October Writing Challenge: Autumn Comes in Threes

[Sean *]

It's writing challenge time! To enter, just post a ficlet (300-4000 words suggested) in this thread. When the voting for this month's OTM winners comes around, a voting poll will go up for this as well.

The Challenge: Autumn is upon us, and it's time to incorporate that into an old favorite. The Choose Any Three challenge will be autumn-themed. Your story must involve or make mention of at least three of the following: Pumpkin spice, death, something harvested (your choice), a costume, candy. Choose any three.

The rules:

• Characters must be in Hammel canon, but the ficlets are not site canon unless expressly stated, and anything setting-breaking will not be site canon regardless.
  
• Entries must be more than 300 words.
  
• You can enter no more than three ficlets. Any ficlets posted after the original 3 will not be considered for voting. If you want to post more, however, have fun.
  
• Ficlets must be titled.

[Deleted]

If I Could Reverse Time
Fall 2022 (AU)
Triggers: Suicide/Death, Depression

”Don’t go.”

“I have to. Please understand.”

“I can’t keep doing this.”

“You promised you’d stay with me.”

“I can’t…”

“Just wait. It won’t be much longer.”

“I love you…”

The words of Kodi’s last conversation with Gryphon echoed in his mind as he stared at the picture in his hands, back when they had been happy and everything had been perfect. Back before he’d taken the older man’s love for granted and had clung onto him so tightly to ensure that he would never leave. That had been several years ago.

Over time, he’d grown more comfortable and relaxed in their relationship. Kodi had started spending less time with Gryph as he pursued a job at a company that required him to spend long days and late nights in the office, and slowly, he put his job over his more free-spirited partner, who struggled to find a job in the dancing industry. The dentokinetic supported him in the free time that he had – or at least, he tried to – but over time, it became obvious that he believed Gryph would be there to love and support him entirely even while he struggled to find his own place in the world.

Slowly, though, the winged meta became depressed. Words from his father echoed around in his head – that he was useless, that no one needed him, his dreams meant nothing. It was when Kodi was leaving for a company meeting in California that had been the last straw. Quietly and without a note, he took his own life by walking into the path of a fast-moving car on a busy road.

Kodi was thrown into a world of darkness, a world without the light of his love; it was only after his death that the Chinese man realized how selfish he’d been, what he should have done, how he should have put his support for Gryphon before anything else… How had he become so self-involved that he couldn’t see how much his most important person had been suffering?

He would have done anything to bring him back… He swore, he would change everything if whatever cruel God there was would just bring Gryphon back to him and give him another chance.

It was a cool day in November when Kodi shuffled his way to the nearest 7-11 to get a pack of cigarettes. He was going to just take his purchase and leave, but a small kid alone at the counter staring at the display of lollipops tugged at his fragile heartstrings. After a brief moment of hesitation, he snagged one of the candies and bought it as well, before handing it down to the kid with a ghost of a smile and a ruffle of his hair. Maybe if he was more giving to other people, he thought, the loneliness and guilt might go away…

He stepped outside and lit up one of the cigarettes, heaving out a long stream of smoke as he leaned up against the side of the building.

“Hey, mister.”

It took a moment for Kodi to register that a kid was talking to him. The one he’d just bought the candy for.

He just stared in confusion until the boy spoke again.

“What is the thing you want to do most before you die?”

Kodi stared longer, in shock, until he let out a short, humorless laugh and looked at the ground.

“Well…” Why was he humoring this kid anyway? What did he want? “… I want to take care of someone special to me.” He paused. “There were so many times when I couldn’t…”

Kodi simmered in his own bittersweet thoughts until something else occurred to him. “Hey, kid, speaking of death-“

He looked up, but the boy was gone. Bewildered, Kodi looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Slightly disgruntled, he made his way home and, after an otherwise uneventful evening, went to bed.

The next day he woke up alone, cold, and late in the morning, as he did every morning since the death of his beloved. It took Kodi a while to get up and get going; he sat at his kitchen counter with his pumpkin spice tea, staring out the window into nothing. He had no plans, no one to see… He’d quit his job after everything that had happened. He just couldn’t do it anymore, not when it was why… Why Gryph…

There was a knock at the door, and Kodi jumped, head twisting around towards the sound. He hadn’t had company in ages, and he didn’t recall making any arrangements… Warily, he got to his feet and shuffled over to the door, unlocking the deadbolt before he pulled it open.

“Why’d you lock the door, silly?” 

Gryphon reached forward and rustled Kodi’s hair, his dimple prominent as he smirked at the shorter man.

The dentokinetic was frozen, eyes wide and lips slightly parted, thinking he must be going crazy.

