>Be Mike Sapone
>And MAN you gotta take a leak
>The first floor men’s room and women’s room are both closed. Figures that only the second floor men’s is open
>The construction seemed to come out of nowhere
>So you practically sprint from English class, down the hall, telling the straggling teachers that you ‘Gotta piss like a racehorse.’
>Which is not wrong, because when you finally hit that urinal, you feel like you’re chipping the porcelain
>Feelsgoodman.jpg
>You do your ritual, which involves taking a deep breath, looking around, then looking back down
>Huh
>The bathroom is empty
>Well that’s always nice
>Oh wait, no it’s not
>There’s a twiggish gray wolf… slumped in the corner right behind you, by the trashcan, arms folded in his sleeves, his yellow eyes unblinking and shot open with panic, covered in highlighter-colored flyers for the Spooktober Fest
>At least, you see him in the mirror
>Weird, but he might be looking at something else, so you try to ignore him
>You finish up, zip up, and turn your head towards where the wolf should be
>You should ask him if he’s okay. He looks… Kinda out of it
>You open your mouth, fingers pinching your zipper
“You like what you se-”
>But the corner is vacant
>Just the trashcan, standing alone in the flickering darkness
>You look back to the mirror
>There’s not just the wolf there, there’s also four cheerleaders — an otter, a possum, a white rabbit and a badger, all in their skintight maroon-red uniforms, frilled skirt clipping at their knees
>One of them is moving silently towards you, smirking, eyes bright red with rabid intensity, smiling and practically slavering at the mouth
>You jump back when you feel something tugging at the back of your shirt
>You spin around
”Get the FUCK off me!” you shout
>There’s nothing there
>Then you hear the sound of paws scraping across the floor
>Everyone except the wolf is moving
>You try to keep your eyes on at least one of them but
>N-NANI!?
>They’re fast
>You spin around in all directions
>Left
>Right
>Stumbling backwards but bumping into something or someone you can’t see
>There’s nobody here! Why can you only see them in the mirror!?
>Did someone drug you?
>You’ve gotta be high right now
>Alex probably sold you some bad weed
>This is his fault
>”Please stay,” the badger hisses, her voice low and sharp like her fanged mouth. “We’re so hungry. We’ve been waiting for something tastier than Louis to walk through the door.”
>”Yeah!” The white rabbit joins in. “Louis is so…. Ugh. We want something sweeter to snack on!”
>Nope
>That rabbit has fangs where she shouldn’t
>You are getting the FUCK out of here
>Gotta get the fuck out of here and beat the SHIT out of Alex for this
>You lift your feet to run, but feel something heavy pulling down at your pants
>And then you see them sheer down the middle, the fabric shrieking as invisible claws easily rip through them…
>… And into your skin, blood springing from fresh wounds
>You kick forward and hit nothing but empty space
>Someone is laughing
>Someone with a booming and deep voice
>A voice you swear is right in your ear
>”Where are you going, Mike? You don’t think you’re going back to class, right? We all know you don’t really give a shit about class.”
>Oh Jesus, you recognize that voice from your English class
>Lydia Penferth
>You look back into the mirror
>She’s there, a towering anthropomorphic lion, tight-fitting black clothes, hair dyed bright purple, eyes colored in with what looks like an unnatural, feverish glow
>She studded her face with piercings
>Metal hooks in her ears, nose…
>… Studs and rods bulging out of her angular and feminine face
>Her lips are practically ringed shut and her massive, fuzzy ears are strung together with a thin metal chain
>But the worst of it all is the way she’s standing
>She makes her 6’0” look like another extra foot with the way she’s curled her body up over yours
>Without a little restraint, she may as well be drooling on your face
>She plants two paws on your shoulders
>You can feel their impressive weight kneading into your muscles, as if she was tenderizing you, like a slab of meat
>”You know, I bet these girls wouldn’t give you a second glance if they weren’t under my control. They’re such horrible people deep down, wouldn’t you agree?”
>The cheerleaders circle your shivering body, their fangs glistening, mouth’s frothing with hunger
>They must not be able to hear Lydia
>You keep your eyes focused on the mirror, watching the circle of cheerleaders tighten around you
”You’re awfully cocky for a woman about to have her jaw broken,” you say
>You tighten your fists, feeling blood boiling in the pit of your stomach
“You hurt me and I swear—”
>”I don’t think it’ll hurt. Well, it might. Having your soul drained from your body can’t be comfortable. I just wish it didn’t have to be you, or that weirdo over there with all the bugs crawling through his hair.”
