#sunny asked if she could dig a few holes for some flowers and she dug a fuckin' crater because she was left unattended

[monty-glasses-roxy]

I still love the idea that if given the chance, Roxy, who hates being dirty or her fur being anything but pristine, would absolutely love digging around. She loves bugs and she loves clawing shit and apparently digging just scratches something in the canine side of her brain/programming.

I just think it would be a little funny is all.

[darth-el]

The Bunker (Chapter 2)

Pairing: Steve x Reader x Billy (Zombie Apocalypse AU) Warnings: Death, violence, gore, language, angst A/N: This is a direct sequel to Senior Year (which can be found here). This has gone down a completely different and darker path than I was anticipating like oh my god. There will definitely be a part 3 because I love zombies and once I start writing anything with zombies I literally cannot stop. Seriously ask my old film teachers. I hope you all enjoy and feedback is always welcome!

Part 1 Part 3

Masterlist

You jumped up off Billy making him grunt slightly due the force used when you pushed off him. You pulled your gun out of your holster and tossed Billy your knife. You pushed the cabinet off away the from the door as quietly as you could. The scraping of the cabinet echoed through the cabin which destroyed the element of surprise. You unlocked the door and it immediately swung open and a girl who was no older than fifteen fell in. It hit you that you were incredibly close to shooting her. You quickly locked the door and moved the heavy cabinet back.

“Who are you?” You still had the gun pointed at her in case she did anything you didn't like.

“I'm Cheryl.” She panted taking in her surroundings, Billy looked unsure at this new visitor.

“Were you being followed?” You growled as she potentially put you in danger.

“There were four,” She moved as far away from the door.  You noticed blood on her, which you silently pointed it out to Billy.

“Who's blood is that?” Billy asked circling her, it looking like his survival instincts kicked in.

“Mine?” She sounded unsure by this.

“It either is or isn't princess,” Billy stated. You were watching him intently as he started to take charge.

“It's mine,” She admitted, you tilted your head and stepped closer to her and she backed up into Billy.

“What happened?” You asked trying to get a clearer picture. She looked scared and her eyes darted around the room.

“I don't know,” She sighed. You could tell she was lying. “I don't know,” She implored, you sharply inhaled and walked over to her. You glanced her over wondering where the blood was coming from.

“What do you mean you don't know?” Billy asked sternly folding his arms.

“One minute I was safe, the next I'm being chased,” She had tears streaming down her cheek. “You have to help me.” She pleaded, you could tell she was genuinely scared and you made up your mind.  

“You are staying down here tonight.” You ordered and pulled Billy upstairs.

“We can't let her stay here,” Billy growled at you as you pulled the ladder up.

“She's a child Billy,” You hissed at him, you knew full well that tomorrow morning you were going to have to put her down.

“You are putting us in danger.” Billy had to restrain himself from shouting loudly.

“Billy I think she's bitten,” You exhaled sharply. “If she is, at least let her stay in comfort.” You felt sorry for her and at least she had a small bit of normality before she turned.

“You are responsible for her then.” Billy walked away and climbed onto the bed.

“Fine.” You sighed sitting on the edge of the bed. The atmosphere was tense, Billy passed you the knife and you strapped it back to your thigh.  You stood by the window and could see the zombies walking about in the distance with no clear objective for a while. There was something very unnerving about it, the world looked exactly the same but it wasn't the same at all. You felt Billy come up behind you.

“What do you think we should do?” Billy sighed.

“What do you mean?” You looked up at him smiling slightly knowing exactly what he meant.

“You know what I'm talking about.” He didn't sound impressed by your question. You didn't answer because you weren't ready for that conversation, you sat on the bed and started playing with your knife.

A couple of hours went by and you had a stroke of panic come over you when you heard the downstairs was silent, Billy could see it in your face. You pushed the ladder and climbed down. Cheryl looked like she was asleep on the sofa, her breathing was heavy like she had difficulty. You double checked the doors and windows to see how strong they were still. Fortunately nothing had been touched, you peered out between a crack of wood and a figure shuffled past making you jump slightly.  The figure didn't notice the eyes staring at it and carried on. You turned back around and Billy was kneeling arms length away from Cheryl, you couldn't hear her breathing anymore. You frantically gestured to Billy to back off some more in case she had turned. You stood at the bottom of the sofa at an odd angle to see if she was still breathing. Her chest indicated she wasn't.

“She's not breathing,” You whispered to Billy, unsure why were whispering.

“Then do it.” Billy said wondering what you waiting for. You shook your head as you went over to Billy to stop him from doing anything.

“Wait,” You ordered, you didn't want to be wrong and accidentally kill someone who was still alive. Billy held up his hands and went back to the room. You sat far enough away from her so she couldn't get you but you could see any activity that occurred. You weren't sure how long you were watching her for but Billy came back downstairs with a packet of nuts that you scavenged a few days beforehand.

“Thought you might be hungry.” Billy sat down next to you, you could see the light was low outside now. You knew she was dead as there was no movement, it was just a case of the reanimation. You didn't want it to be her when you stabbed her in head, it made the process easier to cope with. You were throwing the nuts up in the air and catching them with your mouth, you were really bad at it and they going everywhere as they bounced off your face. Billy started to show off and got every single one he threw into his mouth.

“No need to show off,” You pouted slightly as Billy grinned at you. You were starting to feel more and more human again in his company. You were starting to feel like the you that had a normal life, not the you that lived through so much loss and horror. It scared you, what if this was your downfall? In a knee jerk reaction to your chain of thoughts you stood up and plunged the knife into a soft spot behind her ear which meant she couldn't come back to life. “I couldn't wait any longer,” Your voice was cold and made your way back upstairs. Billy stared at you in disbelief and followed you. “We'll sort out the head and burn the body tomorrow.” Billy couldn't help but notice the change of character in you, something had switched in you but he didn't know what. You climbed into the shower and started crying, both tears and water streamed down your face; your usual fifteen minute shower had become an hour long that night.

Next morning you woke to nasty smell lingering downstairs, you realised it was the smell of death. You climbed out of bed fully clothed, Billy stirred in his sleep and woke up when he felt the bed mattress move. He sat up wondering what had happened only to realise you were gone, then the smell hit him. He was never good with bad smells, he knew this smell was going to cling to everything and last for days. You stood over the body wondering how you were going to do this; you decided the first thing to do was if she was bitten and where, you tugged at her top to see if there was bite on torso and back. There was nothing despite there being blood on it, you sighed. You checked down her legs and there was still nothing, which is when felt a bandage on her thigh. The bandage was badly wrapped around a wound and looked like it hadn't been changed for days, the skin around the bandage was badly infected and it smelt making you retch slightly. “Billy!” You shouted up to him sounding concerned because your gut was telling you this wasn't a bite. “Billy!” Your voice was desperate, you heard him stumble about as he got himself ready to come downstairs to see what you were calling him for. Whatever it was he knew it was going to bad, the smell really hit him as he jumped off the ladder and walked over to you with his arm shielding his nose to try and block out some of the smell.

“What?” He sounded slightly muffled by his arm as you pointed to the bandage.

“Can you unwrap it?” Your voice was soft as you didn't want to face what could be a harsh truth; Billy apprehensively agreed and unwrapped the bandage, you had your eyes closed when he did this only nudging you when he was done. “Fuck.” You said under your breath as your heart sank and you could see in Billy's face his did as well, you had become so adjusted to the dead being the biggest threat you had both forgotten humans could be as well.

“That's not a bite is it?” Billy already knew the answer and you nodded in response, you felt guilty but you knew instantly when she came in that she was most likely a dead girl walking.

“We need to bury her.” You whispered fixating on the wound that turned out to be a bullet hole. Billy agreed and moved the cabinet out the way and unlocked the door for you to carry her outside; it was completely empty outside, there was an eeriness to it as it felt like every form of life had disappeared and it was only you and Billy left. Billy started to dig a hole in a nice spot which was bright and sunny, you wished there were more trees and flowers around as you felt like she deserved a spot which had more life. Once the grave had been dug you passed her down to Billy, who placed her covered body into the grave gently. He had difficulty getting out as he really got into digging it and wasn't paying much attention to how deep he actually was, despite the circumstances you couldn't help but giggle while he tried to reach for sides but was just a little bit too short to reach even when jumping.

“Can you stop laughing and help?” Billy sighed in frustration as he stared up at you hands on hips, giving him a salute you ran off to the car and got the rope that Billy used to tie the fencing to the roof. You tied it to the bumper of the car hoping it was strong enough. “Y/N?” You heard Billy shout wondering what you were doing as he couldn't hear you. You stood over the grave smiling holding the rope above him before dropping it down.

“You called?” You laughed as he climbed up as you helped him up.

“We're burying a dead girl and your laughing?” Billy was confused by your change in demeanour, you were very hot and cold.

“There's something funny about you getting stuck in a very deep grave.” You stated matter of factly, as you started burying her. Something in your brain clicked as you were shovelling the dirt in.

“Do you remember what she said?” You asked Billy not really elaborating.

“What do you mean?” He was trying to think about what you were on about.

“About there being four,” You sighed. “What if it wasn't four zombies?” You were worried that this indicated something worse.

