>You wander around the neighborhoods to sulk, and you don’t see a single person the entire time, except one
>A very sickly and greasy looking brown rabbit pulls up next to you in a beaten, rusted old car that looks like it was salvaged from a scrapyard
>The window rolls down slowly with a painfully loud squeal
>The rabbit glares at you, as if studying you
>You study him back
>Damn, either you’re speciest as fuck, or this rabbit looks insanely familiar
>A tiny bit like Sam? Maybe it’s just the species and the fur color
>Like that’s all the same, but the face is only lightly similar, without the button nose and trembling whiskers and androgynous cheeks/jawline
>Unsatisfied, he scowls and peels off down the road, out the neighborhood
>He looked like he was hunting for something
>You shrugged
>Probably a weirdo
>You wandered the town
>Saw some little shops you’ve seen for the trillionth time
>The costume store which you don’t care about (Halloween can fuck off right now)
>A dentist’s office where you got your cavities filled three years ago
>The liquor store — surprisingly you’re not in the mood to drink
>A few fast food chains
>A boutique and coffee shop combo
>You contemplate going in to steal something but decide against it
>You’ve already stolen from enough small businesses
>You park yourself on a bench in front of the store
>Maybe it’s time to knock over a bigger store? You’re hungry, and not for blood
>Though you could go for some type A right now
>The Shop N’ Save is just a short walk away
>Plus Alex has always encouraged you and Anon to take a ‘proletariat’s discount’ whenever you’re there
>You stand up from the bench, stretching out your stocky body
>Despite your new super nature you still get sore
>The door to the coffee shop opens to the sound of a cheery bell, drawing your focus
>Lydia Penferth, purple hair and jingling with piercings galore, steps out, five cheerleaders flanking her
>Lydia is sucking down on a large black coffee, while the cheerleaders are double-fisting frozen, syrupy coffee beverages
>”Just like I was saying, getting your nipples pierced doesn’t actually hurt that bad. At first it’s painful, and then it’s over,” Lydia says, though her language is obscured by the sheer volume of piercings in her full-lips
>Her voice sounds like she’s trying to talk with a swollen tongue
>”We’re so hungry…” one of the cheerleaders whines
>She’s a human, tan skin and shimmering blue eyes, her russet hair tied back in a ponytail
>”You don’t want blood… What do you want? More coffee? Shoulda known you vapid hoes would want the frappuccinos.”
>”Cock, souls, ANYTHING!” Another — a horse — cries at her master
>”You’ll have your fill once Friday rolls around, bitch. You airheads remember we’re on a mission to-”
>Lydia turns her head forward
>Directly at you, eyes bulging forward
“-Find Mike Sapone.” She smirks at last
>You don’t return the gesture
>Your muscles tense up to fight
>Lydia spreads her arms as if to hold her horde of succubus/vampire cheerleaders back from bum rushing you
>”Don’t run just yet, Mike. Not that you could get away this time.”
“You don’t think so? Wanna take a bet?” You say
>”No. I can see what my girls have already done to you. Your gift — it’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
>You hold up your pale arms to them
“You have a weird definition of beauty if you think this is beautiful.”
>”In time you’ll learn to find beauty in negative spaces. Like the hole in your chest where you heart should be.”
>You can’t help but laugh
“Real fucking poetic, Simba. I always thought you weren’t paying attention in our English class.” You start clapping. “Bravo. Well, now that you’ve effectively ruined my life, why don’t you come at me by yourself — no help from your little gang — so I can show you the extent of just how far I’m willing to go.”
>”That’s exactly what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. Girls, stand down.”
>She lowers her arms, and the hissing group of cheerleaders drop to a coordinated knee
>”You look good, Mike. Full of anger and hate — and rightfully so. You’re not happy in this little shit hole, are you?”
>You can’t help but nod
>”Nobody is. You think these fucking people like living here? It’s like living inside a boring sitcom. All we’re missing is the canned laughter.”
>She takes a small step forward
>You don’t move out of spite
>”There’s no going back to your old and shitty life. Not that you’d even want to, right? I can smell the fresh blood on you. I can see it burning behind your eyes. There’s no way out.”
