#river bottom nightmare band

[popculturebuffet]

Monthly Muppet Madness: Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (Comission for Emma Fici)

Happy holidays all you happy muppets and welcome back to monthly muppets, my monthly look at all things muppet related. It's christmas time again and for this year it's something near and dear to my heart we haven't covered yet and when I asked my co-pilot emma to do this one her response was a resounding "Wait we hadn't done this one yet?" Friends grab your washtubs, your glam rock glasses and your christmas branches, it's time for the Tail of Emmet Otter's Jugbband Christmas.

Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a 1977 special done for the CBC and aired on HBO the next year here in the states. The special came about because.. the CBC asked?

I did my due dillegence but coudln't find anything on why the CBC comissioned this special. I mean you don't need much justification to ask Jim Henson do to a heartwarming holiday special. Because muppets is how this feature got started, it's a very good reason for doing something. I just expected more than that from a special this high quality and well loved. I DID find more on how this got maid though thanks to this wonderful oral history.

So we can dig right in.

At the time this show was greenlit most of the crew worked in London, leaving the Henson Workshop to Don Sahlin, a longtime builder for the crew who created the Rowlf the Dog Puppet and did most of the puppetry and set design for this film, so props to him. So to make Don's Muppet's come alive, Jim enlisted a small but powerhouse crew: himself, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, David Gohelz, Richard Hunt and Charlie Ozeker, basically a whos who of muppet stars likely because they could do it fast, do it well and could do it big.

See something I never knew about Emmet Otter is that it's a vital step in the evolution of the muppets: it was the first one Jim did on a full set, building a whole ass river for characters to move down for the boating segments, a full on world. IT was the first without humans, something I didn't even scan as the story works fine as is. And it premired techniques not using a raised stage, something vital for the muppet movie. It was a brilliant way to test new techniques too: since the story's small scale, it made it easy to tech this sort of thing out. It could be difficult with beams in the way of their heads, but the results paid off with a special that looks seamless but clearly took a lot of tech wizardry Another all important addition to the Muppets was

Yes Paul Williams, music icon and muppet god. Williams had guested on the muppet show, but going into it was already a fan of Jim's work from Ed Sullivan and Seasame Street, with the latter being a reliable source of entertainment for a traveling musician it turns out: no matter where you were you could guarantee something pretty neat as almost everywhere carried it.

With WIlliams becoming fast friends with the muppet crew, Jim naturally asked him to do this special.. though Williams suspects he had ulterior motives.. granted this being jim henson those motives were entirely still pure and good because Jim Henson was our own personal jesus and I miss him dearly. Anyway quoth williams from the SYFY article

" I think what he was actually doing was giving it a test ride to see how we worked together. Because what was major on his plate at that time was The Muppet Movie coming up. It was a huge gamble, and I think one of the things he was wondering is if I would be the right guy for The Muppet Movie. "

I entirely buy it, as while Jims likely didn't doubt williams was good: At this point in his career he'd written three #1 hits for the carpenters including "We've Only Just Begun" andthe classic "Old Fashioned Love Song" for Three Dog Night, which jim personally loved. On top of that he'd already done the music for Phantom of the Paradise, a horror rock opera whose soundtrack i've listened into infinity and whose review also got pushed back to next year as my schedule continues to spiral just a tad.

Point is Williams was proven and likely had the job.. Jim was just nervous. The Muppet Movie was a big gamble and something he'd wanted since he started doing puppetry, the cumulation of his life's work. He HAD to double check. It's also likely why he took the big swings technically HERE: it was a smaller project he could do it on to see if the even bigger, riskier ideas of the muppet movie could be pulled off. He was testing everyone.. including himself. He's Jim henson: he's nothing if not fair. He had to see if he could pull it off on this scale, that he really had it. I get that impulse in creating something: that you have something you want to do and WORRY you can't do it so you test yourself or , in the worst cases, simply say your not capable and never make it. Thankfully jim wasn't that kind of guy and could easily past his own task.

And sountrack wise, he hired Paul Williams, so Williams passed the test with flying colors and became a mainstay for the muppets, soundtracking both the muppet movie and last year's christmas review, A Muppet Christmas Carol, which now lives rent free in my head. Passing it wasn't effortless, but Williams rose to the occasion, to quoth the man again.

"It's funny because I've never had songs write themselves as quickly as these songs wrote themselves. And some of the titles are [from] the book. With Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, you have this remarkable tale that has such depth. I think it's written in such a way that the titles, and the story, led me to what we would now call Americana, and it's not what I did. I think probably as close as I got to that style is one of the songs that Jim mentioned when we met. He said "I just loved you from the time I heard "Old Fashioned Love Song." And though "Old Fashioned Love Song" was really kind of rinky-dink, old-fashioned, there was something about that song and the simplicity of my melody that he lit up around it. 

So, I went to the script [for inspiration], and I think that the script is a wonderful fairy tale with a great spiritual lesson in it. Ma Otter and Emmet take a chance, and they basically destroy their means of earning a living with the washtub and hocking the toolkit. As brave and as wonderful as they are, and as much as we're rooting for them, the fact is that they are outperformed by a hard rock group, The Riverbottom Nightmare Band. But from that, there's that wonderful opportunity to write two songs that, put together, make one song, but also have a message like "Our World" and "Brothers." It was a marvelous opportunity for a songwriter. "

So with a genius musical soundtrack, marvelous new puppetry and a lot of heart.. how does the special stack up now a days? Join me under the cut and i'll tell ya.

Our World:

The story of Emmet Otter is simple, but effective: Emmet and his mother Ma Otter, puppeted by Frank Oz and played by stage actress Marilyn Sokol, and her son Emmet, played by Jerry Nelson make not even enough to really get by doing odd jobs on the river, Ma doing the wash for various people and Emmet doing odd jobs. As we see on the scene of both jobs, the two get stiffed with Mrs. Fox faking a singe mark to try and get a refund and an old lady offering Emmet and his friends 50 cents to repaint her fence neglecting to metnion her fence is also half dead. The two barely get buy and while Emmet looks forward to Christmas, Ma is less jolly about it: they can't afford much to eat let alone presents. It's a well done message: sometimes Christmas isn't something EVERYONE can afford and some struggle to just live, let alone provide gifts.

Not helping is the passing of Pa Otter, sir not apperaing in this film, who wasted money on Snake Oil, but no one wanted to oil a snake. The two seeing possible presents for each other at a music store, a piano for ma and a pearl trim guitar for Emmet, the two are talked into entering a music contest by their respective friends, emmet's variety of jug band buds whose names I don't remember and aren't really important and Hetty, ma's only friend. The catch is to even have a chance of winning.. they'd need to hock something from the other person, a weird, sad, all too probable take on Gift of the Magi: Emmet needs to turn his mom's washtub into a bass, the greatest instrument and Ma Otter needs a dress. Why Emmet's friends can't find an old washtub or use one of THEIR mother's washtubs and why Ma specifically needs a fancy dressy to compete..

So our heroes decide to take after pa and take a chance on something big, with enough left over to replace the thing they just.. outright stole to give their family member something better. MAYBE.

This could easily be more messed up, I mean their stealing to give each other presents.. but it's their desperate situation that makes this premise work: The two are barely getting jobs as is, and simply wanted their loved one to have a good christmas. It's better to gamble on a dream that may not come true, than to simply sit in abject misery, and the gamble still makes sense as neither knows abotu the other and thus isn't risking all their money. I bet both ma and emmet would do their hardest to make up the extra income. It's all worth it for what they assume will be a happy christmas. After all..

The two are geninely talented too: Emmet's band performs the in-universe standard Bar-B-Que , a fun and lively number we'll unpack later, and when someone else performs it and they don't want to be accused of copying at the talent contest, the main trope talent contests have but one that works here, the two make something up on the fly, Brothers. Likewise Mom blows THEM out of the water with the touching and thoughtful Our World.

Problem is... their good.. but they simply aren't as good as the best people there. And the best people there are

A bunch of punks seen earlier in the special causing havok every so often with really neat designs, including a fish that was .. tricky to puppet. David Goetz was entirely in black box gear to appear invisible.. and sitting on top of a forklift. so if someone move it.. his arm would've snapped off. You needed to know this because Muppet Performers go damn hard, but probably shouldn't of been at that level of risk.

I'll get into WHY this performance is so damn great later, but I like this plot point as not only is their consequence to hte gamble the otters look.. despite being huge jerks.. the river bottom band.. is talented. They won their win legitly: Their musically talented, have a nice theatricality and the stinger to it is that they likely didn't spend MUCH more: Only Chuck, their leader has a special outfit for the concert, and at most they fancied up their guitars.. or stole them. Did anyone check paul williams? Is Paul okay? I think they might've mugged Paul Williams.

It's a hard truth: you can be really great for what you have.. but if someone can outspend you while also having just as much talent, or simply has more people to pool resoruces and mug paul williams. I mean their just four beavers and a middle aged beaver, they can't mug paul williams. He's paul williams. It takes at LEAST a snake and some weird fish to beat paul williams. Everyone knows that. The River Bottom Nightmare Band (Technically the nightmare but I prefer the longer name), are just.. good. It's a trope i've only seen so often, most recently with Glitz and Glam's number Klown Bitch from helluva boss, but it's one i like: it's easy to have the jerk antagonist in a picture win or come damn close simply because they bought their way to victory, bribed or whatever and are untalented.. it's a harder truth that sometimes, assholes be talented. And sexy as both the twins and the river bottom nightmare band show.

At any rate our heroes loose, and loose big, having nothing left but each other.. though I also like that there's no recrimination, no blame.. they both get what they did, that their kinda screwed.. but it wasn't done out of greed.. but out of love for one another. If they can't hold onto that, what DO they have left? So they combine their two songs into one beautiful melody of togetherness, a sweet song trying to welcome all.

Naturally though they still get a happy ending as a bullfrog what been in this story on and off, including being a contest judget, who runs the local inn hears their duet and offers them to be his house band. So our heroes win.. simply by being good people, and said risk paid off as he already saw they could perform profesionally. They never go hungry again.

Also Kermit was here. Yeah Kermit opens and closes the show and apparently in previous versions narrated it. It'd be nothing more than just a neat cameo.. if it wasn't also the reason this special was in limbo for a decade, with only one early dvd release. The reason is understandable: Kermit got bought by disney, Emmet Otter belongs to the jim Henson company, so it was a rights issue kerfuffle, with some versions removing kermit to still at least air the special. Eventually shit was worked out and as of last year you can stream the special on peacock and at the time of this article can also stream it on Amazon Prime, which I used. No adds and such.

Paul Williams Baby:

I really could end it there: Pauls work on The Muppet Movie, Muppet Christmas Carol and Phantom of the Paradise all speaks for itself, Emmet Otter is no exception. But it's not my job to let work speak for itself, so here we go.

