#and then gary just mauls him in the car
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
not-poignant ¡ 3 months ago
Text
Tumblr media
Daily excerpt from chapter 95 of Underline the Black:
‘Well,’ he said, rubbing at his wet face. ‘It will probably be sunny in two hours. But everything’s a tad soaked.’ ‘Fucking hell.’ The car rocked from the winds blasting up from the seas, and he couldn’t even see the café anymore. The rain was coming down so hard. ‘Are we safe?’ Efnisien said, looking around uncertainly. ‘We’ll wait before getting on the road,’ Gary said, stretching his arms in front of him. Another wave of rain that turned the world to white and grey haze. Efnisien couldn’t even see the sea anymore. The windows fogged up, and Efnisien stared in amazement. Gary shifted in his seat and then leaned over. Efnisien looked at him in shock, and then his mouth dropped open when Gary slid his hand over Efnisien’s stomach, rubbing at his ribs. He dragged his hand up, grasped his jaw, and Efnisien made a noise when Gary pulled him in and kissed him firmly. Efnisien tried to speak, but it was impossible. The scent in the car was growing sharper, stronger, and Gary’s other hand reached down and pressed between Efnisien’s legs, palmed his soft dick. ‘H-hey!’ Efnisien managed. Gary made a questioning noise. He didn’t pull back, he kissed him again and didn’t let Efnisien speak for another couple of minutes, and by then Efnisien’s lips felt swollen, and he panted while trying not to move as Gary’s hand rhythmically pulsed against his dick, making him feel good. ‘Other people!’ Efnisien exclaimed. ‘Other people, Gary! What the fuck?’
34 notes ¡ View notes
itsanerdlife ¡ 6 years ago
Text
Restless Secrets 14
Pairing: MC!Eggsy Unwin x Steve Rogers Sister!Reader
Warning: Language. Abuse mentioned. Secrets. Drugs mentioned. Violence. Alpha Males. Kidnapping.
Everyone has secrets. Everyone made mistakes. Now you’re rocking the single mom life. But when you’ve got yourself into trouble, you head home to seek the help of your brothers. Bucky and Steve. But your secrets are coming to light when a member of your brothers MC and you have a secret. She’s turning three and the apple of your brothers eyes. Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin, is the fling from college Spring Break, and the father of your daughter Olivia. You and Olivia came home for help, but all hell was going to break loose now.
Tumblr media
You pull open the doors under the severs station. Your hands hold up three empty straw boxes. You sigh looking at Gwen who shakes her head.
“Why does night shift, never stock anything?” You growls, annoyed.
“They’re zombies. Expect nothing from them.” Gwen laughs, as you throw the empty boxes into the trash.
“Christ.” You throw your hands up. “Guess I’ll stop before we clock out.”
“I’ll vacuum our section.” Gwen snorts. You shake your head, heading for the back stock room.
------------
Gwen is returning the vacuum, as you try to find the stock of straws. The last thing you needed in your stocking trip.
“Straws.” You throw your hands up. “Where the fuck are the damn straws?” You scuff, looking the shelves over again.
“Check the big boxes in the corner.” Gwen points.
Three big boxes sat one on top of another the other alone. You stalk over, ripping open the lone box. Inside are straw containers. When you pull one free it’s far too heavy to contain just straws. Your head tips, mauling it over. You quickly pull open the top of the cardboard container.
“Holy fuck.” You give a small gasp. “Not straws.” Your voice faint in shock. Inside are small baggies, a white substance inside each one.
“What are they?” Gwen steps towards you, curiosity on her face as you whirl around to look at her. Your eyes catch movement in the small window of the door. Brock was stalking towards the backroom.
“Gwen, go.” You snap at her. “Now.” You look over at the small window again, he’s talking to another server. “I’ll met you outside. Play stupid. Go.” You give her a small shove. She looks confused and nervous but hurries out of the stock room. You look down at the drug filled straw container, instantly cursing yourself. How did you always manage to fucking step into trouble? Being a Rogers was really biting you in the ass.
“What are you doing?” Brock growls, standing in the stock room with you suddenly. Your head snaps up quickly.
“Looking for straws. We’re out at the stations.” You swallow, setting the container on top of the open box. Unsure of what was going to happen. You curse inwardly, you should have sent Gwen with your phone to call Eggsy.
“You didn’t see anything. You don’t say anything, understand?” Brock growls stalking towards you. Your back hits the shelves, in your attempt to keep distance between the two of you.
“You’re smuggling drugs, Brock. I know what I saw.” You retort, lifting your chin. You could take care of yourself. His hand closed around your jaw, squeezing, as he got closer, trapping you.
“Not if you value your life.” He growls. Dark eyes flare with anger at you. “Or your daughter’s. I read your paper work.” Your body stilled for a moment, before you blood boiled instantly. “I know where you live and about your kid. You’ll keep your mouth shut.” He growls, threatening you.
Your knee slams up into his groin. His hand slips from your face, pain burst in your cheeks. When he doubles over, you smash your elbow down into the back of his neck. Dropping him to the ground, without a chance of getting up for you. You hurry over him, heading for the door.
“Get back here!” He croaks loudly. You’re out the door, hurrying to the bar, you grab your bag before rushing for the front door.
“Are you okay?” Gwen jumps up, rushing at you.
“Surprisingly not the worst I’ve dealt with.” You nod. Your fingers touch your tender cheeks.
“What are you, we going to do?” She asks quickly.
“I’m parked over there.” You point. “There is only one thing we can do.” You sigh. You knew this was going to be a shit show. All hell was about to rain down.
“What?” Gwen asks as the two of you hurry towards your car.
“Tell my family.” You wince as you unlock the car. The two of you hurrying inside.
“The club?” Gwen looks nervous.
“They have more power than we do and cops on the take.” You sigh, staring your car.
“We’re going to need new jobs, huh?” Gwen glances over at you as you pull on to the road.
“Probably.” You nod.
“Is it okay, you bringing me to their place?” Gwen asks after a few minutes of silence.
“What the fuck do you think this is? Secret headquarters of Hydra?” You snort.
“How are you so hot and so nerdy?” Gwen smirks at you.
“It’s a gift.” You shrug. “They aren’t like serial killers, Gwen. Mayhem protects this town. What Brock is doing is breaking their laws. Touching the baby sister of the President and the Sargent In Arms, as well as the VP’s old lady, he’s got a death wish. Let alone threatening my child.” You growl, gripping tighter to the steering wheel.
“Christ. Got a thing for men in power of MC’s?” Gwen lifts a brow at you.
“I was raised this way.” You shrug. You wince. “I should mention, I sort of hurt Brock. Before I left.” You nod slowly.
“You’re like MC barbie.” Gwen grins at you.
“Also, my brothers, the club as well, they um, they don’t know Eggsy is the father of my daughter.” You admit, pulling into the clubhouse parking lot.
“Well how about I just stand there and keep quiet?” Gwen suggest.
“That could work.” You nod, turning the car off.
Eggsy, is standing in the garage, working his hands with a red rag. Buck is digging through a tool box and Steve is half under a car.
“Okay. This is going to be so very bad, let’s get this over with.” You nod, opening your car door. Eggsy looks up, pausing, watching. Buck follows, before he kicks Steve’s foot, he rolls out from under the car, looking as well.
“Are they staring at us?” Gwen looks over at you.
“Is my face still red?” You ask, walking around the car.
“Oh yeah.” She nods.
“That would be why they are staring.” You nod.
“Oh so you meant, so very bad, really.” Gwen nods, three men moving towards the two of you, each looking more and more pissed off as they get closer.