>She nods towards Louis, who looks about as useless as a discarded doll right now
“What do you mean? Then let me go you stupid razor mouth bitch.”
>You feel the fine needles of her claws pinching at your shirt fabric
>”We don’t want to hurt the nobodies. Or anyone without a shred of social cred. But we also can’t have you running off now, darling.”
“The nobodies?”
>She smiles, or, what looks like a smile behind all the metal coating her face
>”You, that wolf over there — people who don’t mean shit to anyone but a few people. Or people who don’t mean shit to nobody at all. I mean, the kids with no sort of pull in any social circles. Yeah, to be fair, you’re all going to go soon, but it doesn’t have to hurt if you don’t fight it.”
“And I’m not good enough to matter?”
>”Oh, I’m sorry baby. You know I always liked you — still gonna suck the soul right outta your body — but you don’t pull any weight in anyone’s social circle. Hardly even your own little pond with Anon and Alex and that weird rabbit.”
“Pull huh,” you nod your head several times, ignoring the piercing bite of her claws and the ear-rending shriek of fabric being slashed open
>Just a little longer. You clear your throat and search the open air for a distraction
“Maybe we can cut a deal?”
>She pauses, claws weighing into your bare flesh
>”Well… You might have something I want. But it’s a long shot.”
“Social pull, right?”
>Her laughter is a lion’s roar. ”Lets face it. You missed your chance to have that.”
“I never missed my chance. I gave it up. I don’t want it.”
>”Oh sure you did. You’re such a bad boy… you don’t want the fame or the glory at all. You’re just too cool and edgy to be in high school huh?”
>One by one her claws sink into your skin, pulling your body downward
>It takes everything you have just to remain vertical
>You’d have an easier time breathing underwater
>The cheerleader’s watch the sadistic spectacle, eyes feverish with feral hunger and need
>Whatever consciousness they have left seems replaced with only a rabid desire to feed
>Or to fuck
>You do notice none of them are wearing the traditional spats
>But that begs the question of why they were in the men’s room-
>”God this is FUN!” Lydia shouts, her sadism on full display
>You can hear her in your ear, but it doesn’t sound like the sound is coming from in the bathroom
>And neither is the ragged breathing of the cheerleaders
>Isn’t the women’s restroom next to the men’s room?
>The first floor’s was closed, wasn’t it?
>They had to be in there, or… or something. You just need a way out
>Or a way to stop them from maiming your dick and/or your soul
>Panicked, your split eyes flick back towards the mirror where your assailants are visible
>The mirror
>Mike you geni-
>You bend your knees to the bite of her claws and stifle a pained groan
>Fuck
>This isn’t good. She rests her chin on your shoulder, driving you even further down
>The minute you hit the ground, you know it’s gonna be curtains for Mike muthafuckin’ Sapone
>Lydia only confirms this
>”When your body hits the ground, Mike, I’m gonna watch you suffer. But no hard feelings, babe. Like I said, this is more about liability than hatred.”
“Oh fuck off, you like this,” you grunt.
>”Well, you’re not wrong.”
>The *tap* *tap* of blood splattering on the ground draws your attention
>You’ve got seconds, maybe, to execute your genius, well thought out plan
“S-So, back to our negotiations…” you try to keep your body rigid, but all it does is build tension in your lower legs
>You need to buy a little more time
>Your mind spins through all the possibilities while your mouth stammers, fighting back pained screams
>”Right, I almost forgot. I know you don’t read, but have you seen a little red book lying around here?”
>A little red book?
>Your mind spins through all of the memories you might have containing ‘little red books,’ and it’s shockingly brief
>Except for one recent memory
>Sam had a book just like that
>You’d sell out that gayboy in a heartbeat, but you know now Anon has it
>And soon they will look for it
>”Tik-tock, fleshy.” She presses down. Your spine bows forward, giving you a great view of the bottom of her muzzle
>You blurt out the first thing that comes to your mind
“I’ve seen it! I know what you’re talking about! A little red book with weird writing inside, yeah! I know it! But you have to let me go first!” You cry in desperation
>Some of the pressure releases
>”Bullshit, you’re just trying to save your soul.”
“NO! I mean YES! But I see your point now. Fuck normal, well-adjusted cunts. Fuck ‘em! Just let me go first!”