The special opens with The Bathing Suit Your Grandma Otter Wore, a goofy song about one of the Otter family's grandma. While the jokes are mostly "Gee Grandma Otter sure was fat wasn't she" it dosen't come off as fat shaming, more some playful joking... or alternatively.

But either way it's meant with a goofy tone and comes off like the sort of joke Grandma Otter herself told, more a fond rememberance by sharing her humor. Or it was just the 70's and this was still okay, but I just.. can't detect any malice from this. Trust me i've seen out and out fat shaming jokes plenty. This.. just isn't it. THIS is fat shaming.

The one bathing suit your grandma otter wore is just goofy. It's too goofy to get really mad at. Like the actual goofy. He may destroy yoru house but only someone without a soul or donald duck who has suffered enough at his hands to get an exemption can truly get mad at goofy.

Where The River Meets the Sea.. wasn't in the original version of this review because i'm stupid, but is now. i'ts a beauitful song I feel deeply ashamed having missed and was williams taking a song MENTIONED in the book and expanding it.

There Ain't No Hole in the washtub is the thing I remembered most after catching this special on Cartoon Network once as a kid outside of one number we'll get to towards the end. A fast paced, fun country number with some really nice pattering from Nelson and Sokol. IT's just pure country fun.

Bar-b-que: another fun fast paced country number. And look I won't lie these first three songs are pretty simple but it dosen't make them any less fun and I get what Henson and Williams were going for: a sort of theme park version of the country, but without getting offensive. Hence a quick country song about a mess of barbeque is just.. fun, wholesome and really makes me want some ribs. Soon... soon.

Our World is a genuinely sweet song by Ma Otter, with a good message about being welcoming to all and not letting hate in. Sokol sings the hell out of it and i'ts why the first few songs sorta. It's a touching calll for peace and unity.. which given in the years sense this special we've gotten so much war on christmas nonsense and calls to stop letting everyone into the holidays, is a really nice thing to here

The Jugbands song, Brothers is also really nice. it has a fast tempo like Ain't No Hole and Barbeque, but takes it up a peg, while having a really ncie message about found family comparing themselves to "long lost brothers"... a sentiment certainly shared by most of the henson crew.

River Bottom Nightmare Band. Oh baby this song. It stands out in part because it's diffrent from the folk stylings of the rest of the tracks, being a glam rock number which Williams was already skilled at thanks to phantom of the paradise. He takes it up a notch here, just having the rive rbottom nightmare band be card carying villians talking about how they don't brush their teeth so their toothaches make them mean and grass dosen't grow whereever they standddddd

It's the standout track on an already stellar lineup.

The final track though comes close and is a work of musical genius: Williams had to build Our World and Brothers to function well on their own.. and PERFECTLY together. While Mash Ups aren't exactly uncommon nowadays, it's not Williams tweaking with two unrelated songs.. he built TWO diffrent songs, complete and still damn good and made it so they interlocked perfectly. That my friends takes talents and what makes this my second favorite track of the special: a heartfelt song of unity, warmth and peace to close out a special that's kind wholesome and wonderful.

Our WOrld:

So yeah.. Emmet Otter's is great. Even beyond the heartwarming and sadly still all too relevant story that manages to sneak in an aseop about poverty, it's a heartwarming tale tha thas a lot of technical mastery packed into a simple, moving tale. It also has sexy glamorck bear monsters who apparently pissed off the mayhem, so it has that. It's a wonderful, well done, simple special that touches the heart. It's worth a watch if you haven't seen it.

Now before we go , something I haven't done in a while as I haven't been covering as many films muppet wise: i'ts time to bring back ye old letterboxd ranking list!

As you can see Emmett Otter shot right up there to #3 and it's well done technical work and warm soundtrack earn it that place. It was a joy to see this again and to cover it and I hope if you haven't seen the special you will and if you have you enjoyed this look at it. Thanks for reading.

Next Time: We can finally do one of these with confidence as next time we go to a land down under to visit australian human and muppet do Sammy J and Randy as they stake out on Bin Night.

[amica-aenigmata-naboo]

Not to Me

Christian Yu/Mito x Y/N - drabble - 861 WC

Masterlist

Warnings: TW! mention of suicidal ideation, depression, fear, fluff, comfort, jealousy, hugs and kisses for the special bb boy, so much love its almost gross

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Christian watched from across the room as you spoke to Da-bin. You laughed, hard. You playfully shoved him, almost spilling your champagne. Christian sat in the shadows, the party for the Dream Reborn World Tour was in full swing and had been for hours. Christian was exhausted and defeated. His whole heart had gone into getting the tour going. He had rarely seen you over the past two months and you were nothing but understanding. Yet he couldn’t help but feel like the long hours had put a wedge in your relationship and it was all his fault. So there he sat, watching you and his band member talk. He knew in his soul you would never cheat on him, but that didn’t make him any less jealous. Didn’t make him want to somehow fix it all and beg for you to stay. He could feel Mito inside, aching to take over. He fought so hard to be himself while all this was going on, to be normal. But he was losing the fight; he stood up slinking out of the venue. He lit a cigarette as he walked through the city, wandering back towards your shared apartment. At some point during the walk it wasn’t Christian moving, it was Mito. He had no idea how he ended up at the Han River but he did. Even worse, he was looking over the edge of the bridge into the deep blue below. He leaned in, closer to the edge. His foot slipped, a shoe coming off and pulling him back into reality. He stepped away from the edge, stumbling backwards before deciding to run home. Even Mito was scared of the hasty decision he might make. Once home he collapsed in your shared bed, wanting to escape his own mind.

--------------------------------------

“Christian?!” you screamed as you bolted through the front door.

Mito woke up with a start; why did you sound so panicked? He sat up, stretching a bit before the bedroom door flew open and startled him. 

“Oh my god…” you sobbed, running to him and engulfing him in a bone crushing hug. 

He felt confused but hugged you back instantly, “Baby? What’s wrong?” 

You leaned back, your voice sounding angry but also pained, “What’s wrong? What’s wrong? Are you kidding me??” you said searching his face.

He looked genuinely confused.

“I have been calling you since I saw you slip out for a smoke at the party. I thought you might want some space so I didn’t follow you but then… then you didn’t come back.” you said, eyes becoming big and round. “I called you so many times… you never answered. I got nervous and left the party. I walked home just in case. And what do I find at the fucking Han River? Your fucking shoe!” you said, hitting him in the chest as your tears pick back up. 

Oh. He understood now. “You… you thought I…” he gulped.

“I thought you jumped!” you yelled at him. You weren’t angry and he knew that, you were worried to death. “The only reason there isn’t a S.W.A.T. team searching for your ass is because I checked your location!” you hit his chest once again.

You took a breath, trying to steady yourself.

“I thought… I thought you were dead.” you cried, holding his face in your hands just to confirm to yourself that he was real and there with you, not at the bottom of a river. 

Mito kissed over your cheeks, catching your tears on his lips. He felt himself crying. Not only because of the fear he instilled in you but the fact that your nightmare had crossed his mind as an idea just hours previously. He felt ashamed and the question of why you were with him drowned his mind. “I’m ok…” was all he could think to say - over and over again until your sobs turned into sniffles. 

“I love you,” you said, “Don’t ever fucking scare me like that again.” you said in all seriousness. The way your heart dropped when you saw his shoe on the side of the bridge. It felt like your soul was ripped out. You had never rushed home so fast after picking up his distinct shoe (the one you painted red hearts on). You felt some relief when his location was current and said your shared address but that didn’t stop your mind from racing with all the other horrible things that could be happening to him. 

“I’m sorry…” he whispered, “I love you too… I don’t understand…” you could barely hear the last part. 

“Don’t understand what?” you said, thumbing over his cheeks. 

“Why do you love me?” he asked. His eyes looked so pained, so full of fear. 

You smiled at him softly, “You are my happiness. My sun, moon, and stars. Everything fades into background noise with you. You’re all I want and all I’ll ever need.” you said, sounding so sure of yourself and the decision to love him.

“It’s rotten work loving me,” he said.

“Not to me.” you assured him, kissing him so passionately it took his breath away.

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Naboo's Note:

Two requests in one fic! Hello all, sorry for the little break, life was life-ing and got very busy very fast. I hope to post more but there will be another community update soon that I think would be helpful to read so I don't get anyones hopes up too high. Thanks for sticking around, XOXOXOXOXOXO!!!!!!!!!

[blouisparadise]

Upon request, today we have a rec list of bottom Louis fics where either Louis or Harry has amnesia. If you enjoy our rec lists, please be sure to like and reblog this post to help spread the word. Happy reading!

1) Finding Thoughts | Teen & Up | 6,810 words

"Hi, my name is Louis Tomlinson and I suffer from short term memory loss."

2) Our Love Was Made For Movie Screens. | Not Rated | 8,106 words

Harry wakes up and doesn't know anything about anything and Louis is his omega.

3) Cause I’m Really Not Fine At All | Mature | 13,679 words

Louis Tomlinson, one of the famous members of One Direction, is involved in a car accident that caused him to have amnesia, wiping all the last five years of his life from the memory. The interesting part is he may not remember that he has a girlfriend now, yet his mind seems to think that he has been in a relationship with one of the members, Harry Styles. Harry is baffled and shocked at the situation that's thrown in his face. He finds himself learning how to be a good boyfriend for Louis. It has to be easy.. right?

4) Indestructible | Explicit | 24,243 words

“Hi,” Harry murmurs, and Louis hiccups out a sob. “Hi,” he manages, still clutching onto Harry’s shoulders. Harry’s fingers drift across Louis’ cheeks, and there’s something off about Harry’s expression, but Louis can’t figure out what it is. “I’m okay,” Harry says, and Louis is going to say something to that, even if he doesn’t know what, except Harry’s kissing him. Louis freezes.

5) The Way This River Runs | Explicit | 27,417 words

Louis is provided a chance to start over. He takes it.

6) Deleted Scenes | Explicit | 33,623 words

Agent Harry Styles was injured on the job a few months back, and gets roped in one last mission before he can retire prematurely: playing house with Louis, a widower who has amnesia. The assignment seems simple at the beginning, but soon enough Harry's twisted in a web of his own making, and can't get out anymore.

7) Just A Pretty Boy | Explicit | 35,614 words

The alpha in front of him wasn’t only tall, but used every inch of his body to look even more threatening. He looked as shocked as Joseph felt, in his eyes he could clearly see horror and anger mixed into an odd and painful mix. It was as if he just watched a ghost or a monster from a nightmare come to life.  “Louis…” he said with a low voice. It wasn’t a question, he was calling Joseph by that name.  The crease between Joseph’s brows deepened. “Who?” Louis and Harry were married until, one day, Louis passed away in a tragic accident. Years later, he is found alive and with a thousand questions plaguing his mind. The most important ones; was his husband involved in his disappearance? And, how long did it take Harry and his best friend to fall in love after his supposed dead?

