#streetlantern

[birnensaft]

[image id: screenshot with red background and white writing in japanese and translated to german]

[therandomfandomme]

That is so crazy to me omg, maybe it's bc the Netherlands is bike obsessed and kids start biking at age 2 and we have a lot of biking infrastructure, but I literally can't imagine that. Like these kinds of biking garages are only there at big train stations, but bikes are everywhere.

What do you do when you're too young to drive? What do you do when you can't afford a car/aren't allowed to drive? And what if you plan on drinking somewhere? Do y'all just suffer? Is that the vibe?

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

Hi, it’s me again.

Could you do 9 & 17 with Dwayne? Maybe the reader was raised by vampire hunters but they don’t like violence so they spend all their life researching instead of training to fight vampires? Just a suggestion you have all the creative liberties

9. Why are you reading at the boardwalk?

17. I did everything you asked, and still you talk to me as if I'm nothing!

Ooh I love this idea!!! Thank you so much for requesting - I really hope you like this!

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

"There are vampires in this town. We need to handle quickly, before they know we're here."

My father stood at the front of the table and bowed down over a map of Santa Carla. My mother was washing the wooden stakes with holy water, and my sister was busy practising her fighting moves. I sighed, curled up in the chair by the window.

"Why can't we just let them be?"

"They kill people."

"Isn't hunting them down also killing people?" I asked, but the second I did I knew I went to far.

"You listen to me, child!" My father stomped towards me, grabbing my chin. "You're a part of this family, and we are destined to protect the world from vampires. We've allowed you to stay behind because you refuse to fight, but I will hear none of this nonsense!"

"But-"

"These creatures are evil, demons that poison the world. And if you do not stand with us, then you're against us. You're just as bad as them."

I stood from my chair, trembling with anger. "How dare you?! I did everything you asked, and still you talk to me as if I am nothing! Why can't you just accept that I don't consider vampires a threat? Why must you kill them?" In the past year, I had researched everything I could, from behaviours to living situations - and I could only draw one conclusion out of all of it. Vampires weren't worse than humans. In fact, humans were more vicious killers than they were. Humans kill so many, not just people but also animals - simply for their pleasure (in the case of animals) or because it is expected from them in situations of war. But vampires, as horrible as they are, only kill because they need to in order to survive. And if they find a way for themselves to enjoy the killing, to make it bearable for them? Is that truly that bad? Does it truly make them worse than humans? I didn't think so.

My father turned to me, his stare turned ice cold. "Matthew -" my mother tried to calm him down, but he pushed her away. My sister had left the room, probably not willing to hear the same old argument again.

"You lost your brother because of those monsters. Or have you forgotten that?"

I glared at him. "Those killers have been dealt with."

"Exactly. And that's what we need to do here."

"But they didn't hurt us!"

"Get out!" My father now growled, and without looking back, I ran. I grabbed my bag, ran out of the house, and didn't stop running until I saw people.

I stopped to catch my breath, closing my eyes as I tried to fight tears. I missed my brother a lot, but it didn't justify the slaying of vampires. It didn't. It wasn't right, and it pained me more than I liked to admit that my family couldn't see that.

I entered the boardwalk, finding a way through the crowds. In the bag I'd taken was one of my favourite books, and I knew that I needed to read right now. I needed to clear my head and get away from the trouble at home. I didn't like the idea of reading on the sand, to afraid the sand would get stuck between the pages and damage the book. So, I walked around looking for a better spot.

I sighed as I found an empty bench at the boardwalk, a bright streetlantern right above it. It was a perfect spot to read. As I sat down, curling my legs up beneath me, I couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness wash over me. If they could only just accept me for who I was, and accept that I would never be like them...

I opened my book, and before I knew it, I was engulfed in the story. The laughter of the people on the boardwalk disappeared into the far background of my mind. The movements of the crowds disappeared from my sight. It was just me and my book. I had read it many a time before, every single time turning back to it. If the count cared so much for Mina, so much that in the end, he begged her to kill him so she could be free - then he wasn't truly evil, was he?

"Been a long time since I've seen anyone with that book."

I jumped, startled by the voice in front of me. I looked up and saw a handsome man looking at me.

"It's one of my favourites."

He smiled as he sat down next to me. "Why are you reading at the boardwalk?"

"It's more quiet here," I said with a soft smile. "Here I can get lost in the story, but at home..." I shook my head. "It's easier to read here."