Everything Peaches 2/6/19: @xmtd5 @mo320   @all1e23 @irepeldirt @alyssaj23 @allyp1023 @joannie95 @kolakube9 @rileyloves5 @sarahp879 @pcterpvrker @pigwidgexn @doctoranon @abschaffer2 @nickimarie94 @teller258316 @wandressfox @amandab-ftw @son-ova-bitch @henrietteoaks @nea90sweetie @circusofchaos @bettercallsabs @lucifersnipnips @queenkrissy11 @destiel-artemis @paintballkid711 @iwillbeinmynest @teaand-cookies @sweet-honey15 @mellxander1993   @spookygrantaire @geeksareunique @supernatural508 @sammysgirl1997 @itzmegaaaaaaan @booksbeforebois @mariekoukie6661 @capsheadquaters @samanthasmileys @futuremrsb-r-main @lovemarvelousfics @petersunderoos96 @loving-life-my-way @booktvmoviefangirl @supernatural-girl97 @toffeecoloredqueen @abbypalmer14-blog @awkwardfangirl2014 @supernaturaldean67 @xqueenofthecraziesx   @writingaworldofmyown @sprinklesandsugarcubes @for-the-love-of-the-fandom @ocaptain-mycaptainmorgan @wonderlandfandomkingdom @crazy-little-thing-called-buck @letsgetfuckingsuperwholocked @stupendoussciencenaturepanda @jamesbarnesappreciationsociety
Eggsy Tag List 8/23/18: @courtmr @rockagurl   @kgbrenner @xlatinaaxx   @dkpink123 @sgarrett49   @poetsheart   @ingridsigne     @kazuha159 @breezy1415     @emilymorganb   @bellamouse16 @cece-lives-here   @orange-jps3497 @paranoiadestroyah   @nerdyandexhausted @deanwinchestersrifle @fandomsstolemylife00     @hunter-demigod-timelord      
Restless Secrets: @dumblani @patzammit @trustme3-13 @deghostyboi @callie-bear15 @geekymummy @raven-black102 @capandbuckylvr @mrskokitztelford @geeksareunique @that-awkwardnerd @crawlingnightmares @fanfictionjunkie1112
137 notes ¡ View notes
theyearoftheking ¡ 5 years ago
Text
Book Eight: Cujo
“The world was full of monsters, and they were all allowed to bite the innocent and the unwary...”
Guys... I’m going to be perfectly honest here. Cujo was just one big trigger for me. I love dogs. I love children. I don’t want to read about dogs attacking and (SPOILER) killing children. 
If nothing else, let this blog serve as a PSA: please take good care of your dogs. Keep them up to date on their shots. If you notice something might be off with them, take them into the vet. If you’re going to leave for a weekend, make plans to have someone feed your dog for you. Just, please take care of your dogs. If you won’t do it for me, do it for the sweet baby angels in my life. Please and thank you. 
Tumblr media
If you couldn’t tell, I didn’t love re-reading Cujo. I didn’t particularly love it the first time, but in the spirit of this challenge, I agreed to leave no page unturned. I will say, there were a few Easter eggs I picked up this time I hadn’t before. For example, the book is set in Castle Rock, Steve’s fictional town in Maine. Castle Rock was still reeling from serial killer Frank Dodd (remember him from Firestarter?); and Dodd’s former partner is convinced Cujo’s evil is the direct result of Frank Dodd’s spirit transferring into him. Or, it could be rabies. Either way. But it was interesting to see the Castle Rock universe start to build on itself a little bit. 
The story could best be described as, “cellphones have made this whole story line completely irrelevant today”. 
The Camber family lives out in the sticks, where husband Joe runs an auto repair shop, son Brett owns lovable Cujo the Saint Bernard, and wife Charity just won the lottery and is planning her escape to see her sister. Also, the family only has one telephone... in the kitchen of their house... nowhere near Joe’s shop. In this day and age, he’d have a cellphone out in the shop with him. Just sayin’. 
The Trenton family lives in Castle Rock. Husband Vic works in advertising, wife Donna is having a regrettable affair with tennis pro, Steve Kemp, and son Tad is convinced the evil spirit of Frank Dodd is residing in his closet (he’s not wrong). The Trenton family also owns a Pinto that has been having some engine problems as of late. 
After finding out about Donna’s affair (Steve Kemp mailed a Dear John letter to his office. Steve Kemp is classy motherfucker), Vic has to leave to handle an ad emergency for Sharp Cereal. If you were to eat their newest cereal, Red Raspberry Zingers, you’d projectile vomit red dye. Sooo he had to get out in front of that. He and Donna are on rocky terms when he leaves, what with her screwing the tennis pro and all. But, Vic knows her Pinto is having some issues, and tells her to take it out to the Camber farm to get it fixed. Donna dithers about it. 
Meanwhile over on the Camber farm, Charity tells Joe about her lottery winnings, and gets him to agree to let her and Brett leave to go see her sister in the city. Joe, a functioning alcoholic, convinces his equally drunk neighbor buddy, Gary Pervier, to take a trip into Boston with him. They’ll get some hookers, drink some beer, maybe watch a baseball game. Good times. So, Charity and Brett get on the Grayhound bus, and set off for their vacation. Meanwhile, Cujo is super rabid from sticking his head in a hole, and getting chomped on by some rabid bats. Before Joe and Gary get to leave for the city, Cujo mauls them both to death in a rabid fury. It’s gross. 
Donna decides to drive out to the Camber farm to get her Pinto looked at. She’s called several times, but no answer. She chalks it up to the fact the phone is in the house, not in the shop, and Joe will be around to help her with the Pinto. Again... text messaging would have solved this issue. Just sayin. Tad begs to come along, so she agrees. The Pinto dies as soon as they hit the Camber driveway, and as soon as Donna opens her car door, a rabid Cujo comes after her. Luckily she makes it back into her car in time, but she and Tad are basically trapped in the car for two days, with a small thermos of milk, and very little food. Oh, and it’s basically the hottest summer on record, so the car has turned into a greenhouse. Horrible. If Donna had a cellphone, she could have called for help. She could have posted on social media. She could have made an SOS call. She could have sent a text. But none of these things happen. Instead, she’s stuck inside the Pinto with a dehydrated kid, while Cujo growls and pounces on their car from outside. Fun times. 
Meanwhile, Vic is starting to panic since he can’t get ahold of Donna. He calls the Castle Rock police who go to the house and find it completely trashed. And semen all over the bed. Because, again, Steve Kemp is a classy motherfucker. He had casually stopped by, looking to see what kind of impact his letter had on Vic. Finding no one home, he destroyed the entire house. As you do. 
The police tell Vic to come home ASAP, and he tells them all about Steve Kemp. They issue a BOLO for his sex van, but they are also super curious where Donna’s car is. Vic remembers the Camber farm, and they dispatch an officer to go check it out. The officer heads over, and finds Donna and Tad mostly dead inside the Pinto, but before he has a chance to call for help, Cujo guts him. 
So close to rescue! So close! 
The police find Steve Kemp, but there’s no sign of Tad or Donna in the sex wagon. They bring him into the police station for questioning, but he’s not talking. Because classy motherfuckers don’t kiss and tell. They just send letters to their mistresses husbands. 
Vic decides to take a trip out to the farm to look for the Pinto, and arrives to find Donna bloody, bitten, and beating the shit out of Cujo with a baseball bat. But, he also finds Tad dead in the Pinto. That’s the biggest gut punch of this entire novel; Donna fights so hard for her and Tad’s survival, only to have him die a few hours before help arrives. It’s also a big “I Told You So” on Tad’s part. He had told his parents monsters were real, and coming for him. They didn’t believe him. Welp, this is awkward... 
That’s Cujo. No Wisconsin references, no Dark Tower references, nada. But I will give the book credit for two things. First, the format of the book is kinda cool. It starts with this... 
Tumblr media
And the rest of the book reads like a cautionary fairy tale. No chapters, no parts, just one long narrative story. I liked it. I also liked the fact Steve gave Cujo a voice. I didn’t feel too bad when he died, though. So I feel conflicted about that. 
The other thing I appreciated was the author photo on the back. After last week’s Firestarter brooding Glamour Shot, I was happy to see this gem. 
Tumblr media
Looks like Steve plays tambourine in a folk band. Or sells hand-tooled belts at the local swap meet. Or can give you a bag of some really dank weed. The possibilities are endless. 