“I told you I was only going to be gone for a couple hours…” Gryph cocked his head and gave Kodi a confused look. “Are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost or something.” He chuckled and let himself inside, past where Kodi was still gawking at the dead man… No, the man that should be dead but wasn’t… He was…

“Hey, did you make enough tea for me too?” Gryphon called from the kitchen. Kodi, slowly coming out of his shock (but no less stunned and thinking he was insane), shuffled back towards the room. He must’ve been dreaming. Right? He must have…

The calendar on the fridge, for whatever reason, caught his eye. Kodi stared at the page it was flipped to.

November 2020. Back before he’d reached such a demanding position at his work, back when he and Gryph had been so happy…

He flashed back to the kid last night. Could he have…? Did someone have the ability to…?

Without another thought, Kodi finally rushed at his lover and wrapped his arms around him, making Gryphon jump at the surprise. “Hey, what’s going on? You’re being really weird this morning,” he laughed, hugging the younger man back.

“I just… I just really fuckin’ missed you,” Kodi croaked, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

Gryph gave him a bewildered look. “I wasn’t gone for that long,” he insisted.

“…. Long enough,” Kodi breathed, burying his face in the fabric of his lover’s shirt. Whatever chance he was being given, whatever miracle this was, he was going to do as much as he could to make everything different this time around.

----

Everything was different. Kodi was still working the job he had before, but he made it a priority to put the health of his relationship over the demanding promotions at work, and… He’d never been so happy. Gryph was happier and more inspired too, and landed himself a job as a dance instructor at a local studio. They spent their evenings and most weekends together, enjoying each other’s company, whispering sweet nothings to one another, holding each other close through the long winter nights…

Winter became spring, then summer, and the months passed by. Kodi felt so incredibly in love, more than he remembered ever before, and he could tell that Gryphon felt the same. It was May of 2022 when he planned it – the proposal. There was music, a small flash mob, everything that Kodi could think of to make it special. His heart hammered nervously when he bent on his knee to present his love with the ring, and it lifted with joy when Gryphon accepted with a laugh and teary eyes.

A few months later, the two of them were enjoying a nice walk in the park. Gryph’s attention got stolen by some bird off a few trees away, and Kodi let him chase after it with an affectionate grin. “It must have something important t’say…” he mused to himself, slowly wandering after him. 

He passed by a bench with an occupant – a small occupant. It took Kodi a second glance, but his eyes went wide when he realized – it was that kid!

“Hey, you…!” he sputtered, freezing on the spot.

“I see that you and your boyfriend are happy,” the kid said with a smile. “That’s good. Please cherish the time that you have left together.”

Kodi’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean by….?”

“Even though you’ve been taken to the past, the future won’t change,” the boy said, his expression sobering. “Don’t forget that.”

The dentokinetic’s eyes lifted to his lover, who was waving at him to come over with a little bird perched on his finger. He wasn’t surprised this time when he looked back to see the kid was gone again.

He didn’t know what he was talking about, Kodi thought, mustering up a smile again when he got close to Gryph and gave him a kiss on the cheek. We’re happy now. Everything has changed.

Nevertheless, it was a worry that gnawed on him through the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. He didn’t let it show around Gryph, though – there was no reason to worry him, right? Kodi hadn’t told him about the… The other future. He couldn’t bear to do it. How would he even explain?

The date of the… Thing… Loomed on the horizon. Kodi found out he had a big meeting he needed to attend that day. Everything would be fine. Gryph had the day off, and was all smiles and ‘good lucks’ as Kodi left in the morning. He was happy, he truly was, Kodi could tell. There was no reason to worry.

Or so he told himself. That didn’t stop him from worrying as he was at work, waiting for the meeting to begin. Just before they started to get settled down, Kodi got a text from Gryph.

From: Featherbutt

Hey babe, I'm actually gonna run over to the studio to work on some stuff with the dance class, but I should be home before you are. I love you, good luck!

Okay, that was fine, that was….

Oh, no…

It had been on one of the roads between the studio and their apartment that Gryph had… Had done the thing… Before. It was several blocks away from his work.

Panic leaped in Kodi’s heart, and he frantically typed out a response. DON’T GO! He waited with paranoia for a response, but none came. Gryph must have… Left his phone at home….

Kodi had to go. He had to go and make sure it wouldn’t happen again. He had to….

Without a word to his co-workers, the dentokinetic dashed out of the room and ran out towards the block that he’d always avoided before. It took him a good bit of time to get there, even in his panicked sprint, and he stopped at the opposite corner just in time to see Gryph stop at the crosswalk going across the main street, perpendicular to him. He had headphones over his ears and was bobbing his head slightly to whatever he was listening to.

But he was there. He was alive. It was alright, Kodi had just been freaking out. He gave a sigh of intense relief and was about to turn around and try to figure out an excuse as to why he had left without warning when…

Gryph wasn’t paying attention. He must have seen someone running across the street and assumed the light was green, because he obliviously started walking into the road… Right into the path of an oncoming vehicle.

