>When you roll into school, the place is a madhouse
>The five of you stand in the front entrance, wearing your costumes still, slack-jawed like a bunch of mouth-breathing, smooth-brained idiots
>The place looks completely transformed, like it was hit by a tidal wave of tacky orange and black decorations, fake skeletons, plastic headstones and of course fake cobwebs that Alex spends a decent amount of time running into
>Let's not forget the “Spooktober Fest" banner adorning the school's entrance, hanging above you like a massive guillotine
>Hand-painted wooden signs adorn the halls, directing students to the gym for the night's festivities
>Some students — mostly humans — are wearing their costumes
>Somehow, looking at those signs proclaiming the Spooktober Fest's 'outrageous' activities (punch, haunted classrooms, cornhole, dancing, pumpkin carving) gives you anxiety
>Sam, however, is overjoyed with the whole thing, almost like she forgot the whole purpose of tonight
>"G-G-G-Guys!" She stammers, eyes wide. “Look how c-cool th-this is!"
>She points a stubby finger at the streamers, tracing their lengths through the air like she was conducting a symphony nobody could see or hear
>"They do this every yea- OW." Mike winces as Jenna claws him across the arm, carving gashes into his leather jacket
>"Let her have her fun," Jenna warns him in a hiss
>"You know, you're awfully aggressive for a girl dressed up as a bumblebee," he says.
>Sam is gleefully focused on the streamers, and not much else
>You place a hand on her lower-back, and she nearly hops a foot into the air
“Sammmmm," you say in a chiding voice (but you're being ironic, you swear), “remember why we came to school. So you don't lose attendance and get expelled. Remember, tonight is the night. Try not to let the decorations distract you."
>Still shaking, Sam meets you with a steely gaze
>"R-Right. T-These are all j-j-just distractions," she says with determination
>For effect she throws up her hood and pulls her ears through the holes in the top
>"And I hate to break your immersion," Alex interjects, “but the Halloween season has been commercialized to the point of meaninglessness. When most people think of Halloween, they think of carting around immortal plastic pumpkins filled with name-brand candybars and chocolate harvested off the backs' of enslaved South American lemur children. It's a far cry from the ancient tradition of Samhain, which are the ACTUAL origins of-"
>"Holy shit, do you need a soapbox or something?" Mike says, still rubbing his clawed arm and grimacing at the deep gouges
>Alex looks confused. “Why, do you have a soapbox with you?"
>"Never mind," Mike says. The bell rolls over and shrieks
>And, like actors in a play, the milling students turn towards their classes and leave their conversations behind, thinking there would be another day to have them
>Thinking: they'll always have Monday to see their friends again
>Or this weekend!
>And as you all fanned out in different directions — Jenna and Mike on their way to English down the hall, Alex down the stairs towards the gym, and you and Sam down another hall towards Sam's own art class — you saw a little flick of something
>It was a short burst of smoke that appeared and then evaporated as quick as lightning
>At the end of the small hall to your left, with everyone's backs turned
>You saw the formidable shape of a feral dog, larger than a car and twice as fast
>And you saw Vanessa, two goths at her side, standing at the end of the hall, their shadows stretching outward like the long reaching hands of death
>You and Sam both froze, legs and veins stuffed with concrete
>Were they really there? Or were you seeing things?
>Sam stiffens up, and her ears jolt upward in alarm
>You hear one word that seizes your heart with a pair of calloused, drunken hands
>"D-Dad?" She utters
>You shut your eyes and hope to whatever god(s) there might be that you're just seeing things
>When you find the courage to open your eyes again, that hallway is empty
>But you feel Sam's fingers — interlaced with your own — clench up tight, cold sweat threading between the two of you like glue
>Neither of you look at each other, but you say everything you need to with a good squeeze of your palms
>'I'm here for you'
>And that sick, low growl — the sound of something old and feral — fills the halls
>Whatever it is, it's gone now
>But it's out there, and it knows:
>Its time is close
>You feel a hit of blood enter your legs, warming them, like a block ice met with a flamethrower
“D-Did you… See that thing too?" You say, pulling against Sam's immobile form, dragging her away from the short hallway towards the stairs
>You can always take the long way around to Sam's classroom
>"I-I-I've se-seen that b-before," she stammers, her legs finally obeying her
>Her voice is frantic as she struggles to put some motion into her legs
>You don't care if you have to drag her like a wounded soldier across a mile of broken glass, you're getting the FUCK away from that thing and the weird shit you just saw
>"D-D-Did you see my D-Dad?" She says as she finally puts her feet beneath her
>You two travel down the empty stairs and into the lunchroom together
>You'll take her to class
>But you need a minute
>You sit down on an available table
>Some students still lurk around, probably on their free period
“No. I saw Vanessa and her friends. At the end of the hall with The Behemoth? Didn't you see them?"