Total Wisconsin Mentions: 9
Dark Tower References: 6
Book Grade: C-
Rebecca’s Definitive Ranking of Stephen King Books
The Shining
The Stand
The Dead Zone
‘Salem’s Lot
Carrie
Firestarter
Cujo
Nightshift
Next up is Danse Macabre. I’m stupid excited to read this, because I love Stephen King non-fiction. I find his humor and insights really shine through when he’s using his most authentic voice. I’ve read the updated introduction so far, and have already laughed a few times. I mean, he talks Bride of Chucky. How can you not appreciate that?
Until next time readers, Long Days and Pleasant Nights!
Rebecca
1 note ¡ View note
agentmarymargaretskitz ¡ 6 years ago
Text
My Name’s Jeff
Happy birthday to my birthday twin @somebodyhelpthenotdeadfreds! I love our shenanigans with Legends and Hannibal and Constangreen and everything. Even though we’re angst monsters, I couldn’t help but make something on the side of fluffy. Here’s to hopefully surviving the finale tonight and angsting and self-projecting on Gary more!
Ao3
“Wakey wakey.”
           John sat upright in the armchair he’d crashed in the night before. He had vague memories of splitting one of Rip Hunter’s last bottles of whiskey with Charlie and Mick in the parlor. Based on the minor ache in his skull, he’d had his fair share of it. There had been worse hangovers though,
“What’s happening?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes to get a clearer image of Charlie perched in front of him. “Did we break time again?”
“Nope,” the shapeshifter snorted. “Another missions. Up and at ‘em, Johno!”
           He groaned and rolled off the chair. Mick was absent from the parlor, but soon appeared on the bridge a few moments later looking as miserable as John felt. At least the arsonist had made it to his room the previous night. The rest of the team, including Ava, was already waiting for the three of them to be ready for duty.
“Sharpie,” John raised his hand in greeting. “Good to see you. Where’s the rest of the Bureau entourage?”
“Mona and Nate are holding down the fort,” the director replied curtly. “Gary took the day off. Something about picking up his dad from the airport, but that’s the point. We’ve got a new alert that came up this morning.”
“Well, what’s cropped up this time?”
Ray pulled up a few newspaper clippings on the central console. “Our latest mythtery-”
The reactions to that ranged from cringes to sighs.
“-is in Minnesota, 1989. People in a small town start getting attacked and killed by some kind of wild animal. Authorities are never able to figure out what it is, but people reported hearing dogs or wolves nearby the crime scenes. No normal animal can do this much damage.”
A photograph enlarged to display a severely mauled corpse. It was hard to tell it had been ever been human.
Zari shuddered. “Gross.”
Sara nodded. “Whatever did this wasn’t originally from our world. What kind of creature does this though?”
John walked forward and took a closer look at the pictures. An involuntary shudder traveled down his spine. He had seen bodies in this condition before and knew what could do that kind of damage. The worst part about it was that theses creatures were only able to do bidding for another.
“You recognize it too, don’t you?” Charlie said.
“Hellhound,” John confirmed.
“Those are a thing?” Ray asked.
“Oh, they are,” Charlie nodded. “Except they weren’t in the slammer with me. They’re from-“
“Let me take a wild guess, hell?”
John nodded to answer Zari’s question. “They can be summoned from there, but it takes an immense amount of energy.”
“What’s the point of summoning a hellhound?” Mick muttered. “Get a hitman.”
“Oh, if you really want revenge, then you call up a hellhound,” John told him. “They will do all your bidding and cause as much destruction as your black heart desires. Controlling them ain’t easy, and they can go on a rampage if you lose it.”
“Okay, so now we know what it is,” Sara said, bringing the conversation back to the mission. “So someone could have lost control over the hellhound, that explains the massacre. Four people died in total during this, so any one of them could have been the original target. My money’s on the first dead guy.”
“Makes sense,” Ava agreed. “We find out who did it, get to them, and then deal with the hound. I’m going to have to call Mona and see how much she needs to prep to care for one.”
“Don’t bother,” John shook his head and turned around. “This one is going straight back to hell. You can’t keep a killing machine like this in the Bureau.”
“We’ll see about that,” Ava muttered. “Okay, who was the first victim?”
Ray scrolled past a few articles. “A plumber. He was killed outside his home in the middle of the night. No witnesses.”
“Why would someone want to kill a plumber?” Zari asked as everyone made their way to their seats to strap in for the time jump.
“No idea,” Sara shrugged. “But clearly someone bit off more than they could chew with revenge.”
~~~
           The plan was straightforward. Half of the Legends would tail the plumber. The rest of them would search for any sign of the hellhound and piece together the trail of destruction to see if there was any connections between the attacks. Unfortunately, John hadn��t been able to find any sign of a summoning from hell occurring recently. However, there were traces of other magical presences in the town, but John and Charlie couldn’t figure out what it belonged to.
“You sure this is the one who died?” John asked as he, Ray, and Charlie sat out in a car outside the plumber’s house. “He doesn’t seem to have done anything to piss anyone off.”
“Z thinks he’s clean too,” Charlie agreed. “She ran his record. But then again, there’s always something deep down.”
“Hey, he’s coming out,” Ray pointed ahead of the house where their victim was now exiting with a bag of trash. “Be quiet.”
“He won’t be able to hear-” Charlie began as John started rolling down the window. “Hey, what are you-”
“Shhh,” John frowned. “You smell that?”
Ray’s nose wrinkled. “Smells like sulfur.”
“It’s here,” Charlie opened the car door. “Let’s do this.”
           The men followed after the shapeshifter as the smell became even stronger. A different man was coming down the other end of the street in a nice suit while the plumber lugged the trash bag towards a can on the burn. From the shadows, Charlie swore someone was chanting in a different language before the pavement on the street cracked. The Legends, along with the men on the street, turned towards it and watched it grow larger. A massive dark beast burst out of the ground, snarling and slobbering. The plumber screamed, but the hellhound was more focused on the other man. Charlie had a sudden realization that they might have been following the wrong victim.
“Uhhh,” the new man took a step back. “Nice dog?”
The hellhound growled and lunged- only to be clipped across the snout by a laser.
“Stay back!” Ray shouted, his gauntlet aimed at the beast as it turned towards him.
“And now you’ve pissed it off,” John grumbled, turning to the stunned plumber while Ray shot the hound again. “Get inside, now!”
           The plumber didn’t need to be told twice as he scampered back to his house. Meanwhile, the other man was backing away as the hellhound got back on its paws and crept towards him. Ray hurried forward and did all that he could to keep the hellhound distracted. Charlie made a move to grab the man off the sidewalk and run him back to the car. Ray was right behind with the Atom gauntlet still on his arm and pointed at the hellhound. John was doing some kind of spell, one Charlie recognized would send the creature back to the pits of hell.
Except it wasn’t working.
“John, come on!”
“Hang on!” he shouted before swearing and chanting something else that sent the hellhound flying back into a streetlight.
“Why didn’t you send it back to hell?” Charlie yelled as John ran back to the car and drove inside.
“I couldn’t!” John shot back as Charlie stepped on the gas. “Someone’s keeping it tethered to Earth.”
“Uh, what’s happening?” the man they’d brought from the street whimpered in the backseat. “I don’t know who you people are, but you can’t take me. I have to go home.”
“Do that and you endanger anyone there that you love,” John snapped while they all kept running red lights. “I managed to slow that thing down with a spell. Its tracking will be messed up long enough to give us a day. Sooner or later, it’ll wear off and then it’ll come after you again. Right now, the safest place for you is with us.”
“Oh god,” the man murmured, eyes wide in terror. “I can’t go home. They’ll be in danger. Wait, you’re in danger too now if you’re with me, right?”
“Danger’s just another Tuesday for us,” Ray offered lightly. “Don’t worry, we’re going to help sort this out. Then you can go back to your home.”
“Will my kids at home be safe from the hellhound if I’m not there?”