>You tighten your fists again as the pressure continues to evaporate
>You try to stand a little taller
>She pushes you back down
>”You’re not in much of a position to negotiate right now, babe.”
>You hope this works
>You suck down a gulp of air and lock your sights on her bottom muzzle, a stud poking through her thin, brown fur
“Right, right. I don’t have any social pull. But I know who has the book. You remember Sam?”
>”Garlen? That brown Mini-Rex?”
“They’re all Rabbits to me. You can’t miss him. Short. Same clothes everyday. Messy fur. Dark brown fu-”
>”You mean he’s got it?”
>She tenses her hold on you
“FUCK! MAYBE!”
>She arches her legs and tries forcing down harder
>”Nah, you’re full of shit, Mike. I shoulda known your dumb ass would say anything to get out of this.”
“I am dumb,” you squeal. “And I don’t have any social pull…”
>Now is the time
>You bend your legs, ass nearly hitting the tile floor
>Lydia’s horrible smile grows
>The cheerleaders hiss and claw at the empty inches in front of you and behind you
“…But I’ve got a lot of PUSH!”
>You explode upwards, your legs decompressing like a mine
>All those years of gymnastics paid off
>The top of your skull slams into her lower jaw with such force that she yelps and stumbles backwards, ropes of crimson blood and spit thrown from her red maw
>Free, but with the cheerleaders pressing in on you now that their handler has been temporarily incapacitated, you jump backwards towards a urinal
>You know you have little time. The cheerleaders hiss and grab at you, claws bared. One them lunges forward on all fours, skittering into the urinal next to you
>You face the mirror, ready to watch as the cheerleaders descend upon you like locusts
>Well Mike, you’ve made it this far
>What’s seven more years of bad luck?
>Despite the gnawing pain in your legs, you hit a dead sprint in the small distance between the back wall and the sink mirror
>Hands unseen grab you by your loose shirt fabric, but you run like your soul depended on it
>Not out the door—
>(you’d never make it)
>—But forward, at the mirror
>With a bound and a leap, you curl your body into a tight ball and become airborne, a human cannonball
>Your eyes slam shut as you watch yourself hurtle towards the bathroom mirror
>There’s the sound of glass shattering, a body thudding off the sink, and then tumbling from the sink onto the filthy tile floor
>And then a scream from next-door — a pained cacophony of one animal forcibly ejected from a reality warp, and four cheerleaders now likely unconscious from the severing blow that was your entire body colliding with their tunneled portal into the men’s room
>Your eyes open to a shattered mirror, shards of the reflective glass littering the sink
>And a whole lot of blood coating your upper body, dampening your shirt
>But you know time isn’t on your side with this one
>You don’t even think about going to the other bathroom and beating Lydia within an inch of her life (because let’s face it, she’d win that one)
>And that wolf that they likely victimized and then brought to the women’s bathroom is as good as dead as far as you’re concerned
>Snapjaws can fend for themselves better than you can
>You scramble onto two feet and leg it out of the bathroom, past the women’s restroom, and down the hall towards the stairs
>You white-knuckle the railing as you throw your body into a turn. Your wild flight comes to a halt when you crash into someone you didn’t see
>A red fox
>You stumble forward and brace yourself against the railing
>The fox sits up, shaking off the hit
>It’s Jenna Orthorn
>”Mike? Why are you sprinting down the stairs?” She asks, quickly scrambling to her feet and doing the ‘gotta pee’ dance
>She goes white when she sees the trail of blood running down your side
>”JENNA. DO NOT GO TO THE BATHROOM ON THE SECOND FLOOR!” You spin around and leg it down the stairs. “JUST GO PEE OUTSIDE OR SOMETHING!”
>You leave one of the few anthros you really actually like on the stairs in a daze, her head cocked to the side as you practically evaporate in a blur of blood and torn clothing
>A well-dressed rhino tries to stop you by virtue of your name, but you keep sprinting down the hall
>Class was almost over, and so the halls were beginning to swell with kids, making your escape both easier and yet more challenging
>The few times your grateful for more students in the hall is when you care about them the least
>Alright Mike
>Make it to your car
>Or find Alex and Anon
>…
>Fuck it, you can call them late-
>You blur right past a group of cheerleaders, who suddenly rise to their feet with mechanical alertness to your presence
>You swear you see their eyes glowing with lust and hunger
>Oh God
>One of them is a cheetah
>Be Anon again
>And, fuck, there’s finally a question
>Vanessa sits up in her chair for once, body locked straight forward on Mr. Bolm, who looks unbelievably overjoyed to have an actual question from Gloria
>”Actually, that’s a great question, and I’m glad you asked! Do humans mate for life?” he repeats, eyes eagerly scanning the sea of pimply, teenage faces for- oh god, no, no
>Look somewhere else you old f-
>”ANON!” He brightens, turning to write the question on the board. “Pop quiz for my brightest student. Do humans mate for life?”