>The excitement in her tone is palpable
>Lydia does actually have a point. Anon’s cure didn’t work. And though you’re still working through it, your dream of leaving this town behind is pretty much dead
>”Join us,” she says.
>You cross your arms across your chest, coldly turning her offer over in your mind
>“You don’t have a place without us, can’t you see that? And once Friday rolls around you’re going to want to be on the winning side. If only you knew what was going to happen you wouldn’t hesitate.”
“So why not just tell me now?”
>Lydia straightens her spine and nods affirmatively
>”I owe you at least that.”
>She summons a deep breath, letting a smirk shine through her face of gleaming silver hooks
>”Once the Behemoth is at full strength, and the night of Hallow’s Eve rolls around, we’ll turn this world upon its head. Think about it: a world of hedonism, vampirism, lycanthropy, debauchery — It’ll be like a constant rager in a college town. Drinking, sex, partying and general anarchy.”
>Sounds… not bad
>You guess if the world has to end with them in control, wouldn’t you want to be on their side?
>Shit is hopeless now anyway
>”At the end of all things, don’t you want something to hold on to? What do you say? Join us?”
“Wait, ‘Samantha Garlen?’ Isn’t that Sam’s last name?” You grasp onto the altar for support, legs trembling but you can’t place why
>Oh, maybe that’s why
>Vanessa looks PISSED
>It looks like she’s got lightning in her eyes
>She completely ignores you and spins through the pages of The Book of Wrath, malcontent seared into her expression
“Does Sam have a sister or something?” You ask weakly
>”That BITCH!” Vanessa shrieks, your question hardly even a blip on her radar. “She’s the one who fucked with our ritual, and you know what? I bet she has The Book of Rite with her at this very moment!”
>The doe carefully scrapes the last of Sam’s blood off the rim of the stone basin and sprinkles it onto the Book of Wrath’s pages
>”Well we’re going to find out exactly where this cunt is. And then…” She looks at you, a wildness in her eyes. “Finish what she started.”
>You clear your throat awkwardly, because you’re not sure what to say
>You’re almost never sure what to say
>Especially to maintain a ruse as elaborate as this
>”Samantha. Garlen.” She commands, turning her attention back towards her vengeance
>A cloud of ethereal smoke plumes up from the altar, as if there was a fog machine hidden inside
>Heh, that’d be pretty cheesy
>Inside the smoke an image forms out of light and sound, and when it becomes clear through the haze, your heart stops
>You see Sam, outside the gym. He’s on his hands and knees, bending over a sheet of paper
>He looks so enamored he doesn’t even notice the crowds of people waltzing past him
>Someone throws a wad of paper at him
>It bounces harmlessly off his head
>Sam pays it no mind, the little autist is too absorbed in his drawings
>”That can’t be right,” Vanessa steps back, shock plain on her face as the dark eyeliner “Isn’t that Sam Garlen?”
>Her eyes flick over to the wall where ‘Samantha Garlen’ is still burning with orange flame
>”I don’t understand…” She gawks
>Neither do you tbh
>”Something has to be wrong with the book,” the human goth, Reese, says. “Because I have science class with him. That’s a boy.”
>”Pffft, hardly,” the rat goth says. “We’re in the same cooking class and I swear he makes even the guys there blush. Maybe there’s something wrong with the book?”
>You start inching towards the entrance
>This might be your only chance
>”SHUT UP! THERE CAN’T BE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS BOOK!” Vanessa booms, her face a bright scarlet, lit up with agitation. She brushes her hair out of her eyes. “We need his blood /and/ the book now to finish things.”
>”And to stop them,” Reese says calmly
>Good to note, as you sneak level: 100 out of here
>But you can only make it so far before Vanessa notices you out of the corner of her eyes
>”Don’t think I don’t see you over there, Anon,” she says coldly
>You freeze in place, as if you’d suddenly been thrust into a lone spotlight on a very dark stage
>A sadistic smile replaces Vanessa’s enraged face
>Fucc
>”You spend a lot of time around that rabbit, don’t you?”