"I'm Dwayne."

I gave him my name, finding myself enjoying his presence. There was something about him. We talked for hours. About the book I was reading now, about books we both had read - and by the time the boardwalk closed, I found myself considering him a close acquaintance.

"Do you want to meet again sometime?" I asked him, feeling more shyly than I had anticipated.

"How about we go out for dinner tomorrow? I'll meet you at the boardwalk at eight."

I smiled, nodding. "Sounds good. I'll see you then!"

Dwayne drove off, feeling contemplated. He knew that they were a member of a family of hunters, but nothing about them gave him any warning signs. In everything they'd talked about that evening, they had seem very positive towards vampires. No, they weren't a threat, he decided. Maybe even an asset if push came to shove. The question was, would that stay that way when they realised that they were destined to be a vampire themselves?

Part 2

[mattellaneous]

@chloevlinder asked [ FIGHT ]:     sender and receiver engage in a game of play wrestling together

A comfortable evening relaxing on the sofa. The light of the streetlanterns barely filtered through their thick curtains. Poppy was spending the night with granddad, the house was empty. Just the two of them on opposite sides of the couch, bathed in the glow of the TV.

Josh looked over at Chloe, taking in her features. He counted himself lucky that he could call her his girlfriend, soon to be his wife. There was no one else he would want to spend the rest of his life with. Every day he woke up next to her was a day he wanted to see. A grin played on his lips as he pulled his knees up on the couch, getting on them.

He grabbed the remote, paused the movie, and in his best announcer voice spoke into it. "Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Are you ready to rumble!? In the right corner, weighing in at about-" Josh mumbled something under his breath. "Chloe Smiiiiiiith!" His smile grew even wider. "And in the left corner, weighing in at about-" once again he mumbled something. "- Joshua Carterrrrrr." And with that, he tried his hardest to get on top of her and pin her down to the couch.

[lanternlightersblog]

#Repost @lanternformagpie • • • • • • Crkva sv. Antuna #lanternformagpie #lampost #lantern #streetlamp #streetlantern #osijek #Ukrainewillwin https://www.instagram.com/p/Cieo1p3IO4X/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[rainynightsandfairylights]

Source: Pinterest.com

The autumn air hits different. It’s a fresh air, blowing through your hair. There’s a smell of nature, the leaves that fall along with the wind, and the ground they lay on that’s wet with rain. For some reason the air just smell different in every season. A hint of rain is found in it’s scent palette, lingering around the entire season. There’s just something about autumn air.

[mampfyundodergegenshnuffy]

Even more #cherryblossom this time #photobombed by a #streetlantern #🌸 #muogs #kirschblüte #sakura #桜  https://www.instagram.com/p/CcknildouWy/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[1outside]

#street #streetlamp #streetlantern #sunny #weekend #prague #nofilter (at Prague)

[letsbethebadguys]

Inktober Day 14 - Overgrown. Have a spoooy little lamp! #art #illustration #drawing #blackandwhite #ink #procreare #lineart #linework #inktober #inktober2019 #tattooideas #tattooart #inktoberart #inktoberday14 #overgrown #lantern #streetlantern (hier: Monda, Andalucia, Spain) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3ub8ZAp3Yj/?igshid=1pzvsgxespysj

[leantowardthelight]

More Dresden fun #dresden #germany #travelingwithkids #travelingwithtoddlers #kids #brotherandsister #siblings #crazykids #architecture #coffee #sweets #cakes #church #streetlantern #walkingindresden #bäckereimöbius #frauenkirche #frauenkirchedresden #littlegirl #running #europe #eurotrip #vacation #awayfromflorida #phonephotograpy #note8 #note8photography #nofilter #nofilterneeded https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz33vr4BsbI/?igshid=lozw0g5gfki6

[space-kitten-606]

Sorry I'm not posting. Everything is a lot currently. Here are some kitty pawprints in the snow in front of my home for compensation:

[lostbetweenvampiresandmusic]

Changes chapter 11

< Previous chapter

Series masterlist

The sun had yet to set, but David was awake already. He hadn't slept well, troubled by the events of the night before. As much as the end of the night had been good, the beginning had been horrible. There were many things that bothered him about it. First of all, how had they not realised that Julie's aversion to certain people had to do with their blood type? They all smelt the differences - A's were sweet, whereas B's were leaning towards savoury, and O's being good, but depending on your mood rather bland. Vanilla, if you must. They all had their preferences. So why hadn't hey made that connection? They had seen her hunt every night, and they had noticed her pickiness. He sighed as he landed on the ground, sitting down to put his boots on.