“GRYPHON!” Kodi screamed, rushing towards the older man. Gryph looked up just in time to see the car barreling towards him, and his eyes went wide as he froze in shock. The car swerved at the last minute….

But the one behind it didn’t.

It kept going forward, without enough time to react to the sudden live obstacle. Only… It didn’t hit Gryph.

At least, not just Gryph. Kodi was between them when the impact happened this time.

[Akira Koizumi]

Nightmares
Three objects: Costume, Something Harvested - Pumpkin, and Death
Word count: 1,796

A dark blanket covered the sky. The new moon laid hidden in the sleeping sky. The small little twinkles of the stars would be visible if it wasn’t for the dark and heavy clouds filling the night sky. Everyone was all snugged in their warm beds fast asleep.

Akira woke up from his slumber. He laid in bed hoping that he could fall back asleep, but he couldn’t. Something wasn’t right. Something was unsettling. He sat up. Akira looked around his room. From what he could make out in the dark everything was in place. The feeling was strong. Akira got out of bed to take a closer look around his room. Still he found nothing that was out of place.

Maybe a roommate of his was up. Akira opened his bedroom door. As soon as he opened the door, the Japanese boy greatly regretted it. The hall was old. The paint was faded and peeling off the wall. The side of the bedroom door that faced the hall was old rotting wood. There was what looked like claw marks scratched into it. The feeling Akira felt was not going to go away. Did he dare leave the safety of his room? Was his room even safe?

Akira went back to his bed and pulled out his good luck charm that is supposed to protect him from evil spirits from under his pillow. With his charm in hand he slowly adventured out of his room to the common room. The floor creaked under every step he made. As Akira got closer and closer to the common room, it seemed as it was getting darker and darker.

The Japanese boy arrived at the common room and was greeted by a strong musty odor. The common room looked abandoned for years. The windows had a thick layer of dirt. A window panel was knocked out and broken glass was scattered on the floor. An overhead light also laid on the floor in pieces. The sofa had it’s stuffing coming out of the variety rips. It looked like if someone sat on it, the sofa would fall apart. The shelves clung onto the wall with dear life so they didn’t fall.

At the back of Akira’s mind he knew that he wasn’t alone. At the back of his mind he knew that there was something lurking in the dark, watching him, waiting for the right moment to strike. The back of his mind was telling him to get the hell out of there. Akira rushed to the door that leads to the out of the dorm. The doorknob was covered in rust. A long, slow, loud creak was heard as Akira opened the door.

To Akira’s surprise and relief the hall was normal. The lights were on. The walls weren’t old and peeling. No musty odor. It was totally normal. Akira stepped out. He was so confused. Was this some sick prank someone was pulling on him? Could his roommates behind this? He knew Chris didn’t like him and Andreas didn’t seem too fond of him. But did the two really hate Akira so much that they would go out of their way to scare the crap out of him?

“AAAHHHH!!” Akira squealed as he turned around quick. He put his back against the wall across from the door. His heart beated fast in his chest. He clutched the good luck charm to his chest. Akira’s eyes were wide as he stared at the door with the number 506 on it. The door slammed shut.

Maybe he should go to see one of the dorm monitors. It wasn’t a bad idea, plus Akira kind of didn’t want to go back into his dorm quite just yet. He walked down the hall. Everything was fine. Akira was beginning to relax, but that was mistake.

An evil, menacing crackle filled the hallway for a moment and then stopped. Akira whipped around to look behind him. Nothing was there. The hall lights started to go out one by one. The darkness was coming. No. Akira didn’t want the darkness to catch him. If he could get to the stairs, to the first floor, to the dorm monitors he would be safe.

He ran. He ran like his life depended on it. For all Akira knew his life could very much depended if he could get to the dorm monitors or not. He ran down the hall. Something wasn’t right. The hall was long, way longer than it should be. Was it growing longer? Did the hall want whatever was in the dark get Akira? The darkness was catching up to him.

Something crackled again. Akira stopped short. The lights in front of him were also going out one by one. Akira was trapped. Darkness behind him. Darkness in front of him. There was only on light still on, the light right above him. He watched the light silently begging for it stay on. Movement caught Akira’s eye. He peered into the darkness in front of him. Something or someone was there. Something Akira did not want. The dark figure slowly walked towards Akira with something in its hand. Akira couldn’t make it out, but it couldn’t be anything good.

The light above Akira started to flicker. As the figure got closer to Akira the more the light would flicker. Akira had two choices. One, take his chances with the dark. Two, face whoever the creep was. At this point in time, Akira took his chances with the dark. He turned and ran, but he didn’t get far.

The Japanese boy found himself falling into a huge, pitch black hole what was not there earlier. The darkness swallowed the teen.

