#but she's very much NOT a hiking type person so i'd skip it then too

[quaranmine]

Do you remember the post I made months ago where I was yearning to get one of my friends to go with me to this fire lookout I found? And I said maybe in October?

Well I didn't manage to get to the fire lookout trail because it's too far out of the way of where we're going, but I did manage to secure the second best thing, which is "invited on a camping trip in October" so I'm quite happy!

[post-itpenny]

I thought I'd seen a ghost

Some long awaited Slasher AU 

Mother, Mother

“Now just why on earth would such a little thing be out here alone?”

Maeve quietly hummed in amusement as she stalked the child down the trail. Always a good distance behind so she could hide, but never so far that she lost sight of the little one. She recognized her, the child from the diner that one time.

A little girl in a jacket with a bunny tail and ears. It was rather adorable, but there was something feral about her. The way she had acted in her small movements.

And then there was that thing in the forest.

Maeve hadn’t been able to get a good look at it, but it was big- bigger than her artist.

Speaking of.

Maeve grinned, but it was more of a nervous one. They were close to her territory. Maeve had come with another offering of bread, and finding the child had been an accident. But something… something felt off… felt...

...So lonely, yet Maeve had never felt so watched...

Maeve blinked and looked around. The child was gone.

Her grin grew wider as she crouched down, scanning the undergrowth.

A twig snapped behind her.

She sprung up, spinning around and pulling a kitchen knife from her satchel all in one swift movement.

A man stumbled back in surprise, “take it easy! Didn’t mean to frighten you.”  

Maeve gripped the knife tighter. She was never this jumpy, not once had she slipped like this. She would have to-

Something rushed past her, the child now clinging to the man’s leg and hissing at her. “Stranger!”

Maeve wasn’t smiling now. She needed a plan, needed… needed.

Something.

The man gave a small wave, “are you ok miss? I’ll be honest I thought I saw a ghost, walking around the corner and spotting you.”

Maeve gave her head a small shake, she had to pull herself together and focus for five seconds. What was her plan?

Did she need one?

The man watched the knife in her hand but didn’t seem too frightened. Rather he was concerned.

Maeve blinked, well then.

She smiled and stashed the knife away. “I’m not a stranger dearie, we met once at the diner yes?”

The girl hissed and her hair puffed up. But she didn’t say no.

Maeve smoothed her skirt and took one step forward. The man staying still and the child gripping his pant’s leg tighter.

Maeve took another step forward, “Forgive the startle dears I”m just looking for a friend.” Maeve watched the child, remembering the thing in the woods waiting for her.

Perhaps….

“Well I’m afraid my granddaughter and I are the only one’s out here miss.” The man explained. “Maybe-“

“A bird,” Maeve explained, “I’m looking for a great bird.”

At this the man fell quiet, eyeing the woman intently. The child poked her head around her grandfather’s leg. More interested then scared now.

Maeve grinned, “her name is Maggie.”

……………..

The next day, Cecilio held Ama’s hand as they walked up to the woman’s front door.

She said her name was Maeve Blackwood. Ama did recognize her but the meeting had been brief. Cecilio cleared his throat as he knocked on the front door. Not sure what to expect of the strange woman. She seemed very proper, or at least she tried to be. Her old fashioned dress and sickly sweet mannerisms felt both genuine and an act. Like a possessed china doll.

Maeve opened the door at the first knock. She was, surprisingly, in jeans and a sweater, her white hair down in loose curls.

As they walked inside Ama froze, grabbing her grandfather’s hand as she sniffed the air. Cecilio leaned down for her to whisper something in his ear.

Cecilio sniffed the air as well for a moment but said nothing, standing up to find Maeve watching them intently despite the bright smile on her face. There was a “ding!” from inside as Maeve’s head whipped around. Demeanor shifting as she practically skipped down the hall humming to herself. He thought back to how distracted she seemed yesterday, was she always this flighty?

Maeve was found in a kitchen pulling something from the oven.

Fresh baked bread

Amaranthus gasped at the smell causing Maeve to turn with a grin.

“I wondered if you would recognize it, I’ve left loaves for our friend in the past.”

Cecilio sat down at a small kitchen table where tea was already laid out. “You’ve left her baked goods?”

Maeve nodded with a small hum as she carefully sliced the loaf and set it on the table with a small plate of butter. “Best way to anyone’s heart is their stomach, yes? I wanted to try and slowly build an acquaintanceship with her but she’s so weary of strangers I worried I wouldn’t succeed. But… well, here the two of you are.”

Cecelio took a sip of tea, “why are you so interested? No offence ma’am, but you don’t seem the type to enjoy long hikes in the woods with a monster.

Maeve took a sip of her tea with a small smile. “No, she’s not a monster. An artist yes, but not a monster. She is a person of interest to me however. Would you be so kind my dear in sharing what you can about our friend?”

Cecilio arched an eyebrow at the “artist” comment but did not say anything on it. “Well ladies first, I have a feeling you know something I don’t if I’m being honest.”

Maeve gave a warm smile with the tilt of her head. Humming quietly as she pulled something from her pocket and set it on the table.

A police badge.

Maeve gave a wicked grin, “lets try this again hmm? Tell me what you know.”

Cecelio stared down at the badge in disbelief. It was a good minute before he could muster up a dry chuckle. “Well son of a b-”

“Language!” Maeve snapped.

Both Cecilio and Ama jumped in their seats, startled by the first real sign of aggression Maeve had given them, a deep frown on her face. For just a moment Cecilio thought back to what Ama had whispered to him.