8) The Things I’d Do To Wake Up Next To You | Mature | 36,109 words

AU. Harry wakes up to a pregnant Louis Tomlinson and a wedding band on his finger.

9) Strangers In Love | Explicit | 42,207 words

Louis wakes up to find himself in a marriage with the last man he thought he'd ever end up with.

10) Define Me Again | Mature | 54,385 words

He's never felt so frightened in his life before, so fucking terrified for himself. And Louis. He looked down at their hands, which seemed to have been connected throughout the incident. He looked at the ring on Louis' hand, for the nth time that day. His heart hurt so bad now, he was terrified. He wanted to do so many things, he wanted to check on louis, if he- if he- God he couldn't even think about it. "Louis," he tried to whisper, but nothing but air came out from his mouth. "I love you, Harry," whispered a voice. But it was nowhere near him. Visions attacked his mind, rapidly flickering through like one would do the pages of a book. He was terrified. His entire life literally flashed in his mind, vision growing more and more weak and he fought unconsciousness. Memories and the picture of Louis lying unconscious in front of him altered and flickered, so rapidly that he felt dizzy with how fast his mind was whirring. What happens when you die? God he was so, so, so, fucking terrified. All his senses gave out, last thing he felt was Louis' hand in his and then, everything went black.

11) Flash Back To Me | Explicit | 73,068 words | Prequel

Louis narrows his eyes, wanting more than anything to tell Liam to go fuck himself, but he can’t be sure, is the thing. As much as he knows for a fact that he would never date someone like Harry Styles, he has months missing from his memory. And it’s scary to think that, in that time, everything he’s come to know about himself could have changed so drastically.

12) Consequences | Explicit | 78,556 words

Two years ago Harry let his powerful family come between him and the love of his life, something he deeply regrets. Louis has tried to move on from their devastating break up. Sometimes, he even thinks he has. It only takes one moment to freeze them back in time.

13) Invisible String | Explicit | 84,726 words

Louis swears on his life that that man came out of literal nowhere and he thanks each lucky star for having good breaks in his car. This strange alpha also happens to be the most beautiful being Louis has laid his eyes on. For some unknown reason, the omega feels safe around the alpha. It might seem strange, but you can't always explain why or how things are the way they are. All you can really be sure of is that they happen for a reason. There's a higher power (call it what you want) that knows better and definitely knows more than you do.

14) The Dead Of July | Explicit | 117,446 words

Harry is Captain America, and Louis’ been dead for 70 years.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

[haunted-headset-alt]

"do you think we're soulmates in every universe?"

"are we even soulmates in this one?"

₊˚⊹☆ some basic info: you can call me haunty, haunted, robin, robbie, calypso, venus, or birdy <3 | minor | a taurus born in may | intp-t | writer kid | slytherin | art enjoyer | i like chocolate, cats, rain, books, & Times New Roman font! | godly parent is Hades

things i adore <3

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ artists/bands: 6arelyhuman | alex g | arctic monkeys | beabadoobee | bears in trees | bo burnham | carpetgarden | cavetown | conan gray | frankie cosmos | girl in red | good kid | grlwood | jack stauber's micropop | james marriott | lana del ray | laura les | lemon demon | lyn lapid | mccafferty | mitski | mickey darling | maneskin | mxmtoon | maneskin |pinkpanthress | psychedelic porn crumpets | ricky jamaraz | rio romeo | surf curse | the royston club | the smiths | the strokes | tv girl | tyler, the creator | tally hall | wallows | weezer

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ albums/eps: who really cares | french exit | if i could make it go quiet | favorite worst nightmare | am | bury me at makeout creek | puberty 2 | worm food | sleepy head | hot fuss | be the cowboy | are we there yet? | bitter tongues | coasting | hazbin hotel soundtrack | good kid 4 | beachboy | rush! (are u coming?) | the queen is dead | hatful of hollow | buds | summer's over | flower boy | pinkerton

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ songs: sailor song | heaven knows i'm miserable now | deceptacon | i just threw out the love of my dreams | 505 | my love mine all mine | mis | mary | things to do | bottom | alligator skin boots | tear you apart | sister | stayed gone | basket case | mayonaka no door | red light indicates doors are secured | goodbye, my danish sweetheart | taking what's not yours | nobody | drunk walk home | not allowed | lovers rock | american river | over & over | hey lover

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ books: if we were villains | the starless sea | heartstopper | hooky | pride & prejudice | the night circus | i fell in love with hope | radio silence | solitaire | loveless | i was born for this | nick & charlie

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ films: coraline | opal | shop: a pop opera | corpse bride | hunger games

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ shows: total drama island | over the garden wall | friends | family matters | fresh prince of bel-air

˚｡⋆ games: deltarune | undertale | animal crossing | little nightmares | pikmin | doodle jump | unravel | unravel two | five nights at freddy's

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ characters: charlie spring | victoria spring | michael holden | tao xu | aled last | darcy olsen | elle argent | tara jones | nick nelson | lorenzo berkshire | mattheo riddle | tom riddle | keroppi | papyrus | cinnamaroll | pompompurin | pochacco | opal

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credits to @daydream-of-a-wallflower for the blog layout idea!

credits to @starzyyy1 for the dividers!

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ anons: 🪱

[nightmaremp]

Weremayhem: Song of Beasts. Ch 34: Panic of Feline

 Xavier left the Shack a few minutes after meeting his older brother, Teeth. He huffs as he drives back to his hotel. The ginger haired male rubbed his goatee to try calming himself down. Xavier wishes for his wife, Ruby to be here and tell him that things are fine. 

“Am I….being harsh on him?” he asked himself. The ginger haired male quickly shakes his head. 

“No! I’m not. He deserves it!” Xavier said to himself as he pulled into the hotel parking lot. 

Back at the shack and in the basement, the Mayhem were checking their phones out. “Hey” said Dr. Teeth to his bandmates. 

“Talk about a revelation of momentous proportions” he added with a smile. 

“We twittered once, and now the world’s twittering back.” said the doc. The band agrees. 

“The instant gratification is a hit of sheer dopamine surging through my cranium. I am sold” replied Floyd. Lips mumbles. 

“Don’t be,” said Moog as he walked over to the band with a worried look on his face as he held a sleeping Annie in his arms. 

“The Mayhem doesn’t tweet their fans online,” he added. 

“You meet your fans in real life and befriend them,” said the black haired male. 

“And tell them the very intimate details of your personal life,” he added. 

“But, like, now, we’re socially connecting with, like, way more people” replied Janice. 

“It’s like a virtual Woodstock,” she added. 

“Yep, except maybe this time we remember it” replied Floyd Pepper with a laugh. The whole back starts to laugh with the red haired male. 

“Wow. For sure” replied the blonde female. 

“Ooh! Lookie here” said the good doctor as he showed Floyd his phone. 

“Miss Taylor Swift and that Justin Bieber kid just followed us,” he added. 

“Oh, Beyonce and Gaga just tweeted, Whaddup?” replied the red haired male. 

“And Jack Harlow just, like, slid into my DMs” replied Jancie. 

“Don’t know what that means,” replied Floyd Pepper. 

“You know, It’d be most disrespectful not to respond to them all” said Dr. Teeth. 

“Agreed” replied Floyd. The trumpet player and saxophonist both nod their heads. 

“How’s about something like” he started to say before typing. 

“To our fellow music makers, you’re all absotively tremendulous.” The doc type. 

“Right on” said the red haired male. 

“You are all truly talenticious, with stupendorous fans” the good doctor added. 

“Love it” said Floyd Pepper. 

“And send” said the ginger haired male. He sent the tweet. 

Hours later, they were all in Penny’s office. She had her computer turn to the group. It shows Teeth’s tweet. It said “ To our fellow music makers. You’re absolutely terrible. You are all truly talentless with stupid fans.” 

The tweet wasn’t what Dr. Teeth wanted to write. “This is your idea of good publicity?” asked Mrs. Waxman with a scowl on her face. 

“Now, to be clear, the phone tarnishified my beauteous words for some strangestical reason” replied the doc. 

“It’s because your words aren’t actual words” replied Nora. 

“The what?” asked Lips. 

“Yeah, they were autocorrected,” replied Moog. 

“Who is this smart guy and why is he talking to me?” asked the pink haired female, her voice tone sound upset. 

“Now, I’m even more aggravated” she added as she added hot sauce to her sandwich. 

“Don’t be, okay? I will figure out a way to fix this” replied Label Lady. 

“Yeah, while you’re at it, I’m out of Satan’s Blow Out sauce. So you can fix that too” replied Penny Waxman. 

“The hotter, the better,” she added. The good doctor shake his head and let out a “Phew” 

On the way back to the Shack, Nora is upset with the tweet. “This is craziness” said Moog. 

“With one tweet. You started beef with all of music” he added. 

“No beef, please. My vegan belly rejects all bovine” replied Janice. 

“Yeah, we don’t beef with nobody” replied Floyd. 

“Well, except that one band from River Bottom,” he added. 

“Yeah, they were a nightmare” replied Teeth. 

“So, when do I get my photos?” asked Zoot as he turned to Label Lady. 

“Okay, one thing at a time. Okay? First, damage control” said the black haired female. 

“I’m sure JJ’s got a way to fix this whole mess,” she added. 

As they drive through town, suddenly a purple vehicle brakes in front of them. “Hey, now!” said the doc. A green car and a reddish orange jeep pulled up on each side of the van. People in the vehicles can be heard yelling at the mayhem, angrily. A yellow car with black stripes on the hood of it pulled up behind the van. 

The van was square in. Nowhere to run, no exit for them. 

“What’s happening?” asked Nora in a panic tone. 

“Trouble,” replied Moog with wide eyes. The people start to exit their cars. 

Out of the red jeep were a bunch of girls. “Are those Taylor Swift fans?” asked Label Lady. 

“And our vengeance shall be swift” said the leader of the group. 

Dr. Teeth start to stammering and look very panicked. “Why are they doing that?” he asked. The ginger haired male could feel his heart beating faster. His body felt the signs of danger. His pupils quickly change to those of felines. 

“Okay, teeth. Get us out of here!” said Nora in a panic tone of voice. 

“Behind us!” said Janice. The doors to the yellow car opens and a group of women in black leather outfits exit it. 

“You come for our queen, Beyonce. You’re gonna get stung” said the leader of the Beyonce fans. 

“Oh man, we got the BeyHive in the back and the Beliebers in the front, y’all” said Moog in a fear filled tone. 