>She shakes her head viciously, ears swinging with her in a tight arc
>"I-It plays t-t-tricks on you. I-It makes you s-s-see things that a-a-aren't there. L-L-Last time I s-s-saw my b-brother."
>She suffocates the tips of her ears in her grip
>Without even having to think about it, you clutch at her hands and hold them in your lap
“I remember you saying that. And I remember something similar happening to me. But listen to me."
>Frantic, nearly on the verge of tears, she looks up into your eyes
“We're going to be alright. We can't let them play mind games with us today. We've gotta save everything we have for tonight, okay? Like I said, tonight's Spooktober Fest is our Death Star."
>Sam looks down at your palms pressed together
>You follow her gaze, and can't help but notice the way your hands fit together perfectly, like two pieces of a puzzle that had to spend a few years apart before finding that they completed one another
>You feel the warmth pulsing off her little body — you can feel it in the sweat you trade between palms
>"Tonight," she breathes hard and tries to smile at you
“Tonight." You echo her words in the same half-whisper
>You lean forward, so close that you can smell your body wash still on her, the scent of her heat billowing off her like a shroud
>You want to kiss her so badly, but you know: now isn't the time
>It was time to be strong, for everyone's sake
>For Mike
>Jenna
>Alex
>Yourself
>And most of all: Sam
“I swear, I'll never let anything happen to you, okay?"
>There's a slight pause as Sam studies you
>She's not questioning the validity of your words
>More so just searching your eyes for something real to latch onto and hold herself to
>Finding it, some light where all the shadows divide, she nods and tightens her grip on your fingers
>'I'll never let anything happen to you, okay?'
>The words resonate in your mind as you stand up, pulling Sam with you
>You swear to yourself, to everything that you fought for and believe in:
>You are all going to be okay. You won't let anything happen to anyone
>Oh how wrong you are
>School is utterly pointless
>With all the buzz about the Spooktober Fest, classes involve the students pitching in to help set up the school for some sp00ky fun
>Which really translates to students hauling in shit from around the school and moving it into the gym
>You stick close to Sam, watching from the hallways as she struggles to lug a cheap wooden stockade towards the gym
>Why the school has a stockade you can only guess, but you can tell it's not heavy
>It's probably made out of cheap particleboard from any home improvement store
>So you take one step forward, dead-set on helping her haul that-
>A foreign hand finds its way onto your shoulder
>"There's my star student. I was wondering when I'd see you again."
>Oh
>Mr. Bolm
>You turn your back against Sam, though you're still eager to end this conversation and go help
>Mr. Bolm stands before you, dressed up like a wizard
>He's clad in a purple velvet robe, and his receding hairline is hidden beneath a pointed, purple wizard hat
>In his right hand he has a gnarled walking stick, probably his 'staff'
>And in his left is a biology textbook, which functions as his 'book of spells'
“Hi, Mr. Bolm," you say, eying him up and down. “Kind of hypocritical for you to be dressed up as a wizard, right?"
>He looks taken back
>"Why is that? Don't you believe in magic?" He says with false gruffness to his voice
>Wat
“I-I mean, I guess so-"
>"Nahhhh," Mr. Bolm says with a slight hissing laugh that makes you feel a little more comfortable around him. “This is what I wear when I play tabletop. I DM for a group of faculty."
>Seeing your incredulous expression, he adds: “Who shall remain nameless."
>Of all the weird and wack shit you've seen this week, seeing Mr. Bolm dressed as a corny-ass wizard and admitting that some teachers around school play tabletop games with him is the most unbelievable thing yet
>There's an awkward pause in the conversation
>Mr. Bolm LOOKS like he has something he wants to say to you, but doesn't know how to say it
>Guess you'll just have to cut the silence
“Sorry I haven't been in class," you blurt out. “I've been… really busy with some things around school. And at home."
>Your teacher looks relieved that you started the conversation back up again
>"I guess as an educator I'm supposed to chastise you for truancy, but…" he shrugs. “I trust you. Senior year and all that. I remember being in high school as well — all the excitement and energy of 12 years of education all building towards a head. Like the crescendo of a really great song. Ironically, your education seems to matter the least when it should matter the most."
>He holds up his hands in a gesture of humility. “Believe me. I've been there. I just wanted to make sure you're coming back to class. I wouldn't want you to jeopardize your future."
>If you make it out alive tonight, yeah, sure, you'll go back to basic biology and shit you've already read
“Yes sir," you say, turning back to focus on Sam, who is still struggling with the stockades
>She seems to have made almost no progress
>Other students — with empty hands — pass by her like she's not even there
>The sight spikes your blood pressure a fair bit
>Fucking assholes could care less about Sam
>Why?
>Well… a week ago you were trying to avoid her like the plague, to be fair
>Mr. Bolm clears his throat behind you
>"Err, Mr. Anonymous?"