Akira shot awake. He sat up in his bed clutching onto the blanket. He gasped for air. He was dripping with cold sweat. He was pretty sure his heart had leapt from his chest. It was just a bad dream. Akira was safe. Akira took a moment to collect himself. It was a bad, bad dream. He flopped back down on the bed. The springs squeaked under his weight. The Japanese boy was laughing. He was laughing to make the bad feeling to go away. He was laughing because he felt silly for getting scare because of some dream.

Akira stopped laughing when another laugh joined him. It was a laugh he heard before. A laugh he didn’t like or want to hear. It was the evil, menacing crackle from his dream. Akira’s eyes shot around the room, trying to locate where the laugh was coming. Panic set in Akira. He wasn’t in his bedroom. He was somewhere else.

He looked around the room. There were shelves and shelves of old, cracked, porcelain dolls. They all stared at Akira with piercing black button eyes. Akira wanted out of this room and never return to it. He got off the bed.

Akira went to the wood door that was falling off its hinges. Akira had entered another room. “Nani?” This room had colorful clown costumes hanging up. Despite clowns being “fun” this room did not ease Akira in any way. He didn’t know which room was worst, the room with the porcelain dolls or the room with clown costumes.

Since there was only one door in the doll room Akira had to walk through the clown room. His eyes kept darting around making sure nothing moved. If any of these costumes moved, Akira would scream like a sissy girl. The Japanese boys’ hands were cold and clammy. He rubbed his hands on his pajama pants. His mouth was dry. He tried to moisten his mouth. His chest was tight.

He managed to get to another door on the other side of the room without anything scary jumping out at him. He poked his head out to make sure the coast was clear. When Akira was sure he entered the hall again. Left or right? Right. Right was always right.

Akira kept his hand on the wall as he walked. The wall felt wet and sticky. Akira didn’t want to know what was on the wall. He didn’t want to keep his hand in it, but he didn’t let go of the wall. The wall was acting as a security blanket for him. Akira continued down the dark hall.

The sickening crackle bounced off of the walls. The nasty musty odor came with it. It was like the odor was the smell of its breath. Akira slammed his back against the wall. Akira did not want the owner of the laugh behind him. He felt his shirt absorbing the wet sticky stuff from the wall. Akira scaled the nasty wall. Akira found a hole in the wall. But it wasn’t a hole; it was a doorway without a door. This room could offer Akira a place to hide from the thing.

Inside the room was covered in dust. Cobwebs where everywhere. A metal bed frame sat in the middle of the room with an old thin mattress on it. He walked up to the bed. Akira felt his pant leg move. Akira pulled away from the bed, but he was too slow. An ice-cold hand shot out from under the bed and grabbed his ankle. He fell to the floor. Akira was struggling to get free. The hand had a tight grip. The laugh bounced through the hall again. It was close.

No. Akira heard footsteps coming down the hall. No. He did everything he could do to get free, but the hand wouldn’t let go. No. The evil, menacing, sickening crackle was laughing at Akira. No.

The figure came into the room and stopped next to Akira. It was wearing dark boots, black pants, dark chest armor with a slight shine to it, and a dark red cape. On the shoulders of the figure was an orange pumpkin. A face was carved into the pumpkin, angry triangle eyes and a “toothy” evil grin. In it’s gloved hand was an axe. The wood handle was old but it’s blade looked brand new. Even in the dark the blade glisten brightly.

“Akira wake up! Wake up! BAKA, WAKE UP!” Akira screamed at himself. He needed to wake up and wake up now! The pumpkin head raised the axe up ready to strike down on Akira.

Akira jolted awake gasping for air. Again he was dripping in cold sweat. His heart pumped adrenaline through his body. His whole body was shaking hard. Akira studied his surrounds. He was in his bed. Light was trying to peer through the window shade. He looked to the clock. 6:23 in the morning. The whole thing was one bad nightmare. A dream within a dream. “I want my mommy.” Akira whined.

[Percie Hobbes]

A (supernatural)Life Examined or
"Why you should never put off buying Halloween Candy"

Three things: Pumpkin Spice, Death & Candy
Trigger Warning: Death (violent - and immediate)

A shot rang out in the moonlit ruins of the old church. There was a grunt, a snarl and finally a low whine as the murderous werewolf Percie had been stalking for weeks finally collapsed in a pool of blood. The slayer herself was not without injury, while she knew she was in no danger of being transformed herself, she still bore scratches, bruises and what she was convinced was a broken wrist. She approached her target slowly, watching as the silver bullet worked its magic and eroded the flesh and bone of the werewolf, leaving nothing but a fine ash behind. She made a mental note to have a priest bless all her bullets from now on, they were WAY more effective.

When the body finally faded away Percie knelt and said a short prayer, crossed herself and took a small vile from her coat pocket. She collected a bit of the ash to return it to the werewolf’s family so they could give their loved one a proper send off. Despite knowing his crimes and condemning them, werewolf packs had certain traditions they upheld no matter what…it was just a pack thing. The woman winced as she staggered to her feet, exhausted but happy, now that this contract was over she could put in some time to rest and heal after the ordeal. She slipped the vile back into her pocket, cradled her aching wrist against her chest and limped back to her jealously immaculate car.