Out of the purple car, the Beliebers exit it. “You better belieb it’s go time, '' said the leader with her arms crossed. 

“Seems we’ve been emboxified in” said the good doctor. Floyd looked at Teeth and noticed the doc’s eyes were slowly getting more yellow. This isn't  good. They need to leave or otherwise, a oversized feline looking beast be rampaging through town. 

“Oh, my Gaga! It’s the Little Monsters!” said the black haired male. Out of the green car, the group of the fans exit. 

“Mayhem, come out to play,” said the leader in a creepy tone of voice. The mayhem starts to panic. 

“It’s too late now to say sorry!” said the leader of the Beliebers as they all started to attack the van. The groups all try to get into the van or destroy it. 

“What do they want from us?” asked Nora in a fear filled tone. 

“Vengeance” replied Moog. “Look, as a superfan myself, I know how it works,” he added. 

“You cold diss their leader, you cold diss them all” said the black haired male. 

“But how do they even know where to find us?” asked Jancie in a panic tone. 

“It’s the phones, man! I told you they track us!” replied Floyd as he turned to Janice for a second. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed Teeth’s face was…changing with each quick breath. 

“Yeah. It’s okay. Just everybody calm down!” said Label Lady in a panic tone. 

Suddenly hands come through the window on top of the van’s roof and grab Lips. The trumpet player starts to panic as he tries to get out of the grips of the hands. The blonde male was pulled out from the window. 

“They got Lips!” said Janice. 

“Bring him back!” yelled Moog. 

Teeth’s breathing was getting heavy. Sounds of clothes ripping filled the van. A wave of fear wash over everyone. The doc’s face was a mix of his face and his wereform face. His hair was slowly melting into his skin to form fur. The nails on his fingers had turned into claws. 

Zoot quickly grabbed some spare chain they have for Animal and crawled to the front. He quickly ties the chain around Teeth’s neck which the good doctor didn’t even notice. The dark blue haired male knows what will happen next. 

Suddenly the passenger door to the van was ripped off. “They got the door!” yelled Dr. Teeth, his voice was deep and sounded like it is in panic. 

“Oh my God!” yelled the mayhem fan as fear filled his body. The group of fans grabbed Floyd Pepper. 

“Oh no! They got me!” yelled the red haired male in fear. The band screams in fear. As the fans try to get the other members. 

Something suddenly busted through the roof of the van and the sound of the purple car being thrown on its side filled the air. The fans that were attacking quickly looked but it was gone. They continue to attack the van while the rest of the band try to fight them off. 

The thing that busted through the van was…Dr. Teeth in his wereblood form. The beast was running like a cheetah through the town and onto the big road. Zoot was holding for dear life on the back of the doc. He had a death grip on the chain and on the back of the feline. The saxophonist tried to move Teeth to run to the Shack. 

It wasn’t working. Zoot sat up like he was riding a horse. He looked at the sides of Teeth and gulped. “I’m sorry, love but I have to” the dark blue haired male said before using the heels of his dress shoes to kick the sides of Teeth. Hitting the feline on his stomach. 

The pupils of the beast grow small as it changes directions to the Shack. Zoot used the chain to lead the feline. 

Teeth was panting as he ran on all fours. The white vest he was wearing had been ripped in half and flew off his moving body. His rainbow color shirt with designs all over it was hanging on his huge body for dear life like Zoot. The beast’s claws hit the concrete roads as he speeds past cars and bikes. There were some tears in his eyes as he ran like the wind. 

The pants that the doc was wearing was ripped but still on him, same with his black boxers. The shoes were destroyed and left in the van. 

The saxophonist holds on and keeps the feline on the track to the Shack. The feline kept running and jumping over things as they got closer to the Shack. 

[ganseylike]

merry christmas unfortunately kavinsky’s gang is river bottom nightmare band-coded

[raye-roye]

10:09 PM time for River Bottom Nightmare Band

[sofiiel]

There & Back Again : xreader addition (fem/afab)

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐎: 8000+ words: (CW: angst. nightmares. strained family dynamic. mentions of blood. depictions of bullying)

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Soft knocks shook the bathroom door, causing you to jump.

"Sorry! It's just me....um I've got a box of stuff, alcohol wipes, band-aids, I dunno, cotton and shit. Might be helpful." Eddie said, looking up at the door.

He waited for a response, but you remained quiet.

You watched the door with caution, a damp wad of tissue turned a soft pink in one hand.

"Um... I'm just gonna leave it at the door, and I'll be....up front if you need anything." Eddie offered.

You could hear items rattle just outside.

Throwing the tissue into the toilet and flushing, you crept to the door. Opening it slightly, you pulled the box inside before closing the door.

Hearing the toilet flush several times, Eddie turned on his stereo fairly loud before taking a seat on the sofa.

"This shit is fucking insane," he thought, pressing his knuckles to his mouth.

If there had been a time when he needed his Uncle to return home early, it was now.  Bouncing one leg up and down nervously, Eddie sighed.

"You don't end up like that with some simple nodding off and rolling off the road." Eddie thought, recalling the welts on your arms and exposed across your chest where the dress looked to have been ripped open.

Eddie gave his head a hard shake, hoping to knock the image of little rivers of blood trickling down your legs, and the discoloration that was forming.

Hearing the door open, Eddie glanced up, "you ok?" He asked cautiously.

You stood in the hall before the bathroom door, you didn't know how to answer as he watched you like you would collapse at any given moment.

Chewing your lip, you side glanced, the box of medical aid in hand.

"Um... I-I'm ok." you said quietly. 

Pushing off the sofa Eddie headed towards you and you were quick to take a few steps back. 

With a tilt of his head, Eddie looked down at your trembling arms.

He then spoke softly, "Ok, it's ok. You're ok."

Holding a hand out in front of himself as if calming a frightened stray.

"I'm just gonna get the box." He said, taking timid timed steps towards you.

"You look like you really went through it, would you like some water before I take you to that payphone?" He asked.

you watched Eddie's Chameleon-like steps and relaxed slightly, under different circumstances you might have laughed, but rather all you could think was-

"I must look a terrified mess"

And your mind answered, "you are."

"Or you can use the phone here to call-"

you cut off his words quickly, "No!"

Eddie held his hands up and stopped walking. 

His tongue stuck out from his lips a bit as he side glanced.

"That isn't good, is it?" He thought.

"Ok, we'll go to the payphone" he reassured, slowly taking the box from your hands. 

As his fingertips lightly grazed over your own, you felt the first bit of warmth you'd felt all night, for a fleeting second.

"I'm going to put this back," Eddie said, he waited for an answer and received a small nod before heading back into the kitchen. 

"So water?" He asked reaching up towards the cabinet containing glasses.

"Please," you said.

"Coming, right up." Eddie sang slightly under his breath, opening the freezer and cracking three ice cubes free from the tray.

You watched him intently as he filled the glass with Ice and turned on the faucet. You lick your bottom lip as your throat suddenly felt scratchy and burned slightly. The kind of feeling one gets when you've run until your lungs are caving in. 

"Here you go," Eddie said. Turning to you he handed you the cool glass of water. 

you held it up to the light and examined it causing Eddie to arch a brow.

"Heh, I know most people don't have nice things to say about me but...." Eddie murmured, suddenly feeling awkward as he twirled his hair around his finger.

"I'd like to think I wouldn't lace an injured girl's water." He said.

Startled, you lowered the glass, "I-I'm sorry it's just a habit....really." you said quickly.

"I just...." you stopped yourself.

Your gaze lowered regretfully, "I can't explain to him why." you thought, quietly taking a sip.

You could feel him looking at you, awaiting the full explanation.  So quickly you downed the water and passed back the glass. 

"Thank you." you murmured.

"Anytime? Though hopefully not like this again." Eddie sighed.

"You ready?" he asked, gathering his car keys.

You gave a feeble nod and went to take off Eddie's jacket.

"You can keep that until we get you to a phone, or longer. You can just give it back to me at school." Eddie said holding the door open.

You zipped the jacket and stepped outside, you watched Eddie close and locked up his house before heading for his van.

"Do you always help random strangers?" you asked while Eddie held open the passenger side door.

He shrugged, "not always, most people are terrible, so no." He said.

"And I'm not terrible?" you asked.

Eddie closed the door for you once you had taken a seat.

"Not when you come out of the woods looking like road pizza warmed over." Eddie hummed, walking around the car and getting in himself.

You sat looking at your hands while Eddie was driving.

The roads this late in the night were virtually void of life and Hawkins felt like another world.

"So...was that you out in the woods the other day?" you mind kept asking over and over, but you could not seem to get the words to come out of your mouth.

"So um.... I saw you in the woods with Buckley the other day." Eddie said.

your head snapped up, and you turned to look at him, wide-eyed.

"I think I spooked you, so I did the less sensible thing to do, and hid." Eddie said playfully, carefully gauging your reaction.

"I would have never thought the sister of laundry ball jock, Patrick McKinney, could-"

"Hang out with someone like Robin?" you shot sharply. 

"No" Eddie breathed glancing your way, "well a little bit, but not what I was going to say." He said.

"Oh...sorry" you murmured, looking back down at your hands. your mind screaming at you as you sank into your own embarrassment.

"I can't keep offending this guy." you thought.

"I meant, that Pat's sister could dance like that. It's like you were the girl version of Mister Fantastic." Eddie said animatedly.

Had you not been exhausted, it would have been hilarious, the expression on his face.

"T-the...comic book character?" you asked him.

"You know him?" Eddie asked.

You sucked in your lips, you knew Patrick wouldn't be happy about it. divulging a secret such as this. But something about Eddie made you want to talk.

A feeling you hadn't felt in a long time.

"No, but..." you paused.

Your words stuck again in her head, "My brother used to have The Fantastic Four comic books" her mind said.

Eddie glanced at you once more and raised a brow, waiting patiently.

"Um....my brother used to love The Fantastic Four comics." the words finally tumbled out in an uneasy stumble.

"No way, McKinney." Eddie sang.

Getting words from you was like pulling teeth, but he could hear an underlying relief in your tone the moment you finally spoke, and that made him want to keep plucking away.

"Hard to believe, I know." you sighed.

Eddie could hear a sadness falling back into your words.

"You two close?" He asked.

"Not anymore," you answered something in your voice wistful.

"Thank you for helping me." you said, seeing the payphone come into view as they neared the Big Buy parking lot.

"No problem, but you should be more careful, don't party so hard you nod off behind the wheel." Eddie joked.

You flashed him a struggling smile.

"Ah,"  Eddie hummed, digging around in the middle portion of his van. 

You could hear change clinking around.

Eddie held out two quarters towards you, "Here, on me." He said with a smile.