“Four people,” Billy threw the shovel to the floor. “Shit,” He threw his hands behind his head and rested on them slightly, you were both thinking the same thing. Humans are more dangerous.

“We might have to move,” You felt sad because you were enjoying this place and if Cheryl had led people to you it would mean you going to lose everything you had been building up over the past few days, your mind was going a mile a minute as you made your way indoors and started packing up your things for what you felt like was the inevitable.

“We could be wrong.” Billy hoped this was the case because this was the safest he had felt for a long time.

“This is going to bring out the worst in people,” You sighed rolling up some of your clothes and putting them into your backpack. “Anything goes now, and we've got something that people will want; a safe place,” You felt numb again and you couldn't let yourself get attached because of the pain of losing everything.

“Then we fight,” Billy let out a laugh but it was more out of frustration than anything.

“If we are right, we are outnumbered okay?” You argued back “We do not know how what weapons these people have, or how powerful they are,” You stepped forward as if to intimidate Billy, but it lost a lot as you were tiny in comparison to him.

“I'm not running away.” Billy was towering above you looking like he was trying assert his dominance.

“Then stay, I'm going,” You shrugged picking up your bag and started walking away until you felt Billy pull you back almost making you fall backwards into him.

“You're not going anywhere,”  Billy ordered catching you, but also getting knocked back slightly by your weight. “I'm useless without you.” He admitted, you could tell he was scared about losing you.

You looked up at him with half smile on your face but it wasn't one out of happiness, it was more dismay because you broke your cardinal rule since losing Steve: Don't get attached. You felt like you were stuck, you didn't want to see Billy get killed because you abandoned him but you couldn't watch something go wrong and lose him while you watched.

“If nothing happens over the next couple of days,” You inhaled sharply. “Then we're safe, if something does happen...” You didn't want to finish the sentence as you knew how cruel it was going to sound.

“It's on me.” Billy finished the sentence for you, whether or not if he knew that's was what you were thinking was unclear and you didn't want to know.

The days turned into weeks, fall had turned into a harsh winter. Nothing happened apart from the occasional zombie trying to break into the cabin; you also had to venture further out to find supplies. This was one of the days where you had to venture out, both you and Billy decided to go further South than usual. You found a small town which had been abandoned a long time ago, you could hear the buildings creak in the wind and there was a light dusting of snow which made the whole town look picturesque. “I don't like this.” You whispered surveying your surroundings because you usually you could hear movement but this town had nothing and it it scared you.

“Me neither.” Billy whispered back as you made your way into an empty store to grab any supplies you could. You split up to cover more ground, while rummaging through cabinets out the back trying to find anything you could grab when you felt something cold pressed against your head, all colour had drained from your face.

“Stand up slowly and put your hands where I can see them,” The person ordered they cocked the gun. You did exactly what they said contemplating whether or not to knock the gun out of their hand. “Turn around slowly.” He continued as you took a deep breath and turned around hands still in the air and your eyes pressed shut. You gulped as you opened them, a man who looked dirty and unkempt wearing a leather jacket and jumper, as if he hadn't been indoors since this happened had the gun pressed to your forehead. He was twice your size in height and weight, there was no way you could win this fight. You prayed he was the only one and sneaked in through the backdoor, you were shaking with fear as he stroked your cheek with the gun still to your head.

“What do you want?” You tried your best to hide your fear but the tremble in your voice gave it away making him laugh.

“I was coming to get supplies, but I got damn lucky,” His laugh was as menacing as his eyes. “You're coming with me sweetheart.” He gestured for to get walking as he followed you picking up your bag, the gun still pressed to your head. From the way that he was talking it was only him in the shop. You led him to the front of the shop with your hands still up, your mind kept going back to “how fast can I stab him?” but you knew it wouldn't be fast enough. You crept through the shop hoping Billy wouldn't do anything stupid if he saw you. He wasn't in the shop when you walked through meaning he might have been downstairs, you held your breath as you walked through deliberately knocking a couple of things over clumsily and noisly hoping he would hear and get the message that something was wrong. You were almost out the door when the gun went off next to your head and shattering the window making you scream and cower while trying to avoid getting shot again. You turn round the guy had blood pouring out his mouth and you felt the back of your head and it was covered in his blood. He fell to the ground with a knife his head, it took you a few minutes to comprehend Billy was standing there covered in blood himself, you knew it wasn't his or the man's that tried to kidnap you. You stood there looking like a deer caught in headlights, you couldn't move or speak.

“Y/N?” Billy asked gently trying not to panic at your nearly catatonic state. “It's okay, I'm here.” He kicked the body out the way like it was nothing and wrapped his arms around you, after a couple of minutes you sunk into his arms and wrapped your arms around him. You wanted to cry but you just couldn't.

“What happened?” You whispered pulling him closer.

“Some guy tried to jump me downstairs, but we got into a fight and I managed to beat him,” Billy explained.

“Did you slice him or open or something?” You tried to make a joke as you buried your head into his chest.

“Or something,” He laughed gently at this and pulled you tighter. “I got his gun.” You pulled away as he flashed the handgun. You looked at the guy on the floor which still had the knife sticking out of his head and laying in a pool of his own blood. You put a foot on his back and pulled the knife out of his head, wiping it against the blind before handing it to Billy. You took his gun and checked it was loaded, which it was. You rolled him over, it felt like his eyes were watching you and it unsettled you.

“Do you have something to cover his eyes with?” You asked Billy as you went through his pockets.

“No, but I am taking that jacket.” He said as you helped him take the jacket off. You were slightly annoyed that you didn't call dibs first as it was a nice jacket, you did think Billy looked better in it than you would have because it would have swallowed you whole.

“What do you think?” Billy flaunted the jacket as you giggled at him, almost making you forget that you were kneeling over a corpse.

“Not bad.”  You smiled at him as you continued to check the man down some more when you noticed something on his wrist. Closely examining it you see it's a branding of a symbol which had two swords crossed.

“You alright?” Billy clocked you looking at the branding.

“What do you think this is?” You picked up the wrist and held it up to the light like that was going to give you all the answers.

“No idea.” Billy took the wrist from you and examined it himself.

“Cult?” You shrugged. “Do you think the other guy has a branding?” You stood up and made your way down to the basement, Billy behind you. The basement was musty and filthy like no one had used it for years. There was water dripping from the pipes, the stairs looked like they couldn't support much more weight and were going to break at any second. You ducked down to avoid the low ceiling and could see the lifeless body on the floor. Billy had really done a number on this person, their head was pretty much hanging off and it looked liked they got into a fight beforehand, or was Billy's punching bag.

“Jesus Christ,” You were shocked at the state of the body. “That is definitely or something.” You looked back at Billy and flashed him a smile. You kneeled over the body plunging the knife into the eye, and examined the wrist which displayed the same branding.

“Do you think it's cult?” You asked picking up the wrist again looking at it more closely and dropping it to the floor and hacking the rest of the head off.

“Probably.” Billy shrugged trying not to look at you viciously hacking at the head, and playing with it as as you walked up the stairs.

The rain was hard outside and you were sat by the window watching it, you couldn't stop thinking about Cheryl, the branding, and if those things were connected. The rain soothed you and calmed your mind. Billy was asleep in bed still, he had wrapped himself up in all the blankets. You were tempted to throw something at him to wake him up because you wanted to talk to him but you knew he was going to be grumpy as he often was in the mornings, you decided to take a shower. The hot water rushed over you and it was refreshing. By the time you got out the shower Billy was awake and having a cigarette waiting for the shower to be free.

“You were in there for a long time,” Billy stated stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray which was on the table by his side of the bed.

“You're up early,” You quipped while you picked up your clothes for the day.

“I couldn't sleep,” Billy said as he made his way into the bathroom for the shower.

“I'm going out. I won't be long” You said as you climbed down the ladder and made your way out the door grabbing the crossbow. You decided to have a wander around the area as you wanted to let off some steam, something you had needed for a little while. The rain had stopped and the forest near the cabin was quiet and it was perfect for what you wanted. The zombies were roaming about and you took them out one by one, collecting their heads as you went. You walked back to the cabin to see Billy standing outside looking for you and when he finally saw you emerge from the forest he stormed over to you.

“What?” You didn't break eye contact him while holding your collection of heads in your hand.

“I thought we were going to go out together.” He stroked his chin as he shook his head at you.

“I needed to let off some steam,” You threw your hands up in the air losing the grip of one of the heads which splattered on the ground, you looked at it in disgust when you realised what happened. “Can't use that one,” You said to yourself.

“You could have died.” Billy's voice was harsh as if you needed to be reminded what sort of world you were living in.

“But I didn't.” You pushed past him and walked back to the cabin to stick the heads on the spikes, it was messy and you ruined a couple because of your frustration so you tossed them aside like they were trash. Billy leaned on the fence watching you, and he looked up and saw the head of the guy that he killed the day before making him move away from that fence as it felt like he was watching him. He felt like there were underlying reasons as to why you needed to let off steam and it wasn't just being cooped up in a cabin or the loss of Steve. He had his signature smirk on his face and you really wanted to smack it off him when noticed.

