#the haunting of derek stone

[polarpuppet]

This is a semi-desperate plea for someone, ANYONE, who read an obscure 4 book series in the early 2000s called The Haunting of Derek Stone! I swear to the Gods I’m the only human who has read these books and I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT THEM!!! T^T

If you like creative zombies, early 2000s cheese, YA horror, and sibling/found family bonding PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ IT!!! It’s soooooo good!!

[chvoswxtch]

Romcom - with Hotch ? 👀🫶🏼

Girl i’ve been waiting for the right time for you to hopefully take this and do your thing with it cuz you’re amazing. I know it’s specific and long so pls feel free to do with it what you like. Also I’m not sure it fits your movie night theme, so then maybe just keep it for when you maybe do wanna write it???? Here it is, whatever….

K so like hotch and reader are like couple goals, been married long, working through everything and are just downright adorable BUT THEN hotch nearly dies…like for real gets shot in the stomach or something - something real scary. And aaaaall the time he’s mumbleling stuff, reassuringly or scared like: you cant tell my wife she’ll end me or tell her I’m fine, gonna be home for dinner…

But maybe she’s there and she’s trying her hardest to make everybody move, but Morgan is just not having it, making her stay tf back…

When she finally sees him she’s s c a r e d…so terrified of might having actually lost him, of it happening again cuz he will be in these situations again and who is she if not supportive and understanding…just scared and hopelessly in love. bye.

honey you essentially just wrote a whole ass masterpiece on your own

but you asked for my dramatic flair & I am nothing if not a dramatic bitch that lives for the ✨ t h e a t r e ✨

headcannon below the cut

if i stay starring aaron hotchner

derek knew you would physically fist fight him in the middle of that hospital hallway if he even dared to try and keep you out of hotch's room. he kept trying to reason with you, that you wouldn't wanna see him in that state, but you were not in a state of mind to be reasoned with

when you got the call from rossi that your husband was in the hospital, that familiar stone of dread sank in your stomach, nearly sending you through the floor. he didn't say what had happened, not over the phone, but you could hear the fear in his voice, which terrified you

the solemn faces of his team didn't help ease your anxiety, and the grisly details sent your nervous system into a full on meltdown. you could only pick up bits and pieces of what the surgeon explained

gunshot. loss of blood. critical condition. touch and go.

being in the bau was a dangerous job, and hotch had gotten hurt a few times over the course of your marriage, but it had never been this bad

nothing could've prepared you for the sight of hotch bruised and bloodied, laying in a hospital bed, connected to a bunch of wires that were keeping him alive, with an oxygen tube in his nose to help his weakened lungs do the most basic of human subconscious functions

panic, fear, anger, hopelessness, desperation, sadness; all of these emotions were crashing over each other like perilous tides and you were drowning beneath their tenacity

hotch was the strongest person you knew, physically and mentally. he was your rock. to see him reduced to something so fragile and broken shattered something within you. it wasn't like you were foolish enough to think your husband was invincible, but he was smart and cautious, he knew what he was doing. but today reminded you just how human he was

all you could do was sit there by his side and hold his hand while you fluctuated from silent weeping to full fledged sobbing. it didn't feel like enough, but it was all you could do. you couldn't help but replay this morning over and over in your head, analyzing every frame. had you told him you loved him? had you kissed him before he left? had you savored the few seconds before he walked out the door, not knowing that he might not walk back through it?

"don't tell my wife."

you'd been sitting there for what felt like an eternity in silence with nothing but the haunting background noise of beeping machines and chatter in the hallway. it was so faint, you almost didn't hear it. hotch still looked like he was sleeping, and you weren't sure if you'd imagined it or not

"what?"

you leaned in a little closer, and when he let out a deep exhale, the first sign of life you'd seen since you stepped into this room, you almost burst into tears

"don't tell my wife."

his speech was slightly slurred as he mumbled, and you weren't sure if it was due to the blood loss or the anesthesia that was wearing off from surgery

"why not?"

he was so out of it he didn't even seem to recognize your voice

"because she'll kick my ass."

you couldn't stop the laugh that escaped your lips at that, covering your mouth with your hand while the most imperceptible of a smile tugged at the edge of his lips

"I promised i'd be home for dinner."

giving his hand a gentle squeeze, you sniffled and wiped at your damp cheeks with a sad smile

"i'm sure she'll understand if you're a little late."

a sound that was a cross between a snort and a scoff left hotch as one of his thick dark brows subtly arched

"you haven't met my wife."

brushing your thumb over the back of his hand, you reached out with your other to gently push his hair back

"maybe this is a cosmic sign it's time for a vacation."

in the midst of gently carding your fingers through his hair, the next words that left his lips caught you off guard and made you go still

"maybe it's time to retire."

a full minute of silence passed, and then slowly, hotch's eyes opened, and as if drawn by some invisible magnetic force, the immediately found you

the pressure of him squeezing your hand, a silent gesture of not just reassurance, but also his strength returning, had tears welling up in your eyes all over again

hotch slowly turned his head to look at you, his eyes wandering over your face like he was trying to memorize every detail, and then a gentle but weak smile graced his mouth

"I won't be late for dinner ever again, honey."

I made myself emotional and now i'm gonna go cry excuse me

[yuurivoice]

Okay, random question, but in honor of Spotify Wrapped, what will the boys' top artist and song would be???

You know what, I typically dislike the "the boys'" questions but I'm procrastinating and literally have Spotify open so let's do this shit.

Seth: Coal by Dylan Gossett (also biggg BS4 banger)

Faust: Black Sheep by Metric (Brie Larson version)

Finn: Birthday Suit by Cosmo Sheldrake

Charlie: Calling After Me by Wallows

Auron: My Boy Builds Coffins by Florence + The Machine

Dark Mode Alphonse: Don't Let Them Throw Me Away by Korn

Alphonse: Cigarettes & Feelings by The Haunt

Lucien: The Only Thing They Fear Is You by Mick Gordon

Jack: Big Jet Plane by Angus & Julia Stone

Derek: I Drink Alone by George Thorogood & The Destroyers

Jessie: Hand In My Pocket by Alanis Morissette

Mark: Float On by Modest Mouse

[blackleatherjacketz]

Dreams

Aaron Hotchner x BAU Female Reader

Summary: Hotch calls you out on being distracted and won't let you leave the office until he gets to the bottom of it.

Warnings: 18+ Only, Mature Content, Power Dynamics, Sex Dreams, Profiling, Daddy Issues, Praise Kink, Degradation Kink, Spanking, Finger Sucking

Word Count: 2.9k+

Read More Criminal Minds

Hotch’s stone cold gaze burns into you from behind his desk, his lips pressed into a thin fine line as he smooths his hand down the length of his tie before settling into his seat. That harsh, judgmental glare is usually directed at the unsubs he’s interrogating or even family members he thinks might be hiding something important, but tonight it’s directed solely at you.

This can’t be good.

“May I ask what this is about, sir?” You sit down in the leather chair in front of his desk, keeping your spine as straight as possible in hopes of masking your growing anxiety. He’s never asked you in here alone after your initial interview, and you always assumed that that was a good thing; staying off his radar, out of his scrutinizing gaze. But then again, he had often asked Rossi and Garcia into his chambers on a regular basis, but that was only during business hours. Had you done something so terribly wrong that it warranted him keeping you here after closing time? Were you in trouble? Did Derek actually tell him that he saw your Tinder profile and that he matched with you as a joke? Was that allowed? Was he going to fire you? Because of something as menial as that?