"I can't," you said quickly.

Eddie shrugged, "It's fifty cents, and no offense, but you don't have a purse or pockets." Eddie said with a sheepish smile as you checked over yourself. 

"Oh....right." you breathed.

"Come on, a quarter for the call and one in case, like most sane people, your dad is sleeping by now," said Eddie.

You took the change and hopped out of the car, Eddie rolled down his window and glanced around them watchfully.

"I'll stay until you say someone is coming for you." He called to you.

You gave a nod and entered the phone booth, slipping a quarter in you picked up and dialed. Your nerves stood on edge while you awaited an answer.

"Hello this is the household of Gregory McKinney, We are sorry to have missed your call, but if you would leave your name and number, we will get back to you at our earliest convenience. Have a blessed day."

The overly pleasant tone of your Mother's office voice chimed before the beep.

"Um... Sir, something happened. I'm at the payphone near the market. I need someone to get me. Please. I'm- I'm sorry. I'll be calling back." you spoke quietly into the phone before hanging up. 

You looked down at the second quarter, it might not be wise to use it directly after not getting an answer.

You looked towards Eddie and the van.

"It is late, I can't keep him out here - he's got school tomorrow just as much as I do." You thought to yourself, turning to the phone and trying again.

This time someone picked up, yet without so much as a hello they hung up loudly.

Your mouth tumbled open as you drew the phone away from her ear.

"What?" you asked.

"Do they know what happened?" your mind panicked.

"And do they blame me for it? I'm just as clueless as they are..." you thought.

There was a light knock on the glass of the booth, you jumped and hung up the phone, whirling around to see Eddie waving as he opened the door.

"Any luck? I've got a few more quarters." He offered.

You bit your lip and gave him a guilty glance.

"I'm sorry they aren't picking up right now." you said.

"I don't want to hold you up, you can head on back home. I'm fine." you said quickly.

Eddie laughed, "if you think this is late for me, you're adorable." He snickered, leaning his back against the booth.

With his arms folded across his chest, Eddie looked at the sky.

"I don't get to sleep until around five a.m on Tuesdays after we play a set, granted, I don't exactly make it to school on time." He chuckled, almost fondly.

"You say out until five?" you asked with wide eyes.

Eddie laughed, "You've never done it?" he asked.

"No, my dad would probably murder me." you murmured and while Eddie laughed, you wished you were more than halfway kidding.

"Aw come on Tinúviel, you're the daughter of the twilight, you're made for the night." He said with a cheeky smile.

Your mouth tumbled open and Eddie's face paled as he stood up straight.

"Oh shit" he cursed covering his mouth, "you don't ?" He asked muffled behind his hands.

Your expression while your cheeks flared up with heat under the streetlight answered any question he had.

"I wouldn't have...said anything if you had. I, well....shit." Eddie rambled.

"R-robin Buckley bought it for me because I... I like the Hobbit cartoon." you stammered, timidly glancing up at Eddie.

"Y-you think I remind you of...." you couldn't finish your question.

Eddie shrugged almost bashfully and cleared his throat.

"Ah, you gonna try to call again, or do you want me to just give you a lift back home?" He asked.

"Oh...I can try again..." you said, turning to the phone.

Eddie reached into his pocket, pulling a quarter out, he entered the booth and dropped it into the phone for you while you dialed. 

After three more failed attempts you hung up the payphone and exhaled.

"I am in so much trouble." you thought quickly becoming fidgety.

"Boy, and I thought my old man was king of the assholes." Eddie murmured.

You watched your feet.

"I'll take you home," Eddie said.

"I don't think that's a good idea," you murmured.

Eddie lowered his head to your eye level and grinned wide. "

That's why it's a great idea, no more than he deserves, right?" Eddie sang, heading toward his van.

"Had he been concerned, and didn't want the lady of the forest returning with someone like me, not that he knows who me is." Eddie went on with his great playful speech.

"He would have picked up the phone when it's the middle of the night and his little girl is out of the house." Eddie said.

Turning to you as you very slowly followed behind him, he dipped a brow at you.

"Your dad does know you left the house, right?" He asked.

You nodded and quietly walked around the Van to climb in.

"You can just drop me off down the street when we get close," you said.

Eddie could hear your voice tremble.

"If you're going to be in that much trouble, look, I'm pretty used to getting blamed for shit if you need a scapegoat." He offered his eyes to the road.

With eyes slightly narrowed, you watched Eddie carefully.

"You know, you're not at all like people say around school." you said.

"He's less menacing than my folks and their friends." you thought.

"I'm more of a lizard than a dragon," He said.

"You can laugh at live lizards" He chuckled.

You cracked a smile, struggling with the thought in your head that you would like to tell him you found him very nice.

But again the words would not leave the cage in your head.

Eddie carried the conversation on the way to bring you home, but you quickly noticed he was making a game out of drawing you out to talk or answer him.

Before either of you realized, you'd hit your block, and Eddie pulled his van to a stop.

His eyes were stuck to the street ahead of them, as were yours.

You could spot your house at the end of the block, and as your mood changed, it seemed the air around the two of you fell heavier.

"Are you sure, you're ok?" Eddie asked.

You gave a nod and exhaled unsteadily as you unbuckled your seatbelt and climbed out of the car. Your feet hitting the sidewalk made your legs feel weaker than they had at the payphone.

Eddie could see your hands slightly tremble in the dark.

"I'll see you tomorrow at school?" Eddie asked, he didn't know why it was well known that the McKinneys never skipped school.

"Y-yeah, thank you again, Eddie." you called out, unzipping his jacket you laid it in the seat of his car and closed the door behind you.

"Don't mention it, you be more careful out there." He said, watching you walk up the block.

He wouldn't move until he saw you go through the front door, and you were taking your time getting there.

A disquiet settled in his core as he watched you, and the closer you got to the front door, the worse it became.

Eddie found himself leaning forward against the steering wheel to get a bitter look as you walked up to your door.

The front door swung open, startling you and before Eddie could blink, someone snatched you inside by the arm.

Eddie continued to watch the door as if something more was going to happen after it closed. But the block lingered in silence, and his jaw ached from being clenched shut. 

"It's probably just a real pissed parent." He muttered to himself, "or her brother, it's late." Eddie said starting the car.

"Uncle Wayne works with McKinney around the plant...maybe I can ask him what kind of dude he is?" Eddie thought, backing away and heading back home.

Inside the McKinney home, you sat in the middle of the sofa before the scowls of your parents.

"What happened." your father seethed quietly.

"I don't know, I was doing what I was told, there was another girl there and...after I drank the wine I...faded out." you spoke quietly.

"I don't believe her, there's no way one girl overpowered Jeremy." your mother said.

"He played college ball for two years." She added.

Out of the corner of your eye, could see your brother exiting the kitchen and up the stairwell, an ice pack held to his shoulder.

You grimaced, he must have taken your father's ire again. You exhaled and returned your gaze to your parents.

"I don't know what she did or how she did it. I heard him scream when I fled. I-I didn't know what she was capable of, so while she was busy... I got out." You explained.

The lie coming far easier than you thought it would have. Still, you couldn't help but picture Amy's face.

"I left before she could call the cops or the Fords could call, that way no one could ask me questions," you said quietly.

"They would have wanted to know what I was doing there, no answer anyone could give would have seemed good, I mean...look at me." You spoke softly, gesturing to your dress.

Her mother's scowl grew, "watch your tone, you might have jeopardized your father's deal!" she barked. 

You shrunk back, "I didn't mean to," you said quietly.

"I thought it was the best thing to do. Next time...if there is a next time, I'll just stay and answer questions," you murmured.

"If you want to be snarky, go to your room!" her mother shouted.

You sighed inwardly, "gladly." you thought, wincing as you pushed your body off the couch and walked towards the stairs.

As the night went on, new things hurt within your body, and walking didn't get any easier.

With the door closed behind you, you just couldn't get out of that awful dress fast enough. Nearly tearing it from your body as tears fell.

"I hate the color red." you screamed in your mind.

Shelob sat near the glass of her tank, watching her human with her many eyes.

"Another night survived, Shelly....and this one wasn't anything like the others," you spoke below a whisper, walking to your pet.

"I think I met a friend," you said, and thinking back on it all.

You tilted your head, "actually.... I think I made two."

The next morning you arrived at school early. Your father had retrieved your car from the Ford's neighborhood sometime the night before.

Watching the students slowly file in, in droves, you could hardly keep your eyes open. 

With the same nightmares of the spider pit and the events of the night before, what little sleep you'd had gotten was miserable.

Even the two-hour-long shower had done little to soothe your body.

"Speaking of miserable," you said in a sigh, It was nearing summer and here you were, clad in a long sleeve shirt and pants.

"I always wear dresses..." you murmured.

"Hopefully Robin won't think too much of it. People change their style all the time. You just tell her you're experimenting if she asks." you thought to yourself, getting out of the car.

Walking was still painful, but there was little option than to try and walk as normally as possible.

"What'd they do to me last night?" you asked yourself.

"Hey, you ok, you look a bit like a zombie?" asked Robin.

"Fine, just a long night, and I ate too much, had nightmares, and rolled out of the bed." you said quickly.

Robin laughed, "Oh no! I thought I was the only one that happened to." she said.

"Was it red sauce...red sauce always get me, and candy." said Robin.

You nodded, "yep...yep, it was the pasta sauce." you said. Desperately trying to change the subject.

"Did you hear that someone robbed the Fords?" asked Robin.

You sucked in your lips nervously, "n-no, robbed?" you asked.

"Well, not really, they didn't get away with anything, but they bashed them up pretty good. I don't know what's happening to Hawkins anymore."  said Robin.

You shook your head, "who knows, maybe Hawkins hasn't changed, maybe its colors are just rising to the surface." you said.

"That...that got dark." Robin peeped. 

"I spent all night watching horror movies, I can't take that right now." she added.

"Sorry" you said. 

Further up the hall, a group of the usual misfits gathered around Eddie's locker.

"What kind of luck do you even have?" Scott asked him.

"I wouldn't call it lucky, she was in...bad shape," said Eddie.

"A crash is never nice, no matter how slow it was." Jeff reasoned.

"I guess. Something felt off." said Eddie.

"I was going to ask my Uncle about her family, He and her father have been working at that eerie plant for the same amount of time." He added.

Gareth frowned, "I've got gym with Carver's airhead lacky Chance. I hear Mr. McKinney's super strict." Garth spoke lowly.

"That ain't good, my friends. She didn't get home til around one or so." Eddie said.

Gareth winced, "well... Dads favor the daughter, right? I'm sure she got off easier than Patrick would have." he reasoned.

Eddie shrugged, "hell if I know, family dynamics are beyond me." He muttered.