Then there was the fact that Max seemed to know more than he let on. This wasn't unusual. The man preferred to keep his knowledge mainly to himself, especially the small details. But in this case, however, where a young vampires life was - literally, as they found out - on the line, it was weird. Why would he keep vital information like a blood allergy to himself? David knew for certain that Max knew more about Julie's situation than he let on. That worried him as well. He could understand why Julie didn't want to know anything about her past, but for Max not to say anything about it? It wasn't like him. Max always told David the important things. Enough, so he and the boys were safe. Julie was part of that group now, whether she wanted to or not - or whether he accepted it or not. In the four days she spent with them, all of the boys came to the same conclusion. She was their little sister.

Besides his worries, especially about whether or not Max could actually provide Julie's wellbeing if he kept secrets, he also had a meeting with Max to look forward to. Max had let him go the night before, but now that he had 'cooled down', Max wanted him to visit as soon as possible to discuss a plan. David only hoped that his sire would finally decide to play the open card and put all details and all information upon the table. He doubted it, though.

David entered the main part of the cave, taking the bejewelled bottle out of the red metal cabinet. He popped the cap off, taking a long satisfying sip, before putting it back. The sun had set. It was time to go.

Julie woke up in her own bed, Thorn no longer laying next to her. She frowned slightly, wondering why he wasn't there. Thorn was a godsend. Thanks to his presence, she slept better, feeling protected. She had fewer nightmares when the dog was around, and she had to admit that him not being there when she woke up unsettled her.

Slowly, she sat up, rubbing her eyes before stretching. It was only 7.30 in the evening. She yawned, walking towards her window. She stood to the side, taking the middle part of the curtain and slowly but surely moving it aside. She looked on without breathing, hoping that there was no more sun - otherwise, she'd be trapped in this corner of her room until the sun would set. As the curtain moved further, an unnatural yellow light shone into her room. Julie smiled. If the streetlantern was on, it was dark out. She was about to open the other curtain when she stopped herself. Instead, she closed the other one as well.

She needed a shower, she thought quietly as she realised how greasy her hair felt. Walking towards her white wardrobe and opening the doors, she let out a disappointed sigh. She should have remembered. All her clothes and all the other things the boys had gifted her were in the cave. She sighed, hoping that her clothing wouldn't smell too bad before stepping into the bathroom. The room was functional. That was the best way to describe it. White tiles, on both the floor and the walls. A single sink, also white with a standard taphead. Above it, a large rectangular mirror. The shower was located within the bathtub, leaving her the option for a bath - even though she didn't prefer it. It felt too vulnerable.

As she undressed, she couldn't help but glance at the mirror, expecting to see her own body. Instead, she saw nothing except for some floating items of clothing. She sighed. How would she ever get used to a live without a reflection? She had never really been into makeup, but now she wouldn't even have the ability to try it - how could she, if she couldn't see what she was doing? Or what about creative hairstyles? Without a mirror, that was difficult to do. She shook her head as she turned to the shower, turning it on. She would get used to it all, probably. She had to, anyway. It was her life now.

Max was seated at the kitchen table. The medical files were laid out in front of him, the mess from the night before - both the bottles Julie had needed to recover and the dishes she'd made while baking - still there. He sighed as he saw the photographs of Julie. She looked so happy and careless in those pictures, taken when she was seventeen. She had been full of life and joy, a bright spark in her eyes. If Max compared that to how she was now, trying so hard to be strong and brave, but acting so timid, so careful not to anger or bother anyone. A heavy sigh escaped him. She had been seventeen when she ended up at COL's facility. What would the Company of Life want with a teenage girl? Why had no one looked for her? And how much harm had been brought to her in those years? Max didn't want to imagine it, but he had to know. He had to know who had done this so he could make sure they'd never do this to Julie - or any other people - again. He had to make sure Julie was safe and happy - and that she would heal. He would do everything in his power to bring the old Julie back, the one with that bright spark in her eyes.