Charlie frowned at how calm he was while calling the thing a hellhound, but John nodded. “They only go after your live scent.”
“So they’ll be okay. Oh, thank goodness. Wherever you’re taking me, can I get a phone to call my sister? I had a date and she’s the one watching my kids.”
Ray smiled. “Definitely, but don’t mention this whole…situation just yet.”
“Yeah,” the man nodded. “Do you people work for the government or something?”
“In a way,” John shrugged, turning around to the backseat. “You gotta a name?”
“Jeff. Jeff Green.”
Charlie looked away from the road long enough to meet Jeff’s eyes and could tell he was hiding something. “Well, Jeff, don’t worry. We’ll get this all sorted.”
~~~
           Once they got back to the Waverider, they put Jeff in the old brig with a cot and a phone that he could call his sister with. The group listened in on the conversation and were relieved that he didn’t giver her too much information about the circumstances. Meanwhile, they all tried to figure out what to do next, since the plumber hadn’t been the target like they suspected. Gideon did find out that the last person to die in the string of attacks had been Jeff Green, and the activity had ceased immediately after. Since the plumber had been saved, they now had figure out how the other two deaths could have connected to Jeff and how to stop all three from being killed.
“The hellhound’s still out there, but he can’t track Jeff right now,” Ray told the others. “John put a sort of spell on it that gives us a day before it strikes again. So it can’t go after Jeff for a while.”
“That’s good news,” Sara nodded. “Can it go after anyone else?”
“It’s like blindfolding someone’s senses,” John told her. “The beast can still run around, but it won’t be certain of what it’s following. Daytime also makes it weak, it’s sensitive to light and it’ll hide. So We’ve just got whatever’s left of the night to worry about now, then time to figure this out in the day.”
“Okay,” Sara nodded. “Ava and I will go stake out the other two just in case for the rest of the night. The rest of you stay on board and see if you can figure out why the hellhound went after Jeff.”
“Speaking of that,” Charlie turned away from the screen. “Either of you boys notice that he knew what a hellhound was, even though we never told him.”
Ray frowned as he recalled the conversation. “We…we didn’t tell him.”
Everyone looked at the screen where Jeff was now pacing back and forth in front of the phone.
“He seemed pretty concerned that he couldn’t go home to his family,” Charlie said. “If I was more a bleeding heart, I would focus on that too.”
“So what, he knows monsters are real?” Mick asked.
“Wouldn’t surprise me,” John sighed. “Town’s got a magical stench about it. There’s more than just a hellhound here. But Jeff is a human.”
“Doesn’t mean he might not know anyone who is secretly a fugitive,” Ava suggested. “Where was he before the hellhound attacked?”
“A date. He was coming back from it, I think.”
“If I might interrupt,” Gideon called. “But Dr. Green appears to be making a call to a second number. Perhaps that will shed some more light on the situation.”
“Turn the audio on,” Sara ordered. “Everyone hush for this.”
On the screen, Jeff stopped pacing and stood where he was in the cell. “Puck, it’s Jeff. A hellhound came after me when I was heading back to my car. I’m safe with some people, don’t worry. I don’t know if you’re in danger because of it, but please be careful. I can’t lose another person I love.”
With that, he hung up and sat back down on the cot.
“Well then,” Sara spun to face the rest of the team. “He does know about hellhounds.”
“And so does this Puck he called,” Ava added. “That’s two people so far.”
Zari cracked her fingers. “I’m going to see if I can find anything on this guy. Or Jeff for that matter.”
“Ava and I will watch over the other two,” Sara told them. “The rest of you watch over Jeff or see if there’s anything to break the spell keeping it here.”
~~~
“How much did you find on Jeff or Puck?” Sara asked as she stumbled into the kitchen at sunrise.
“Nothing on Puck,” Zari reported. “I don’t have a last name, but I can’t find anyone with one that name anywhere in this time. Jeff Green, on the other hand, is about as normal as you can get. He’s a dentist in the town and has no priors, no arrests, not mob ties. His wife died a few years ago and he has three kids, but there’s nothing remarkable about him at all.”
“A hellhound attacked him,” John reminded them. “Which means he did something.”
“Well, he did say he had that date,” Charlie said as she sat on top of the counter with a box of cereal. “And with other magical creatures in the town, it’s possible he could have been on a date with one of them. Maybe it went poorly and this was revenge?”
“Pretty strong revenge,” Sara muttered. “But what if…what if Puck was the date?”
Zari nodded. “Jeff did say he couldn’t lose someone else he loved, right? Makes sense to me.”
Sara yawned. “John, can you talk to Jeff and see if you can get him to tell you anything about Puck? Zari, keep digging, there’s got to be something. Maybe Puck’s a fake name or-”
“Oh, bloody hell!” Charlie slammed her hands on the counter before sliding off and storming out. The others stared in confusion before turning back to each other.
“I’m going to look into Puck,” Zari announced.
“Gonna sleep soon,” Sara yawned. “John?”
“Yeah, I’m going.”
~~~
When John entered the brig, Jeff was awake. He looked up quickly as soon as the doors of the cell opened. The unease on his face was all too obvious. Clean record or not, he’d clearly been involved in something. Time to find out what that was.
“Just me,” John said as he entered the cell. “Captain asked me to check up on you. Quite the scare you had last night.”
“I’m okay. Have you dealt with the thing yet? Not to be impatient, but I really want to get back home.”
“As soon as it’s taken care of, you can,” John promised, pulling out a cigarette. “You wouldn’t happen to know why it would want to attack you, would you?”
Jeff shook his head. “No. Last time I checked, I haven’t pissed off any hellhounds.”
“Okay,” John flicked his lighter and lit the cigarette. “Although we never told you it was a hellhound. You knew it all on your own, didn’t you? Now that makes my job a little easier, but it doesn’t explain why a mortal like yourself knows about them.”
The dentist grinned weakly. “Lucky guess?”
“Did Puck tell you about them?” John pressed, stepping closer. “After all, you did call and tell him about it after you made that call to your sister. How ‘bout you tell me how he fits into all of this?”
“You listened in on my phone call,” Jeff sighed. “Well, he didn’t pick up, so I had to leave a message. He won’t be any help until he gets it. But when he does, he’ll be the one who comes and finds me with the people who took me off the street.”
“Sorry for saving your life,” John muttered as he exhaled a stream of smoke. “But you’re going to need to start telling us stuff. For starters, you know about magical creatures? Was it Puck who told you?”
Jeff nodded.
“He’s one of them, isn’t he?”
“Not my story to tell.”
“Alright, then how about one you can tell? What is your relationship with Puck? Secret lovers? Boyfriends? An affair?”
Jeff stared at him. “Why would I tell you a thing when I don’t even know who you are? Maybe you did save me from getting dragged to hell, but I’m going to need a little more information first.”
“John Constantine. Exorcist, demonologist, master or petty dabbler of the dark arts depending on the day. Also a time traveler, I can add that to the resume. Now with that out of the way, tell me about Puck.”
It seemed to satisfy Jeff, who gave a nod. “Yeah, he’s my boyfriend. We’re not public about it though.”
“Small town problems, right? How long you two been together?”
“Five months next week. We were talking about him meeting my kids soon.”
“Isn’t that charming?” John smirked. “Think they’ll like him?”
Jeff’s lips twitched into a smile. “Levi’s still a toddler, and he’s pretty happy with anyone who doesn’t take a crayon away from him. He draws on just about anything. Paper, the walls, books, his clothes. My oldest could go either way. JJ was so close with Miriam, and he really misses her. But he also told me that he’s glad I’m happier lately. I’d rather my kids remember me being happy in their childhood instead of sad.”
Jeff sighed. “But the middle one…I really hope he likes Puck. He takes more after me than Miriam. I know he’s been having problems fitting in at school and making friends. Hopefully this will be a good thing for him and not make the other stuff worse. He’s got a heart of gold, but he’s so shy and lets himself get beaten down so much.”
John flicked some ash onto the floor. “He might grow out of it.”