"She's cool people, I'd hate to see her in trouble for something that isn't her fault," he added.

You found yourself wandering the halls alone, heading back to your locker before lunch to drop off some books. Lost in her thoughts about the night before, you had little time to react as a girl's shoulder smacked into your own.

The impact nearly spun you around, causing your arm and spine to protest as you stumbled, dropping your books and papers.

"Hey, watch where you're going, clutzy-McGee!" the girl called, stopping to laugh.

You gritted your teeth and silently started to gather your papers. Unfortunately, one happened to be under the girl's feet.

"Um...would you mind moving your foot please?" you asked quietly.

The girl held a hand to her ear, "I'm sorry what?" she asked cheekily.

"I just need you to move your foot," you said.

With a smirk, the girl slid her foot onto the paper more, turning her foot from side to side, rubbing the paper into the floor.

You exhaled and waited patiently, hoping that she would get bored and eventually continue up the hall.

"Honestly, how is this rag even related to Patrick." giggled another girl.

You frowned, "She's not, she's adopted." Patrick's voice echoed as he strolled by with Chance.

"Hi, Chance, Patrick." the girls greeted with overly sweet voices.

You rolled your eyes and tried to pull the paper out from under the girl, only to have her shift more weight onto it.

"Can't you just step off to the side?" you asked bitterly, your eyes narrowing slightly.

The sunlight pouring into the hall from the large windowed exits clouded over little by little.

"Oh, look, the mouse has a spine." the girl chuckled, stamping the paper even more.

You yelped as the paper ripped.

"What the hell!" You shouted.

"Oops." the girl said dryly.

"Hey, cut it out!"

You heard someone shout, the sound of little quick steps heading their way.

"Leave her alone, Chelsea," Nancy said with a stern glare.

Steve followed closely behind her. "What's going on here?" He asked casually. 

Your heart raced, "oh come on." you groaned inwardly.

"Chelsea is being a jerk, big surprise." Nancy snapped.

"R-really I'm fine," you murmured softly.

Steve looked down at the ripped paper and books lying about the floor.

"I was just helping her, she fell down. She's just so clumsy." Chelsea said, she flashed big green eyes and batted her eyelashes at Steve.

"Get real, I know how you are, Tommy used to date you." Steve scowled.

"Get off her paper." He ordered.

Chelsea rolled her eyes, "and help her pick up her things." He added.

But Chelsea scoffed, "as if, later much - loser." she called down to you.

"That girl is like catching athlete's foot," Steve murmured before helping Nancy pick up your books.

"Thank you both," you said softly.

"No problem, she really shouldn't have done all that," Nancy said with an apologetic smile.

"Really, hey, aren't you Patrick's older sister?" Steve asked.

"Uh...yeah." you murmured.

"Didn't he just pass?" Nancy asked, looking up the hall. 

You looked off uncomfortably and got back to your feet.

"He's going through some things at hte moment." You explained.

Again your body protested at the movement. Swaying a little as your legs felt weak.

"Are you feeling ok? You don't look so good?" Nancy asked with concern.

"I'm ok, just a little under the weather," you answered quickly.

The couple passed back your books, "Alright, well see you and hope you feel better!" Nancy called, following Steve towards the lunchroom.

On the inside, you didn't know if you were giddy or horribly humiliated by having to get help from Steve & Nancy that way.

You made your way to your locker at a snail's pace. Rounding a corner, you hugged your books to your chest. You were not going to drop them again.

"Whoa!" Eddie called, stepping back fast enough to stop the collision.

"Sorry about that." He said.

"You" you gasped.

Eddie smiled wide, "hey McKinney." he said with a playful wave.

"How're you feeling?" He asked, creating distance between you.

"Awful and it keeps getting worse," your mind said.

Instead, you smiled faintly "better" you lied.

Eddie gave you a skeptical gaze, "really?" he asked.

"Because no offense, but you don't look it." He said slowly.

Eddie's eyes fell on the many books in your arms, and so he held out his own.

"Here pass those over, I can carry them for you." He offered.

"No I- I'm fine, honestly," you said quickly, trying to walk around him.

When Eddie blocked your way by instinct, you flinched.

Eddie backed away carefully, "sorry," he said, though clearly confused by her reaction.

"Your arms are shaking, I don't mind." He said, holding out his arms again.

You caved in and passed him your books.

"Why are you being so nice?" you asked, eying him with caution.

Eddie shrugged, "people need reasons to do a good thing?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's how people work." you murmured.

"Yeah, well, as I'm sure you've heard - the jury is still out on me being considered people." Eddie joked, following you to your locker.

Side glancing at Eddie, you shook your head.

At your locker, you took the books from Eddie and stuffed them on a shelf. Pulling your purse out of your backpack, you started to collect change.

"Here, what I owe you from last night." you said, holding it out to him in your palm.

"I didn't say you had to pay me back, it was just a few quarters." Eddie said.

"It was the nicest thing anyone's done for me in a long time." the words flew from your mouth before the cage in your mind could close them in.

You stood there, shocked at yourself, and could feel the heat bubbling up to your face.

Eddie gave a tiny smile, "as I said, it was no problem."

With careful movements, he closed your hand around the change.

"Look keep it, and you can thank me by coming to a show - it'll be the fourth Tuesday of the month, so it's Dollar Day at The Hideout."  he said. 

You didn't know how to tell him you likely couldn't. You'd never get your father's approval to go to a concert, let alone on a weekday.

"Um... I can try, but I'd really rather you just take this." you said.

"And give you a reason not to? Not a chance." Eddie chuckled, walking off.

You exhaled and looked down at the change in your hand. "So maybe he is a little odd." you thought.

Amy wandered the back roads of Hawkins, down to the woods, she needed to find shelter and clean herself up before someone could spot her, It was now closing in around noon and the woods would fill with high schoolers who left early and couples looking for secluded places to make out.

Looking up at the sky, Amy could see the clouds forming unnaturally in the distance and wished they'd been over her.

"A rain shower would make my life easier right now," she uttered to herself.

Amy sighed, She couldn't stop thinking about what happened to the girl at the Ford's house. She couldn't mark why, but she felt responsible for her.

"She had to have gotten away." Amy thought to herself. "Though they did far worse to her." 

Paniced eyes bore holes into Amy's memory. She couldn't quite explain it well, but she felt as if she'd been looking through a gateway, looking through those eyes. 

A sudden wave of pain rushed through Amy's temples, "n-not again!" Amy gasped, clutching her head. 

Making a fist, she started to beat the side of her head, "stop it! Stop it!" she yelled, collapsing in the trees.

A trickle of blood rolled down from her left eye and out of her nose.

"They're hunting even still." She whispered, opening her backpack. Reaching in, she pulled out a half-filled bottle of water.

"Great, this is the last one, I'll need to pinch another one from somewhere." she murmured.

A loud crack of thunder shook the skies, Amy looked up in a panic, it was still far off, but it was odd.

"It's supposed to be scorching this week." Amy thought, as the air felt fairly chilly.

"Leave him alone!" You shouted, standing over your brother in the school parking lot.

This wasn't how you foresaw the day carrying on.

Finding yourself surrounded by two larger guys, who hardly even looked like they were in high school, you tried to hold your ground. 

Patrick sat on the floor, trying to stop his nose from bleeding.

"This is a warning from Mr. J you speak to anyone about, you know what, and it's your family." said one of the attackers.

Patrick spat out the blood in his mouth, "Man, I don't know what the 'you know what' even is!" He argued.

"Oh, I think you do, you see Mr. J says the McKinney's are a real tight family." said the other boy, taking a step closer.

"You stay right there." You growled, though inside you was quaking.

"I can't take on these guys, and neither can Patrick." you thought.

Most of the students had left the parking lot and had gone home. A few stayed for various clubs and after-school meet-ups inside the building, but that wasn't going to do either of you any good now.

Clouds rumbled as your anxiety grew.

"Look Pat doesn't know anything I promise, alright. And My lips are sealed." you sputtered.

"Just leave him alone. You can tell Ford he's got nothing to worry about." you added, "I'm good with secrets." 

If you could talk any faster, you would have won a world record.

The two overgrown boys smirked and seemed satisfied.

"You'd better, or you'll be getting a visit from someone not as nice as we are." One boasted.

The other spat down at Patrick's feet and turned to follow the other as they headed towards a rusted red pickup truck.

Seeing them head up the road, you relaxed and stumbled, a new wave of exhaustion taking over.

You lightly touched your chest as a dull pain lingered deep.

The helplessness you had mashed down finally bubbled to the surface as a light shower of rain started to fall.

"Are you ok, Pat?" you asked, turning to your brother.

Patrick got up quickly pulling a mask over the hint of fear in his eyes and pushed you away from him.

"I'm fine, why'd you do that!?" He shouted.

Your brows knitted together as you shook your head, "they would have beaten you into a hospital bed. You couldn't take them both. I was trying to help." you reasoned.

"Yeah, well, no thanks." He barked.

"Now everyone is going to think that I need my sister to fight for me." Patrick snapped, snatching his bag off the ground.

"You're the cause of half my problems, kindly don't try to help now," he added walking off down the road, leaving you speechless.

With a heavy sigh, you held out your hand to catch the soft drops of rain.

Then to your surprise, instead you caught a spider. Another baby widow at that. With another splash of a raindrop on your skin, landed another spider.

Confused, you turned your face up towards the falling rain, holding out your hand again, you could feel lots of tiny legs crawling about in your palm. 

"Please tell me you are not practicing being a turkey," called Robin, exiting the school with her Band uniform in tow.

You turned to look at Robin and held out your hand, but as you did so, you noticed the little critters you had wished to show her had vanished.

"What?" you asked herself quietly.

"When did it start raining?" Robin asked looking around, the drizzle soon came to an instant stop, and the dark clouds above them started to thin and brighten.

You looked back up to the sky and then to the palm of your hand.

"I'm losing it." you thought.

"I dunno blame it on lack of sleep," you said to Robin. 

Robin gave a faint smile, "probably. Let's go to my place, and you can nap while I practice my presentation for Biology." she said.

"....but if I'm sleeping, how are you practicing?" you asked.

Robin chuckled as the two of you headed for your car.

"Please, everyone will be asleep the moment I get up there anyway." said Robin, "how thrilling can frog blader function be anyway?"

Robin set her notes down on the coffee table and walked to where you rested on the couch, she pulled the knitted yarn blanket over you and sighed.

"Must you be so cute." Robin thought, smoothing out the bumps in the blanket. As you stirred, Robin quickly drew back her hand. 

your arm slipped, dangling now from the edge of the couch.

Robin tiled her head to get a better look at the oddly colored patch of skin peeking out from your sleeves. But as she reached out, she noticed your eyes moving rapidly behind your eyelids. 