He nods stoically, armed to the teeth with his classic unreadable expression as he takes you out of your anxious spiral. “Your paperwork from the last case we worked on was messy, to say the least, agent.” He opens the case file and slides it across his desk toward you, pointing to a handful of your mistakes underlined in bright red ink. “This is unlike you.”

The heat of embarrassment flushes your cheeks and warms its way down your neck as you lean forward to take a look at your sloppy paperwork. They were simple mistakes that could be easily remedied, but a lot more than you would normally make in a single week, let alone all of them clustered together into one single form.

Shit. He was right, this was unlike you.

“I’m sorry sir, I’ll fix this immediately. I don’t know where my head was at.” You offer instinctively, attempting to collect yourself and stand up before he quickly motions for you to sit back down.

“That’s not all, agent. You’ve been distracted these past few weeks, showing up late more than not, unable to focus or be fully present on our cases. I hired you because you’re one of the best, and I don’t feel like I’m getting that version of you lately.” His tone grew soft but remained slightly wary, like thunder rolling off in the distance before a heavy storm approached. “Do you mind telling me what’s got you so distracted?”

No.

You’d been attracted to your boss from the very first moment you saw him, but it was something you had hoped would fade away over time, not build immensely with every second you spent within his orbit. You’d been able to manage your draw to him for the first six months under his wing, burying yourself in case work and impressing him with your extensive medical knowledge, but there was something about the way he looked at you on the plane that night. It was as if he knew what you were trying to hide this whole time, as if he was delighted by the knowledge that he kept close to his chest along with everything else. There was something about that glimmer in his eye as everyone else dozed on the jet that made you believe he felt the same way, but he would only let it slip just long enough to instill a delusion in you so great that it haunted your dreams.

Dreams that left you aching for his touch, yearning for his sweat to melt into your skin as he hoarsely moaned your name before nipping at your skin. Dreams that were so vivid, you had to convince yourself that they were fake, taking inventory of what interactions had actually happened, and which had been fabricated by the melatonin in your brain. No wonder your work has gotten sloppy.

“Nothing, sir.” You lie, fearing the worst if he finds out that you have some stupid school girl crush on him.

He exhales slowly, disappointment weighing on his breath as he leans forward in his chair to silently close the file. “Whatever it is that you’re dealing with is affecting your work, and I’d be remiss to ignore it. The last time I let something like this slide, another agent’s life hung in the balance.” He paused, no doubt referring to Prentiss’ ordeal with Doyle. “Now, why don’t you try again and give me the truth?”

You’re not getting out of this, are you? He’s going to find out the truth sooner or later, no matter how hard you work to cover it up. He always does. That’s his job, for Christ’s sake. How could you have been so arrogant to think that you could keep something like this from the best profiler in the country? From your own boss? How could you think that he wouldn’t catch on to the blatantly obvious signs you’ve been so desperately trying (and failing) to hide from him for months now?

“I just…” it pained you to start. “I just haven’t been sleeping very well lately.” It wasn’t a lie, per se. Your suggestive dreams had forced you to stave off the sandman as long as possible for fear that you might say his name on the jet or in the hotel room you shared with JJ while you slept. There were no secrets amongst profilers, especially in slumber, and he was so close to finding out yours, you just couldn’t risk it.

“No? And why is that?” He raises his eyebrows as he looks you over, pushing the file to the side. “Are you having nightmares? It took Reid a few months to adjust to this job, too, but eventually the nightmares faded. We have an excellent therapist I can refer you to if that’s what you need.”

“Not nightmares, sir, no.” You knew that if you lied to him outright he’d know immediately, his trust in you lost forever. You weren’t exactly sure which fate was worse, him losing respect for you or him finding out that you have feelings for him.

This was going to be more difficult than any case you’d ever worked on.

“Then what is it?” His expression remains neutral as he stares you down, patiently awaiting your answer.

You sigh heavily as you realize you’ve run out of time and euphemisms . Here goes nothing.

“I’ve been having … dreams about someone on the team, and no matter how hard I try to ignore it, how many times I’ve tried to bury it down, these dreams, these images have stirred something inside me that I can’t quite shake.” You look down at your feet as you nearly confess the whole truth, your voice wavering the closer you come to revealing yourself.

“Someone on the team?” He repeats back to you after clearing his throat, his tone a little more husky than normal. “What kind of dreams?”

As if he didn’t already know the answer.

“Sir, I…” you stammer, unable to form your lips around the words as that infernal heat returns to your cheeks, making you feel as if you’re about to catch fire right here in his office.

“Are these dreams… sexual in nature?” You’ve heard him say that word about a thousand times before, referring to the motives and orientations of the unsubs that you chased, but this time it was different. This time it was laced with something personal, as if he had suspected it all along, but couldn’t quite bring it to your attention until he had a solid case of irrefutable evidence.

Always the profiler.

“Yes, sir.” You swallow hard as he gets closer to the truth, beads of sweat forming at your temples as you watch the puzzle pieces click into place in his mind.

“And who are they about?” He keeps his eyes on you, leaning forward ever so slightly.

“It doesn’t really matter, sir.” Another lie, your sense of self preservation still fighting for its life in the recesses of your mind.

“No?” He tilts his head with a hint of a smirk as if your answer gave him everything he needed to know. “I think that it does. I could be more cautious about who I put you with in the field until we get all this figured out, keep you two separated in the office.” He leans forward onto his elbows, eyes sparkling with a scoldingly delicious sense of judgment. “Now, I want you to tell me who you’re dreaming about, agent, and know that if you try to lie to me again I’ll know.”

Shit.

“It won’t make a difference, I have to see you every day no matter who you pair me with.” You let the truth slip out a little quicker than you expected, surprising even yourself as you prepare to be berated, fired, or worse yet, laughed at.

Only that doesn’t happen.

The silence that follows your confession is monumental, hanging in the air between you two like a cloud collecting moisture from the seemingly calm bodies of water below it, growing darker and heavier with each passing second. It weighs you down, pushing onto your chest and almost paralyzing you until he says something… anything at all to break the silence and let the rain fall from the sky to wash away this painfully awkward moment of vulnerability.

“The bureau frowns on interpersonal relationships between its team members, especially those involving an agent and her superior officer.” He spouts off the official statement the FBI has ingrained into him since he joined, his usual robotic tone returning briefly before he takes in a slow, deep breath.

“I know that, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or anything, you just…” you start rambling in a hurried attempt to take the focus off what he had just discovered.

He raises a hand to get you to stop, his Adam's Apple bobbing up and down in his throat before finally speaking again. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.”

What?! What did he just say? Are you still dreaming?

“What?” You blink a few dozen times in order to reorient yourself, attempting to decipher if this interaction is, in fact, real or imagined. You dig your thumbnail into your palm just to be sure, inflicting a flash of pain into your skin to ground you in this reality. You’re definitely not dreaming.