It took longer than she would have liked to drive to the hospital but shorter than she expected to be examined, cleaned, bandaged and grumbled at by her doctor. Her wrist was broken in that there was a crack through the bone, but since the fracture wasn’t a complicated one she would have minimal difficulties later with physical therapy. The cast he round about her wrist and hand was small and she knew it would be cumbersome later. He gave her pills to take for the pain radiating through her body and suggested seeing a chiropractor and a massage therapist. By now the sun was rising over the eastern horizon and she was fading fast. How managed to get home without falling asleep at the wheel she’d never know. As the familiar sight of her bed greeted her she downed two of the pills the doctor had given her, toed off her shoes and wiggled under her covers, too tired to remove the rest of her clothes.

When she opened her eyes again she discovered that she had slept well past noon the next day and cursed. She needed to deliver the ashes to the pack before sunset. She stumbled through what was usually her morning routine and dressed in slacks, a nice shirt and a blazer. Heels found their way to her feet and she quickly powdered her face to hide the worst of the bruising on her check, but there was nothing to be done about the cut on her lip. She had difficulty pulling her hair back, finally cursing the entire process and leaving it down for the day. Within thirty minutes of waking she was walking out the door and to her car.

As expected the meeting with the pack was not a fun one. There were six that she knew of in the Pilot Ridge area and even more throughout the rest of the state. There were solemn thank you’s accompanied by the grieving whines of family members as she carefully handed over the ashes of the werewolf she had killed last night. They paid her well (in cash) and with some emotional reluctance thanked her for a job well done, followed by a sincere apology from the Alpha. The entire process took little over thirty minutes and she was glad for it. When she finally departed from the home of the grieving family she headed straight for her nearest coffee shop for some desperately needed coffee.

Twenty minutes later she was back home in her living room, feet kicked up on the coffee table listening to the low hum of the ceiling fan above her. In her hand was a seasonal favorite pumpkin spice…something. She hadn’t really specified when ordering, her mind was in other places. It was still wandering those places when she had arrived home and, because it was prudent to remember the past she had sat down to allow herself the time and opportunity to reminisce, no matter how much it made her cringe.

This wasn’t the first time she had killed something.

She’d been twenty-three when the vampire had attacked her. It wasn’t unheard of, just because supernatural beings, meta-humans and the rest of humanity co-existed together didn’t mean there was harmony. She was in the police academy at the time and already had a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The bullets loaded in her gun were tipped with silver as a precaution because one never knew when they would be useful. She was happy she had spent the extra money on the silver-tipped bullets. Because they were only tipped it took three of them to bring down her attacker. There had been a brief struggle and the vampire was obviously weak with hunger. At 6’ tall and lean with muscle, Percie had managed to overpower him enough to get away, draw her gun and fire. The first two slowed him down; the third (she always believed) actually killed him. Watching something turn to dust right in front of her had been a sobering experience. Of course there was a report to file, a coven to explain things too and a therapy session or two but she was quickly cleared of any wrong doing.

Percie went on to be an officer and later, a detective. She used her meta-ability of memory viewing and editing to solve countless crimes that had hit dead ends. Even without using her ability she was a hard interrogator, often the “bad cop” between her and her partner. Her career was cut short however when a stray bullet during a hostage situation ended up nearly killing her. After healing and returning to the force she had found herself dissatisfied with work. She moved forward a plan she had formulated years ago when she had joined the force. She’d become a private detective and make a living that way.

How she had gotten into rounding up supernatural baddies was a strange tale in itself. She’d had her private investigation business open for less than a year when she’d been approached by a well-dressed gentleman in a bowler hat. While she mostly handled cyber investigations she had been known to find a missing person or two and even several missing goods from a local estate. She was expecting a missing family member, or perhaps something stolen that the police couldn’t track down. Imagine her surprise when the man in the bowler hat announced that he would appreciate her help in the tracking down and eradication of “dangerous beings”. Over the next hour the man in the bowler hat (named Mr. Perkins) explained to her that he made it is his business to employ and promote to local authorities those that had the ability and expertise in dealing with supernatural troublemakers. Percie’s run in with her first vampire hadn’t been her last but she had never considered herself to be some sort of supernatural policing expert.

Mr. Perkins went on to explain that the supernatural world could mostly police themselves but sometimes there were exceptions such as short-staffing, or territorial matters at hand. This was especially true of were-things and vampires. They tended to stay out of each other’s ways if they could do so as there always persisted to be a matter of bad blood between the races. That’s where humans came in to make up the deficit in those areas since they could more or less travel freely between territories and sort out disputes that way. Percie couldn’t remember now why she had agreed. She supposed (thinking back on it now) that she must have thought it would be fun and interesting. In many ways it was, she didn’t always have to kill things and she was assured that once she was ready to retire there would be a generous benefits package awaiting her. She could chose to work privately (as in hired by a company, clan, pack or coven) or to work with the police (which she often did anyway). She had a special badge that allowed her to identify herself when needed (or if needed) in order to be of assistance if something unexpected happened.