>You become acutely aware just how piercing everyone’s stares suddenly are
>Especially Vanessa’s
>With a curious interest, she taps on the desk, cocking her head to the side, a smile gathering on her black lips
>Fuck
“Well, that’s… That’s the ideal, I think. I don’t know. I’ve never been in love before-”
>A few hushed whispers from the class cause you to start sweating
>Well shit, you kind of know how Sam feels
>Every time you get nervous, you always look for a distraction
“Have you ever been in love, Mr. Bolm?”
>To the sound of barely restrained gasps and your own heavy breathing, Mr. Bolm turns around, a stung look on his face
>”Yes, I have,” he says. You see a flash of light from the ring on his finger
>”I was in love for a long, long, long time. They say you only get one person in life you truly love. Or at least for humans this is true.”
>But his expression doesn’t match up like you thought it would
>It looks like you just diagnosed him with stage four cancer, or you informed him his best friend was dying-
>Oh god
>His wife is dead, isn’t she?
>Isn’t that perfect?
>Vanessa can no longer hold back her laughter as the bell kicks itself
>Mr. Bolm does not dismiss the class he only stares defeated at the floor
>The class dismisses itself
>You’re the first out the door, muttering a red-faced apology at the isolated figure that is now Mr. Bolm
>”Hey Anon, wait!”
>Vanessa is right behind you
>Damn, she moves quick
>You step into the stream of students
>Vanessa grabs your arm
>God she’s cold
>Like, ice cold
>”Great answer. How did you know that Bolm’s wife left him?”
“L-Lucky guess?” You shrug, not feeling any less like a complete fucknugget
>It suddenly dawns on you: this is her
>The woman who might be responsible for everything
>“God.” she starts laughing like she’s not potentially involved in some dark ritual. “He’s such a fucking sob. He’s probably just upset he can’t pull any teen pussy now that his wife is gone. ‘Oh no my wife had an affair oh noooooo.’”
>She looks at you, suddenly serious, the laughter evaporating from her face. Her black lips go slant, and her green eyes flick upwards into your face from beneath heavy eyeliner
>”Don’t you just wish everyone like him, all these well adjusted, thoughtless fucks, were gone? Or at least punished?”
>Yep
>She fucking done it, Anon. She is no longer a hapless victim
>She’s at least some pawn in this entire mess
”Punished in what way?”
>She pauses, studying you with pursed lips
>You stand alert, but only out of fear
>Satisfied, she nods her head slowly
>”Any way you want, Anon.” She nods to something further behind you
>Oh, it’s Harold, a North American Black Bear
>His arms shudder as he balances a high stack of percussion instruments
>He’s a band kid, and nice enough. You had gym with him once
>Surprisingly good at doing hurdles
>You look back to see Vanessa drawing a small black book out of her bag
>Your heart tightens up into a little ball of anxiety
>Oh god, she really is behind all this. ‘Brothers, black and red.’
>’The Book of Wrath’
>”We can do all kinds of things to shallow and awful people. Doesn’t that sound nice?”
>She spins open the book and nips at her finger. A small dot of blood appears on the tip
>She then smears it onto a messy page
>The drums practically explode out of Harold’s arms like a cluster bomb, shotgun-spraying in all directions
>Harold gets blown on his wide ass by the force
>By the time the bear can sit up, he has two punks on him, both humans, twisting his collar up, screaming in his face
>The crowds look tense
>And not because they’re about to witness a hate crime
>But because the ones still recovering from the barrage look pissed off at Harold and each other
>In fact they all look ready to commit hate crimes against each other
“What the-”
>”I told you. We have all kinds of ways to turn them against each other,” Vanessa says, closing the book, wearing a terribly satisfied grin
>It shuts with a heavy *THUMP*
“Is that why everyone seems so on edge lately? That book?”
>”No,” she says, shoving the book back into her bag. “Not just this book. How about we talk about this somewhere more private?”