“If that’s something you actually want.” His words pierce that heavy cloud looming between you, releasing a steady stream of rain sprinkling down as the dark gray color fades to a sheer, translucent white. “If not, you should tell me now.”

You can barely catch your breath, barely find the words to express all the emotions you’d kept under lock and key for so long.

“No, of course I do. Of course I want it, I want you.” You can’t believe that he’s actually interested in this, that he’s entertaining the idea of being romantically involved with you at all. If he had felt the same way about you this whole time, harbored these forbidden desires along with you, then his stoic nature had definitely served its purpose in keeping it close to his vest. “You’re not upset?”

“Why would I be upset?” His mahogany eyes hold your gaze through thick, onyx lashes as his lips curl into a soft smirk. “Do you think I haven’t noticed all those stolen glances from across the briefing room, or how long they linger on my face and hands? That I’ve been blind to the way your pulse races whenever I touch you, or the way your breath hitches when I say your name or give you even an ounce of praise?”

Oh god, he’s good. He’s had you figured out this whole time, hasn’t he?

“How long have you known?” You finally manage to ask, straightening your spine in an attempt to regain some composure as that heat starts to spread from your neck and chest down into your core, forcing the muscles in your abdomen to clench.

“I’ve suspected it for a while now, but I had to be sure.” He leans back in his chair, that disciplinary look in his eyes replaced by something far more dangerous. “Tell me more about these dreams. What are we doing in them that keeps you so distracted?”

Your mouth falls open in surprise, your heart suddenly galloping in your chest. “Tell you… more, sir?”

“Do you call me ‘sir’ in these dreams, too?” He asks almost immediately, raising an eyebrow in eager curiosity.

The rest of the moisture that resided in that metaphorical misty cloud suddenly pours down in thunderous sheets of rain, nearly soaking you both in a layer of desire in the process. That heat inside of you is barely assuaged, though, and only continues to grow in intensity as his words taunt you to take the lead.

“Yes, sir, I do.” You respond breathlessly.

“Good girl.” He watches your face as you react to the term, as if he’s waiting for an unsub to fall into one of his traps that he’s so expertly laid before them, grinning from ear to ear when your blush only deepens.

“You’ve been profiling me,” you defend yourself as he clocks your daddy issues with little effort, trying to slow the rapid beating of your heart as you take the bait. “That’s not fair.”

He stands up from his seat and slowly walks around his desk, each step slow and deliberate until he’s standing in front of you, gently leaning his hips against his desk so that they’re now level with your eyes. “What isn’t fair, agent, is that you hid this from me when we could have done something about it months ago.” He folds his arms across his chest and looks down at you. “I don’t intend on letting you leave this office until we’ve fixed this problem, is that understood?”

“Yes.” You stare at his hips, eyeing the growing outline of what lies between them before shifting your gaze back up at his face through heavy lids.

“Good. Now, tell me more about your dreams.” He leans back just a little, the confidence of kings emanating from his newly relaxed posture. “Am I praising you or punishing you in them?”

“Punishing me.” Your stomach flips as you look down at your feet, still somehow ashamed of your subconscious desire.

“Punishing you, how?” He reaches out and grabs your chin, not allowing you to hide from the truth as he tilts your face upward, forcing you to look at him.

“I…” Your lip quivers as he squeezes your chin a little tighter, forcing that moisture to collect between your thighs as you rub them together.

“Use your words, agent,” he orders.

Goddamnit. Had he actually seen the content of your dreams, somehow? Or were you just that easy to read?

“You had me bent over your desk with my skirt up around my waist, your tie shoved in my mouth and your handprint on my cheeks,” you finally oblige him, letting your mind wander to the delicious details of your most recent dream, watching his breath hitch ever so slightly before he clears his throat.

“Did I, now?” He raises an eyebrow at your confession as he searches your face for any signs of deception. As if you would lie about any of this. “And the other times?”

“Other times?” You whisper as he lifts his thumb off your chin to brush it across your bottom lip, slightly tugging on it to view your teeth before letting it bounce back into place. You can see his pupils expanding with each passing second, those different shades of chocolate and mahogany blending together into the darkest shade of espresso you’ve ever seen. He’s looking at you the way he had in each and every one of your fantasies, only this time it isn’t some salacious trick of the mind; this time it’s real. “The other times I’m going down on you on the jet while everyone else sleeps, or you’re fingering me underneath the conference table while Garcia briefs us on a new case.”

He grins and pulls on your bottom lip again, watching in awe as he tugs it halfway down your chin, stretching it enough to smear some of your spit across your chin. “You've got quite the imagination… fantasizing about me degrading you on government property, right here in my office.”

“Mmm hmmm.” You hum as he slowly glides his thumb into your mouth, pressing down on your tongue before you instinctively wrap your lips around it, tasting the salt of his skin for the very first time.

“Is that what you want? You want to be punished?” His voice is hoarse now, that last bit of control he has slowly evaporated away into nothingness. “Do you think you deserve it?”

“Mmm hmmm,” you repeat, sucking his thumb all the way down to the knuckle, stroking it with your tongue to show him what you can do.

“We’ll see about that.” He leans in close enough to whisper into your ear. “Now get up and bend yourself over my desk.”

[disneyvillainbracket]

Disney Villain Bracket

basically how this works is we have brackets a, b, and c. c is a tricky one, hopefully ill explain right

it’s basically a bracket and a half, and the villains in the half bracket will go across and meet in the middle, and the winner of that goes against the two villains on the bracket above

once we get to the middle two in a and b and have that vote, and once the double elimination in bracket c happens, the three villains will all go head to head… to head. it’ll be the three winners of each bracket in one final poll

am i explaining correctly? oh well, y’all will see what i mean when we get there

im sure a lot of y’all have opinions on how this was put together but keep in mind ive never done this before and i did my best. so

also! voting criteria is you picking your favorite of the villains in each poll. not the movies or shows or whatever they’re from, im talking about the characters themselves

i will be posting the polls on the left side of bracket A first, on Monday, April 17 at 12 PM CST! after that, i will post the left side of bracket B the following day at the same time. then the left side of bracket C the next day. the day after that, i will post the right side of bracket A, then B, then C. you get it

hope y’all have fun with this poll!!!

here’s a breakdown of the brackets below the cut, with the names and fandoms of each villain:

Bracket A:

LOVEMUFFIN (Phineas and Ferb) VS Randall Boggs (Monsters Inc)

Derek (Milo Murphy’s Law) VS The Core/Darcy (Amphibia)

Dr. Drakken (Kim Possible) VS Lady Tremaine (Cinderella)

Magica de Spell (Ducktales) VS Malleus Draconia (Twisted Wonderland)

Bill Cipher (Gravity Falls) VS Prince John (Robin Hood)

Professor Z (Cars 2) VS Oogie Boogie (Nightmare Before Christmas)

Prince Hans (Frozen) VS Governor Ratcliffe (Pocahontas)

Professor Ratigan (The Great Mouse Detective) VS Shan Yu (Mulan)

The Sanderson Sisters (Hocus Pocus) VS The White Witch (Chronicles of Narnia)

Emperor Belos (The Owl House) VS Zira (The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride)

Mother Gothel (Tangled) VS Assistant Mayor Bellwether (Zootopia)