"Oh no, another nightmare?" Robin asked quietly, kneeling on the ground, she rested a hand on your shoulder, giving you a light shake.

"Hey, hey, wake up." Robin called gently.

You however were far off into the dream, the ground beneath your feet rotating slowly.

The Ford's house flickered with bright, blinding lights before everything went black.

"Is it snowing?" you asked, your voice bouncing off of the world around you like an echo. Reaching out, you grasped a fist full of the strange snow, but rather than melt or feel wet it dissolved into your hands, like ashes or fungi spores.

"Something about this stuff feels familiar." you shuddered, wiping your hands clean on your jeans.

Taking a step forward, a sickening squelch was enough to make you stomach flip over. Down at your feet, thick, slippery vines slithered and inched about.

"Why is everything always red." you questioned eying the vines which oddly enough looked the color of blood.

Trying to avoid the odd plant life, you slipped.

Landing on your back, even the floor felt wet and it was making you ill. The whole place was making you ill. It was getting harder to breathe by the second, like your lungs were filling up. 

You tried your best to get to your feet, though the vines would not let go.

"Don't be afraid, let it take you." called someone softly. 

"W-who's there?" you asked, "Can you help me out?!" you called into the darkness.

"But I am." the voice answered.

Then like a blanket, you found yourself being covered slowly in spiders, spiders of all sorts.

Legs tickling your skin and getting lost in your clothing.

"What's happening?" you wondered quietly, daring not to make a sound so as not to frighten the arachnids.

Closing you eyes, you exhaled.

"You're dreaming again, that's all, it's another nightmare, relax...you can wake up." you told yourself quietly.

"Focus." you said, taking a deep breath in.

As you exhaled and opened your eyes, you found yourself not in Robin's living room, but looking through another's eyes, and you were running, wildly through the woods.

"Holy shit! ____!" Robin shouted.

You felt a stinging on your cheek as you sat up.

In a daze you looked at Robin with tear-filled eyes.

"I-I didn't want to hit you, I swear you...you were just sitting there staring into - into nothing and I..." Robin stammered as you started gathering your bag.

"I should go home..." you whispered

"No wait, come on, I really didn't mean to-" As Robin reached out to you, you recoiled, and Robin's hand fell to her sides.

"Honest, you didn't see yourself, what else could I have done... I tried water, ice.." Robin explained, quietly distraught, as she watched you flee for the door.

"I'll um... I'll see you later, Robin,"  you whispered, closing the door behind you.

"Oh!" you gasped, face with darkness.

For a moment, you thought you were back, that the dream had never stopped.

"But that was real for sure, Dreams don't hurt." you murmured, holding a hand to your cheek.

"Did I sleep that long?"  you asked yourself, rushing to your car.

Driving down the road, you reflected on the vision you had of the woods.

How strange the feeling of being within the body of another....

"Person?" you questioned, though oddly enough, "it hardly felt human, and worse....it was hungry." you thought.

Headlights appeared behind you, the car nearly nose to bumper with your own.

"Who could that be?" you murmured.

Trying to stay calm, you flicked on the car radio, turning it down low.

"Welcome denizens of Hawkins! Dodo's hit list on HN 106.9! We've got a chance to win a couple of tickets to Motörhead's No Remorse tour, ticket dates may vary! If you haven't snagged yours yet don't fret my pretties, We'll have more after the break and remember to tune into HN 106.9 for your heaviest metal set list around! Take it to Neck!"

Dodo the radio personality cheered before a string of commercials started to play.

You eyes glanced up at the rearview mirror, the car was still tailing you, light blaring.

Biting your lip, you tried not to panic. "It might just be Ford trying to freak me out like he did Patrick." you reasoned.

Yet, somehow that didn't quite fit, did it?

"But isn't that overkill?" you wondered.

At the street sign up ahead, you took a left, turning down the commercial district.

"I can stop and get something to eat, get into the public eye, and then I won't have to worry much."  you thought. 

Parking close to the door at the Arcade, you watched as the car stopped at the stop sign.

The windows were heavily tented, and she could not make out who was inside or how many there were.

Even still, you could feel them watching you.

"They're trying to see if I'm bluffing." you murmured.

You stepped out of your car and walked to the Arcade.

"Don't look back at them." you told yourself, walking inside. 

Instantly your ears were filled with all sorts of chimes, dings, bings, and high-pitched musical sound effects.

You relaxed slightly and looked around.

"Patrick used to beg me to walk here with him." you thought fondly.

Spotting his favorite game in the back of the room, you could remember an eleven-year-old Patrick running towards the SOS shoot'em up machine. Begging you for more quarters when he finally ran out.

"Well, well, I haven't seen you in here for ages. Long time no see." Keith said, munching away with a box of Giggles Cookies.

"Keith!" you gasped, "that you?" you asked wide-eyed. 

You remembered the bumpy-faced child from middle school who you sat to sit with as he cried all day his first year there, and he hadn't changed up at all.

"You got giant." you said.

Keith laughed, "Yeah, I got tall," he said with pride.

"What happened to you that year? Patrick said you weren't there the year after?" You asked.

You didn't know what made him easy to talk to. Maybe it was because even back then, Keith wasn't the kind of person who never took anything seriously and never really had expectations of anyone or anything.

"Maybe it's because you desperately need whoever is following you to believe you aren't aware of them." you thought.

"My mom pulled me out to home school me. After you left, It got rough for the chunky, pimple faced kid." He said with a shrug.

"Oh." you breathed, "I'm sorry."

"It's ok, the baby fat fell away for the most part, and I'm seeing a good dermatologist." He said with a smile, and you returned it.

"It's good to see you." you said.

Taking a good look around the rows of games, you felt lost, "this place has changed a lot." you said. 

"Look at all these new games." you mused.

"Come check this one out," Keith said, leading you down a separate aisle.

You followed him, "Spy Hunter?" you questioned.

"I remember you used to love cars." He replied.

"What's it about?" you asked.

"Well, you see, you're a spy using this sports call loaded with weapons to take out enemies," He said.

"Huh, sounds fun," you said, stepping up to the machine.

"It's been so long since I've used one of these," you thought, slipping your change into the coin slot.

"Nice keep going!"

"No way, I bet she tanks this round!" 

"Shut up, you'll break her concentration!" 

You giggled as you found yourself surrounded by a bunch of kids, It had been well over an hour, and you were very sure whoever had been following you had left long ago.

Still, you couldn't stop, not only because you had gotten pulled into the need to get more points, but because you were hemmed in by a pack of preteens.

"Look out!" A small girl with vivid red hair called, leaning closer to the screen from beside you.

Unfortunately, you didn't react fast enough and your player was destroyed.

The crowd awwed.

"Alright kids, that's enough," Keith called out, breaking them up.

"Will you try again?" the little redhead asked you.

You gave the girl a smile, "I might."

"I'm gonna try to beat you while I'm in town." the girl said with a smirk, her eyes wandering over every game in the aisle.

"I'm trying to beat everybody's high score." she said smugly.

you giggled, "oh is that so, then I'll have to check back and reclaim the leader board." you said.

The girl beamed. "Yeah, you can try." she said. 

"I'm ____" You said introducing yourself timidly holding out her hand.

The little girl shook it but squinted, "You're shy huh? My mom's kinda like that. Anyone ever tell you kinda draw into yourself like Turtle?" She asked.

You gave a sheepish smile, "I might have been called ____ the Turtle when I was your age.," You admitted.

The girl laughed, "oh no!" she said.

"Yeaaah." you sang.

"I'm Max." the girl said coolly.

You wanted to laugh, it seemed like she was trying hard to be like the older teens.

"Well it's good to meet you Max." you said, as you placed the rest of your quarters down on the machine.

"There...good luck trying to beat my high score." you said.

"Sweet! Thanks!" Max cheered.

"It was good seeing you, McKinney." Keith said in passing, "maybe I'll see you around?" he asked.

You paused, "Maybe, it was fun here, and I've got a feeling I'm gonna need to put a lot of work in to reclaim my spot on Spy Hunter" you laughed, stepping outside and letting the door swing closed behind you.

Looking around in the darkness, you no longer saw the strange car and breathed a big sigh of relief.

"Thank you, I wonder if I should tell dad or just not mention this." you pondered.

"It might very well be a trap or a test." you thought, walking to your car.

Across the street, you spotted a scrawny girl running down the street.

Police sirens sounded a few blocks down.

"It's you!" you gasped.

Hopping in your car, you quickly peeled out of the parking lot.

Slamming on the brakes, you reached over and rolled down the passenger window, your eyes locked onto a startled Amy.

"Get in!" you called.

Looking back at the approaching police lights, Amy tossed her backpack into the car and hopped in.

You sped off as fast as you could up the rural tree-lined road, keeping the distance between the police, slowing down to a steady speed, you took a right.

"Thanks for that." Amy panted.

"I owed you, this is hardly enough," you said, glancing at Amy and then taking another turn.

"Where are we going?" Amy asked.

"Just for a drive, if they see me riding around, they won't know you might be in the car, right?" you replied.

"Oh...yeah, I guess that works." Amy said, digging into her backpack.

"Did they see your face?" you asked.

Amy gave a deep goofy giggle, "nope, much too fast for that," she said.

Silence fell between the two of you, you focused on the road as you continued making random turns.

"Well, this is awkward," Amy whistled from her seat.

"Sorry, I've never been good at keeping conversations," you murmured.

"Yeah well....back when I had people to be around, people said I talk too much so." Amy said with a shrug.

"Why were...are, the police chasing you? Was it about last night?" you asked.

"What happened last night?" Amy asked, in mock confusion.

You looked at her in disbelief and Amy pointed at her.

"Exactly that. If you don't want to be in shit up to your eyeballs, you play dumb and blind." Amy warned.

You gulped and turned your eyes back to the road.

"I was looking to get revenge for my sister last night. That's all. But I was one person short. So I couldn't do it and unfortunately... Ford called for help. You see, the police chief hasn't realized yet that Loxion has half his officers in their pocket." Amy said in a bitter chuckle.

"Loxion does? That's the company my Dad's trying to sweet talk into some deal with the power plant." you said.

"And I officially unofficially did not hear that either." Amy said, glancing up at you.

"Maybe there's a reason we met after all." she murmured.

"What are you talking about?" you asked.

Amy shook her head and looked out the window.

"Doesn't matter....it's not like I know if I can actually trust you or not." Amy said.

You sighed, "I know that feeling," you said.

Amy frowned, "yeah...yeah, I bet you do. Probably more than any person should." she murmured, leaning back into the seat.

"I got caught stealing some things from the gas station," Amy confessed.

"Oh..." you couldn't find anything else to say. Raised by your very religious father to be a "proper lady" you were lucky to get away with cursing without being sent to see Pastor Alvin.