>Your feet tap against the concrete
>You agreed to meet her at the loading dock behind the school after three
>The loading dock is empty except for the memories of you, Mike, Sam and Alex climbing the broken ladder
>Speaking of, you whip out your phone and start tapping out a message to the two of them
‘Vanessa is the one. We need to’-
>”I knew you’d come, Anon.” Vanessa emerges from the shadows of the loading dock, reeking of nicotine
>Two other goths are at her side
>One human — A male
>And the other an adorable lil’ rat
>Who does not look all that adorable smoking on a cigarette that’s nearly 1/4 of her size
>Okay, it’s a little funny though
”Right, I’m… I’m here.”
>The other two step towards you
>”Hang on. Anon’s not one of them,” Vanessa halts their advance
>Exchanging suspicious looks, they step back towards Vanessa’s side
>You notice she’s got The Book of Wrath open in her palm
>”Anon is one of us. A misfit — on the inside and outside.”
>Cringe
>God this was a mistake
>You should just leave right now
>You shouldn’t even be at school
>You should be trying to get Alex and Mike together to save Sam…
>… However you’ll do that
>”Do you believe in magic? Curses?”
>Oh, you always hated Harry Potter
“… I don’t know what if what know is true anymore. I guess I’m open to the idea?”
>The rat flicks her cigarette at your feet and looks up to Vanessa
>”How about a demonstration?” She says, her voice far deeper than it has any right to be
>She cuts into her thumb with her teeth and presses the bloody thumb into the pages of the book
>God her sharp little bangs that cover only of her eyes are just too adorable-
>You jump backwards as the cigarette pops and fizzes like a firecracker
>From its bubbling ashes, a terrible shape arises, the shape of a beast, rising from the small light, billowing up out of smoke and ash, a cherry-red heart of flame beginning to glow
>It lets out a scorched roar, breathing nicotine and flakes of ash
>It’s nearly twice your size in a matter of seconds
“Holy fuck!” You jump back as it reaches for you with an ashy hand
>Vanessa wheezes, sweat beading down her face
>No longer able to control the smoke-beast, she slams the book shut
>With a billowing puff, the beast becomes wisps of smoke, fading into the atmosphere
>You feel like shitting yourself
>God you’re such a coward
>”See what we can do?” She says, looking winded, but satisfied. ”And we can do more than just that.”
>”Have you seen the moon lately?” the human says
>Oh shit
“That was you? You can control the moon?”
>He nods in satisfaction. ”We could, until Kate lost the other book.”
“Kate?”
>”Winslow,” Vanessa says. “Kate Winslow helped us set this week in motion, but then lost the Book of Rite in the bathroom.”
>Just like the book said — ‘The Book of Rite’ that is
>God this is too much to take in all at once
>You feel like you’ve been drugged
>You hope they don’t notice your whole body trembling
>”We just need it to the complete the final rite on Friday. Along with a few… other things.”
“Final rite? Other things?”
>Vanessa smirks
>”Remember what I said about punishing every normie, Anon?”
>Normie
>Heh
>She continues as you struggle to move your mouth
>”What better way to punish the normies than to have them punish each other? Once Friday rolls around, and we have our pure virgin and our book, we can finally return this world to a primal form of madness.”
“Primal madness?”
>”You read a lot. Ever read Lovecraft, Anon? Think of violent, Eldritch madness, with a little bit of Twilight thrown in there for good measure. All the people that take their sanity for granted, their social status… They’ll be at each other’s throats soon enough.”
“So why are you telling me this?”
>There had to be an ulterior motive
>You back up, aware that you’re being clowned
>”Because you’re not one of them. You and your friends somehow are able to exist outside the petty spheres of high school cliques: The nobodies.”
>Oh
>So they’re awfully trusting. That’s a good thing
“Gee, thanks,” you quip, sarcasm dripping off your syllables
>It hurts because it’s true
>”But we need your help. You’re close with Gloria Duchene, right?”
>You blush at the idea
“Close? No, I wouldn’t say I’m close with her. More like she’s been fawning over me (no offense) ever since she got to public school.”
>”Right!” Vanessa says. “Her weird human fetish is exactly what we need. Well, that and her virginity.”
“WHAT”
>The goth’s start laughing
>”Calm down Anon, it’s not what you think. We just need pure, virgin blood to continue the ritual.”