She finished her pumpkin spice “whatever” and sat up, slowly stretching herself in anticipation of doing something other than sitting on her couch all night. She glanced at the calendar and sat bolt upright.

It was Halloween night and she had no candy whatsoever. Damn and blast! The private detective/nasty things that go bump in the night slayer had wasted almost five hundred words of backstory when there were more important matters at hand!

Lurching to her feet and managing to quickly get to her car without killing herself, Percie drove as quickly as legally possible to the nearest grocery store. Not surprisingly, she was met with utter chaos. There was more than an acceptable amount of pushing and shoving going on and far too many curse words being bandied about, some of them actually curses as two witches started going at it over the last of the inflatable skeleton displays. Percie ducked just in time as a curse sailed over her shoulder and hit the poor bastard behind her, she grimaced to hear him squealing as he turned into a pig. “OKAY LADIES BREAK IT UP,” she shouted, brandishing her “slayer” badge at them. The two hags glared at her but ceased fighting, both deciding to just flip a coin…until a vampire serenely glided by and took the display for themselves and left without a word. If this wasn’t on par with her daily experiences Percie might have thought she’d seen something strange. Deciding that she had better leave while she was still human she beat a hasty retreat back to her car.

The next two stores were more of the same, even a call to her lover came up with nothing except a retort that perhaps she should have been more prepared if this was so important to her. After calling him a slightly less than appropriate name given their relationship she hung up and drove ten minutes out of her way to a small grocer’s on the outside of town. The only candy left there were outdated bags of stale Smarties™ and candy corn that she was certain had been shipped originally in the 60’s. Since she didn’t want her house to be egged later she departed and decided to drive the extra thirty minutes out of her way to the next major town.

As she pulled into the parking lot she was thankful to see it was mercifully mostly empty and that (as luck would have it) there was still edible candy on the shelves. She bought as much as she thought she would need (traffic on her street was rather heavy) and paid the harried looking were-wolf at the register in cash. “You new around here?” he asked (not surprisingly since she knew he could smell she was from out of town.

“Not really? The stores in my town are out so I had to go out of my way,” she explained as she took up her bags, bid him goodnight and sprinted back out to her car where she might have then sped illegally back into Pilot Ridge as the sun was setting in the west. Her wrist was beginning to ache again as she finally parked and took the stairs too at a time to dump the candy into a bowl just in time to hear her doorbell ring. In less than a minute she was back downstairs, throwing the door open and putting candy in the assembled bags of the smallest children she would see tonight.

After taking regular asprin to ease the pain in her wrist and other various places Percie settled into her comfortably (and thankfully padded) deck chair and happily handed out the candy she had hunted high and low for. It seemed so surreal and strange that twenty-four hours ago she had been actively battling for her life with a werewolf who had been trying very, very hard to kill her. The duality of her life never ceased to amaze her. The fact that it had become “normal” would still occasionally sneak up and surprise her, usually after a life or death type struggle. She’d have to see what tomorrow brought her but if she had to deal with another angry mob it would be too soon.

[Lani Hunter]

Never an Absolution
Something harvested, candy, Death

It was that time of year. The first threat of winter hung in the air and the trees yielded their greens in favor of reds and browns. It was the time of year that turned the telekinetic’s mood to the past and with the past came the melancholy that drove Lani inward. It was the time of year when people tried their hardest to distract him, but he would not be distracted. Not on this day, nor in this month. Slowly, slowly as the world turned beneath his feet and Lani found comfort in this sadness.

He didn’t understand it.

But then, he supposed he wasn’t meant to.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Odion asked softly, breaking the silence as gently as if he were stroking a butterfly wing. At the shake of Lani’s head the redhead said no more and Lani drifted like a wraith out the door.

He shivered despite his warm sweater and tucked his arms against his body against the wind. The familiar streets rang with memories and the telekinetic smiled softly to see two children playing on the same jungle gym he’d played on as a kid. That felt like a million years ago.

It was still too early for snow, but Lani could smell the crisp chill in the air. His boots thumped softly on the blankets of leaves as he took a detour off the path. He gave the young girl freezing in the chill a smile. She returned it tentatively and asked if she could help him. With a nod he gathered caramel drops. The ones in the little gold bag that made one feel like they were unwrapping liquid sunlight. He handed over a few bills and continued his journey.

His path turned north and into the cold shell of Boston. Pacing meditatively, no one bothered the telekinetic. He watched his feet a small smile ghosting his lips, as if unsure of itself. The tall structure loomed up ahead and Lani climbed the steps to stop at the door.