>You turn around again, and the expression on your face makes Mr. Bolm pause
>"You alright there?" He says apprehensively
>"Need to use the bathroom?"
>You shake your head and clear the expression from your face
“N-No, sorry. Just thinking."
>"Well…" Mr. Bolm drags out the last syllables to a high 'luh' like he does sometimes
>C'mon you magical fuck, get to the point
>Can't he see that your waifur needs you?
>"What I really wanted to ask you about was college. Have you given any more thought to it?"
>…
>Oh
>Right
>Yeah, your future
>When you declared on the rooftop on Thursday, how serious were you?
>The very utterance of the word 'college' makes your stomach drop into your bowels
>The thought of leaving scares you half to death
>But
>You've done a lot of things that scare you this week
>In fact, you've scared the shit out of yourself so many times, you're not sure who the old, cowardly Anonymous even is anymore
>Unlikes what Vanessa thinks, people do in fact change
>You've seen everyone around you change and grow, like the leaves of fall ripening on their branches and exploding with color as the seasons turn over
>Every season is built on change
>And so are people
“Yeah, as a matter of fact, I have thought about school," you say at last
>Mr. Bolm leans forward, eyebrows high on his forehead, nearly disappearing into the brim of his wizard hat
“I think I'd like to give college a try. I don't really… know where, or what, but I know I'd like to go. Like you said, I'd be wasting my time staying in Ranchview."
>The smile that explodes across your teacher's face almost knocks you off your feet
>"That's so great to hear! Oh my God, I'm so happy you said that!"
>A look of relief mixed with joy spreads across Mr. Bolm's features
>He even cranes his neck upward and exhales sharply, forming a tight 'O' with his mouth
>After a slight pause, he turns his head downward again
>"Well, listen. How about next week you come by my classroom after school ends, and we can look at some scholarships together. If you're worried about cost, don't be. I know of some GREAT scholarships for STEM students, if you're thinking of going into the sciences."
>T-Thanks
>You feel a rush of blood to the head
>This is all moving so fast
>STEM? Sciences? Scholarships?
>Last Friday you were pretty sure you were going to be staying in Ranchview forever, and now you're practically picking a time and a place for your old life to end and new one to begin
>You feel dizzy
“I-I will," you look at him and try to smile
>Mr. Bolm is too overjoyed to really pick up on your shift in mood and posture
>You're practically keeled over in your priest vestments, clutching a locker for support
>"Great!" He proclaims. “I'll see you on Monday!"
>Still smiling, he turns on a sharp heel
>Thank fuck that's ov-
>"Oh and one more thing." He turns back on an even sharper heel, his cloak billowing around him like a cyclone of purple felt and velvet
>You see he's wearing pointed brown boots
>Man, he really goes all out
>"Are you going to the Spooktober Fest tonight?"
>Your stupid lizard brain is moving so fast in so many directions that all you can say is:
“Yes?"
>"Good!" He proclaims. “You kids need to have some fun. This has been the week from hell — all the fights and the vandalism and all — I think everyone is ready for a break, or for the end of the world," he adds with a laugh. “Let's just hope it's the former and not the latter."
The Leaves of Fall Act 3: Something That Matters (Part 16)
You've never really 'fit in' with the heavily divided Ranchview High School crowd. Jock, Goth, Prep, Cheerleader, Nerd... you were never any of these. But as Halloween approaches, strange things start happening, and a dark ritual begins with the finding of a curious red book. It's a race against time for you and your friends to stop a group of students from ushering in an age of darkness, and to also figure out just what the hell is wrong with that rabbit.
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About this version: originally, The Leaves of Fall was split into two pastebins to compensate for the length of the story. Given that pastebin has chosen to censor this story for ambiguous reasons, it will forever be stored here and on AO3. This new version contains spelling, grammar and content fixes. Please understand that the content is all the same as the earlier versions minus some sentences being changed and fixed up. I cannot stress this enough: no new content has been added. It's my hope that this is a cleaner, easier-to-read version of the story.
Cover: https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q
Sam (drawn by Akella of /hmofa/) https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT
Fan art collection: https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv
Accompanying playlist (WIP): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410_nI-0J
Alternative link: https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078
Total word count: 147,552 words
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About this version: originally, The Leaves of Fall was split into two pastebins to compensate for the length of the story. Given that pastebin has chosen to censor this story for ambiguous reasons, it will forever be stored here and on AO3. This new version contains spelling, grammar and content fixes. Please understand that the content is all the same as the earlier versions minus some sentences being changed and fixed up. I cannot stress this enough: no new content has been added. It's my hope that this is a cleaner, easier-to-read version of the story.
Cover: https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q
Sam (drawn by Akella of /hmofa/) https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT
Fan art collection: https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv
Accompanying playlist (WIP): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410_nI-0J
Alternative link: https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078
Total word count: 147,552 words
4 years ago
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Estimated reading time
12 Minutes
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