Charles Muntz (Up) VS Constance Hatchaway (The Haunted Mansion - Disney Parks)

Due (PKNA) VS Kalabar (Halloweentown)

The Walt Disney Company VS The Fairy Godmother (Shrek 2)

Tusk (Club Penguin) VS Edgar Balthazar (The Aristocats)

Ursula (The Little Mermaid) VS Morgana (The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea)

Bracket B:

Cruella deVil (101 Dalmatians) VS Man/The Hunter (Bambi)

Turbo “King Candy” (Wreck it Ralph) VS Hopper (A Bug’s Life)

Queen Narissa (Enchanted) VS Clayton (Tarzan)

The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland) VS Lotso Bear (Toy Story 3)

Madame Medusa (The Rescuers) VS Lord Hater (Wander over Yonder)

Maestro Forte (Beauty and the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas) VS The Horned King (The Black Cauldron)

Tamatoa (Moana) VS Second Dimension Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension)

Captain Hook (Peter Pan) VS Captain Hook (Hook)

Scar (The Lion King) VS Chick Hicks (Cars)

The Underminer (Incredibles 2) VS Gaston (Beauty and the Beast)

Hades (Hercules) VS Captain Gantu (Lilo and Stitch)

Madam Mim (Sword in the Stone) VS Dr. Facilier (Princess and the Frog)

Villain Recruiters (Disney Parks) VS Tina Harwood (Ice Princess)

Harrison Hightower III (Tower of Terror - Disney Parks) VS Professor Parenthesis (The OWCA Files)

The Sea Witches (Festival of Mystique - Disney Parks) VS Marina Del Ray (The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning)

Janet Smythe (Best Friends Whenever) VS Meredith Blake (The Parent Trap)

Bracket C:

The Evil Queen (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves) VS Scroop (Treasure Planet)

Chernabog (Fantasia) VS Jafar (Aladdin)

Toffee (Star VS the Forces of Evil) VS The Blot (Epic Mickey)

Syndrome (The Incredibles) VS Stinky Pete (Toy Story 2)

Phantom Blot (Disney Comics) VS Sa’luk (Aladdin and the King of Thieves)

Trauma (PKNA) VS The Beagle Boys (Disney Comics)

Royal Pain (Sky High) VS Demona (Gargoyles)

Yzma (Emperor’s New Groove) VS Judge Claude Frollo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty) VS Ernesto de la Cruz (Coco)

Commander Rourke (Atlantis: The Lost Empire) VS The Headless Horseman (The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad)

Emperor Zurg (Toy Story) VS Miles McDermott (The Even Stevens Movie)

Professor JT Wu (The Nightmare Experiment - Disney Parks) VS Henry Ravenswood (Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - Disney Parks)

[velathetanager]

More Payday Plush AU

The dolls were given their own names to differentiate them from their big counterparts. The ones I have set in stone are as follows (ideas for the rest appreciated).

Dallas - Nate

Hoxton - George

Wolf - Pup

Chains: Nick

Houston - Derek

Clover - Lily

Jacket - Ricky

Sokol - Ivan

The dolls are not, in fact, murderous. However, the heisters believe they are, and sometimes they don’t help with this idea. Wolf once saw Pup with a nail gun. No one knows where he got it or what he was going to do with it.

Ricky came with two other dolls. One is a girl in a green top and pink pants, along with a horse head (still plush). The other is a guy in a white suit and blue shirt, along with an owl head (still plush). When the three travel together, Ricky is able to speak perfect English, and so are the other two. Jacket is terrified of them in this state and has been known to lock himself in the restroom when they show up like that.

George and Derek don’t hate each other or anything; they actually get along pretty well and will cuddle sometimes. That being said, they do hate each other’s big counterparts and will go to great lengths to make their days worse. The same is true between Ricky and Ivan.

Derek will squeak and cover his face around Lily.

Nate once pulled haunted BS on Dallas for a week after the latter picked up a medic bag the doll had been trying to take. How did Dallas handle it? Bought a toy doctor kit somewhere and gave it to Nate. Nate was immediately satisfied and guards that thing with his life.

[just-another-busy-fangirl-writes]

Haunted, Sterek, 100w, teen [AO3] @sterekdrabbles 3/29/23 (inform, stone, demon) theme: consent

Derek’s skin had turned pale, and if he weren’t shivering, Stiles would’ve thought he was turning to stone. His lack of improvement informed Stiles exactly how sick Derek was.

“Derek,” Stiles said loudly, still a step away. “Open your eyes, now.”

There must’ve been something in Stiles’s tone because Derek obeyed. The eyes that met Stiles’s were haunted, sad, and hurt. Stiles was going to murder the demon who’d done this.

“Let me help you,” Stiles begged. With one more rough shiver, Derek nodded. Immediately Stiles took him into his arms, pushing his magic into the wolf to heal him.

[because-she-goes]

aphrodite’s rage

warnings: swearing, nora being angry, drugs (weed), breakup. Enjoy!

author’s note: meet nora! can’t wait for everyone to see more of her :) Also, sorry about the song change, just thought this fit nora and matty’s story and plus george produced it!

“Nora, don’t be ridiculous! We’re good, we’re us. I still love you.”

“But thats the thing Derek, I don’t. You don’t value me, you don’t even let me talk about my job for gods sake! All we do is sit around and talk about you, your needs, your wants. Well, what about what I want hmm? Has that even crossed your mind for a second in our relationship? Have you ever for even a minute not thought about you?” Nora’s voice echoes around the apartment, voice as sweet as ambrosia, but tongue sharp enough to wound the devil. It has been exactly 19 days since she came home from Vegas, from Matty.

Oh Matty. The only person to make her feel seen, heard and understood. The only person to make her feel like a human again. The only person to actually love her.

“This is about him, isn’t it? That guy you met on your trip?” Derek dares, Matty’s name alone enough to strike fear in his veins. Derek doesn’t dare say it.

“So, what the fuck if it is, Derek? So what if I felt special for once? So, what if it somebody made me feel good enough for once? Hmmm answer me when I talk to you!” She spits back at him. A wildfire in her eyes. “Derek, I need you to get this through your thick, dull skull. I don’t love you. I haven’t for awhile.” She thunders.

He stands and looks at her, not a thought behind his eyes. Just a big, dumb idiot. Why did she even fall for this oaf, she thinks. He couldn’t be more opposite than Matty. Matty, she sighs again. Sweet, caring, spontaneous, funny, smart, interesting, fashionable and a menace with the smile of a saint. Nora shivers at the memory of him in that suit the night in vegas, goosebumps flood her skin.

“Matty… if you can even stomach his name… is the greatest person who has ever come into my life, you dick!” Continuing to reign hellfire on her now bumbling boyfriend.

“Oh please, Nora get real! He (Derek still refusing to say his name) just met you like two weeks ago and I have known you since you were 20.” He tries to reason with her, seeing her slip away.

“Hey dipshit, people change! If you think I am still the same young, naive, stoned-out-of-her-mind girl from all those years ago then you are more hopeless than I thought.” Her words like venom. “Derek, may these be the last words I ever have to say to you: we are over.” The final words getting lodged in his psyche. Haunting him.