“I hope so,” the dentist chuckled. “JJ used to be shy too before he was loud and chaotic, but Miriam was the one who got him out of his shell before she died.”
“Well, losing a mother is hard,” John murmured. “Some fathers become the worst versions of themselves when that happens. But that doesn’t seem to be you. You care about your family. You don’t want them to be in danger. That’s why you came willingly with us, because you couldn’t endanger your sons.”
“Well, they’re the brightest parts of my life,” Jeff told him, opening up his wallet and passing a picture to John. “I want them to be okay and safe.”
John studied the picture of Jeff, a woman who must have been the dead wife, and three boys sitting on a couch.
“Stacey, my sister, took this when Levi was four months old,” Jeff explained, reaching over and pointing out each child. “He’s on Miriam’s lap. JJ’s right next to her. And between him and me, that’s the middle boy. That’s Gary.”
“Gary,” John frowned as pieces started to fit together. “Gary…Green?”
“Yes.”
John looked back down at the picture and little Gary’s face before passing it back to Jeff. “I have to go.”
~~~
“Is there a reason why we’re on the bridge?” Ava asked as she stretched out again. “Did we find a way to corner the hellhound?”
“What about Charlie?” Ray added. “It’s been hours since she left the ship.”
“Yeah, and she still hasn’t come back yet,” John told him. “So I did talk with Jeff. Puck is the one who told him about creatures, so he’s probably one of them. Also, he is Jeff’s boyfriend. Zari, are you sure you didn’t find anything else interesting on Jeff?”
She shook her head. “No, I checked twice.”
“Not even that he’s Gary’s dad?” John challenged.
“We have Time Dweeb’s dad?” Mick frowned. “Ugh,”
“Mr. Constantine is correct,” Gideon confirmed. “Jeff Green is indeed the father of Gary Green. An earlier check of Bureau records confirmed the birth certificate.”
“And you never told me?” Zari exclaimed. “Gideon, come on!”
“Well, you didn’t ask about his children.”
“We know now,” Sara ended the argument. “So Gary’s dad could be killed by a hellhound. Ava, you mentioned that he was picking up his dad from the airport. What else do you know about his family?”
“Ahhh,” Ava frowned. “His mom’s dead. He has a dad. That’s it.”
“Helpful,” Zari mumbled. “Well, I did find out that a street over from the plumber, a man named Puck Shakespeare is renting a house. While I have a difficult time believing that’s a real name, he’s our guy.”
“Could he have summoned the hellhound to go after Jeff?” Ray inquired, eyes moving to the feed of the brig.
“According to Jeff, they were talking about introducing Puck to his kids,” John said. “Things sound good between them. It doesn’t make sense that he’d summon a hellhound because he didn’t want to meet his boyfriend’s kids.”
“Well, we don’t have a trace of the hellhound,” Sara sighed. “Gideon, what’s the effect on the timeline if we don’t stop this?”
“Current projections place Gary Green as an FBI analyst in 2019 instead of joining the Time Bureau,” the AI answered. “Mr. Rory would die at the hands of Captain Lance while she was under the influence of the death totem. Director Sharpe goes missing and the Time Bureau is headed by Director Neil McNeil, who enacts a series of regulations limiting activity of the Legends and prevents you from completing several missions critical to protecting the timeline.”
Sara shook her head. “Things take a turn for the worse.”
“He’s the one who came up with the strategy to track the death totem,” John said. “And he came to you when Ava was missing. Gary’s got brothers too. Gideon, would this impact their timelines?”
“The art community never discovers Levi Green’s works, and a bestselling book is never written. A popular travel vlog, Adventure Man!, is also a victim.”
“That’s Nate’s favorite series!” Ray looked horrified. “No, he can’t lose Adventure Man!.”
“Okay, so we’re saving Jeff,” Sara decided. “Wherever Charlie ran off to, it better pay off in the end!”
“Oh, it will!” the shapeshifter announced as she made her entrance. “Lucky for you lot, I’ve been seeking out help, and I knew exactly who to look for. He’s helped me fill in all the gaps.”
A man entered the room after Charlie, raising a hand in greeting with a smile. Ava frowned, unsure of what his purpose was. John, on the other hand, was regarding the newcomer with open suspicion.
“Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to Puck,” Charlie said. “He’s a fairy from the High Court of King Oberon.”
Puck bowed with a cocky smirk, a shower of sparkles falling from his hands.
“Well, the name on the rental agreement makes sense now,” Zari sighed. “Took it right from Shakespeare.”
“Bold of you to assume I copied Billy,” Puck replied. “Without my help and influence, your world would never know of that night.”
“Puck’s an old friend of me before and during prison,” Charlie explained. “His cell was two down from mine. When the jail busted, he ended up here, met Jeff after a while, and started dating him.”
“Speaking of him,” Puck glared at the Legends. “Who’s going to tell me where my boyfriend is?”
“Not until we make sure it wasn’t you who sent the hellhound after him,” John responded, stepping forward.
“I swear by the High Court, by the King and Queen, that I would never do anything to harm a hair on Jeff’s head.”
“He’s right,” Charlie nodded. “He really wouldn’t. Puck likes mischief as much as the rest of his kind, but this isn’t his style. I should know, I was on the receiving end of it and it’s not hellhounds.”
Sara’s arms were folded over her chest, but she did relax somewhat. Ava knew it was a sign she didn’t totally trust Puck yet. “So do either of you know who it is?”
“We do,” Charlie confirmed. “I heard someone chanting when we were stalking the plumber. I didn’t recognize it at first, but then I remembered what it was. It’s Lilim, the language of the demons.”
“Once Charlie told me that was it, I figured out who it was,” Puck continued. “One of my exes was a demon who calls himself Michael. He was with me when we first came to Earth after the prison broke and wanted to get back together. But I refused to let myself fall into his darkness again and rejected him. He’s always been jealous, so it’s most likely he’s the one behind this as an attempt to get me back. Like killing the mortal man I love is going to send me running back into his arms!”
“A jealous demon,” Mick looked interested by that. “Can I kill him?”
“By all means, you may,” Puck nodded, “Make sure it sticks.”
“What about the hellhound?” Ava asked. “It’s still going after Jeff, right?”
“Fairy magic can fix that,” Puck promised. “Just get me close enough to Michael, and I can break the spell. But night is falling soon, which means the hound will return. Now that I’m here with Jeff, it’s likely that Michael will show up.”
Ava sighed. “So that means we’re getting ready for a fight?”
“Indeed,” Puck informed them. “But before we do this, may I please see my boyfriend!”
“John and I will take you,” Sara volunteered, grabbing John by the arm. “Babe, can you get everyone else ready?”
“Not a problem,” Ava looked behind her at the front windows of the ship. “Hey, Gideon, how resistant is the Waverider to hellhound attacks?”
“I don’t know, but I am not ready to find out today, Director Sharpe.”
~~~
John wasn’t sure why he and Sara were both supervising the reunion, but it was shorter than he had expected it to be.
“I was so worried when I got the voicemail,” Puck said to Jeff once the mushy stuff was out of the way. “I thought the hellhound got to you until Charlie showed up and told me I wasn’t too late.”
“Yeah, they rescued me,” Jeff told him. “But the hellhound’s still out there. It wants to hunt me down.”
“It is and it does,” Puck sighed and took Jeff’s hands. “It’s my fault, Jeff. The hellhound is after you because of me. I brought my world into yours, but I’m going to fix it all. I love you, okay?”
“I love you too.”
Puck smiled, but it barely masked the sadness on his face. “Stay here until I get back.”
With that, he left the cell and went out of the room. John and Sara followed after him.
“You really do care about him, don’t you?” John asked as they walked down the hall.
“I do,” Puck nodded. “Which makes what I’m about to do even harder.”
“We have a plan all worked out,” Sara said. “The hellhound will be here soon with your ex, and we’ll send them both back to hell.”
“She’s right, it’ll be a piece of cake with your magic.”