>You groan inwardly because you know what’s next
“I already brought you Gloria. I’ve done what you asked. What more do you want from me?”
>Vanessa’s smile only brightens
>”Isn’t it obvious? We want Sam — he’s the one who has a part of our little puzzle: the book we’ve been hunting for. You’ve been a good boy for us, you’re right, and for that we’ll juice you up to make it easy.”
>”Yeah,” the rat snivels. “You’re the one who should… you know… bring him to us like you brought the goat. Just lure him in with some carrots or something.”
>”There’s not a question of whether or not he will,” Vanessa snaps, silencing the rat. She turns all roses and sunshine in a split second, testament to her manipulative personality “He’s going to do it. Right ‘Nonny’?”
>The next words come out of your mouth heavy as stones
>You instantly wish you could pluck them out of the air and stuff them back in your mouth
>Fuck, you’re full of bad ideas today
“No.”
>The doe freezes
>”What do you mean ‘no’? HE HAS THE FUCKING BOOK WE NEED.”
“N-No, he doesn’t…” you stammer weakly hoping to buy some time and divert attention away from the fact that the book is L I T E R A L L Y in your pocket right now
“That faggot hangs around me all day, every day. D-Don’t you think I would have known if he had your- I mean, our book?”
>The doe stares venomously at you
>”Just do as I say and bring me that fucking rabbit,” she seethes
>Oh, so that’s how you wanna play it, princess?
>Can’t manipulate people so you’re going to act all pissy?
>Well you can be pissy too
“I said ‘no.’”
>You compress all of your fear into tiny little balls that you squeeze into your fists
>Are you a bad enough dude to take on three of them at once?
>The Book of Wrath flips open, and your fists unclench with inborn weakness
>Guess not
>”Now I see… Now I see… You’re trying to protect him, aren’t you?”
>Yes, you are. God damnit, you are. You’re not going to play this game anymore
>You’re not going to be manipulated by this cunt
“I told you, he doesn’t have it. And there’s no way Sam’s smart enough to know what to do with it if he did have it. He’s not anything special.”
>Vanessa grinds her teeth
>You swear you could see dust and smoke coming out of her mouth, like an angry truck sputtering oily black fumes
>”You’re not listening to me. You’re going to bring me that rabbit. Or we’re going to bring him here.”
“What do you even need him for? You’ve got the goat — I don’t get it,” you say, pretending not to notice the way the goth’s eyes are lighting up with an other worldly glow
>The doe sighs deeply, a vein bulging through the short shag of her fur
>”I’ll level with you, because I like you, and I think you’ll see reason. What Sam did, somehow, was complete a vital step of the ritual we were initially trying to complete: he unleashed the Behemoth. The ritual is going to happen whether or not we’re in control of it on Friday, meaning every one of us is in fucked… unless….” She stresses the last syllables. “Unless we have the book and Sam. We can’t control the Behemoth — or the ritual.”
>Wew that was a word salad
>Vanessa sounds like she’s barely restraining her anger
>Are they saying EVERYONE is now fucked because of Sam? Unless they complete the ritual?
>So basically, unless they’re in control of it, they’re going to be drawn into endless madness and debauchery?
>Do they… actually have a good point?
>They ARE the only ones who can stop anything from happening
>You already fucked Mike over with the cleansing rite, how can you expect to know how to stop a world-ending ritual built upon ceaseless madness and a weird dog… thing…?
>Christ
>Your hand flies to your chest — to the book, that covers your heart
>Vanessa’s eyes seem to light up
>”Got something there?” She says inquisitively
>What do you do?
>Do you join them?
>It’s all so fucking hopeless
>You remember the way you didn’t roll over and die when that werewolf was about to gore you?
>Yeah, that was some bullshit. You only felt that way because these freaks juiced you up good
>You’re back to being a coward
>And then, of course, Mike ran over the werewolf (with your car, you might add)
>What would Mike do right now?