And with that, she grabs her stuff and walks out of the apartment head held high. She’ll have movers come get her stuff tomorrow and get it to her apartment in Brooklyn.

Stepping out, she inhales the new sense of freedom that surrounds her. Taking out the celebratory joint she kept hidden in her tote bag, she lights up and makes her way towards Walt Whitman park. Puffing on the herb as she struts down the street, she feels reborn. A new, fresh woman. One totally disconnected from her old life, Derek being the final string to it. Derek being the only thing tugging her back in life, towards childish things. He never did understand her now thinking about it. He never got her desire for a career, always telling her she had him to fall back on and not seeing any issue with her being totally dependent on him. He never got her taste in music or her new friends, always suggesting they hang out with people from high school - people who may as well have been taking bets on her downfall and selling tickets to her demise. Her only thought regarding those people, and now Derek was fuck ‘em.

Joint now halfway gone and Nora’s head feeling light and hazy, she gets to the park. Deciding to sit on an empty patch of the lawn and finish her celebration. Digging in her tote bag, finding her phone. Going through her texts she finds one from Matty from two days ago when he got back to the UK. Checking the time, its 7pm in London.

One ring, then two.

“Hey Nor, whats up?” He asks, voice perfectly husky. She relaxes and melts at the pet name.

“Guess who is a free woman, Handsome?” His heart stops. Smile erupting across his face.

“No way, gorgeous. You finally did it?”

“Just got finished, think he is still shell shocked. Now celebrating.”

“As you should. He seemed like a fucking twat anyways.” He remarks.

“I think you’d like to know he couldn’t even say your name. Couldn’t even stomach me saying it.” She tells him, he smirks on the other end of the phone.

“Can’t believe you even liked him, honey. Sounds like a total wanker.”

“Trust me, he is. Anyways, I don’t have much tying to me to New York now and I’m sure I can find a place in London to work out of. Was gonna take a flight there next week and shack up in a hotel-“

“Or, you could stay with me. Save the money plus you could wake and bake with me.” He offers, smiling at the idea of waking up with her every day, of playing house.

“You got yourself a deal, Healy. But, no funny business mister! I’m single, I wanna have fun for a bit.”

“Oh trust me darling, you haven’t known fun until you’ve been in London at night.” He reassures, mouth salivating over the thought of her in a club dress and running around with him at night. Fuck, he is a goner.

The next day, Nora books a one-way flight to London and starts shopping, trying to pick things she deems as being especially tantalizing, deciding she is gonna torture Matty for however long she is there. A mischievous giggle leaves her throat, oh this is gonna be fun.

— 1 week later —

The double decker plane touches down in Heathrow airport. It is late and Nora slept terribly on the flight. Texting Matty that she landed safely and giving him the arrival information, she stands up to grab her overhead bag. Her hoodie comforting her and baggy sweatpants pool at her ankles. She pulls her headphones around her neck as she walks in the direction of checked luggage and grabbing her suitcases. Next is customs, thanking the lord she didn’t pack any weed betting on Matty having a full stock at his house. The customs officer asks her if she’s staying for business or pleasure and she responds by pausing and then decidedly saying pleasure and adding that she got a visitor’s visa approved by the UK embassy in New York last week. He nods sternly and confirms that yes, she did. Stamping the US passport and sending her on her way to the pickup location.

In the crowd of families reuniting, soldiers rushing to their partners, siblings hugging and lovers kissing she spots a card.

“Thee Ms. Nora Downey.”

The man behind the sign looks positively drool worthy. First off, he has stubble that dances across his defined jaw accentuating his features. Secondly, he’s wearing an old Yankees hat low hiding his eyes from anyone who may recognize them and as a way to tease Nora, fully knowing she prefers the Mets. Third, he’s wearing a tight crisp white shirt letting his iconic tattoos creep out from the hems and sleeves hugging his defined biceps. Finally, she sees a pair of baby blue adidas track pants hang low from his waist with a pair of battered gazelles. If she could jump him, she would. She composes herself, trying to get her voice to be even when she greets him.

From his view, she could not look any cuter. Hoodie tied at the neck, brunette hair creeping out from underneath and black headphones cover her neck. He makes a note to himself to litter it with hickeys at some point during her trip. Her grey sweatpants adorably too long for her frame and black sambas barely visible. She softly smiles at him as the escalator descends, her nerves increasing at he grows closer. He reciprocates.

Finally being within arms reach of her, he pulls her to his chest. Wrapping his arms around her and breathing in her perfume - coffee and vanilla with a little smoke - he hums. Content to have his favorite girl in his town and getting to be her personal tour guide for however long he is lucky enough to have her. He already scheduled for them to go on a guided tour of the Tate Modern tomorrow night and grab some dinner. The guys were gonna meet her in a couple days - Adam being the most eager since he was a fan of her work.

Her head is tucked into his shoulder, smiling ear to ear as she feels his shoulder relax under her arms. She breathes calmly - smelling the lavender and mint cologne she has come to love. She marvels at the fact that she was ready to go to bed just 45 minutes ago when she landed, but now feeling wide awake in his presence.

“Hi, honey. Missed you, can’t wait to show you just how…fun… I can be.” He smirks, ready to be just the most enchanting version of himself.

“Oh, you’re on, Handsome. I was born to be…fun.” She teases, mirroring his smirk.

She feels him shudder. Oh she’s got this in the bag.

[nightafternightpod]

It's finally time to talk about one of the more infamous (and sponsor-losing!) episodes of the show! NEW POD, FOLKS! :D

Laverne & Shirley are delighted by the arrival of rockers Derek DeWoods (Eric Idle) and London (Peter Noone) from chart toppers London's Bridges at Cowboy Bills one afternoon. Starstruck fans that they are, they introduce themselves to the fellas, reciting snippets from the back of their record jackets all the way. Charmed, the boys invite them to a house party (on Blue Jay Way!) they're throwing.

At the party, Derek and London, encouraged by bandmate Malcom (Stephen Bishop), soon realize there's an easy solution to the tax troubles they've been having -- dueling green card marriages. That'll free up their finances so they can buy some castles! Sniffing about for easy marks, they set their sights on the girls -- after Laverne and Shirley have accidentally imbibed one pot brownie too many. Stoned to the gills, the girls are whisked away to Vegas for a fast wedding. Will they say those two little words or will their inebriation keep them from marital bliss once more?!

Meanwhile, Lenny and Squiggy meet mary jane at the party's 'jolly room,' and only Lenny enjoys the encounter.

On pod, we talk the '60s scene of the time, some backstory trivia thanks to one of the episode's writers (thanks Cindy Begel!), and pontificate what '70s director these rock n rolla's would be involved with.

Find at the usual haunts, y'all, even if Anchor has been ingested by Spotify properly now.