“Oh, I know,” Puck looked back at them. “But loving Jeff and letting him into my world, it’s too dangerous. He could have been killed by that hellhound. I can’t put him in danger anymore.”
John stopped. “Hang on, you’re not letting a jealous ex break up the two of you, are you?”
“It’s more than him,” Puck sighed. “This hellhound would never have gone after him if I hadn’t fallen in love. Jeff will get hurt because he loves me, but I can’t let that happen. It’ll be safer if I leave and take his memories of me away.”
“That would just hurt him more,” Sara said.
John nodded. “You’re going to leave him with a blank space in his memories if you do. Not to mention that you damn yourself to feel the pain of breaking your own heart while he never knows.”
“Listen, exorcist,” Puck snarled. “You and I both know there has to be a balance of the light and dark in the world. Jeff lives in the light. People like you, Charlie, and myself, we are the dark. When we love people who don’t walk our path, it darkens their brightness. Breaking the balance…it hurts them.”
           John opened his mouth to argue back, but he couldn’t find the words. Sara gave him a pointed look before leaving him alone with the fairy. The way Puck was speaking had been how John turned Gary away from him. He’d even used the bloody light and dark balance line. John knew he had broken Gary’s heart as well as his own, but he hadn’t wanted Gary Green to become another Desmond, another Gary Lester. But that had been before he traveled with the Legends, before he met Sara and Ava. John knew he hadn’t entirely changed, but some things had.
“Maybe it does sometimes,” he told Puck. “But it doesn’t always.”
The fairy rolled his eyes as if he was dealing with a child. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken,” John shot back. “Because I do. I know exactly what you think of yourself after what Jeff’s been through!”
“Oh, do you really?”
“Yes! I had someone I cared about too. He’s more like Jeff than you could ever imagine. He cared about me the same way Jeff does with you, but he had so much light that I couldn’t let myself tarnish that. So I broke his heart, gave him the same light and dark speech, and moved on right up until I met Sara and Ava, that other blonde on the bridge. Two different worlds, Sara came back from the dead, and she found she could be happy with Ava. Now I regret what I did because there is no way I can fix it! That’s what’s going to happen to you if you break Jeff’s heart!”
Puck glowered at him before walking away quickly.
“Do you really regret not taking the chance with Gary?”
John hadn’t realized that Sara had been waiting by the corner. “How’d you know it was Gary?”
“The light and dark speech. Gary told Nate, and he told the rest of us.”
“Blabbermouth,” John muttered. “I messed things up with Gary to the point where I can’t fix them. If Puck truly loves Jeff, they can work out. He just can’t see every terrible thing as a sign that it’s not meant to be.”
Sara smirked. “Look at you having hope for Gary’s dad.”
“Don’t ever tell him that.”
“Captain Lance,” Gideon said. “The hellhound is approaching our location, and it’s not alone.”
“Time to get ready for a fight,” the captain sighed. “John, get Puck and the others ready. I’ll be there in a moment.”
~~~
As the Legends and Puck exited the ship, the hellhound was sitting obediently beside a tall man in a blue suit. When he saw Puck, an icy smile crawled onto his face. “Hello, darling.”
“Michael,” Puck’s tone was venomous. “You should have never done this. We’re over. Move on. I have.”
“With a human,” the demon sneered. “Come on, Puck. Really?”
“And you think killing the man I love would make me go back to you?” Puck shook his head, magic swirling around his hands. “Think again. Now release the hound from its bond to kill.”
The smile grew wider as Michael giggled. “I’ll release it!”
            He said something in another language and the hellhound was on its feet. With a loud growl, it charged at the assembled group. Mick was the first to fire off his heat gun, eliciting a howl of pain when the flames met fur. It only slowed the creature down for a moment before it swiped at them with a large paw. The arsonist went flying into a tree as the hellhound turned to the next people in its path. When she realized it was them, Zari grabbed Charlie and flew into the air with her totem.
“Okay, you’ve had your fun!” Charlie yelled as Zari tried to avoid the lunging beast. “Cut it out! You’re not going to get what you want!”
“Oh, I’ll kill as many people as I have to in order to get him back,” Michael shouted back. “Starting with you lot!”
Ray and Ava made a move to go after him, but the hellhound cut them off. It was then that John realized Sara hadn’t rejoined them yet. He only had a second to process this before Puck suddenly tackled him to avoid being taken out by the Atom flying back from a blow.
“I need to get closer,” Puck said, getting back up on his feet. “Ugh, Michael had to get a big one. He’s really overcompensating.”
John made a face as he thought through the spells that he knew. Settling on one, he began to chant in Latin, trying to trap the beast in a sigil.
“You’re a clever one,” Michael sounded impressed. “But it’s not enough.”
Michael spoke something in Lilim, and the sigil dissolved. Another phrase in Lilim, this one sounding much like a command, made the beast turn to face John head on. Its eyes glowed like embers as it started running at him. John started to summon up another sigil.
A yell came from behind him. “Hey, pooch!”
The next thing John knew, a rod was being jammed into the hellhound’s eye. It screeched and backed away quickly, the rod swinging around haphazardly. John took the opportunity to run out of the way. Looking up, he saw Jeff standing there, hands shaking and eyes slightly widened. Sara was standing next to him, a proud look on her face.
Michael stared at his hellhound, then back up to Jeff. “The mortal.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Jeff shouted. “I am. Maybe it’s not a demon, or some other magical creature, but I still love him. And I’m pretty sure that he loves me!”
“I do!” Puck appeared from behind Michael. “And I’m not letting anyone take him away from me!”
           Michael spun around and Puck grabbing his chest. His hand started to glow as did the demon’s chest, the dark outlines of his ribs prominent. Puck pulled his hand back after a few moments. Michael sunk to his knees and the hound stopped flailing around. It started to whimper in pain now.
“It’s been freed from its task,” Puck announced as the Legends and Jeff moved forward. “Now it’s time for them to return to hell.”
“I’ve got that bit,” John looked down at the demon and started to summon the opening to hell.
Michael scowled up at Puck. “You’ve made a mistake. We’re immortals, he isn’t. You’re from two different worlds. It won’t be a happy ending.”
“So what if we’re not the same?” Jeff asked. “Everything that makes him different is part of why I love Puck. It doesn’t change how I feel about him.”
Puck reached over with a smile to take his hand. “Me neither.”
The portal to hell was wide open now. The hound was cast inside first, then John set his sights on Michael.
“I hope you get what’s coming from your pals down there,” he snarled.
With that, he kicked the demon through the portal and closed it.
“Is that it?” Sara asked as Zari finally made it back down to the ground with Charlie.
John nodded silently. Puck and Jeff turned to each other and started to kiss.
“Let’s get cleaned up and get him home,” Ava said. “Plus, I’m pretty sure Rory has a concussion over there.”
“Eh, he’s got a thick head,” Sara replied. “He’ll be fine.”
“Are we ever going to tell Gary about this?” Charlie inquired, pointing over to Jeff and Puck. “That his dads dated a fugitive and we saved him?”
Ava shook her head. “No. If he remembers this, then he’ll tell us. Right now we just need to get his dad home.”
“And what about Puck?”
Zari’s question had them all looking towards the couple again.
“He hasn’t done any harm,” John murmured. “Let them be happy for as long as they can.”
“For once, I agree with him,” Ava said. “They’re two people in love. They deserve a chance.”
~~~
“Thank you again for saving me. I owe my life to you.”
“It’s what we do,” Sara smiled at Jeff. “Just have a good life.”
“And look after your kids,” Ava added. “They’ve got a good dad.”
“They really do,” Puck agreed with her, kissing Jeff. “I can’t wait to meet them tomorrow. I’ll see you then, my love.”
With a puff of smoke, he vanished.
“Fairy magic,” John shook his head. He gave Jeff a pat on the shoulder. “Let’s get you home to your kids.”
           Together with Ray, they loaded into the car they were “borrowing”. The drive to the Green house was silent, save for Jeff pointing out where they’d need to turn. John did catch Ray looking over at him a few times, but he thankfully kept his mouth shut. He was glad for the silence right now.