He looked up as he heard the shower turn on, startled by the sudden sound. "Shit!" He jumped up, chair falling upon the ground as he ran upstairs, knocking on Julie's bedroom door. "Julie? Julie! Don't get in the shower, the water-"

It was too late, he heard a loud crash, a pained gasp. He quickly went to his own bathroom, taking a large towel and returning to Julie's bedroom door. He closed his eyes before calling out. "I have my eyes closed. I am just bringing you a towel. Once you're dried off, the water should stop hurting."

Slowly, he stepped into the room, reaching out the hand in which he held the towel. It took three blind steps before he felt ice-cold fingers grabbing his hand, desperately pulling the towel from it. He stepped away, stopping when he heard a knock on the floor. He didn't know how, but the knock sounded demanding.

"Streaming water can hurt vampires. I am deeply sorry that I forgot to mention this. It is no excuse, but you must understand that I am old. Showers are a relatively new thing, and I have never actually gotten around to using them. I am sorry. I-"

He didn't know what else to say. Julie didn't care about his apology either. She quickly dried herself off, wincing as she saw the thick red blisters all over her body. They itched and tingled. It hurt, quite a bit, and where her human brain would tell her to cool it under some cold water, she was now terrified of touching the tap.

Once dry, she quickly put the sweater and trousers from the day before on, knocking twice to gain Max' attention. He looked up. "Are you decent?"

Julie knocked again.

Max opened his eyes, turned around, and looked at her. He sighed, taking his glasses off as he rubbed his eyes. Her skin was bright red, and her eyes were filled to the brim with tears. He gave her a sincere apologetic smile, his regret shining through. "I should have dismounted the shower head," he said softly as he kneeled in front of Julie. "If there is anything I can do to make this right, please just tell me."

Julie shook her head quietly, trying as best as she could not to cry. Max nodded. He understood the pain she felt all too well, having had a run-in with a shower once about a decade ago. The blisters had hurt, and the only thing able to lessen the pain was blood. He reached out his hand to Julie, glad to see that despite her hurt, she still took it. When she stood, he told her to go down stairs and get herself some blood out of the fridge.

"I've removed all the bottles with blood you're allergic to. You should avoid an O negative."

Julie nodded, heading downstairs. Max stayed behind, breaking the shower head off with ease. There was no way that Julie would get hurt by running water again.

Julie slowly descended down the stairs, her legs hurting with every step she took. Once downstairs, Thorn came running towards her, jumping up and down - but stopping when she ignored him. With his ears down, he retreated to his dogbed. Julie shot him an apologetic look, hoping that he understood it wasn't personal. She opened the fridge, taking out an A positive after tripple checking the label. She drank, not even bothering to transfer the blood from inside the bloodbag into a glass. After the first gulp, she noticed that the itching became less. After the second, she began to feel less irritation. By the time she finished, all signs of blisters had vanished. She opened the trashcan, located left from her under the sink, to throw the empty bag away, noticing about a dozen filled bags with O negative. Max had thrown everything away for her.

"You were hurt. Again."

Julie jumped, slamming the fridge door close as David suddenly stood behind her. She looked at him with an annoyed expression - he had sneaked up on her quite a lot during her time with them - before sighing and nodding.

"What happened?"

Julie pointed to the tap, causing David to shudder. "Shit." He looked at Julie, noticing that she was no longer physically harmed, just shaken. "Are you feeling better?"

Julie shrugged. She had preferred not to get hurt in the early morning and to just get clean, but considering everything that happened, she figured she was okay. She'd use a bath cloth to get clean in the future or something similar. No way would she ever set foot in a shower again.

"Is Max still upstairs?"

But before she could respond, he was already gone, his boots stomping on every step he took. Julie looked at Thorn, who gave her an empty look. He also didn't know what to do. She motioned for the dog to follow her, sitting down on the couch with a book, Thorns head in her lap. Within seconds, she was engulfed in the pages, unaware of the argument taking place upstairs.

"You're earlier than expect-"

"Why was she hurt?" David demanded, looking at Max. Max was in Julie's bathroom still, cleaning up the broken pieces of the shower head he broke.

"With everything I had to explain to her I forgot -"

"You forgot? Why do you even have a shower in the first place?!"

"So people won't suspect any-"

David glared at him. "Every human that comes here ends up dead. Don't talk bullshit."

"If you think I am just letting this happen, you're wrong David."

"Am I? You abandon her, you forget to mention she has a severe fucking blood allergy and now she gets burned?"

"I found out about the blood allergy yesterday when I read some files I'd acquired." Max said, speaking more calmly than he felt. David noticed it too, begrudgingly trying to bottle up his annoyance towards his sire.