“Why did you need to let off steam?” His tone was arrogant and it turned your stomach.

“You seem to think you know why,” You retorted. “Why don't you tell me?” You flashed a look at him which was unamused and sarcastic.

“I mean if we weren't interrupted that night, who knows what could have happened.” He pushed himself off the fence and stood behind you.

“That's not it,” You turned on your heel and prodded your index finger on his chest to push him away.

“Then what is it princess?” He thought he could see straight through you.

“Your ego is the size of a small country,” Your tone was just sarcastic as your smile. “There are dangerous people out there who could be coming our way and you think I'm tense because I want to fuck you,” You tilted your head to the side to see what he had to say about that.

“I can definitely take some the edge off though darling.” He chuckled still looking as cocky as ever.

“You're fucking gross.” You shook your head as you said this and walked back indoors, kicking the door shut behind you. It wasn't long before Billy came in, smile wiped off his face and panic had set in for him which caused you to be highly confused until you heard the low growls coming. You grabbed your supplies and weapons and led Billy upstairs forgetting to barricade the door. You tossed Billy your handmade weapon and started to find something you could carve but nothing seemed appropriate. It wasn't long before they broke  through the door and were standing below you trying to reach up and grab at you. There were too many to count, you ran into the bathroom to see you if you could find anything while Billy stabbed the ones he could in head.

“Is there anything?” Billy shouted sounding desperate. You came out and shook your head and ran back over to the bed hoping something would magically appear, you checked under it to see if there was anything, you noticed the slats were wooden making you toss the mattress off knocking everything on the beside table. You managed to pull one off breaking it so it was jagged, you quickly sharpened it with your knife and ran over to Billy to help him. The stream of zombies was steady almost as if someone had led them to you, which was impossible as you would have heard someone or seen someone nearby.

“How did this happen?” Billy shouted at you over the growling. You shook your head not really taking in what he was saying as you were too busy killing the undead down below, it didn't feel like you were any closer to thinning the hoard, until you heard gun fire outside. Both of you looked out the window but there was no one that you could see, the gun fire distracted them and caused them to move out from the cabin. Your guts were telling you this was bad.

“Hello?” A sinister voice broke the silence a few minutes later, the growling had stopped and there a pile of dead bodies below you, you shook your head at Billy to instruct him not to say anything.

“Little pigs, little pigs?” The voice was sing songy and scary, they shot through the floorboard near the bed making you both jump. “Come out, come out wherever you are.” You got down low to the floor to see if you could make out who it was, all you could see was there legs, which looked they were wearing jeans two sizes too small for them. You jumped back up silently and moved your way around the opened trap door so they couldn't see you. The person was going through all the rooms downstairs and cupboards, making a lot of noise until it suddenly fell silent. You knew he wasn't gone yet because you didn't hear the footsteps leave. Billy clutched onto your arm as you pointed the gun at the entrance of the upstairs bedroom. You heard a small thud of something down below, you cocked the gun waiting for them to appear, your heart was beating in your ears. You took a deep breath, the man suddenly appeared and you pulled the trigger bullet tearing through his shoulder making him drop the gun below. There was a sudden rush as you ran over to him kicking him in the face making him lose balance and falling back down, but taking you with him as he grabbed your leg. Billy tried to help you but you had already slipped through the door and landed on top of the guy. You stabbed him in the neck before he could even understand what happened. Two more men burst through the door one of them grabbing you, and the other watching and waiting as if he knew Billy was upstairs, when he jumped down, he was knocked out immediately by the man who was waiting. Billy was being dragged out by his feet and the guy holding you put more pressure on you as you struggled to break from his grip. Billy was tied up and thrown into the trunk and you tossed into the back seat with another man pointing a gun at you while the others searched through the place.

You finally reached your destination, which was in the middle of the forest somewhere. It looked like it was going to be an old, up until recently abandoned bunker which you were pushed into; your fall was broken by a guy catching you who then dropped you to the floor with a thud and dragged you by your shirt collar.

“What shall we do with this one?” He asked as he pulled you around to show what you could only assume to be their leader.

“Throw her in room 3.” He sounded indifferent.

“Room 3 it is then.” The guy dragged you away and you could see Billy being dragged into a different direction from you, still tied up and struggling now that he was awake. You thrown into the room and it looked like what could have been an old nursery for a toddler. Duck wallpaper was hanging off the walls, an old broken mobile hanging from the ceiling. The guy took your weapons off you and slammed the door shut locking it behind him. You looked around the room and there was a figure slumped in the corner, a figure you immediately knew. You stood up and stumbled over to him catching his attention. You both looked at each other utterly speechless.

“Y/N.” He was crying as he rested his hand on your cheek to check if you were real.

“Steve.” You hugged him also crying, both tears of joy and sadness.

[frickfracksnatchisback]

Fear of Infection (Monster AU)

So I love @teenytinyhatkid‘s Monster AU to death (haha get it???) and this idea for a shortish story would not leave me alone (and this took way too pecking long to write asdfjks). Premise is that Hat Kid is acting strange in the monster house which leads to almost everybody freaking out and investigating. And it turns out that Hat Kid isn’t all what she seems...

Warning! Bloody (and possibly gory) descriptions of animal corpses. No human gore though, so you’re safe there!  Enjoy the angst!

***

It was like any other normal day outside.  The sun was shining brightly, the spring flowers were all in bloom, and the air was filled with chirping birds. A small hatted child was running in the backyard of a small house, laughing as she ran through the freshly cut grass. Another child came close behind her, they were both playing a fun game of tag. As the two children laughed and played in the backyard of their home, one particularly tall adult watched over them. He kept a look out, making sure that the two young girls wouldn’t get into any trouble. As he watched, another adult was planting in the garden not too far away. The sun was shining down on her straw hat as she planted the herbs and vegetables. Yes, all was perfectly normal in this household. The werewolf pup playing chase with the human child, the vampire keeping watch over them, and the witch gardening…

Well, perhaps “normal” wasn’t the right term.

“Thanks for agreeing to watch over them, dearie. You’re being a big help!” CC said happily as she dug up another hole in the small garden with her trowel. Snatcher grunted in reply, steadily watching the girls like a hawk. He shifted his umbrella to get more cover himself from the sunlight. He really had no need to, he was pretty much shaded head to toe already. Not to mention he was sitting on the porch, which had a big enough awning to give him more than enough protection. But in Snatcher’s opinion, you could never be too careful when you’re a vampire. Especially when the sunlight was as strong as it was today.

“I hope it’s not too much trouble for you. I’d do it myself if I could, but I don’t have eyes in the back of my head.” CC joked as she planted a cucumber plant into the ground. Snatcher chuckled lightly.

“Who knows? You could make a spell or a potion that could do that.” he joked back, laughing as CC playfully threw one of her spare gardening gloves at him.

“You’re quite the rascal when you want to be.” she giggled, going back to her gardening.

“Hey, would I be me if I wasn’t?” Snatcher grinned, making CC giggle even more. He quickly went back to watching the two girls. It really wasn’t that much of a bother to be honest. Yes, she did wake him up much earlier than he was used to being up. Yes, it was annoyingly sunny out. And yes, he could be getting some lawyer work done or go out to look for a meal. But hey, CC bribed him with saying she would get him some blood bags. And it wasn’t too hard of a job to be honest, so how could he turn that down?

He brought his attention back to the two girls. It looked like they were taking a break from all the fun and games for now. Hat Kid was calmly sitting in the shade of a tree while Mu was...digging. Snatcher groaned, not again.

“Hey CC, the little gremlin is making a mess again.” he told CC. She stopped what she was doing and sighed.

“Please don’t call her that.” she said politely and turned around towards the pup. “Sweetie, what have I told you about digging holes in the backyard?” she called back. The little werewolf pup look up, her paws covered in dirt.

“I think I found a rabbit den!” she said as she grinned mischievously, her tail wagging behind her. She ignored CC and went back to digging. CC just shook her head and went back to what she was doing. Snatcher also shook his head, but more so at CC’s actions. When would she ever start being more assertive with that brat?

“You alright kiddo?” He yelled across to Hat Kid, who seemed to be staring off into space. She didn’t reply, her face had an odd expression. “Kiddo? I said, are you alright?” he yelled again. This time she snapped out of her haze and nodded back.

“Yeah! Just tired!” she called back and went to staring at the ground. It looked like she was picking up rocks or looking for bugs. From where Snatcher was sitting, it was kind of hard for him to tell.

“Is it just me, or has the kid gotten bigger?” Snatcher asked CC. She simply nodded as she was working.

“Wouldn’t be too unlikely dear. She’s been getting these awful growing pains lately. I know her appetite has certainly gotten bigger!” CC said, patting the soil firmly. Snatcher perked up from where he was sitting.

“Growing pains?” he asked, a bit worryingly. He hadn’t really been kept up to date with all the happenings in the house. He was busy with more important things after all. Things either relating to work, paying the bills, or… Well, CC didn’t know about all the hunting trips with Conductor. And he planned to keep it that way. Still, he definitely hadn’t been checking on the kid recently. That raised a few concerns from him.