Once they arrived at the Green home, John got out to take Jeff to the door. “Here you are. Home sweet home.”
“Yeah,” Jeff looked up at it happily. “I’m glad to be back here alive.”
“I’ll bet,” John agreed. “Listen, mate, I have two things I want to say.”
Jeff turned to him, waiting. John exhaled and glanced at the house quickly, wondering what little Gary Green was up to right now while little John Constantine was sleeping with his latest bruises.
“First, don’t give up with Puck. I saw tonight that you two really love each other. Two different worlds or not, you can find a way. Don’t make my mistakes.”
“I won’t. We won’t.”
“Good,” John nodded. “Second, I know you love your kids, and that you’re worried about Gary. You see that he’s going to be amazing, but he doesn’t know that, so tell him. Tell him everyday that he is incredible. Tell all your boys that, but make sure Gary knows it. Someone needs to.”
“I will,” Jeff smiled as he pulled out a set of keys and unlocked the door. “Thank you for everything. Goodbye, John.”
As soon as he pushed the door open, John could see a little boy with glasses sitting on the carpet at the end of the hall. He lifted his head from a book to see who it was. Then his face split into a grin and he ran over to attach himself to Jeff’s legs. “DADDY!”
“Gary!” Jeff dropped down so he could hug his son properly. “Hey, kiddo, I missed you so much!”
“Aunt Stacy didn’t say when you were coming back,” little Gary mumbled into Jeff’s neck. “Where were you?”
“I was with some friends. This is one of them. You’re going to meet another one tomorrow.”
“Cool!” Gary grinned up at John, revealing a missing tooth. “Nice to meet you.”
John couldn’t help but smile back. “You too.”
“Hey, where are your brothers and aunt?” Jeff asked, standing up now. “Are they already asleep?”
“Levi is. Aunt Stacy’s with JJ in the backyard. He climbed the tree and he isn’t wearing pants.”
“Well, we better go deal with that then,” Jeff chuckled. “How about you tell me about that book you were reading?”
John watched them go inside and close the door before heading back to the car.
~~~
“The timeline is back to the way it’s supposed to be,” Sara said once they were back in present day. “No massacre was ever reported in that town.”
“I was hoping serial killer when this first came up, but I’m glad it’s been fixed,” Ava murmured. “Gary’s still at the Bureau, so that’s good.”
“Oh yeah,” Sara’s eyes glinted with mischief. “I made a lie about something being broken and might have told John to check on Gary himself.”
“I suggested it,” Gideon reminded her.
Ava raised an eyebrow. “You’re playing matchmaker with them?”
Sara shrugged. “Maybe a little…”
~~~
John knocked for the third time on Gary’s apartment door. “Oh come on, squire. You better be in there.”
Just then, the door swung open, revealing Gary. “John? What are you doing here? Is something wrong?”
“You know me,” John sighed in relief as he came into the apartment. “You still work at the Bureau, right?”
“Yeah, I do, you know that. I took the day off today, I had to pick up my dad at the airport, although he did have a surprise there.”
John froze. “What kind of surprise?”
“Gary? Who are you talking to?”
“Who’s there?”
           John remembered those voices. It had been hours for him, but decades for them. Lifting his head, he could see Puck and Jeff coming around the corner from where Gary’s kitchen was. Jeff’s hair had gone gray and there were more wrinkles now, but he had aged gracefully. Puck looked older too, which should have been impossible for fairies, but his aging looked slower compared to Jeff’s. John couldn’t help but smile when he saw their joined hands.
“Hey,” Gary looked back to his father and Puck, then John. “Uh, John, this is my dad. And that’s Puck. He’s my dad’s boyfriend.”
“Boyfriend?” John raised an eyebrow.
“We were together for a long time, but then we had a bit of a break,” Jeff explained. “Puck helped me raise Gary and his brothers.”
“But now we’re trying things together again,” Puck finished, smiling lovingly at Jeff. “So, Gary, who is this?”
John glanced quickly at Gary, who cleared his throat. “This is John Constantine. He’s a friend from work.”
Jeff tilted his head. “Do I know you?”
“Just got one of those faces,” John lied.
“I don’t think you’d know him,” Gary told his father. “John’s kinda into the occult.”
Jeff grinned. “Hey, I was in a cult once!”
“Occult, and he doesn’t need to hear that story!” Gary panicked, waving his hands back and forth.
“Hey, Gary, can you give me a hand in the kitchen?” Puck interrupted. “I need to get the rest of the sauce together so it can simmer.”
“Sure, Puck.”
John watched them leave before turning back to Jeff. The older man had a knowing smile on his face.
“It’s been a while, John Constantine. So, are you a petty dabbler or master of the dark arts today?”
“You…” he faltered. “You remember me?”
“Hard to forget an introduction like that after nearly getting mauled by a hellhound,” Jeff laughed. “You and everyone on that ship did so much for me and Puck back then. Not only did you stop a hellhound, but you told us it was possible to be together.”
John glanced towards the kitchen where Gary and Puck were. “Thought you two said you had a break.”
“We did, but it didn’t mean Puck wasn’t part of the family. Besides, we’re giving things a second chance and it’s been amazing.”
“Well, that’s good to hear.”
“Puck told me everything you told him all that time long ago,” Jeff continued. “Including how you let someone go because of your darkness. And then there was the advice you gave me about Gary. Since you told me you were a time traveler, I wondered if you knew him. But Gary was the one you let go, wasn’t he?”
John exhaled heavily. “He was.”
“Do you still really care about my son, John Constantine?” Jeff asked, his eyes steely behind the glasses he now wore.
The question hung in the air before John nodded. “I do.”
“Good,” Jeff smiled. “Because he still likes you too. If you want something with him…well, I think you remember the advice you gave to me.”
John snorted softly. “Time will tell if it works again.”
“So, do it, then wait and see. That’s what Puck and I had to do.”
“Jeff, where did you-” Puck started to shout. “Never mind. Can you give me a hand?”
“I’ll be there in a moment,” Jeff called back, then looked to John. “Good luck. And if you ever break his heart again, Puck will come after you. You’ll get to see the kind of revenge he can dish out then.”
“Not meddling with a fairy,” John promised. “Speaking of which, do Gary and his brothers know about Puck? What he really is?”
“They do, but the secret is safe within the family and it will stay with family.”
Gary came back around the corner. “Hey, Dad, JJ’s calling. Levi’s with him.”
“I’ll get it,” Jeff told his son. “You talk with John for now.”
“Sure,” Gary grinned until his father left the room, then looked back to John. “Hey, he didn’t tell you the cult story, did he?”
John laughed. “Nope. No cult story, but now I’m curious.”
Gary reddened and scratched the back of his neck. “I can…tell you tonight? Puck’s suggesting that I invite you over for dinner tonight. It’ll be them and my brothers here. It’s okay to say no though. My family can be a lot and-”
“No,” John shook his head. “I’d like to stay.”
Gary seemed surprised. “Wha- really?”
“Yeah,” he smiled. “There’s something I want to talk to you about, if you’ll hear me out.”
Gary beamed back at him. “Sure.”
28 notes ¡ View notes
ayaotd500wordsorless ¡ 5 years ago
Photo
Tumblr media
Are You Afraid of the Dark in 500 Words or Less Season 1 | Episode 4 The Tale of the Twisted Claw
Eric is the absolute worst. This week he calls a meeting to tell a story he hasn’t finished. Luckily David, who just went last week, has a story to share so no one’s time ends up being wasted. This episode first aired back in 1990 on Halloween night – two years before Are You Afraid of the Dark debuted.
Tumblr media
The Tale of the Twisted Claw begins on the night before Halloween – a night referred to as Mischief Night. Kevin and Dougie, our two preteen protagonists, decide to play a prank on an old woman named Miss Clove who is rumored to be a witch. Now personally, I don’t mind a harmless prank but what these kids do to this poor old woman is awful. When she opens her door, they spray her in the face with shaving cream which causes her to knock over an expensive-looking vase and then they run off like the little shits they are.