Cecilio cleared his throat, “my apologies miss. You just threw me for a loop there. Let’s make a deal huh? I’m here because I’m worried about Maggie, and you clearly know something I don’t. So let's all be honest to each other.”

Maeve tilted her head, “have I lied? I mean, in this room?”

“Well you weren’t forthcoming about being a cop.”

“Our dear one here met my brother and I at a diner,” Maeve replied with a nod to Ama, “we showed her our badges.”

Ama wasn’t paying attention, she hadn’t touched the bread or tea either, she was still sniffing the air. “Why does your garage smell like blood? I could smell it from outside.”

Maeve and Cecilio both froze. When Ama had whispered this piece of information to him, Cecelio was concerned but driven in the want to help Maggie. But now here was Maeve with a blank expression on her face. Watching him as she slowly leaned to one side.

“She’s got a weapon under the table”, Cecilio realized.

“Hey now if we’re all being honest I can honestly say that's not an issue.” Cecilio said with a casual wave of his hand. “Ama sweetheart, I think you can take your hoodie off.”

“But-”

“Eh, she's ummm…. Our new friend here is kinda like your dad. “

Ama watched Maeve in uncertainty before slowly pulling her hood off to reveal a tiny set of horns.

Maeve gasped in surprise, but there was no fear. She grinned like a kid at Christmas.

“They’re so darling!” She cheered as she clasped her hands together in delight. “I wondered if there were more than just our artist. This is splendid!”

Ama stared at the older woman dumbfounded. “Your not gonna-”

“Oh no don’t worry sweetheart I won’t say a word to anyone.” Maeve promised before turning to Cecilio, “As long as we’re all honest with each other, there is no need to be a tattle tail.”

The badge went away and all three of them calmed down after that.  At one point a small dachshund entered the kitchen much to Ama’s delight and Cecilio’s relief since she didn’t see Maeve pick up the butcher knife from under the table and casually deposit it in the sink.

Cecilio shook his head, remembering the knife from yesterday. Guess she had an M.O.

Ama pulled the dog into her lap as Maeve returned with a plate of cookies and several manila folders. “Trouble can’t be at the table when there’s food my dear,” she instructed as Ama set the dog down with a sigh.

“Now then,” Maeve began. “I am technically a part of an investigation regarding several ritualistic murders in that part of the forest. When I couldn’t copy the M.O. myself I realised the killer couldn’t possibly be human.”

Cecilio nodded as he bit into a cookie, “but I think she is- or at least was.”

“You’re correct.” Maeve agreed as she flipped open a folder. Inside Cecilio was shocked to see photos of two older women. One with frighteningly familiar red hair.”

“Are they?”

“Her oldest sisters yes.’ Maeve confirmed, “did you know Maggie is in her fifties? She wouldn’t look it would she?”

“She doesn’t age?”

“I don’t think she could if she tried. But picture this, nearly fifty years ago twelve children were found on the side of the highway. Oldest was fifteen and the youngest was six. You won’t believe the leg work I had to do to track down these two.”

Cecilio nodded, “I’ve been teaching Maggie to read. We became friends after Ama wandered into her territory by accident.”

Maeve nodded, “she won’t kill children.”

“Yeah, I got a free pass as well I guess. But in her cabin there’s a photo of all these kids plus a number thirteen.”

“Maggie.”

“Yes. Where did they come from?”

“About three miles from where most of the killings occurred there are the remains of a compound. From what the sisters told me their community worshiped whatever it is Maggie is bound to serve. Think of her as an unwilling high priestess. The honor was supposed to go to the eldest sibling.”

“So they were runaways? Why leave Maggie behind?”

“It wasn’t their intention. But we are talking about two teenagers organizing a mass breakout. Their mother was the old Huntress and the community had no choice but to use Maggie.”

“So she's been like this since she was a kid? What happened to the compound?”

“Abandoned.”

Cecilio leaned forward, the writer in him sensing a plot twist, “what do you think happened?”

Maeve gave a grim smile, “No child would be able to perform such a complicated kill. It takes too much strength and dexterity. I suspect until Maggie was capable, the entity turned to the only food source available.”

“It ate them?”

“I suppose.”

“Maggie said she feeds it so whatever that thing is would get out of control and eat everyone else. How much do you want to bet she’s protecting a village she doesn’t even realize is empty?”

“Maggie’s job is to share visions and directions she is given to her people in exchange for her work.” Maeve explained. “I guarantee you she knows and is trapped in her contract. But I have a suspicion this thing isn’t nearly that powerful if it needs a host.”

“Wait,” Cecilio choked as he hastily swallowed the cookie he was eating. “Host?”

Maeve nodded, “it needs someone to kill for it. It’s shaped our girl into the thing that she is but according to the sisters Maggie is just a glorified puppet.”

“She’s not the monster-”

“She’s it’s first victim. At least in my investigation. The sisters gave me the impression this has been going on for several generations.”

Cecilio nodded, processing all this new information. “Maggie is out there alone, she stays quiet and follows that thing’s orders.”

“Not very well if she’s letting the three of us live whenever we visit,” Maeve commented with a sip of her tea. “From my understanding this thing is rather glutinous.”

“What will it do if it gets angry with Maggie?”

“Maggie is apparently not allowed to live for herself but she's not allowed to die either. Not until a suitable successor is given.” Maeve explained, “her sisters told me that the last time a hunter was belligerent their free will was stripped away entirely.”

“Maggie hasn’t been allowing Ama or I to visit in months,” Cecilio stated. “We’ve been trying but she won’t have it. And yesterday-”

“Didn’t it feel like something was wrong out there?” Maeve asked.