"So where am I taking you?" you asked.

"I dunno pick a roadside, any roadside." Amy said.

".....you?" you asked.

"I wander, for good reason, too," said Amy.

"I can't leave you on the side of the road, surely." you said.

"Any better ideas? Trust me when I say I can't stay anywhere public long." Amy muttered.

"Actually..." you said with a small smile, "I think I might."

You pulled to a stop in front of a sparsely occupied neighborhood, large lots were completely empty now or contain old big houses that had seen better days.

"You're kidding me, right?" Amy asked as the two of you peered out the windows at the towering Blue Victorian home.  

"Nope" you breathed opening her car door, Amy grabbed her backpack and quickly followed after you. 

"I used to be obsessed with this place," you murmured, a glassy haze filling your eyes as you focused on the stained-glass rose window. Heading carefully up the long steps to the walkway.

"It's boarded up." Amy pointed out. 

"There's another way in, I followed a trail of spiders once, nobody knows it, but there's a board loose on a broken basement window," you said.

You led Amy around the back of the home, stooping down to the daylight basement windows.

"It looks nailed shut to me." Amy said stooping as well.

You smiled and effortlessly lifted away the board. Flipping the wood over, you let Amy get a good look at the backside.

"Everything but the nail head rusted off...." Amy murmured, looking at you confused. 

"How does that even happen? What kind of shit nails did they use?" Amy asked.

"Be glad for shit nails, they gave you the key to your new hotel." you said.

"I mean it's better than sleeping in the dirt I guess... but how do you know no one will come here?" Amy asked.

"Most people think it's cursed. I never believe in such things." you said, "but you know,"

"Hawkins is a shithole that will believe anything it's bottle-fed?" Amy asked.

"That's your favorite word, isn't it?" you asked.

Amy tossed her a wide cheesy smile, "shiiiit yeah!" she said.

Causing you to laugh, before crawling into the busted window and into the basement.

Dusty was an understatement when it came to the inside of the place. Many of the old boxes and furniture stored there remained.

"Jesus, this shit's gotta be older than me." Amy said dusting off a box.

"I mean, it could use a clean...but you should be safe here," you said looking around.

"I'm going to earn your trust," you said, turning to Amy. 

Amy looked at you, "to be honest, I don't think we have a choice. You know the Fords have a whole file on your family?" Amy asked.

"Why would they have a file on my family?" you questioned back.

"Well, I guess it's more like a file...on you." Amy said.

"I didn't have time to take it with me, Ford had a room full of filing cabinets and videotapes. I had to leave before I could get a solid look at everything." Amy explained.

"Haven't you heard the rumors about the Loxion corp?" Amy asked.

You shook your head, "no, my dad said that he wanted to impress Ford for work purposes. That's the first time I've heard of them." you said.

"Pull up a dusty chair, then, because I've got a good campfire tale for you," Amy spoke dryly.

<- Previous | Table of Contents | Next ->

[talkfastcal]

RIVER BOTTOM NIGHTMARE BAND!!!!!

[secondlifep]

Forgot the River Bottom Nightmare Band ;-)

[thelittlebirdwriter]

MASTERLIST

Marvel: Spider-Man x Reader (Andrew Garfield) Series: • The Replacement Spidey (DISCONTINUED)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Oneshots

•Spidey Cuddling HCs

Frank Castle x Reader Oneshots: • Swear That I'll Be Yours Forever ('Til Forever Falls Apart) HURT/COMFORT

•So Don't Go (Meet Me In The Aferglow) ANGST(?)

• Oh My God Did She Call Him Baby? ANGST

• Darlin' I'd Wait For You (Even If You Didn't Ask Me To) HURT/COMFORT

• Kiss Me With Your Eyes Closed (Whisper That Your Heart Chose) FLUFF

• Isn't It Strange? (How People Change) ANGST

• You Are More Than Just A Dream FLUFF

•Walk Through Fire For You HURT/COMFORT

•Lost In Translation ANGST

•Romance For Dummies FLUFF

•Sunshine, Smiles, and Being Hyperfixated On Cows FLUFF (Frank x Autistic!Reader)

•Say You Won't Let Go HURT/COMFORT

•Sunlight, Soft Smiles, and Sex (But We Don't Talk About That Last Part) SMUT

• Hold My Hand (It's A Long Way Down To the Bottom of the River) HURT/COMFORT

•Band-Aids Don't Fix Bullet Holes HURT/COMFORT

•I GUESS I'M IN LOVE FLUFF & SONGFIC

•Frank Castle Fluff Alphabet

•I Love You, I'm Sorry HURT/COMFORT

•I Think I've Seen This Film Before (And I Didn't Like The Ending) ANGST

• F is For Flu (Or Fuck, What A Nightmare) FLUFF

9-1-1: Eddie Diaz Oneshots: • I Think You And The Moon and Neptune Got It Right (Eddie x Baker!Reader) FLUFF

• A Lullaby and A Kiss (COMING SOON)

Buddie (Buck x Eddie) Oneshots: • Pajama Day (COMING SOON)

•But You're MY Idiot (COMING SOON)

[rockislandadultreads]

Humorous Horror Stories: book recommendations 

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

1990. The teen detectives once known as the Blyton Summer Detective Club (of Blyton Hills, a small mining town in the Zoinx River Valley in Oregon) are all grown up and haven't seen each other since their fateful, final case in 1977. Andy, the tomboy, is twenty-five and on the run, wanted in at least two states. Kerri, one-time kid genius and budding biologist, is bartending in New York, working on a serious drinking problem. At least she's got Tim, an excitable Weimaraner descended from the original canine member of the team. Nate, the horror nerd, has spent the last thirteen years in and out of mental health institutions, and currently resides in an asylum in Arhkam, Massachusetts. The only friend he still sees is Peter, the handsome jock turned movie star. The problem is, Peter's been dead for years. The time has come to uncover the source of their nightmares and return to where it all began in 1977. This time, it better not be a man in a mask. The real monsters are waiting.

Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore

In San Francisco, the souls of the dead are mysteriously disappearing—and you know that can't be good—in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Moore's delightfully funny sequel to A Dirty Job. Something really strange is happening in the City by the Bay. People are dying, but their souls are not being collected. Someone—or something—is stealing them and no one knows where they are going, or why, but it has something to do with that big orange bridge. Death Merchant Charlie Asher is just as flummoxed as everyone else. He's trapped in the body of a fourteen-inch-tall "meat" waiting for his Buddhist nun girlfriend, Audrey, to find him a suitable new body to play host. To get to the bottom of this abomination, a motley crew of heroes will band together: the seven-foot-tall death merchant Minty Fresh; retired policeman turned bookseller Alphonse Rivera; the Emperor of San Francisco and his dogs, Bummer and Lazarus; and Lily, the former Goth girl. Now if only they can get little Sophie to stop babbling about the coming battle for the very soul of humankind...

Comemadre by Roque Larraquy, Heather Cleary (Translator)

In the outskirts of Buenos Aires in 1907, a doctor becomes involved in a misguided experiment that investigates the threshold between life and death. One hundred years later, a celebrated artist goes to extremes in search of aesthetic transformation, turning himself into an art object. How far are we willing to go, Larraquy asks, in pursuit of transcendence? The world of Comemadre is full of vulgarity, excess, and discomfort: strange ants that form almost perfect circles, missing body parts, obsessive love affairs, and man-eating plants. Darkly funny, smart, and engrossing, here the monstrous is not alien, but the consquence of our relentless pursuit of collective and personal progress.

What the Hell Did I Just Read by David Wong

Dave, John and Amy recount what seems like a fairly straightforward tale of a shape-shifting creature from another dimension that is stealing children and brainwashing their parents, but it eventually becomes clear that someone is lying, and that someone is the narrators. The novel you're reading is a cover-up, and the "true" story reveals itself in the cracks of their hilariously convoluted, and sometimes contradictory, narrative.

[andyb3nn3tt]

Inktober Day 31 - JUG-BAND! . Closing out the month with the FROGTOWN HOLLOW JUBILEE JUG BAND: Emmet Otter, Harvey Beaver, Wendell Porcupine, and Charlie Muskrat. Wanted to try some of these guys back in 2019, but they had to wait until now; I hope this is a suitable send-off! . Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is on another level. It really set the bar for the Henson Co's practical effects on TV; from Kermit on the bicycle, to Emmet and Ma rowing down the river, to the ice skating, to the River Bottom Nightmare Band tearing through the streets in their jalopy, to the fish muppet swimming in the aquarium and spitting water, to the walking marionette Muppets... it's a showcase of ingenuity in practical effects. And seeing modern TV specials like the Muppets Haunted Mansion just highlights how much of the magic has been lost with the prevalence of digital effects. . THANK YOU ALL AGAIN for the overwhelming amount of support all month; it never gets old. Cheers for all the likes, shares, comments and personal messages. Couldn't do it without you. . 7.5 x 11”, @drphmartins Black Star and Pen White ink on @strathmoreart 400-series watercolor paper, @speedball_art Hunt 107 nib, Hunt 56 "School" nib and @pentelofamerica Color Brush, 95 minutes. . Soundtrack: Peter Gabriel - So . . #ink #Inktober #inktober2021 #Muptober #JimHenson #JerryNelson #RichardHunt #DaveGoelz #Muppets #theMuppets #Disney #muppetshow #themuppetshow #SesameStreet #EmmetOtter #EmmetOttersJugBandChristmas #JugBand #Wendell #Harvey #Charlie #Otter #Porcupine #Beaver #Muskrat #FrogtownHollow #FrogtownHollowJubileeJugBand #b3nn3tt https://www.instagram.com/p/CVsdIInIUzW/?utm_medium=tumblr

[clamityganon]

YXNSWIFE…… Falls to the floor clutching my chest (in the best way possible) thank you for tagging me

Hal Jordan saying the most suspicious thing and my last song is a song by my favorite band saying another suspicious thing (both are green and imply polyamory… this matches well lol)

Tagging @bbgoldfish 😈 and @screennamealreadyused because it’s been ages and @river-bottom-nightmare 😈

⊹ challenge — you’re starring in a movie with the last person you saved to your camera roll and the last song you listened to is the title.

tagged by: @spitefulscreenwriter (ty so much🤍✨)

tagging: @stonerbunnyposts @becca-alexa @bookshelf-dust @littledemondani @trader-jolene @steph-speaks @bewilderedbunny @stvnhydes @electricmunson @munsonsfairy @3rd-conchord (no pressure!)

[batcoins]

Forget gender forget astrology which member of the River Bottom Nightmare Band are you

[raye-roye]

6:24 PM on Christmas Eve time for River Bottom Nightmare Band