The heavy oak door was the same as he remembered, with a thick, heavy gold handle. It was imposing in and of itself, but the welcoming messages of love and faith around it made it look more like an old man caught in the spin of the young. Warmth swam over him as he stepped inside. Incense filled his soul and it felt as though someone had taken his sore heart and enveloped it in a warm blanket.

Chandeliers made to mimic candles provided most of the light in the narthex, accented by the flicker of real candles. Lani swayed uncertainly, as he always did upon entering this place. When he finally took a step forward it was calculated and silent, a wish to not disturb those in prayer, nor those in endless slumber whose memories rested eternally in the heart of each well laid brick.

He didn’t light a candle and he didn’t enter the nave beyond warmer looking doors. Instead he turned down the hall. His gray eyes couldn’t help but look into some of the rooms. There was the room he’d had Sunday School in, and there was the one where he’d first questioned all that went on inside this place. He found his way to another door and he pushed it open, blinking in the sunlight. It was now that Lani turned to the east and here he crouched just outside the carved iron gates. Here, flowers that had persisted from his childhood, flowered like clockwork without fail upon the coming of fall. Lani gathered a few, taking the white and the pale violet and gathering them in his cold hands.

With a good bunch harvested Lani rose back to his feet and looked over the gate at the span of grass and stone beyond. Careful not to disturb those in slumber, he picked his way along the path, ducking under low hanging branches and glancing occasionally at the names inscribed, some so old they were nearly unreadable. Finally, Lani stopped and when he did so he smiled.

It had been ten years.

He crouched and laid the flowers at the base of the stone and reached up to trace the lettering. “Hey Dad.” He’d never said ‘I love you’ enough, until it had been too late. Nothing would make up for words that had been exchanged, but the last words had been the ones that were the most important. Lani was ashamed of how they had treated each other and he was even more amazing to find unwavering love after everything. Here lay a man whose heart was larger than anyone Lani knew.

And Lani missed him dearly.

“I brought your favorite,” he said, pulling out the caramel.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Night Game

Then the night turned cold,
Colder than the moon.
The stars were white as bones.

One of the nicer aspects of small town life was that so many activities were geared towards children in around various holidays. Sean had always enjoyed that, as he liked to be around children and families. However, with his own expanded family, he had all the more reason to appreciate the assorted activities.

Last year, Eleanor had been too small to appreciate Halloween or any of the autumn activities. Sean and Josh had dressed her up in an adorable bear costume and had toted her around with them, but she had spent most of that time asleep or otherwise staring up at people with a confused look on her face. Or cooing from whatever attention passersby paid to her. Or sipping the milkshake that Sean had bought to share with her.

This year, Eleanor was old enough to have a better grasp of the events. She was verbal now, and she could walk even if she still toddled rather than reaching a comfortable stride. She smiled at everyone in her path, and her blue eyes lit up because there was so much to see and to do and to experience.

Continuing with the theme of adorable animal costumes, Sean and Josh had had a discussion before deciding on a ladybug costume. This was the last year that they would be able to dictate what their daughter wore for a Halloween costume (as next year she would be old enough to choose her own; they would veto something inappropriate but would not force a particular outfit on her), and thus they wanted to take advantage. She looked so adorable in her red and black polka dot outfit, with the wings on her back and the little cap with the deely bobbers.

Despite not choosing the outfit herself, Eleanor adored it, and she beamed when she spied it in her closet when looking for toys, or when one of her fathers went to fetch a clean shirt or pants for her after an accident.

Sean had dedicated the better part of a week teaching her what to do on Halloween night. This was interspersed with the other activities of the season: apple picking at the orchard upstate, the corn maze at the farm the next town over, and a hayride around the farm. She had sat in Sean’s lap for that, while Josh made gentle teasing faces at her, interspersed with pointing out the animals.

They returned from the orchard with a bag of apples and two gallons of apple cider (one hard and one not). Sean baked an apple pie and then mixed in some fresh apples into the chicken salad he made for lunch for the next day.

They returned from the farm with two large pumpkins to carve and two small pumpkins for Eleanor to paint. Josh bought a corn cob pipe, although he promised not to smoke it in the house. An unnecessary promise, given the fact that he never smoked cigarettes in the house, and he was unlikely to begin a pipe habit when he and Sean had both agreed that he would try to cut back now that they were parents. A promise to which Josh stuck fast, even if there was backsliding; nicotine was so addictive.

They decorated their house, as Sean and Josh had done since before Eleanor was born, as Sean had done since long before he and Josh had reconciled, to designate them as a family that celebrated Halloween. As one that would serve adequate treats and which was receptive to children (and even teenagers, although Sean and Josh disagreed about the appropriateness of teenage trick-or-treaters) showing off their costumes in exchange for sugary treats.