YT: https://youtu.be/U0jMyK1x7Bg Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-do-i-do-s6e13/id1511414778?i=1000603566545 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ztHQ0pU2P0zIYE0I6UGZ3?si=vqPwRI3jQAeGLw2tyIQs3A Anchor: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nightaftnightpc

[rubykgrant]

(since it is relevant; some fantasy books I've personally read that others might find interesting)

For younger kids; "No Flying in the House" by Betty Brock, "The Worst Witch" by Jill Murphy, "The Secrets of Droon" series by Tony Abbott, "The Spiderwick Chronicles" series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, "A Series of Unfortunate Events" series by Lemony Snicket, "The Neverending Story" by Michael Ende, "The Chronicles of Narnia" by CS Lewis, "The Last Unicorn" by Peter S Beagle, "The Hobbit"/"The Lord of the Rings" series by JRR Tolkien

For older kids/tweens; "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle, "Fable Haven" series by Brandon Mull, "Savvy"/"Scumble"/"Switch" series by Ingrid Law, "MALICE"/"HAVOC" series by Chris Wooding, "Midnighters" trilogy by Scott Westerfield, "Well Witched" (AKA- "Verdigris Deep") by Francis Hardinge, "Skullduggery Pleasant" series by Derek Landy, "Fractured Princess" series Debra Renée Byrd, "The Golden Compass" His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman, "T*Witches" series by HB Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld, "HECK Where The Bad Kids Go" series by Dale E Bayse, "The Dark Pond" by Joseph Bruchac, "The City of Ember" series by Jeanne DuPrau, "The Haunting of Derek Stone" by Tony Abbot

For older teens/adults; "The Lives of Christopher Chant"/"Charmed Life"/"Witch Week" all part of the Chrestomanci series by Diana Wynne Jones, "Scorpion Shards" the Star Shards Chronicles by Neal Shusterman, "Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman

Seriously. I'm starting to block y'all on sight it has been quite long enough of a campaign to get you weaned off this terf's books and shows (and now games!)

[quantum-moth]

Unobtainable Relief

A Quantum Bound Sonnet

Written by Derek Abraxas

Unobtainable Relief

Euphoria’s whispers, feelings I outgrew.

The ghost of your power still clings to the new.

In the marrow of moments fractured, we blend.

A mosaic dreamscape that just cannot contend.

Beneath my cold skin, you’re still flowing with a hum.

A symphonic vibration imposed to make numb.

As I dwell in the past as if I never even fell,

Blackened by stories I’m not ready to tell.

You once birthed my fire, untamed and devout.

Yet as I breathe in, you intend to fade out.

Your ember remains, though the strength is subdued,

Like the relics of my passion fluctuating out of hue.

So, was I truly the artist? Or just the canvas you displayed?

The art? Or just the hand by which the true art was made?

Was I the musician? Or an instrument being played?

As I feel that power fade, and your solace decay.

Each breath pulling threads that stitched me back together,

They fray by the minute. Infinite morphs into never.

Your essence was the mortar for my fractures unseen,

Now waning as an echo in the spaces between.

I’m caught in the haze of a power wearing thin,

Where beginnings and endings converge instead of mend.

The brightness you’ve shown me still haunt every thought.

But lights are now fading like the hope that I sought.

You remain in the marrow, a faint whithered groan.

your voice no longer has the strength to atone.

I chase you through the shadows, the fractures, and the flame.

But the Sonnets you sang are out of tune. Out of range.

The fires you birthed are now embers at rest.

A ghost of the power that made my darkness feel blessed.

Though I breathe in your essence, I exhale despair..

As I sift through the ruins all that ever was there.

So who am I now, with this skin turned to stone,

With this fractured mosaic I dare to disown?

Your whispers still linger, as my whispers hold grief.

You have turned into another unobtainable relief.

The dreamscape you promised now crumbles at the bends.

My mind left with echoes of a past that never ends.

Forced through its marrow, and its fractures. Forced to fend.

Cause I’m deathly afraid

for when I start to descend.

Derek Abraxas "The Quantum Bound Poet"

[polarpuppet]

Has anyone ever read the book series The Haunting of Derek Stone??? I DESPERATELY need someone to talk to about it 😭😭😭

[docrotten]

THE STONE TAPE (1972) – Episode 227 – Decades of Horror 1970s

‘Before I forget, sir. Them conservation inspectors was here again. In there a long time, they was. They said there would be a summons. And before they went, one of them said, “Did you know about the room?”… Just that, sir. Just, “Did you know about the room?”’ Obviously, they didn’t know about the room. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Bill Mulligan, Chad Hunt, and Jeff Mohr – as they learn about the room in The Stone Tape (1972), a science fiction horror movie written by Nigel Kneale!

Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 227 – The Stone Tape (1972)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

Decades of Horror 1970s is partnering with the WICKED HORROR TV CHANNEL (https://wickedhorrortv.com/) which now includes video episodes of the podcast and is available on Roku, AppleTV, Amazon FireTV, AndroidTV, and its online website across all OTT platforms, as well as mobile, tablet, and desktop.

Synopsis: A research team from an electronics company moves into an old Victorian house to start work on finding a new recording medium. When team member Jill Greeley witnesses a ghost, team director Peter Brock decides not only to analyze the apparition, which he believes is a psychic impression trapped in a stone wall (dubbed a “stone tape”) but also to exorcise it, with terrifying results.

Directed by: Peter Sasdy

Writing Credits: Nigel Kneale

Produced by: Innes Lloyd (producer)

Sound Department: Desmond Briscoe (special sound effects: BBC Radiophonic Workshop)

Music Department: Desmond Briscoe (composer: electronic music) (uncredited)

Selected Cast:

Michael Bryant as Peter Brock

Jane Asher as Jill Greeley

Iain Cuthbertson as Roy Collinson

Michael Bates as Eddie Holmes

Reginald Marsh as William Crawshaw

Tom Chadbon as Hargrave

John Forgeham as Maudsley

Philip Trewinnard as Stewart Jessop

James Cosmo as Cliff Dow

Neil Wilson as Sergeant Paterson

Christopher Banks as Vicar

Michael Graham Cox as Alan

Hilda Fenemore as Bar Helper

Peggy Marshall as Bar Lady

Derek Chafer as Man in Suit (uncredited)

Leave it to Grue-Believers to identify excellent films the Grue-Crew knows little or nothing about. Such is the case with The Stone Tape (1972), a BBC TV film written by Nigel Kneale, directed by Peter Sasdy, and shown on Christmas Day in 1972.

Kneale, as can be expected, weaves an excellent story, blending science fiction and supernatural elements that solidify a subgenre of ghost stories. The Stone Tape overcomes the expected shortcomings of videotaped production and 1972 special effects through story and performances. Michael Bryant, Jane Asher, Iain Cuthbertson, and Michael Bates ain’t no slouches. Thanks again to all those who recommended The Stone Tape. Your 70s Grue-Crew loves this movie!

At the time of this writing, The Stone Tape (1972) is available to stream from Shudder, AMC+, and PPV Amazon. The film is scheduled for a December 9, 2024 release as The Stone Tape (1972) (Limited Edition), a standard Blu-ray formatted disc from 101 Films.

Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1970s is part of the Decades of Horror two-week rotation with The Classic Era and the 1980s. In two weeks, the next episode, chosen by Chad, will be The House of Seven Corpses (1974), starring John Ireland, Faith Domergue, and John Carradine. Yeah, baby! A haunted house, corpses, and ghosts!

We want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: comment on the site or email the Decades of Horror 1970s podcast hosts at feedback@gruesomemagazine.com. 

Check out this episode!

