tail, stinger raised high at a jaunty angle, vanished out of sight over the curve of the hill. The sphinx never so much as glanced behind her.

"Sorry, buddy," he murmured, wrapping his thin arms around his bony knees. "I don't think it's going to work out for you."

The door behind him opened and Weatherman Wally emerged, blinking in the murky daylight. He held a dustpan full of hot yellow desert sand, and he didn't seem surprised to find Simon there.

"Ah," he said, lifting the lid off the nearest metal trashcan and empting the grit into it. "That explains the sandstorm. Hello."

"Hi," said Simon, tonelessly.

Wally hesitated, then took a seat beside him.

"You know," he said, "Sometimes, when you're young and you befriend creatures that technically shouldn't exist in our reality, this kind of thing happens."

Simon looked at him without saying anything. The little weatherman cleared his throat and went on.

"When I was your age, there was this one ice-storm... I mean, she was beautiful, skin green as an arctic glacier, grey eyes like a sky about to open and drown humanity... and every year she'd come to town and every gutter and pipe in the place would freeze and burst except the ones in my house."

"Yeah?" said Simon, interested despite himself. "So she protected you? She made sure you were okay?"

"Well, no," said Wally. "We were connected to the mains too, of course, but I don't think she really understood infrastructure." He paused. "I thought this story would be more relevant," he said eventually. "It's not actually all that comparable. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"What happened to her?" asked Simon.

"Global warming," said Wally. "Like I said, it's not comparable with your situation at all."

They sat in silence for a moment.

"Well," said Simon after a while. "Thanks for trying, I guess."

"Yeah," said Wally. "Sorry."

Simon stood. He was stiff, and very cold, and his skin felt raw from the blast and bite of the wind-borne sand.

"I'm sorry climate change killed your friend," he said.

Wally shrugged.

"There'll be another ice-age in 2027," he said. "I'll see her again."

"Yeah," said Simon. "I'll put some dry food and a catnip mouse on the porch. The manticore will come home eventually."

"That's the spirit," said Wally. "Keep your chin up and pray for nuclear winter, that's what I always say."

Simon went home. He felt better.





The Weather Series

Wally by froodle, in which a certain weatherman doesn't lose his temper, but is sorely tried

Vacation by froodle, in which Weatherman Wally visits a tropical paradise without ever leaving Eerie city limits

Sick Day by froodle, in which Weatherman Wally does not go to work

The Storm by froodle, in which Mayor Chisel has a very specific job for Eerie's resident weatherman

Setting the Scene by froodle, in which Wally prepares for Christmas

Holidays are Coming by froodle, in which something else prepares for Christmas

Garden by froodle, in which Wally eats ice-cream

Strawberry by froodle, in which there is unauthorised hubbub in Eerie

Stormfront by froodle, in which Wally takes a hands-on approach to firefighting.

Sisters by froodle, in which we visit Normal, Illinois

Still by froodle, in which we find out there are far worse things than Old Bob

Midsummer by froodle, in which the Eerie Express returns, right on schedule

Castle by froodle, in which there is unexpected architecture in Eerie

Waiting In by froodle, in which there is an ice-storm and a handyman does not arrive

Squall by froodle, in which Wally and Old Bob have a disagreement





Microwave-verse

Bonfire by froodle, in which Pinocchio is ruined forever

Gingerbread by froodle, in which there is a witch in the Eerie Woods

Leaves by froodle, in which plantlife finds Marshall entirely too enticing

Offspring by froodle, in which there are dragons

Based on Your Previous Purchases by froodle, in which Mars should really pay attention to Amazon's reccomendations

Housework by froodle, in which a rota cannot be agreed upon

Breakfast by froodle, in which Dash's attempts at cookery do not go well

Ghost in the Machine by froodle, in which a new laptop opens an old wound

Consequences by froodle, in which an encounter with leprechauns leaves the boys very tired indeed

The Microwave by froodle, in which Andrea Fantucci returns to Eerie after a considerable absense

The Eldritch Abomination in the Room by froodle, in which the microwave is most definitely not discussed

Basic Household Maintenance by froodle, in which manticores are inconsiderate houseguests

Torrential by froodle, in which there is a storm, and the boys eat ice-cream

Linens by froodle, in which Dash X makes a bed

Night Music by froodle, in which Simon is woken by a nocturnal visitor

In For The Night by froodle, in which Dash refuses to leave the house

Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend

Errands by froodle, in which Simon has a to-do list

Waterlogged by froodle, in which Eerie experiences heavy rainfall

Wildlife by froodle, in which Simon and Marshall go to the beach

Rainbow by froodle, in which Dash fails to properly appreciate Michael Flatley

Jackolantern by froodle, in which the local pumpkin patch has a problem

Comments

[evilinsanemonkey]

omg Weatherman Wally trying to be helpful is like. the best thing ever.

[froodle]

He doesn't know how to relate to people who aren't sentient weather events, but he tries.

[deifire]

Aww...! I love this in a my-cats-are-getting-extra-snuggles-tonight way.

Oh, man. Best weird conversation ever.

And this is my favorite line: "Sometimes, when you're young and you befriend creatures that technically shouldn't exist in our reality, this kind of thing happens."

[froodle]

The other day I was walking to the post office and i saw this little black Manxie with a gammy eye, just sitting on the pavement as cats do, and I knelt and reached out to see if he wanted some pets. He got up ran over to me... licked my index finger and then ran off. Even knowing that cats are gonna cat, I felt so rejected.

Wally just wants to help. Regardless of how useful it is.