Then these two have the nerve to actually show up to her house on Halloween night expecting her to give them candy. Miss Clove unfortunately, doesn’t have Snickers bars or Bottle Caps. What she does have is the claw of a vulture which she says will grant each both three wishes a piece.
Tumblr media
It doesn’t take long for the boys to start wishing their asses off. The first wish ends with them nearly getting murdered by some creepy-looking hooligans and the second wish results in an innocent boy getting mauled by a dog.
Tumblr media
Dougie, being the smarter of the two, quickly puts two and two together and realizes he and Kevin’s wishes are coming true – but not in the way they want. Kevin, being a complete and total dumbass, brushes this information off and promptly wishes for Dougie to lose his parents. Dougie freaks out after receiving a phone call from a police officer letting him know his parents have been in an accident. He yanks the phone from the wall before the officer has a chance to finish.
Dougie then wishes for his grandfather to be there which is a bit awkward considering his grandfather is dead. The creepiest part of the episode is the grandfather’s old car driving up to Dougie’s house and then we get a first-person POV of presumably his grandfather walking up to the house. Because no one wants to see Dougie’s zombie grandpa, Dougie wishes for all the wishes to be undone which calls the claw to disappear and everything to go back to normal – but not before the vase they caused Miss Clove to knock over is delivered to Dougie’s home.
The end.
The Midnight Society appear to be satisfied with David’s offering but if I were them, I would be giving some serious side-eye to Eric. Gary puts out the campfire and everyone leaves. See you next time for another spooky tale. It’ll have you howling!
0 notes
alamante ¡ 6 years ago
Link
John E. Davidson via Getty Images
At a time when eagle-eyed journalists have eyes trained on police and reports of civil suits are more hourly than weekly, it seems prudent for officers to take extra care to follow the letter of the law.
But for whatever reason, officers in the Roswell Police Department cannot seem to stop screwing up. In the past month, it’s emerged that:
The department kept a police dog in service after it ignored its handlers’ commands and repeatedly attacked a teenager.
An officer taunted a teenager handcuffed in the back of a freezing squad car.
Officers flipped a coin to decide whether to arrest a crying woman.
Residents aired complaints about the incidents during an “open mic night” at the Roswell City Council Chamber on Monday, according to Atlanta NBC affiliate WXIA-TV.
“The problem with the department is the culture is overly machismo-istic, and I think it’s forcing a sense of bravado,” said local resident Patrick Cahill, who called for the resignation of Police Chief Rusty Grant.
“I think there is a virus and an illness going on as well in the police department that’s leading to these atypical outcomes,” Cahill added.
The council reportedly did not address any of the comments people made about the police department.
The most recent controversy is centered around footage from an officer’s body-worn camera, recorded in January, that was not made public until this week.
The footage shows Roswell police stopping a 13-year-old boy driving a golf cart on a highway after midnight on Jan. 2. When the teen gives officers conflicting stories about whats going on, he’s handcuffed and put in the back of a patrol car with open windows. The teen was wearing wet clothing and temperatures were in the 20s and 30s, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.
“He won’t say anything if he’s sitting there in the back seat and it’s warm,” Sgt. Daniel Elzey is heard telling another office as he sits in another, heated, patrol car. “So, he can sit over there and be cold.”
A few minutes later, the officer walks back over to the boy to see if he is willing to talk.
“Getting cold yet?” the officer asks the teen. “You can take it? Cool. So can I, because I’ve got heat in this car.”
At one point the teenager complains, “I can’t feel my wrists.”
The boy was eventually released without charges, according to WXIA-TV. His mother reportedly said she was “going to be sick” after hearing how police had left him in a freezing car.
Elzey was placed on administrative leave on July 18. WXIA-TV, which broke the story, noted the officer was not placed on leave until after the station requested the video.
Roswell City Administrator Gary Palmer shared his thoughts about the video on Facebook, writing: “What you are seeing are symptoms of bigger issues; issues that we need to clearly identify and deliberately address as expeditiously as possible.”
The same day that Elzey was placed on leave, WXIA-TV obtained another troubling video. It shows a Roswell police K-9 brutally attacking a teenager on Aug. 4, 2016.
According to an incident report WXIA-TV obtained, officer Lorne Alston was on patrol when he spotted what he believed to be a stolen vehicle with four people inside. When the vehicle stopped, two of the individuals took off running. Alston announced several times that he would release his K-9 if they did not stop. When they failed to take heed of those warnings, he set the dog, Robbie, free.
A 17-year-old in the video can then be seen obeying all of the officer’s commands. But despite the teen’s compliance, Robbie continues running toward him. The K-9 ignores Alston’s commands to stop and latches his jaws onto the teen.
By the time the officer managed to get the dog off the teen, the boy had sustained numerous injuries that required him to be hospitalized. The charges against the teen were later dropped.
Even though K-9 Robbie ignored about 20 commands and severely mauled a teenager, the department did not take the dog out of service.
“It troubles me that the K-9 did not release sooner than what he did,” Grant told WXIA-TV.
A message posted on the Roswell Police Department’s website claims there have been no additional incidents with K-9 Robbie.
“After this incident occurred, the K-9 was given additional training and has not had any incidents with following commands since the additional training,” the message read.
On July 26, roughly a week after the K-9 video surfaced, the Roswell Police Department fired officers Courtney Brown and Kristee Wilson. In a termination letter, Grant said the officers had “engaged in conduct … which adversely affects the efficiency of the department and has a tendency to destroy public respect.”
The officers were fired two weeks after WXIA-TV exposed yet another embarrassing case of misconduct. The station had obtained a police body camera video recorded in early April that shows Brown and Wilson using a cellphone coin-toss app to decide whether to arrest a woman they had stopped for speeding.
After a joking about the app and whether “tails” meant arrest or release, the officers charged distraught driver Sarah Webb with reckless driving and driving too fast for conditions. The cops handcuffed a sobbing Webb and placed her in the back of a squad car.
Mayor Lori Henry called the officers’ behavior “inexcusable and unprofessional.”
Charges have since been dropped against Webb, who told “Inside Edition” she was unaware at the time the officers had used a coin-toss app to decide her fate.
“It hurts to know that these people are supposed to be looking out for you, and … it was a game to them,” Webb said.
Roswell officers Courtney Brown and Kristee Wilson have been fired after tossing a coin to decide whether to arrest a speeding driver. Why a city official is criticizing the entire department. New at 11 on @cbs46! pic.twitter.com/2wKI91Eikg
— Hayley Mason (@HayleyMasonTV) July 27, 2018
Grant said he plans to conduct an assessment of the department.
“We will draft a formal plan to address what is found through this process,” the police chief said in a video posted to the department’s Facebook page.
For now, it does appear the department is down a few cops. Perhaps some men and women in blue from Blandford, Massachusetts ― where the entire force just resigned ― would consider a move to The Goober State.
Send David Lohr an email or follow him on Facebook and Twitter.
(function (d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.async = true; js.src = “http://connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.10&appId=238320442863988”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s){if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version=’2.0′;n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window,document,’script’,’https://ift.tt/2EUDMIP);
fbq(‘init’, ‘1112906175403201’); // Edition specific fbq(‘track’, “PageView”);// custom event(s) for bpages fbq(‘trackCustom’, ‘EntryPage’, { “section_name”: “Crime”, “tags”: [ “crime-and-justice”, “georgia”, “police-misconduct”, “wxia-tv”, “roswell-police” ], “ncid”: “” });fbq(‘init’, ‘10153394098876130’); // Partner Studio fbq(‘track’, “PageView”);
(function () { ‘use strict’;
document.addEventListener(‘DOMContentLoaded’, function () { $(‘body’).on(‘click’, function(event) { fbq(‘track’, “Click”, data); }); }); }) (); Source link
   The post This Georgia Police Department Just Can’t Stay Out Of The News appeared first on MySourceSpot.
0 notes