“Oh yes, poor dear. She’s said her head has been hurting a lot lately, along with her waist.” CC explained. She grabbed a potion from the belt she was wearing. She poured its contents into the roots of the plant. As always, she couldn’t do a task without some kind of magic involved.

“Her head? You sure she isn’t coming down with something?” he asked, very confused. CC looked up at him and shrugged.

“I don’t think she’s sick, she wouldn’t be eating if she was. She just has some body aches here and there, other than that she’s fine.” She said as she quickly went back to gardening. Snatcher could tell she was worried though. She wasn’t very good at hiding her emotions. And to be honest? He was worried about the kid too. She might have injured herself, that was always a possibility. But then again… He looked back at the kid. She was happily playing with rocks and twigs she had managed to find on the ground, as if they were dolls. Seeing this made him shrug his worries away.

Eh, it was probably nothing too serious.

“You should really she the way she eats nowadays.” CC spoke up, tearing away Snatcher’s concentration once again. “She really enjoyed the beef stew we had a couples day ago! She even asked for thirds!” she joked, laughing to herself as she dug another hole in the ground. “If she keeps it up, she outgrow all of her old clothes. She’s already lost a few...huh?” she said, her trowel hitting something in the dirt.

“What? What did you find?” Snatcher asked, very curious.

“Hold on, I’m trying to find that out.” She said, digging up the ground faster. She saw something and quickly grabbed it. She trying pulling it out of the ground, tugging on whatever she had a hole of. She let out a surprise yelp as she finally pull it out, nearly knocking herself back. She started at what was in her hand, it was a piece of fabric. A shirt to be more precise. She looked it over with a puzzled expression. Her eyes widened, as she quickly tried to dig up the earth with her own hands. And underneath the dirt was a huge pile of dirt-covered clothes.

“Aren’t those the kid’s?” Snatcher asked, recognizing a few of the shirts and outfits.

“Yes...yes they are.” CC grumbled under her breath. Snatcher looked back at her, alarmed. Uh oh, now she was going to get assertive. There was only one person who was guilty of this, and they where about to get one heck of a lecture. She quickly stood up and yelled behind her.

“MU!”

The werewolf pup stopped digging again, the hole being much larger than it was before. She bounded over towards CC on all fours, her tail wagging back and forth. Once she got up to CC’s feet, she stood back on two legs.

“Ooo! Did you find a gopher? Can I eat it?” Mu smiled, her tail still wagging happily behind her. Her face dropped once she saw the face that CC was giving her though. It was the kind of face you never wanted to see as a child. The kind of face that said You’re in big trouble young lady. Her tail drooped along with her puppy ears.

“Would you care to explain why I found this buried in the garden?” she said sternly, holding up the ruined shirt. Mu’s face turned from ashamed to confused once she saw the shirt.

“What? I didn’t bury that!” she said, holding up her hands. But CC was not amused.

“So now you’re lying to me?” she said as she crossed her arms.

“Wha- No! I swear I didn’t bury it!” Mu begged.

“Well, who else could’ve buried it then?” CC asked her. Mu opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She thought for a minute, thinking about her answer carefully.

“A raccoon?” she said, laughing nervously as CC glared over her.

“That doesn’t explain why they’re covered in dried blood.” Snatcher spoke up from behind them. He had made his was over to the hole, picking up one of the dirty clothes and sniffing it. “Jeez kid, did you kill something in this?” he asked, turning his nose away from the smell.

“No! Because I didn’t do it!” Mu yelled.

“I think that’s enough time outside today.” CC sighed, shaking her head. “Come on. If you won’t admit you did it you’re staying in your room until you tell the truth.” she said, motioning for Mu to go back in the house.

“Nuh uh! I’m making a break for it!” Mu panicked, trying to run away as fast as she could. CC saw it coming though, and was quick to catch her. She lifted her up in her arms, keeping a tight hold on her. “Let me go! I’m innocent!” Mu grumbled, squirming and struggling to get away.

“May I give a bit of advice? Maybe next time you shouldn’t say you’re going to run away, especially if you’re guilty as charged.” Snatcher joked, Mu growling at him.

“Don’t give her ideas.” CC fussed at him, turning to head for the door. “Be a dear and tell her to come inside too, won’t you?” she asked him, somehow keeping her hold on the struggling pup as she pointed towards Hat Kid.

“Sure thing.” Snatcher said, snickering at Mu shouting for freedom. He went over to Hat Kid with his umbrella while CC went in the opposite direction.

“Help! I’ve been wrongly accused!” Mu shouted, the door slamming shut on her words. Snatcher chuckled to himself. When would that brat ever learn? And speaking of brat… “Hey kiddo, it’s time to go back inside.” he called to her. She looked up from her piles of sticks and pebbles.

“Aww…” she whined, getting up off the ground anyways.

“What? I thought you said you were tired!” Snatcher said, grinning wide. Hat Kid groaned at him and rolled her eyes. “Hurry up. The sooner we get out of this cursed sunlight, the better.” he said, walking faster.

“I think it’s nice!” Hat Kid said as she tried to keep up with him. “The sun is really warm and it makes me feel cozy!” she beamed at him, skipping alongside him. He scoffed and shook his head.

“Easy for you to say, kiddo! You don’t have to worry about burning up. Literally.” he said, making Hat Kid mumble awkwardly. As they made it to the back of the house, he put up his umbrella and held the door open for her. “After you, I insist!” he said, bowing in a ridiculous gesture.

“Thank you!” she giggled as she stepped inside.

“Don’t mention it.” he said as he followed after her, letting the door close behind him. Hat Kid rushed to the living room as he was putting his umbrella in the umbrella stand. Once he was done he decided to go in that same room.  As he walked in he saw the kid sitting on the couch, watching TV. “Mind if I join you?” he asked as he went up to her. She nodded, patting the seat next to her. He smiled and sat right down. He figured he could use a bit of relaxing time after being out in the sun all day. They both stayed there for a couple hours. Hat Kid watching her cartoons and Snatcher slowly starting to fall asleep next to her.

But he quickly woke up as his stomach growled loudly. Hat Kid didn’t seem to notice him, as she was transfixed by the TV. He rubbed his stomach, guess he was hungrier than he thought. He grumbled, CC was still too busy with the little monster to give him his blood bags. Looks like he was going to have to look for a meal, as much as he didn’t want to. But hey, nothing a little hunting trip couldn’t fix. And the sun was just beginning to set, which was perfect timing for him.

“I’m going out.” he told Hat Kid, pushing himself off the couch. “If CC asks where I’ve gone, just tell her I went shopping or something.” he said, straightening the cuffs of his shirt.

“Are you going hunting again?” she asked, he was surprise that she figured him out so quickly.

“Wow kid, read my mind like an open book.” he grinned. “Yes, I’m going hunting. I just need a quick bite to eat, that’s all.” he said, heading towards the hallways that lead to the front door.

“Can I come with you?” Hat kid asked again.

“What? No, you can’t come with me.” Snatcher told her, standing in the doorway. “I mean, unless you want to eat raw deer.” he joked. But Hat Kid didn’t laugh. She just rubbed the top of her head and pouted.

“But I’m hungry...” she mumbled quietly.

“What was that?” Snatcher asked, he didn’t quite hear her.

“Nothing!” she said quickly. He looked at her quizzically, she was acting rather strange.

“Okay then...” he said, unsure of what she had said. But he didn’t dwell on it further, he was too hungry to care. “I’ll be back in a little bit. Smell ya later!” he called back. Hat Kid smiled back at him, still rubbing her head for some reason. He paid little mind to it though, as he went down the hall to the front door. But as he opened the door his conscious told that something wasn’t right. He hesitated before going out the door. Was she going to be okay?

He shook the thought off, telling himself that he was worrying over nothing. The kid just had some growing pains, that’s all. And with that, he went outside and closed the door, leaving his worries behind him.

***

The entrance door creaked as Snatcher sneaked back into the house. He was visibly scowling, grumbling under his breath. His hunting trip had lasted longer than he thought it would, and it had all been a huge waste of time. And he didn’t managed to catch anything in the forest, which left him in a rather bad mood. Whatever, he was going to get those blood bags from CC soon. Maybe he could hold it off until then.

He silently closed the door behind him. The house was quiet, everyone was probably already in bed. Typical, since the sun had set the moment he walked in.  But he was used to that, he had come home later before. He tip-toed through the hallway, careful not to wake the kid up. That wouldn’t end well for him. Or worse, CC could be-

“Snatcher? Is that you dear?”

Awake...

He froze in his steps once he heard her voice from the living room.. Peck he thought to himself.  He held his breath and push himself against the wall. Maybe she just thought he heard him. And if he stayed quiet enough, maybe he could get out of-

“Snatcher, I know you’re there.”

Nope, she definitely heard him. He sighed in defeat and made his way over to the living room entrance. He peeked in, not wanting to walk in just yet. CC was sitting on the couch near the TV, drinking tea. She didn’t look too angry, so that was a plus. But she had an expression on her face that he couldn’t quite read. He quietly stepped into the room, she kept silent. There was tension in the air, which meant something was definitely up. CC put her empty cup down on a nearby table and looked back at him.