"What files?"

"Detailing what happened to her." Max sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bathtub. "She was taken when she was seventeen. Her change took over fifteen months. And during, they tortured her. You might think I just abandoned her, but I need these answers. She needs them. Her sire placed some pretty harmful demands upon her, and the only way to break them is by completing this ritual. I needed the information for that, for her."

David sighed, looking at Max. "You should stop thinking about what might be best for her from your perspective and instead start looking out for what's best for her from her own. She might not even want all these answers, all these memories laying around. Maybe she just needs a home and some safety so she can fucking come to terms with what happened."

Max shook his head. "If only it was that easy. Those sire demands block everything. Including some memories, as I found out. She won't be able to heal and to get all the help she needs until all the harm done by COL is undone."

David frowned at the abbreviation. He'd heard of them before, reading their company name in a newspaper article a couple of weeks back. "As in blood research COL? What do they have to do with vampires?"

Max shrugged. "Apparently enough to make them in a long and painful process."

David nodded. "My point still stands. If I find out she's hurt again, I will take her with me."

"I'm glad she has people looking out for her." Max said, looking at David. He stood up, motioning for the younger vampire to follow. He led him towards his office, handing him a piece of yellowed paper. It was the spell he had gotten from the Widow Johnson.

"Julie doesn't know what to choose," Max explained after David finished reading. "Maybe you and the boys can talk with her about it."

"Tough choice, regaining your voice or being in the command of another for eternity." David said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"It is when the blood needed for the spell is the one you're allergic to."

David swallowed hard, looking at the paper and then at Max. "Shit."

Next chapter >

[chantalvdreijden]

🎼Cold Chill🎶 but this jug will get me warm.. #song #music #muziek #goldenjug #kruik #architecture #architectuur #streetphotography #straatfotografie #leiden #madeinholland #thisisholland #discoverholland #streetlanterns #straatlantaarn #lovephotography #photographer #photography #fotografie #fotograferen https://www.instagram.com/p/CYefBFrouN8/?utm_medium=tumblr

[renehorstmanndesign]

Le voyage à Paris: Eine historische Straßenlaterne ist ein Highlight bei unserer "Colours of Eden" Gestaltung im LAGO-Shoppingcenter in Konstanz. • • • • • • • • • #streetlamp #streetlanterns #paris #shoppingcenter #shoppingmalldecoration #shoppingmalldesign #shoppingmall #decoration #bouquets #yellow #coloursofeden #konstanz #constance #bodensee #springsummer2021 #installation #scenery #design #renehorstmanndesign (hier: LAGO Shopping-Center Konstanz) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTadfgMDDEe/?utm_medium=tumblr

[lanternlightersblog]

#Repost @monday82⠀ ---⠀ #window #windows #littlewindow #street #lamp #lamps #streetlamp #streetlamps #lantern #lanterns #streetlantern #streetlanterns #lamppost #lampposts #shadow #shadows #shadowonthewall #wall #building #facade #architecture #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #bw #bnw #blacknwhite #italy #apulia ⠀ ---⠀ https://www.instagram.com/p/B4vDYkNgsLo/?igshid=1e3jba8jrviji

[thelionbyname]

“The Pole, The American, And The Four Brits”Prequel part two

(It needs a better name... any suggestions? Anyway, enjoy! )

Those with heightened senses could begin to decipher what was going on. Impulse, with ears more sensitive than those of a bat, took out the earplugs he had to wear when playing music, and listened carefully. Alongside the screams, he could hear the faint snik of the Hermits blinking as they tried to let their eyes adjust to the sudden darkness. But they soon noticed that their eyes weren’t adjusting, and they were all rendered blind for the time being. It seemed as though all the light had been sucked away, every last shimmer.

Only one seemed to be able to see. When previously her blonde hair had been bouncing around her face, it now hung still, framing her angelic face. From underneath thick, dark lashes gazed two shining eyes of light summer blue. These eyes had no trouble seeing in the pitch black, and easily studied the scene. They swept across the confused faces of everyone in the room, picking up every detail. 

Almost everyone present had the hairs on the backs of their necks standing upright, and goosebumps on their arms. The screams had chilled them all to the bone. The maroon wolf had made a reappearance; Ren’s reflexes had prepared him for battle. Fangs bared, a menacing growl escaped from his muzzle. None of the hermits were alarmed by this, as they knew Ren’s growl only too well. 