>God you wish he were here
>Mike would fight for you
>You… you need to fight
>”Grab him.” Vanessa commands
>The goths make a move towards you
>The red book flies out of your pocket
>You open it and clutch a handful of pages, threatening to rip them out of the binding
>You… You’ll tear ‘em up, you fucking swear, and ruin everything for everyone
>You’ll trap everyone in eternal limbo
“BACK UP!” You cry
>You feel like crying in terror right now
>The goths halt in place, brought to a standstill by the fact that you might actually do it
>This was your plan?
>As if reading your mind, Vanessa spins to a certain page in The Book of Wrath. She uses her fangs to tear into her thumb
>Hot blood drips from her furry fingers onto the page
>She looks at you with an evil smile. ”I should have known you had it with you. You’re smart, Anonymous.”
>Actually, you’re a huge idiot. All you did was forget it was in your pocket
>”But, I guess this is where our friendship — and you — end.”
>The Book of Wrath glows
>You feet an intense heat in the center of your chest
>OH FUCK
>You start pulling at the pages of the book in a mad attempt to destroy it-
>You go flying backwards, back into the darkness of the hall, out of the room
>You sail through the darkness for a good distance before colliding painfully with the concrete floors
>The daze hits you hard
>If you could see right now in the darkness, you’re sure you’d be seeing stars
>Well, you’re not dead… somehow
>You stagger to your feet
>”God DAMNIT!” The doe shrieks, her voice hoarse and clipped from the effort. “I should have known I couldn’t kill him while he has the book…”
>Your ears, even with their dull human capacities, can hear two pairs of footsteps coming
>One: The sound of heavy black boots — human
>And the other: the sound of small claws skittering across concrete — a rat
>You take off with the red book in the opposite direction, diving into the darkness of the tunnels
>Vanessa’s obscenities ring off the walls with decreasing clarity as you delve further into the steaming darkness
>God you wish you had night vision right now
>It’s not fair that anthros get night vision and enhanced hearing and smelling and all this other bullshit
>While all you seem to have is sheer luck and a knack for pussying out at the right times
>The tunnels twist and turn and dive, and rusty pipes hang over you the entire time like heavy copper clouds
>Christ, you can’t believe that these maintenance tunnels are completely devoid of light
>GOD THE SMELL
>It’s like rotting corpse gas invading your sense
>And how does anyone see up here?
>You get a bright idea
>Emphasis on the bright (heh)
>You draw the Book of Rite from your pocket, swab some blood from the inside of your mouth which still hasn’t healed up, and draw it on the page
>God you hope this works
>The book lights up with an otherworldly, pale light, throwing your shadow on the low walls of the tunnels
>Holy shit! All you did was flip it to a random page
>You press your nose to the book and try to read the thin scrawl
“And be a light in the darkness, volumes thin.”
>You fold this page over
>Who knows, maybe you’ll get to use it again somehow
>Now all that’s left is a long, steamy journey through the tunnels
>When you at least descend the stairs into the gym’s equipment room, you’re close to heatstroke
>You pause a moment among the old football helmets and half-deflated dogeballs, breathing hard
>Your head spins and you jerk on your collar, releasing the hot air that had accumulated under your clothes
>Hopefully the goths are still lost up there
>You felt guided by a certain… sense, while in those passages
>You turn the red book over in your hands
>It has long since stopped glowing
>Maybe it was the book guiding you out somehow?
>Your eyes adjust to the darkness
>You can see all the Spooktober stuff right where it was when you first came up here
>No, wait, there’s more
>Fake skeletons, fake cobwebs, plastic pumpkins, strobe lights, industrial fog machines… signs and streamers and a punch bowl that is most definitely going to have a lot of alcohol in it by the end of the night
>An image of Sam creeping around the Spooktober fest springs to mind
>God, he wanted to go so bad
>And now that you know why, you feel immensely guilty for passively turning him down the first time
>Your heart aches
>Sam
>Oh God
>You hope he’s still waiting outside the gym like you told him to
>You press the supply room doors outward and sprint across the gym for the first time in your life
>He’s still there, you reason with yourself
>There’d be no reason for him to leave
>NONE AT ALL
>Unless he was captured
>You quicken your pace despite the exhaustion
>You WILL protect that dumb fucking bun
The Leaves of Fall Act 2: Fear the Nobodies (Part 20)
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
15 Minutes
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