“We need to have a talk.” She said, as if she was his mother. Snatcher shifted uncomfortably. Oh boy he thought. This is going to be a long night.

“Listen, whatever it was I didn’t do it.” he said in his own defense.

“This isn’t really a time for jokes, sweetie.”

“I wasn’t trying to make a joke.”

“Ye sure about that? Because that sounded an awful lot like a joke to me, laddie.”

Snatcher whipped around towards the new voice. It belonged to the very last person he wanted to see tonight, Conductor. He was sitting in the armchair not too far away from CC, gripping a bottle and glass of what Snatcher assumed to be alcohol. He was staring back at him accusingly, his face cold and stern. Great, looks like he was going to get two lectures. And from the grumpy old man no less. Just perfect.

“What is he doing here?” Snatcher asked, annoyed as he pointed to Conductor sitting in the chair. Just seeing him gave him a massive headache. Peck, being in the near proximity of him was like a massive headache all by itself.

“Oi! Ah have every right to know about what the lass is going through, ye bum!” Conductor shouted. CC shushed him, gesturing him to keep quiet. Conductor saw this and grumbled in his chair, taking a swig of his glass.

“What? She just has some growing pains, nothing more.” Snatcher said simply. Conductor sat up and glared at him, as if he had said something offensive. He turned back to CC. “It is just growing pains, right?” he asked her. She kept her head down, saying nothing for a few minutes. She bit her lip nervously before finally speaking up.

“Actually...that may not be the case.”

Snatcher was shocked at her words. “What do you mean that may not be the case?” he asked, rather miffed that no one was telling him anything.

“You may want to sit down for this.” CC said, patting the seat next to her. Snatcher hesitated for awhile before plopping down next to her.

“It’s not like I’m going to faint.” he mumbled, shifting in his spot till he was somewhat comfortable.

“Well...” CC trailed off. “Conductor didn’t take it very well-”

“Ah did just fine!” He screamed, CC was quick to shush him again. Snatcher could see that he was lying though, very badly too. His hands were shaking as he filled up his glass again. And as fast as he filled it, he chugged the alcohol down in one swift motion.

“Conductor, sweetie, please don’t make yourself sick!” CC said distressingly.

“Ah’m fine, lass. Now get on with it.” he growled, making her shrink back in her seat. She took in a deep breath, shaking a bit in fear.

“Go ahead. The quicker you get it over with, the better.” Snatcher tried to comfort her, slowly putting a hand on her shoulder. She looked back at him and gave him a weak smile.

“Thank you.” she mouthed, not wanting to disturb Conductor. “Well… the little one has being getting worse now.” she said meekly, barely speaking above a whisper.

“Okay then…” Snatcher said, trying his best to collect himself. “How bad is ‘worse’?” he asked, fidgeting with his hands nervously. He hated it when he did that, but it was all he could think to do right now. He saw that CC looked like she was about to cry. Oh no he thought to himself. This can’t be good.

“I...I think she might be...” CC was choked up, her eyes watering. He told himself wasn’t going to panic. He was going to get through this bad news. Whatever it was he could handle-

“I think she might be infected.” CC said, breaking down as she finally managed to get the words out. If Snatcher wasn’t already a vampire, his skin would have been deathly pale at this moment.

“WHAT?!” he shouted, jumping from his seat. He couldn’t believe it. No, he wouldn’t believe it. They had all been so careful with watching over the kid! So how could she have-

He stopped panicking and walked towards Conductor in an angry stride. “You better start talking old man! And fast.” he hissed, clenching his fists by his side and gritting his teeth. Conductor was caught off guard, draining his glass before he noticed that Snatcher standing right in front of him.

“Wha- YER ACCUSING ME?!” he yelled, setting his glass down and standing up so they could see eye-to-eye. Snatcher was much taller than him, but that didn’t stop the two from giving each other death glares.

“How else would she have gotten it?!” Snatcher shouted back at him.

“Ye no good, dirty peckneck! I outta strangle ye with me bare hands!” Conductor said as he tried to stand on his toes to heighten himself.

“Wait!” CC said, quickly getting up to separate the two. “We don’t even know what it is yet! Please, don’t fight!” she said as she pushed the two apart. The two looked at her, confused out of their minds.

“You don’t know what it is?” Snatcher asked.

“Lass, I thought you said it was-” Conductor started, before Snatcher put up a finger to shush him.

“Well...that’s the problem. It’s hard to tell what it is, exactly. I’ve never seen anything like this before.” CC tried to explain, and failing miserably. The three fell silent for a moment, none of them knowing what to do about the predicament.

“Okay, let’s try to think this out.” Snatcher spoke up, distancing himself from Conductor. “Has she been scratching herself lately? Because he does that often.” he said, jabbing a thumb at Conductor. Conductor retaliated by slapping his hand away. “Watch it, old man.” he threatened as he glared at Conductor.

“She has been doing that, actually.” CC muttered. The two looked back at her again, then back at each other.

“Ha! So you did bite her then?” Snatcher said, smiling thinly at Conductor.

“What?! Ah did no such thing to the wee lass!” Conductor sputtered, holding his hands up defensively.

“No, no! That’s not just it!” CC fussed.

“Well what else could it be then?!” Snatcher snapped. He wasn’t handling the pressure very well. CC looked back at him, clearly irritated.

“I should be asking you that!” CC said hotly, poking as his chest. “How am I supposed to know? You think I know everything about turning symptoms? Because I don’t!” she continued, stomping away from the two. “I’m supposed to be the one who watches over her! And I...I just can’t-” she choked out, before falling back onto the couch. She covered her face and sobbed loudly, making Snatcher feel a twang of guilt inside him. He slowly made his way over to her, hoping he’d be able to comfort her.

“Hey, listen. It’s okay, you didn’t know about this.” he sat next to her and rubbed her back.

“I’m sorry it’s just-” she tried to speak through all her blubbering. “I have no clue what’s wrong with her or what she’s turning into. I don’t know if she has wereowl symptoms or...” she trailed off.

“Or…?” Snatcher asked.

“She could be turning into a bloodsucker, laddie.” Conductor spoke up as he came closer to the two. Snatcher looked at him, his eyes glaring daggers.

“Are you insane? You think she’s turning into a vampire?” Snatcher exclaimed, the Conductor was starting to get on his last nerve.

“It’s not too unlikely, dear.” CC broke in. “She’s been shaking all over, like you when you’re...hungry.” she explained, getting Snatcher’s full attention. “And she bit her lip today, very badly. And I almost thought I saw...” she stopped before plucking up the courage to say it.

“I think she had fangs.”

Snatcher eyes went wide. “F-fangs?” he said, a panicked smile on his face. CC nodded, looking back at him with pity. He took his hand off her, bringing his hands down to look at them. “N-no...I would never even consider biting the kid! Let alone turning her!” he said, fear on the edge of his voice.

“How do we know that ye didn’t do it on accident?” Conductor sneered. Snatcher stared at him for a moment, face-palmed, and shook his head.

“You don’t understand. Turning someone into a vampire is much more complicated than just a simple bite.” he groaned, rubbing the spot between his eyes. “I would have to feed off of her and then give her some of my own blood in exchange.” he explained, recalling the process all too well in his memory. “And it’s not an easy process. Unlike yours, that is. All you have to do is bite her once.” he finished. Conductor kept his mouth shut for a moment, processing his thoughts.

“Ye act like a real bumbling idiot when yer hungry. Are ye sure ye didn’t bite the lass?” he asked, cocking his head in question. Snatcher’s eyes thinned as he scowled back.

“Do you want an honest answer to that, old man? Or should I just carve it into your skull?” he hissed, stretching out his claws and digging them into the couch cushion.

“Will you two cut it out?!” CC shrieked, grabbing their attention. “Arguing is getting us nowhere!” she scolded them. They stayed in bitter silence, with Snatcher softly nodding. “Maybe we should just wait until morning. I think we all just need some rest.” She sighed, getting up from the couch.

“Sure, whatever.” Snatcher grumbled as he did the same. “We don’t have a lot of time though. We’ll need to find out what’s happening to kid soon, before things get ugly.” he said as he straighten his shirt collar and tie.

“Yer right there. Don’t want the lass biting and feeding off of peck knows what.” Conductor joked.

Something inside of Snatcher snapped as his eye twitched. And before he knew it, he was holding Conductor up by the throat. Conductor gasped and struggled for air as he was lifted off the ground. Snatcher’s eyes were glowing with rage and his fangs seemed to grow in size. CC watched in horror, frozen on the spot. She was too scared of what he would do next.

“I would. Never. Bite. The kid.” he snarled, tightening his grip as Conductor choked and gurgled. “Don’t you ever assume that I would hurt her like that again.” he said, showing off his gleaming, sharp fangs. He then let go of Conductor and watched him drop to the floor. Conductor gasped as he fell on his hands and knees, coughing up a storm. Snatcher simply watched the feeble old man, his shadow looming over his weak body. He leaned down ever-so slightly and whispered to him.

“You’re just a careless old fool, so quit denying it.”

Before he could brace himself, Conductor got up and popped him right in the nose.