“Falsie, can you see?” Impulse suddenly asked the blonde woman, turning in her general direction.

“Yes, I see everything, but nothing peculiar,” her soft british voice responded.

Ren’s furry ears pricked up then, and Impulse’s head turned to face up. Their powerful hearing picked up something that False couldn’t.

“What is it? What do you hear?” she inquired urgently. But the answer presented itself. Though Impulse and Ren had picked up on the sound before the others could, it became louder and louder, until everyone present was listening to the sucking noise, like a vortex was about to consume the world.

“I think we should go outside, see what’s going on,” Impulse suggested.

“Only the three of us are able to navigate in this darkness, Impulse, and based on those screams, whatever’s out there will require more than that to hold our own.”

“I can navigate, I know echolocation,” a new voice suddenly contributed. His voice was slightly raspy, and very clearly German. False looked at the source, and studied a half creeper, half cyborg man in amazement.

“You do?” She asked him, impressed but honestly not surprised. She looked around the room and saw her admiring expression mirrored in the faces of the rest of the hermits.

“Yes, now we should get outside”.

Tango suddenly had an amazing idea. Impulse could tell by the way his heart sped up. And sure enough, a few seconds later Tango’s fully developed plan made its way from his brain to his mouth. “Wait! What if Cleo and I link our minds to everyone else’s, and we can all see through Falsie’s eyes? It would take some getting used to, we would need to move as one, but it would allow us all to see.”

Murmurs of assent rippled through the crowd.

“It’s better than nothing. Besides, I’ve always wanted to have a look in your mind,” Zedaph said to Tango.

“I think the best way to do it is that Tango and I each connect to half of you, and then connect to each other,” Cleo decided. “Permission to enter your minds?”

Everyone nodded. Not that Cleo could see that, but she saw their surface thoughts even before she fully embraced their minds with hers. Within a second, Cleo and Tango’s minds had wrapped around each other, woven together until they thought as one, and there was no telling which thought was whose. There was no need to debate whose mind would link to which hermits’; as soon as one of them thought it, so did the other. They expanded their minds to engulf those of twelve hermits each.

It was a rather bizarre feeling. From one moment to the next, everyone had super hearing, they could all see in incredible detail, and a strange scent suddenly seemed to fill their nostrils.

“Ugh, Ren, is this what humans smell like to you?” Grian asked, pinching his nose. But that didn’t help, of course, because the smell came from his mind.

A strange rumbling came from the wolf, and it sounded like he was laughing.

The panic outside was almost entirely forgotten as the hermits adjusted to their new senses and eased into their webbed connection. But then a particularly loud scream broke through those the hermits had managed to tune out. This brought them all back to the issue at hand.

“Right. We have more important things to deal with it sounds like. We weren't given these powers to mess around,” Xisuma said, taking charge. It was unnecessary to talk anymore, as everyone hears his every thought, but he did it out of habit.

Everyone moved simultaneously. It was a sight to behold, as twenty four men and women all made their way across the large room to the front doors, taking their steps at exactly the same time. Left, right, stumble. 

“This gives a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘Together we are one’,” the man with the moustache grinned.

But the more they practiced, the more independent, but still linked, their minds became. Before they’d made it out of the building, most of them were able to individually avoid obstacles. In less time than any of them would have estimated, they were outside. As soon as they got there, they found themselves clutching onto one another, as something tried to suck them away from the face of the earth. The reason for the screams quickly became apparent; about a dozen people also had the misfortune to be outside at that moment, and a small black hole was sucking them in. It seemed to be just strong enough to pull in anything not attached to the ground, and judging by the way some people sobbed, it had already claimed its first victims.

The hermits tried their best to get back inside; it would do nobody any good if they got sucked through, and they could work out a plan from in there. But the black hole had other plans. As if it knew the hermits had appeared, as if it knew they were vulnerable, it started getting stronger. It tried to pull them into its deadly embrace, tearing at their fancy clothes and whipping their hair about.

“I’m slipping! Guys, help!” a voice, who the Hermits all knew belonged to Keralis, shouted in panic. He could barely hold on to the streetlantern he had managed to grasp. One by one, his fingers slid off. A split second before he let go, Xisuma launched himself at him, trying to weigh him down. “Sashwammy, no! Let go!” Keralis tried to warn him, but it was too late. Together, they hurled into the void.

                                            *          *          *