[lnkedmyheart]

Hi! I really like reading your take on FMA 03 🤗 Also in a post you mentioned that some of your favorite books aren't well known. I got curious and I wanted to ask you about them if that's okay.

P. S. : You have posted about HeiEd and FMA 03 before? Because when I got into HeiEd a few years ago I think I saw your username around. Or maybe I'm confused and I'm thinking of someone else lol Sorry

Thank you for saying that. I don't know if I have anything new to say because I don't even know what has already been said by other people. Also no, I haven't posted about fma before this month mostly because I wasn't all that involved in fandom culture at the time. When I did wade in I avoided the fma fandom cause of the general hostility towards 03. I don't even know how I ended up getting dragged back into 03 iin 2024 and started a rewatch but I blame CoS Ed and his general pretty sad boy vibes. I also never interacted with HeiEd (or the fma fandom) outside of reading angsty fanfics which is funny because the only ship I have actively shipped while watching fma was scar/lust but the only ship I have looked up fics for is HeiEd.

No worries about the books I like. I wouldn't necessarily call them obscure because I doubt they are but they are less talked about on socmed from my experience. Some of the ones I can remember are:

Maynard's House by Herman Raucher

Demon by Samantha Lee

Elric of Melniboné series

The Plague Dogs by Richard Adams (I think this one is popular but I haven't heard it mentioned all that often and mostly it gets overshadowed by Adam's better known Watership Down)

The Coins of Judas by Scott McBain, again i don't know how well known this one is but I found it in mum's collection read it once, became obsessed, then promptly lost it in a move, never found the book again

Droll Stories by Honoré de Balzac, I found this 1901 print in my grand dad's old stuff. It's literally falling apart. Reading it was a task but luckily it's so old it sort of just opens flat now. Good too cause if I bend the pages too hard they start crumbling. Luckily the pdf is also available.

Peter Darling by Austin Chant

The Haunting of Derek Stone (used to be my favorite series as a kid)

The City and the City by China Melville

The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time by Mark Haddon

My tastes in media/fiction is a bit more sombre and melancholic. Borderline boring if you want to call it that because most of my friends can't make it through Maynard's House. I like a slow plot that takes its sweet time setting the scene and mood, particularly in horror or thriller stories where the discomfort builds and builds till you're ripping your hair out. I like climaxes that involve philosophical discussions and introspection as opposed to high octane action. A lot of bitter sweet and outright downer endings too. I love unresolved endings with the hero failing to achieve their ultimate goals.

[boundforhale]

Derek  notably  lacked  focus  throughout  the  day.  He  noticed  Boyd  throw  him  a  look  of  concern  when  he  barely  deflected  a  blow  from  the  knight  he  had  been  training  with  at  the  time.  He  tried  to  pay  attention  but  constantly  found  his  mind  drifting  to  Stiles  and  how  he  should  lead  the  conversation  that  they  were  going  to  be  having  later.  He  laughed  it  off  with  his  men,  saying  that  he  was  feeling  generous  today  and  was  giving  them  an  advantage.  It  was  a  thin  defense  but  most  of  them  seemed  to  buy  it.  At  least  the  patrol  had  been  uneventful.

He  climbed  the  stairs  to  Stiles'  usual  haunt,  left  hand  pressed  to  his  right  shoulder  as  he  rotated  it  slightly  with  a  slight  hiss.  All  those  last  minute  movements  during  training  had  sent  more  pain  through  his  sword  arm  than  usual.  The  aches  slipped  from  his  mind  as  he  took  in  Stiles  frame  upon  pushing  through  the  door,  his  lips  pulling  into  an  easy  smile  as  he  crossed  the  distance  and  leaned  against  the  stone  beside  Stiles  so  he  could  look  at  him.  

"What  is  it?  What's  wrong?"  Derek  queried,  frowning  as  he  could  see  something  on  Stiles'  face.  He  was  normally  so  happy  to  be  up  here.  Had  something  happened  after  they  had  parted  ways  to  upset  him?

Stiles wasn't sure how things would go later, but he was happy enough to pass time until they could reunite--he just wasn't excited about talking. There were definitely other ways they could get their points knows, and he feel like this morning had done an awfully good job.

He returned to his own room, which he was beginning to spend less and less time in, and freshened himself up before changing into much more comfortable and practical clothing.

As he was changing, however, he managed to catch the leather strap of his necklace on the awful fancy tunic, and the leather band that had definitely seen better days snapped on him.

Stiles took a moment to try and mend the two ends back together, but the longer he tried, the more distressed he started to become--his comfort item, the last thing he had of his old life, and he'd always kept it close to his heart.

As hard as it was for him, Stiles put it away in the small chest at the foot of his bed. It pained him to be without it, but if it couldn't be secured and safely around his neck, he didn't want to risk losing it wearing it some other way.

And then he found himself heading up to the tower--his tower, where he climbed up on a parapet and sat down. He busied himself with the old book he'd been trying to work through for the last few weeks. It was all quite basic, but he still struggled with the words, and stringing them together into something sensical. It seemed even more difficult today, after breaking the strap of his necklace. Nothing felt right without it.

[rubykgrant]

Because I like making lists and sharing info about stuff I like, I decided to share a small group of a few of my favorite books; specifically, ones that are SPOOKY somehow (some are about magic, some are about more sci-fi stuff, but all still a bit spooky). These are all books that I own, so this isn’t like a “top 50 best spooky books ever” kind of thing, just what I have on my shelf in no particular order. Also, these are all children and young adult books, I’ll save the grown-up horror books for a different list (these books vary in levels of spooky, from mild to hard-core, but are still generally safe for most people to read)

If you like to read and have some time to hunt these down, you might enjoy them. If you are into spooky stories, these might inspire you and provide ref for writing ideas-

BUNNICULA by Deborah and James Howe

NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE by Betty Brock

STONEWORDS A GHOST STORY by Pam Conrad

THE HALLOWEEN TREE by Ray Bradbury

MALICE by Chris Wooding (also, the sequel HAVOC)

CORALINE by Neil Gaiman

HECK: WHERE THE BAD KIDS GO by Dale E Basye (seven books total in the series)

HOW TO DRIVE YOUR FAMILY CRAZY… ON HALLOWEEN by Dean Marney (originally titled “The Jack-O-Lantern that Ate my Brother)

SKULLDUGGERY PLEASANT by Derek Landy (nine books total)

THE HAUNTING OF DEREK STONE by Tony Abbot (four books total)

SCORPION SHARDS by Neal Shusterman (part of the star chronicle series)

WELL WITCHED by Frances Hardinge

(some descriptions of the books under the cut)

BUNNICULA by Deborah and James Howe

Told from the perspective of Harold the dog, we are introduced to a new family pet; a cute little bunny found in a box at the theater (that was showing Dracula). After the important task of naming the little fluff-ball Bunnicula is over, the family is content to have their new pet. Though, he is a little odd… he sleeps all day, and they never see him eat. The family cat Chester, Harold’s dear friend, is suspicious that this bunny isn’t all that he seems. Clues of what Bunnicula truly is begin to pile up, literally, when other members of the family discover vegetables that have been completely drained. Chester is convinced that when it comes to Bunnicula today it might only be vegtables, but tomorrow it could be the world! Harold isn’t quite so sure the “vampire rabbit” is dangerous, and Bunnicula might be the one who needs help.

NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE by Betty Brock

A mysterious child has come to live with a very rich woman, in her very big house, and brings with her a very tiny dog; Gloria, a talking dog and Annabel’s guardian, is looking after her. Annabel doesn’t think Gloria is strange. To her, this is a normal life, and she loves everything in the house… except the strange, tiny cat that appeared and started telling Annabel secrets. Annabel learns she is actually very strange, because she isn’t an ordinary little girl, she is half-fairy and can even fly! This isn’t all good news though. Annabel has to choose between different parts of who she is, and whatever she decides can change her life forever

STONEWORDS A GHOST STORY by Pam Conrad

Zoe’s mother brought her to live with her grandparents when she was very little, and on her first night at her new house, she could feel another little hand holding hers even though nobody else could see her “imaginary friend”. Zoe Louise and Zoe spend every day together, they play, they talk, they grow up together… well, Zoe grows, but Zoe Louise stays the same. Sometimes, Zoe Louise disappears up the door of the back stairs, and Zoe is afraid to follow her. As Zoe gets older, she finally takes a trip into her friend’s world, and realizes her friend needs her help, but she needed it a long time ago. When Zoe visits a cemetery and sees her name, her friend’s name, on a grave stone, she finally has the courage to go through the door and into the past, hopefully to change a terrible tragedy

THE HALLOWEEN TREE by Ray Bradbury

On Halloween night a group a friends meet to go trick-or-treating… but someone is missing. Pip, the best of them all, is supposed to be in the hospital for appendicitis, but his friends are sure they saw him run toward a creepy house, so they follow him. This is where they meet Mr. Moundshroud, and where they see a tree full of pumpkins on every branch, carved faces that range from looking almost human to ghoulish, candles glowing within them. Mr Moundshroud tells the kids that Pip has stolen a pumpkin from this tree, and has fled not just to another place but another time. In order to save their friend from a mysterious fate, the kids go on a journey to different eras around the world, where they learn meanings behind different traditions about life and death   

MALICE by Chris Wooding (also, the sequel HAVOC)

Part illustration and part language, this book blends comics with the novel, as well as fantasy and reality. You see, there is a mysterious comic book, hard to find, and even if you get one the pages go blank after time passes… it depicts a strange and horrifying world called MALICE, full of monsters, and also children who have been transported there from the real world. An urban legend says if you gather the right ingredients and say the right words, Tall Jake will come and take you away. It turns out to be very real, and soon two kids begin a search and rescue mission to find their friend. The thing is, not everybody survives being the star of the comic, and you might only make it into one issue

CORALINE by Neil Gaiman

Coraline is an explorer; she has explored the garden, she has explored her room, she has explored the hallways, she has explored everywhere in her new house… except whatever room is behind the strange locked door. Once Coraline finds the key, she goes down a dark corridor and comes out in… the same room. The same, but different. This is the same house, but it is another house. She also has an Other Mother, with black button eyes, who promises that Coraline will find this world much more interesting. She does, but Coraline still wants to go back to her real home with her real parents. The Other Mother doesn’t like that; she wants Coraline to stay with her forever and always, she wants Coraline to love her, and all Coraline has to do is let her sew the buttons… to save her life, the ghosts of children who came before her, and her parents, Coraline stands up to the Other Mother with some unexpected help from her crazy neighbors and a Cat that doesn’t need a name 

HECK: WHERE THE BAD KIDS GO by Dale E Basye (seven books total in the series)

Bad kids get punished, even if they aren’t alive anymore. Milton and Marlo Fauster find this out the hard way. Down in Heck, there are many different types of “punishment”; like Wise Acres for the sassy kids, or Snivel for the whiny kids. There are seven circles of Heck, so you’ll fit in somewhere. Full of demons and puns, Heck isn’t just a place for bad kids, it is a very bad place for kids. Some of the punishments don’t really seem fair, and some kids never learn a lesson. Could there be a way for Milton and Marlow to go up, to heaven or at least back to the land of the living? Or will they just keep going down

HOW TO DRIVE YOUR FAMILY CRAZY… ON HALLOWEEN by Dean Marney (originally titled “The Jack-O-Lantern that Ate my Brother)

Lizzie is annoyed that her parents never listen to her, she’s annoyed that she’s getting teased about her name (getting called “Lizzie Borden”), but most of all she is annoyed by her little brother. She wishes she could just enjoy Halloween all by herself, but her parents are making her take him around the neighborhood. Lizzie tries to look out for him, especially when a woman dressed as witch offers him some shifty candy. Lizzie told him not to touch it, but do little brothers listen? Now Lizzie is being put to the test by the witch, who is in fact, an actual witch. She has to rescue her little brother from a haunted house, full of everything Lizzie is afraid of

SKULLDUGGERY PLEASANT by Derek Landy (nine books total)

Stephanie’s uncle left her a mansion full of his possessions after he passed away, and she also seems to have inherited a few problems; strangers demanding she give them the “key” and attacking her. She is saved by a skeleton, held together by magic, with the ability to conjure fire balls. If that doesn’t work against his enemies, he does also have a gun. Stephanie becomes part of this secret world full of sorcerers after meeting the magical detective Skullduggery Pleasant, deciding to help him solve the mystery of her uncle’s death and locating the key. She learns a lot about magic, the power of names, meets many other magic-users, and uncovers a sinister plot that could destroy the world

THE HAUNTING OF DEREK STONE by Tony Abbot (four books total)

14-year-old Derek thought he was the only survivor in his family after the train accident… but eventually, his older brother turns up. His brother doesn’t seem quite right though. He doesn’t remember much about his life, but does talk a lot about things he does remember. To Derek, it sounds like the life of somebody else. Eventually, Derek figures out that the person in his brother is someone who died many years ago, in another train crash in the same place. The dead are coming back, and some of them are very dangerous. Derek’s new life dealing with the dead takes him all over New Orleans, through the bayou, and to some places he’d rather not go

SCORPION SHARDS by Neal Shusterman (part of the star chronicle series)

Six young people who have never met have something in common; they aren’t normal. They have odd abilities, strange powers, and unfortunate afflictions that cause them pain, fear, and suffering. Slowly, they begin to meet each other, and figure out what is happening to them… and what they really are. It isn’t just their bodies that are hurting, it is their souls; they are all pieces of a star that went supernova long ago, and within their large star-sized souls are parasites that are killing them. They have to learn to work together, overcome their fears, battle their demons, and find the courage to save themselves

WELL WITCHED by Frances Hardinge

At some point, almost everybody has tossed a coin into a well and made a wish. Nobody really expects the wish to come true. You just have to find the right well… or the wrong well. To pay for the bus, three kids stole some coins from an old wishing well, and become responsible for the wishes connected to the coins. If they resist their duty, they are visited by the spirit of the well; she might be a witch, or she might be an old forgotten goddess. Either way, she torments the kids until they do what she wants. You see, she has a hard time understanding some of the complicated things people wish for in the modern world, but the kids do. She even gives them special abilities to complete the tasks. It is almost like doing good deeds… but once certain things are set in motion, they don’t stop. There is an ebb and flow to wish-granting, give and take, and coins are only part of the price