Their pumpkins proudly guarded the front porch: Sean’s carefully carved jack-o-lantern on one side of the door, with Josh’s somewhat less precise creation on the other. Eleanor’s two tiny pumpkins sat on the windowsill, lacking proper faces because she was too young to fully grasp how to make them, and lacked the refined motor skills for painting neatly on a spherical surface, even if she knew how or cared to try. Fake tombstones littered the front yard: heavy enough to remain stationary in wind conditions but still light enough that Sean had been able to fetch them from the garage and adorn the grass without straining any muscles. Black and orange Halloween lights decorated the frame of the door and the outside of the windows, glowing brightly to draw attention to them at the end of the cul-de-sac. The two men had debated a fog machine but decided against it, lest they lose sight of Eleanor. While the street hardly qualified as a thruway, a car might come by and she was too young to understand that she had to avoid them. A large wreath, made from twigs, fall-colored leaves of rich browns, reds, oranges, and yellows, and grapes, hung from the door. A sign beneath it, written in Sean’s neat script, invited trick-or-treaters (and their concerned parents) to “ask about allergy and dietary accommodations.”

Such was the scene that greeted Josh when he returned home early on Halloween night.

“Tig O Teet!” Eleanor yelled, running from the play room to the foyer, when she heard the door unlock, followed by her Papa’s footsteps. Wearing her adorable ladybug costume, she held aloft the white plastic bucket with the silly ghost face that her parents had bought for the holiday. In the dark, it glowed green, which would make her even easier to keep track of during the evening escapades.

The attorney set down the box of doughnuts that he had bought for the occasion. Then he leaned down, captured her in his arms, and lifted her easily. “Where’s Eleanor?” He asked playfully. Smiling into her tiny features, he declared, “All I see is the Queen of the Ladybugs.”

She looped her arms around him and smiled back at him. The plastic bucket dug into his cheek and shoulder blade uncomfortably, and so he shifted her to one arm to tug away the accoutrement.

Stubbornly, she refused to let go. “Tig O Teet!” She said again.

“I’ll give you a doughnut if you give me the bucket,” he offered.

That met with her approval. Instantly, she dropped the bucket, which clattered to the floor; fortunately, as it was made from durable plastic (and empty) it neither broke nor spilled anything across the floor. Her now empty hand opened and closed in the universal toddler sign for “Give me.”

Josh picked up the box of doughnuts and carried both that and his daughter into the playroom from whence she had come. Setting her down on the sofa, he opened the box to show her the contents. “What type would you like? Powdered sugar?”

She did not look impressed.

“Glazed?”

Her eyes nearly glazed over.

“Pumpkin spice?”

She blinked.

“No, that’s more of a Daddy doughnut. What about this nice chocolate frosted one with sprinkles?” Little red, orange, and yellow sprinkles shaped like leaves; Ari always went above and beyond.

Eleanor reached for that one, enticed by the promise of chocolate (she took after Sean that way) and the colorful sprinkles. Josh tore it in two and gave her half, as she had yet to eat a full one in one sitting, and she would have candy later, after the evening’s activities.

“Josh?” Sean’s voice wafted from the kitchen, followed by the heavier footsteps that belonged to the older man. “I thought I heard you come home; I was just finishing up with the candy before we get any trick-or-treaters.”

He stepped into the playroom, taking in the chocolate smudges on their daughter’s face and the doughnut remnants in her hand, his eyes falling then to the open box on the table. “Doughnuts? How thoughtful!”

Josh did not reply immediately, as his eyes were drawn to the telepath’s outfit. Sean wore black suit pants with a crisp white shirt, tailored for his frame. Over that a gold vest, a red bowtie tied impeccably (not a clip on), and a red, gold, and black jacket with gold epilates. Black boots afforded him several addition inches of height, so that he towered even more than usual, and a black top hat rounded out the costume. Be still Josh’s beating heart.

“Since you got me a treat, I’ll have to give you one too.” Sean smiled at the younger man, as he picked up the pumpkin spice doughnut and took a bite; his face melted into an expression of epicurean delight. After polishing it off with no effort, he picked up a napkin and wiped his hands, before leaning in to wipe Eleanor’s mouth and fingers as well. She did not fight the attention.

“But that will have to wait until after we get back.” The telepath hefted Eleanor into his arms and then glanced around the room. “Where’s your bucket, Sweetheart?”

“She traded it to me for a doughnut. I ahh think it’s in the front hall.”

“Can you get it, please? I’m going to give her a more thorough wash before we go.”

“Of course.”

While Sean disappeared with Eleanor into the kitchen, Josh doubled back to the foyer, retrieving the bucket that their daughter had dropped moments ago. He brought it into the kitchen just as Sean was toweling off Eleanor’s face.

“What do you say to Papa?” Sean prompted her, when Josh handed over the basket to her now clean and not-sticky fingers.

“Tig O Teet!”