He was knocked back with great force. His body slammed onto the hardwood floor and the back of his head bumped into the couch. He groaned, his eyes tightening with pain and watering. He laid there for a moment before quickly pushing himself up. Something warm trickled from his nose and he quickly went to cover it. He brought back his hand, he saw that it had smears of blood. He looked back at Conductor to see him shaking his hand in pain. Conductor then started wiping his hand on his white shirt, leaving behind small red stains.

“Oh, so that’s how we’re going to talk this out.” he laughed coldly, unaware of Conductor’s glare towards him as he held his nose. “Then again, why am I surprised? You always were a brute with conversation.” he grinned, flashing off his teeth. As he saw Conductor seething with rage his smile swiftly dropped.

“I’LL SHOW YE A ‘CONVERSATION’!” roared Conductor. He made to lunge towards Snatcher, would was still laying on the ground. He braced himself, outstretching his claws so he could give the old man a couple scratches once they made contact. Conductor’s hands were reaching for his face-

“ENOUGH!”

The two froze on the spot. Literally. A pulse of blue magic washed over them, freezing them like a statues. Conductor stood hunched over Snatcher, still reaching for his face but somehow managing to keep an impossible balance. Snatcher still had his claws out, still protecting his upper half through his frozen trance. CC was panting, she didn’t mean to cast that spell. But it had stopped them from killing each other, so that’s all that mattered. She walked up to them, their eyes were the only thing moving. They looked back at her, she sighed.

“If I unfreeze you both, you have to stop the fighting. Alright?” she asked them both. They couldn’t nod, but if they could they’d be doing it in unison. She quickly clapped her hands together. They both let out a yell as the spell was broken. And before he could move out of the way, Conductor fell on top of Snatcher. He grunted, feeling squished under the old-timer’s weight.

“Get. Off!” he wheezed, shoving Conductor off himself. Conductor yelped in surprise, his face hitting the floor and his hat falling off. Snatcher stood back up at an alarming speed, dusting himself off hurriedly. He tried fixing his tie but did it much too fast and undid it instead. He tore the tie off his neck and threw it on the ground.

“I am going to bed, I’ve had enough of this!” he growled, his hair puffing up.

“Darlings, what is all this racket?” Grooves said as he appeared in the doorway, yawning and half asleep. He was then fully awake as Snatcher came towards him and shoved him out of the way.

“GOOD! NIGHT!” he shouted, stomping off towards the attic room stairs. He slammed the door to his room, making the others jump and the house shake a little. Grooves looked back at CC and Conductor. CC had a very worried expression and Conductor was still getting up off the floor.

“What was that all about?” Grooves asked.

***

Snatcher tossed and turned in his old bed, the mattress creaking underneath him. He turned again for what felt like the hundredth time and stared at the ceiling. He huffed and then sighed, he just couldn’t sleep. He was too angry, his nose still being sore from that punch earlier. It wasn’t broken and the bleeding had fortunately stopped now, thanks to a couple tissues. But he was going to get back at that old coot for what he did.

Yet, as mad as he was at the Conductor, he was also extremely worried. What if he did infect the kid? It was a crazy notion, one that he dreaded. But it lingered in his mind like a bad dream. It was almost like he could picture-

Him standing over the kid in an alleyway. His claws sharp and ready to cut through flesh. His teeth bared and pointed, bigger and sharper. His eyes glowing and glaring, like he was a predator of the night. But he wasn’t all there. He was too hungry to notice or care. He didn’t care that the kid was crying. He didn’t care that her small body was shaking as he came closer and closer. He didn’t care that his claws were hurting her as he grabbed her. All he want to do was sink his teeth in and-

“Shut up.” he hissed at himself, smacking his face with a pillow. “That didn’t happen, and it never will.” he told himself. But he mind still wouldn’t let go of the dark thought. He knew that he could be very impulsive when it came to feeding. He hadn’t had a meal in days. And it could be possible that he slipped up and blacked out making him forget the whole thing…

No, he refused to believe it. He would never turn the kid. He didn’t want to admit it, but he cared about her too much. And he would never, under the stars and moon, ever bite her. The kid turning into a vampire? It was a stupid, rash thought. One that he needed to forget and take his mind off of.

He got up from the bed and began pacing back and forth. Perhaps he was just...hungry. Yeah, that was it. The lack of blood was probably driving him crazy, making him paranoid over silly little things. He just couldn’t wait another day for those blood bags that CC promised. He probably wasn’t getting them anyways, not after that little fiasco. Which meant he needed to find some food for himself. He went over to the window, looking out into the backyard and into the woods. He’d just have to make another hunting trip, that’s all. Just go into the forest, find a quick meal, and get out before-

He immediately paused his thoughts as he saw a figure outside. A very small figure was running through the grass. He got closer to the glass and set his hands against it. Who on earth was that? He tried squinting his eyes, his vampiric vision helping him try to see who it was. Was it a burglar? No...too tiny. Was it the monstrous puppy? No...she’d be running on all fours if that were the case. Then who the heck was-

Snatcher gasped slightly as noticed the hat. The all too familiar top hat that he could recolonize in a flash. But...no it couldn’t be her. It just couldn’t be her. His eyes widened with fear as the kid stopped running and turned around. She looked back at the house, her movements odd and jittery. She looked up at the house, almost at him, with...

Two. Glowing. Eyes.

Snatcher was shaking in fear. He used all his willpower to keep himself from screaming. He put a hand to his mouth, and then another. The kid hadn’t noticed him watching her from the window, or she didn’t care, as she ran faster into the woods. He stood there in shocked silence before stepping back and dropping back onto his bed. He shivered, pulling a his hair with tears of despair in his eyes. Telling himself over and over that he didn’t see that, he didn’t see that, HE DIDN’T SEE THAT! There’s was no way that the kid had glowing eyes! Only werecreatures had glowing eyes! Or...or-

“Vampires...” he said through his weeping, the word caught in his throat. He held his face in his hands, sucking the air in through his teeth. He stayed like this for a few moments, tuning out the world around him. Then, as fast as he broke down crying, he stopped. He got up off his bed a second time, stiff and emotionless as a robot. He made his way over to the door and was about to reach for the doorknob. But he hesitated for a moment. Should he really go after the kid himself?

No, he had to bring someone with him. He had to. Even if it was CC, who would be skittish and scared the entire time they would be in the forest. Peck, he would even take Conductor with him at this point. He would most likely insist on it anyways, despite him being a major hindrance. But he just need someone, anyone to come with him into the forest. He just need some clarification, that’s all. Just some evidence or excuse that he could hold onto for dear life. Because he did not infect the kid, and he was going to prove it. He opened the door and hastily went to wake the others up.

Time for another hunting trip.

***

“Are ye sure ye saw the lassie run off here?” Conductor asked for the fifth time in a row as they were treading through the forest. The sounds of chirping crickets, crunching leaves, and the occasional scampering of startled critters were all around them. Yet this didn’t stop them from going deeper into the forest.

“I know what I saw.” Snatcher said. He had manage to fill the two in on what happened, keeping the details of his nervous breakdown to himself. He lead the group, perking his head up as he listened to his surrounding with his pointed ears. He stopped the group for a moment, his ears twitching, and then motioned for the two to keep following him from behind.

“I hope she’s okay...” CC whispered, trying her best to be extra quiet. She stepped on a branch, yelping at the dry snapping sound it made. “Sorry!” she apologized, but he paid little mind to it as they kept on walking. “You said she looked strange?” she asked, her voice even quieter. Snatcher turned back to look at her, looking more serious then he had ever been before.

“Strange is an understatement. This is...frightening, to say the least.” he put it simply, quickly going back to directing the group. CC and Conductor glanced at each other. CC then went back to following Snatcher. She thought if he was this serious about it, then he must be trusted. But Conductor wasn’t so sure, staying behind from the group for a moment. Was it really a good idea to put trust in him of all people? The same crazy bum who nearly broke his own neck? It just didn’t seem right…

“Conductor, are you coming?” CC whisper-shouted over to him. He snapped out of it, nodding back at her.

“Ah’m coming, Ah’m coming. Give me a minute.” he responded, catching up with the group.

“We haven’t got all day, old man. Who knows how deep in the kid is by now?” Snatcher said back to him. Conductor grumbled and followed them hastily. Looks like he really would have to follow him, as much as it annoyed him. Wasn’t there any other way? Couldn’t he just go look for the little lass himself? Then again… Peck it. He was already out here following them, and there was always the possibility that he could get lost all by himself. Besides, he wasn’t doing this for the bum’s sake.

He was doing it for the lassie, he had to make sure she was safe.

“Ah wish DJ Peck Neck would’ve helped us.” Conductor complained, it was all he could think to do to ease the tension. “‘Ah need mah beauty sleep’ he said! What a load of rubbish! I’ll tell him where to shove his ‘beauty sleep’ once we-”

Conductor’s ranting was interrupted as Snatcher stopped in his tracks. The two bumped into him, but he still stood upright. He shushed them, holding up and hand and staying silent.

“Do you hear that?” he asked them in a whisper.

“Hear what?” Conductor said in his regular tone of voice. Both CC and Snatcher were quick to shush him.