“So you want me to… NO, I am NOT having sex with-”
>Vanessa laughs even harder
>You take a step back, face burning
>”We don’t want you to fuck her either. What you do with her is your own deal. We just need her for the week. So, will you help us? Bring her to the gym tomorrow for lunch. We’ll be waiting.”
>Help bring about Eldritch madness like in a badly written teenage drama?
>Help THESE cringy idiots?
>Who the hell do they think you are?
>Why would anyone want to help them complete a dark ritual?
>Sure you hate Gloria, but even you wouldn’t betray her to them
>Well, on second thought, it’d have to be a good enough reason…
>Your eyes flick towards the broken ladder again, and all you can think of is Sam, languishing under his father’s ‘care’
>…Which you think you’ve found
>You clear your throat
“Vanessa?”
>This is the dumbest thing you’ve ever done
>The doe perks up at the sound of her name, her pierced ears twitching
>Who knows if it will even work?
“I’ll help you get Gloria.”
>You’re going to keep your knowledge of the other book a secret
>One last ace up your sleeve, just in case
>Right now though, that doesn’t matter. The book is irrelevant. Because you have another chip you can cash in: Gloria
“But in exchange — right here, right now — I want you to make me brave.”
>The goth’s exchange confused looks
>”Brave?” The rat asks
“Just… Don’t ask.” You stare directly at Vanessa, eyes begging “Can you do it?”
>She studies you, the trusting look gone from her face
>You can physically feel your armpits getting wetter
>God DAMNIT you’re such a coward
>First it was college
>Then it was this whole situation
>And now you’re cutting a deal with the enemy
>To what?
>Save a kid who, up until last night, you couldn’t care less about?
>Are you gay? Is that why you’re doing this?
>You shake your head, ignoring the piercing stares of the goth’s
>You’re not gay, not even a litt-
>”Fine.” Vanessa says. “Hold out your arm.”
>You don’t even question her until she draws a razor from her bag
>Somehow you’re not surprised she keeps a razor with her
“Y-You’re not gonna stab me, right?”
>She shakes her head and grabs your elbow to steady you
>Her fingers are ice cold
>That’s not natural
>Well neither is getting your wrist cut but Vanessa Doermuth to get magical, Eldritch courage to save the life of your friend, but you’re pretty much ready to abandon reason at this point anyway
>Wait, did you just call Sam your friend?
>The knife glides cross your wrist horizontally, leaving a budding red slit.
>Blood trickles out
>She then takes your hand, twists your arm, and holds the book beneath your dripping wound
>You watch in silence, heart racing, as a page in the black book becomes soggy with your blood
>The goth’s are all smirking, and you swear they’re about to start chanting ‘one of us, one of us, one of us’
>With each drop of blood, you feel your heartbeat getting slower and slower
>You no longer evade the goth’s eye contact, but meet them head on
>Vanessa seems to notice, and a smile spreads across her lips
>”You feel It, Anon? The rewards of being on the right side.”
“I feel it, Mr. Krabs.”
>”What?”
“Nothing.” You withdraw your wrist, letting your blood drip onto the concrete. “Are we done?”
>Vanessa nods
>”You should be all juiced up and ready to go. Just don’t forget our promise, Anon.”
>You turn your back to them, car keys already dangling from your fingers
>Man you feel cool
>You feel confident, unafraid to piss them off
>But your mind feels sobered, fresh, not without forethought
“You’ll have your goat tomorrow,” you say, making for your car
>”Good!” Vanessa calls after you. “Because if you fuck us on this, our deal is off!!”
“Like I said, I’m going to help you. But first, I have something to do.”
>The parking lot is chaos, but you don’t mind. You maneuver cooly around hormonal, potentially magically cursed teenagers
>You flip your phone out of your pocket and ring Mike
>You get his answering machine
>Huh, you can normally get him
>You ring up Alex
>Anyone to help you with what you’re about to do
>”Y’ello?” Alex’s sleepy voice crackles through on the other side of the line
“Alex? You free?”
>”No, I’m at work. But yeah, I can do whatever. What’s up comrade?”
>The sun was just beginning to set on you, diffusing like a drop of amber into the gathering dusk
>An unnaturally cold wind whips across the car, carrying a handful of leaves against your windshield
>Though the skies were clear, it looks like a storm is fast approaching from the west
“I’m coming to pick you up. We’re going to rescue Sam.”
The Leaves of Fall Act 2: Fear the Nobodies (Part 4)
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
5 years ago
126 Views
0 Likes
Estimated reading time
24 Minutes
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