“Be quiet and listen!” Snatcher fussed. Conductor glared at him before cuffing his ears to listen better for the noise. CC did the same, and they all joined in to listen…

What they heard was very disturbing. It sounded like little growling noises from an animal. Yet, they almost sounded human-like if you listened close enough. There were also crunching noises that were accompanied with wet chewing and tearing. The growling would stop for a few moments and a small gulping noise could be heard. They were sickly noises that sounded like something was eating. Or, more specifically, feeding.

They all looked at each other, chilled to the bone. Snatcher tried to compose himself as best he could, trying not to shake or shiver in fear. He tried thinking of a reasonable explanation to what he was hearing. Perhaps it wasn’t the kid? Maybe there were just hungry wolves in the area? No wait, bad thought. If there were wolves in the area where the kid ran into, that wouldn’t be a good sign. That means a pack of wolves could’ve found her, chased her down, and eaten her... Oh heavens, why would he even think of that?! That was a terrible thought!

While Snatcher was panicking in his own mind, so was CC. She was more concerned for the child then she had ever been before. Hoping that what she was hearing was just a trick if the imagination. It was probably some other creature, right? Like a squirrel or a rabbit maybe. Then again, those animals didn’t growl as much. But it was probably nothing! Hat Kid was just...a sleepwalker! Yes, just a sleepwalker! They’ll just find the little girl sleeping in a bush, take her back home, tuck her back into her little bed, and pretend like this all didn’t happen! After all, she had to be safe right? Right?

Conductor’s dreads were also starting to settle in more. He could tell that the growling sounded animal, but was it actually human. He broke out in a cold sweat, he recognized that growling. It was exactly was a newly turned wereowl would sound like during a full moon. But strangely enough, there wasn’t a full moon out tonight. And the lassie hadn’t been sprouting feathers the last time he checked, just scratching. So he had nothing to worry about, right? Hat Kid was perfectly fine and not turning into a tiny, little wereowlet. Because he hadn’t bitten her...or had he?

Snatcher set the group back in motion by plucking up the courage to go further. CC noticed this and quickly joined him. Conductor was the last one, taking a huge gulp before moving on in shaky steps. The terrible noises became louder. Snatcher was breathing rapidly, carefully moving through the brush so as not to disturb whoever was making the noises. Conductor was visibly quaking as they kept on going. But CC seemed to be the only one acting calm. At least, she was on the outside. But in the inside? Her motherly instincts were going crazy. They all now heard the noises from behind a few trees, as if they were right in front of it.

They froze as heard a voice. A voice that sounded like a child’s, but filled with growls and a soft yet creepy tone.

“Mmm...yummy, yummy...”

They all perked up at the child’s voice. CC was the most alert to it, her eyes wider than the two men combined. “Sweetheart? Is that you?” she called out softly, still whispering meekly. The chewing noises continued anyways, as if the person eating hadn’t heard her. Before Snatcher could stop her, she was already pushing past him to get through. She went up towards the patch of trees and tried to look past them. “Sweetie, are you okay?” she said, a little more frantic this time. “It’s okay, I’m h-”

She stopped as she caught sight of something. She stood there, stiff as a board. Snatcher and Conductor looked at each other, puzzled as to why she was so quiet. They both moved closer to her.

“Uh, CC? You doing okay?” Snatcher asked, making to tap her on the shoulder.

“Lass, what’s wrong?” Conductor joined in, reaching out to her.

CC started falling to the ground. Snatcher jumped back as CC fainted in Conductor’s general direction. Conductor managed to catch her by pure reflex, hoisting up her limp body. She was very much unconscious, but still breathing slowly. He looked back at Snatcher with a worried and confused face, still holding her in his arms. Snatcher just stared at her, his hopes were beginning to crumble into dust. All he knew was that this wasn’t a good sign.

“Just...set her down somewhere. She’ll be fine, we can get her later.” Snatcher whispered, instructing Conductor. Conductor hesitated before carefully lowering CC onto the ground. He move her arms and legs a bit, making sure she would be comfortable. As he did that, Snatcher was already going ahead of him. He hid behind some of the trees, moving around but not wanting to been seen. Conductor looked up and quickly left CC laying there to join him. But he didn’t hide like Snatcher. Instead, he simply walked on forward. They moved closer and closer to the sounds-

Until they finally caught a glimpse of the hatted child.

She was sitting on the ground, dressed in her little frilly nightgown. Only the nightgown was smeared with grass, dirt, and blood stains. To their horror, they could see exactly why. She was holding some sort of small creature in both her hands, tearing it apart with her teeth. And her teeth...they were pointed and clearly not human. Her chin was dripping with blood as she dung into her meal rather greedily. They both saw this, watching in terror and disgust as she gobbled up the fresh pieces of animal flesh.

Snatcher could not recall a time where he was more terrified. Watching the kid munching away with her teeth. Her sharp teeth. He couldn’t tear his eyes off of them. It recalled terrible memories for him. His past life spent with her. Him slowly be turned by her, an agonizing process of which he could never forget. His first time feeding, getting a taste of blood for the first time. And then, the village killings. The one memory he wished he could forget, but couldn’t. She reminded him too much of those memories. The pain, the hunger, the mindless urge to just feed. He scratched his claws against the bark of the tree, tears in his eyes. Please! he thought. Anything but this!

While Snatcher was fixated on the child’s inhuman teeth, Conductor was just as scared if not more. His blood went cold as he saw something that Snatcher was too scared to notice. All around the where Hat Kid was sitting, scattered here and there, were feathers. Little. Yellow. Feathers. On the ground, stuck to her clothes, even some on her face. He couldn’t believe it. He didn’t want to believe it. But he couldn’t stop the himself from crying fearful tears. It’s true isn’t it? he thought in despair. He had bitten the little one. He had infected her. He couldn’t remember when it happened, but he must have. Now she was cursed to live a light under the full moon. A vicious little beast that fed off of tiny woodland creatures like snacks. And it’s all my fault...

Hat Kid was alerted to the sound of their sobbing. She quickly looked up at the two, grabbing their attention.

They both gasped at the same time. She didn’t look at all like herself. Her skin was orange-red and scaly, gleaming under the moonlight. Her eyes, like cat or snake eyes, bright yellow with a slit in the middle. And was that a tail? Yes, they saw a long pointy-tipped tail poking out from beneath her gown. They both got a full glimpse of what she had been eating, now that her face was out of the way. The small body of a dead bird was in her hands, nothing but a feathery and bloody pile. She was an absolute mess, her clothes ruined and her face bloodied. And she was, without a doubt, not human.

But she wasn’t a vampire or a wereowl. And that made all the difference.

“KID!” Snatcher yelled in surprise, letting go of the tree he was clinging onto and running over to her.

“LASSIE!” Conductor followed him, stumbling and nearly falling.

Hat Kid didn’t get a change to escape as the two men picked her up off the ground. They hugged and squeezed her together, as if she had been gone for an entire week. They didn’t care that they were visibly crying next to each other. And they didn’t care that the blood the kid was covered in was getting on their clothes. They just cared that she was safe! And more importantly, not infected by either of them. They kept hugging and cuddling her, not wanting to let go.

But they both lifted their heads once they heard her beginning to cry.

“Hey kid, what’s wrong?” Snatcher asked as she sniffled and sobbed, tears rolling down her scaly cheeks.

“Lassie, are ye alright?” Conductor asked, just as worried. Hat Kid managed to open her watery eyes to look up at them, a sad look on her face.

“Please don’t be mad at me.” she wept. They look at her in shock.

“Mad at you? Why on earth would we be mad at you?” Snatcher replied, laughing nervously in relief.

“Lassie, Ah’m the happiest man alive right now. And you better believe it!” Conductor said, playfully ‘booping’ Hat Kid on the nose. She giggled weakly before going back to frowning.

“Why didn’t ye tell us about this?” Conductor asked.

“And what are you anyways?” Snatcher added. Conductor glared at him. “What? Just asking.” he shrugged, ignoring the glare. Hat Kid looked down in shame, keeping quiet for a few minutes.

“I’m...an imp.” she finally managed to say. She took off her hat, revealing two little red horns on the top of her head. Snatcher and Conductor were fascinated by them. How had they not seen those before?

“Oh...” Snatcher blurted out, not knowing what else to say. He’d never really heard of an imp before, or even seen one. And neither had Conductor, who was staring at the horns rather bemusedly.

“I’m really sorry!” Hat Kid apologized out of the blue. “I used magic to make myself look human so you wouldn’t find out.” she explained, holding on tightly to her hat.

“Why?” Snatcher asked, tilting his head in question. Hat Kid’s eyes started to well with tears again.

“I didn’t want to scare anybody...” she muttered softly. “Nobody likes imps. I don’t know why, but everyone who’s seen my true form hates what I look like.” she sniffed, leaning into Snatcher’s chest. She started to full on sob. “And...t-they said I was a...m-monster! And...and a d-demon and I...I-” she tried to speak through her sobbing. “I’m so, so soooooorry!” she wailed, hugging Snatcher tightly. Both Snatcher and Conductor’s hearts felt like they were going to break from sadness. How could people say such things to such a little girl? Sure, she definitely wasn’t human. But she was the most kind, caring, and sweet kid they had ever meet!

“Shhhhh, hey now. It’s okay, it’s okay. Everything’s fine.” Snatcher spoke softly, cradling her like a baby. Conductor also helped to calm her by rubbing her back.

“It’s okay that yer a monster. Ye know that we love ye anyways, right lassie?” Conductor said, stroking her on the head. Hat Kid looked up at him, a glitter of hope in her eyes.

“R-really?” she asked.

“Kid, seriously? You live with a witch, a zombie, a vampire, a werewolf, and a wereowl all under the same roof. I’m pretty sure we’re okay with you not being human.” Snatcher said sarcastically, making her giggle happily.

“Bum’s got a point. I’ll have to agree with him fer once.” Conductor joked, resting a hand on Snatcher’s shoulder. “Ah don’t think we could trade ye fer anything in the world.” he smiled back at her. They couldn’t really tell, but Hat Kid was blushing from underneath her scales.

“Come on! It’s past your bedtime, young lady.” Snatcher grinned, picking up the kid and sitting her on his shoulders.

“Oi! How come ye get to carry her?” Conductor huffed.

“Oh? You’re telling me you don’t want to carry CC home?” Snatcher jested. Conductor’s face went red as he lowered his hat over his eyes.

“Shut up, peckneck.” he sputtered, heading off to get CC anyways.

“Language!” Snatcher shouted as he followed him, the kid resting on his shoulders. Once he saw Conductor with CC in his arms, they headed back towards to house.

“Y’know…you could have told us sooner. At least a warning would’ve been nice.” Snatcher told Hat Kid, sighing tiredly. He saw the kid sticking her tongue out at him, it was black and forked like a snake’s tongue. He snorted, she was just too adorable for her own good. Even in monster form!

“C’mon, kiddo. Let’s get you cleaned up before CC has a heart attack.” he said. He then realized something. “Wait a minute...” he paused. “You were the one who buried those dirty clothes in the garden, weren’t you?” he told Hat Kid. She rubbed the back of her head, looking extremely guilty. “Oh wow, hiding the evidence to frame someone? You’re more of a little troublemaker than I thought!” he grinned mischievously.

“Ohoho! The pup sure isn’t forgiving ye fer that one, lassie!” Conductor called back, joining in the fun. Hat Kid then huffed and crossed her arms.

“I was hungry okay?!” she yelling, irritated and making a pouty face. Conductor and Snatcher stared at each other for a few minutes. Snatcher started cackling and Conductor howled with laughter.

“What? What’s so funny?” she asked them, but they weren’t listening.

“Oh kid...you’re a riot.” Snatcher said, snickering a little. Conductor was too busy giggling to have a witty reply, so he just kept on walking. Hat Kid didn’t quite get the joke, but she smiled anyways. “Come on, kid. Let’s get you home.” Snatcher said, bouncing her on his shoulders. Hat Kid laughed, yawned loudly, and rested her head on top of his soft hair. Home… she thought happily as she started to fall asleep.

She was really starting to feel more at home that she ever had before.

[ask-lilywood]

Kacey tugged on the handle of her little wagon, the saplings inside moving slightly as she did. What a beautiful day it was for Nature Day, the sun was shining high in the sky, perfect for what she wanted to do. “Where are we even going anyway?” Sunny, who didn’t seem to get the concept of Nature Day, said from behind her, a handful of saplings in her arms. “We’re going in the forest! There’s a clearing there, and we’re gonna fill it up with trees!” Kacey explained, a smile appearing on her face as she thought about it. “We’ll get to watch these trees grow along with us through the years! Won’t that be great?” she asked Sunny, who now walked alongside her. “I don’t wanna think about being older, come on Kacey,” she muttered. “Okay, then just look at how adorable they are now!” Kacey insisted, running her finger along the leaves of one of Sunny’s saplings. “They just look like plants to me. I’m gonna get my outfit all dirty!” she complained.

“That’s just part of the fun!” Kacey said in a sing song voice. Sunny sighed, looking down at her flashy gold dress. “Maybe you should’ve worn something more practical,” Miranda said dryly. “Oh please! This is totally practical!” Sunny told her. Kacey sighed, looking back at her plants while they continued to jab at each other. “You know,” Brandy, who was also walking alongside her, whispered, “it’s kinda funny how they act like they don’t care about each other. It’s definitely clear,” she giggled. Kacey smiled and laughed, it was true! The only reason she was able to deal with them fighting is that it was just the way they showed affection for each other. “I think this was a great idea, Kacey. We all need to show a little love for our planet,” Brandy smiled. Kacey nodded in agreement. She loved nature so much, it was important to support it!

As she walked, Kacey looked around her, noticing how the forest had come alive since her last visit here, in winter. It was so green, and she could see flower buds preparing to burst into bloom. It would look even more beautiful once that happened! After a few more minutes of walking, they were at their destination. “Here it is!” she pointed to a side path. “Oh man, in all those branches?! I’m gonna get scratched!” Sunny said in a panic. “All you have to do is push past them. Like this.” Brandy took the lead, nudging aside the bushes and branches as she made it to the other side. Kacey came soon after her, and Miranda was right behind Kacey. 

She turned around, waiting for Sunny to come through. “It’s okay Sunny! It’ll be fine!” Kacey encouraged. “By the time she comes, it won’t even be Nature Day anymore,” Miranda remarked. At that, Sunny quickly came, forcefully pushing aside the branches, breaking a few. “There, how’s that, Miranda!? Pretty good right!?” she boasted. “I think you missed the meaning of Nature Day,” Miranda replied, picking up one of the branches that Sunny broke. “That’s okay! They’ll grow back!” Kacey pointed out as she pulled her wagon of plants toward the center of the clearing. 

“Now here comes the fun part!” she declared, taking out her shovel and digging a tiny hole. She then took a sapling from her collection, carefully pulling it out of the pot and placing it in the hole. “There we go! Welcome to your new home, little buddy!” Kacey smiled as she patted it gently into the ground. “Does anyone want me to teach-- oh!” Kacey noticed Brandy had already planted three trees in the time it had taken her to plant one. “Wow Brandy! You’re a natural!” she smiled. Brandy chuckled, blushing a little. “Yeah, well, I’ve done it a lot before,” she explained as she moved onto her fourth tree. “I think Sunny needs a little help, though,” she pointed out.

“Right!” Kacey nodded, standing back up, looking toward Sunny. “Why do you point me out!? I don’t see Miranda-- oh,” Sunny’s voice dropped off as she noticed Miranda planting trees too. “It’s okay! You’ll be planting trees in no time!” Kacey assured her, gently putting one of the four shovels she had brought into her hands. Sunny took it, looking at it as if she had never seen one before. “Okay, now first we kneel on the ground, like this,” Kacey demonstrated by kneeling by a patch of the clearing that hadn’t been planted yet. Sunny didn’t seem to be impressed by the idea of being on the ground, but she carefully copied Kacey’s actions.

“Good! You’re doing great!” Kacey smiled. Sunny smiled back, relaxing. “Did ya hear that Miranda! I’m doing great!” she called over. “That’s because you have a good teacher,” Miranda replied, smiling at Kacey. “Aww, thank you!” Kacey replied, waving at Miranda before turning back to Sunny. “Now, the next thing is to dig a hole! Like this!” Kacey dug a small hole in the dirt, and watched Sunny do the same. She noticed it was a little too big for such a small plant, so while Sunny wasn’t looking, she quickly pushed some of the extra soil into the hole. “Okay, that’s great! You did perfect!” Kacey nodded. “Now all you have to do is pull the sapling out of its pot!” she went on, grabbing two of them for her and Sunny. She then pulled it out, and placed it beside the hole for now.

“Alright! This’ll be easy!” Sunny declared, yanking it out of its pot, dirt flying everywhere. Both Kacey and Sunny screamed, earning a glance from Brandy and a worried look from Miranda. “Oh man! It’s everywhere! Even in my hair!” Sunny complained, picking pieces of soil out of her hair. Kacey quickly caught the tree that Sunny had dropped, breathing a sigh of relief. All of the roots were there, which was what really mattered. “It’s okay!” she said quickly. “Tiny mistakes like that happen! It can still be planted!” she insisted, setting the tree down near Sunny, who was still busy cleaning herself off. “Phew, my outfit’s okay! And the tree, of course,” she laughed, picking it back up again. Kacey’s eyes lit up, she actually cared about the tree! It was a Nature Day miracle!

“Okay!” Kacey went on, excitement filling her voice. “We’re almost done! Now all you have to do is place it in the hole! Like this!” Kacey lifted her own sapling, placing it down gently. “Then you take the extra soil and cover any open spots, and give it a gentle pat!” she said, making sure to stress the word ‘gentle’. Kacey surrounded her own tree with soil, patting it down. “There you go!” she told it happily. Sunny watched Kacey, and then did it herself, patting the soil around the sapling. Kacey let out a cheer, clapping. “Yeah, I did it! Ya hear that Miranda! Look at my tree!” she said proudly, pointing down to it. Kacey laughed, beaming at her friend. She seemed to be having a great time, even after she had gotten dirt on her outfit! Maybe that’s what Nature Day was all about, giving people a love of nature they never knew they had.