What's this? A middle of the week update? Well, like many of my American readers, I'll be traveling to spend some time with family this week, and am not overly confident with the hotel's wifi. So expect the next chapter to be the following Saturday!
Corona Pax: Wonderful review as always! I'm certainly starting to find a rhythm to writing these chapters, though of course I hope for them each to be a distinctly memorable experience. I have to stop myself from getting too much into Halloween Town's functions- the town is so utterly fascinating, and figuring out everybody's different interpretation of day-to-day life there is so fun to see in each fic, as it differs from story to story.
Tmntfan4ever: Of course I remember you, welcome back! I'm glad you noticed the change in Tricked Out's tone and quality- I like to think the writing is maturing along with the story. There are bits from the first few chapters that I'd ideally like to change, but I'll most likely leave it as a benchmark for my progress. Writing this is allowing me to analyze language and themes much more in depth than I would have thought! I always strive to improve Tricked Out's readability,so if anybody had any suggestions, feel free to chime in!
GoldGuardian2418: I'm so glad for your continued interest in Ivy's story! I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chuck Norris'ssister : Thanks and enjoy!
CHAP 21
November 14
Just after sunset
Angus massaged his wingtips, determined not to let his frustration show. He made eye contact with another monster and grit his teeth, bunching his muscles, feeling each tendon stretch before he leapt into the sky- again.
He managed one, two, three flaps before his left wing gave out and he went spiraling down.
Focusing his energy, he snapped his right wing out again, managing a small circle before landing smoothly.
"Well done!"
Angus turned, grotesque smile ready, only to see Jack congratulating Vinnie, who'd managed to weave between the small cemetery obstacle course without falling. He let his wings drop, dejected.
"Seems as if you can only get to three before you need to change positioning," Angus' mentor said, adding a mark to the rock displaying Angus' falls. The tally was depressingly high. "You need to be in position to dive by flap three."
"I know," Angus snapped. "And I'll get it, I promise. But everybody else is doing Jack's course- shouldn't I try?"
"Not until you can prove this new skill of yours will be useful," came the reprimand. "What use will burrowing be when you cannot dive quickly into it?"
"It's too busy," Angus protested, wings tightening. "Everybody else is here, and-"
"You did it at Designation Day, with a plenty large crowd," his mentor interrupted, red eyes narrowing. "Do you need the human to tell you what to do?"
He gestured over to the Hanging Tree, where Ivy sat underneath, collar popped up. She glanced away from the nearby forest and waved, swatting away a noose attempting to catch her arm.
Angus gave a tense smile in return, still bristling from his mentor's comment.
"I can do it," he flexed his wingtips again, tending up for another jump. "Just you wait."
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By the time a short break was called an hour later, Angus had only managed the trick once. "I'm not even sure if I can count that one," his mentor had snorted helpfully. "You sent dirt everywhere."
Angus slumped by the twisted rocks on the outer edge of the cornfield, looking away from Jack eagerly congratulating more of his peers.
"If somebody throws their head at me one more time, I think I'll just chuck it into the woods." Ivy sat down heavily beside the bat, rubbing her forehead.
Angus scowled. "You were screaming the first few times."
"Yeah, well, I'm not in the habit of catching the heads of kids," she retorted, shoulders hiking up.
"Your practice wasn't much better."
"From what I saw, neither was yours."
There was a tense pause and Ivy slowly breathed out. "Alright, I- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…" She cleared her throat and fiddled with her jacket collar. "What're they doing next?"
"Field test, probably." Angus wasn't sure if he wanted to see the shifty human or the other, successful monsters, and began plucking dead grass from the earth. "It's not that bad."
He could practically feel Ivy repressing her question, finally choosing instead to clear the dirt beside her. Angus felt his interest perk up once more upon seeing tiny letters and symbols sketched into the ground.
"What's that?" he asked, ire forgotten as he swatted her hands from the dusty ground.
"Nothing, really-" she protested, her face flushing. "I was just, um, thinking..."
Her handwriting was cramped and messy, with multiple arrows leading to other notes (is gravity/rate of acceleration the same here? Find apple tree). He saw his own name, along with a tally of the other monsters (Angus flight 1- Δt: 3 seconds (fix watch), flight 2; Δt: 4 seconds…
Angus glanced at the human, who was turning her stuck-turned-pencil over in her hands. "Were you…. tracking my practice?"
She shrugged, a jerky motion. "I mean; I was watching everybody," she said, flapping her hands toward another set of scratch marks. "And I noticed you stayed in the air longer as time went on, so…"
"Yeah, my mentor said the same thing," he muttered, "when he wasn't pointing out how high I can't fly."
"Did you get hurt or something?" Ivy asked, her twitchy fingers finally stilling.
Angus went stiff, his wings suddenly feeling so overwhelmingly wrong under the human's gaze.
"I... uh..." He entertained the thought of lying before slumping his shoulders, wings bending awkwardly on the dark ground. "I'm just...not good at flying," he ground out. "I was a lot worse when I first died, but...they just don't work, Ivy!"
He turned to face her abruptly, one wingtip dragging through more of Ivy's notes (how many bandages does Vinnie have? Can they support weight? Test.)
"I have to get it right!" He gripped Ivy's leg with his class, not noticing her wince. "How am I supposed to be a Spotter, or a Scarer-or even a bat- if I don't fly?"
"You're not just a bat," Ivy argued, optimistically ignoring the claw in her skin. "Look at how well you can dig! That diving trick is going to look absolutely-"
"I can't even get that right!" He wailed. "I kept trying to get the flap down, get higher, but-"
"Scheiße, OW!" She peeled his claw off, dumping it atop a crude caricature of Jack.
"Look," she began, holding her hands defensively over her knees, "all you need to do is figure out exactly how far you can go with each fall, and how high you need to go."
"But it's not that-" oh, he wished he were like Jack, so he could find the words to make her understand. "I can't just give up."
"Why not?" She asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to perfect something that you're actually capable of?"
"You...you don't think I can ever get better at flying?"
"Do you think you can?"
"I dunno," he shrugged, only half-noticing the monsters gathering together once more. "I want to. Haven't you ever gotten better something?"
"Angus, I don't know how it is for monsters, but people aren't born knowing how to do everything."
"That's not what I-"
"Break's over!" Yelled Angus' mentor, glaring at his apprentice. "Come on back, flyboy."
"You too, Ivy," Jack called in a much kinder tone. "We could use your help with this."
"What?"
Angus grabbed the protesting human's hand, pulling her back toward the practice area. "Let's see you try this stuff!"
"This is- hey, watch it! -ridiculous."
"That's what I'm hoping for."
"You little-"
"Gather around, let's give this a try!" Jack waved a smaller monster forward, who grinned up at the skeleton in adoration.
"Now, Fang here is going to take his eyes out and give them to me," Jack explained, looking around to each member of the circle. "He'll stand in the middle of the field, and each of you will have to make your way through without Fang detecting you!"
The monster children nodded eagerly, watching as Fang pushed his four eyes out and dropped them into Jack's outstretched palm,
Angus glanced at the top of the human's head, wondering if she'd allow him to take off from there so he could glide over the course. Her hand had flown to her face, where she unconsciously traced the edges of her own eye.
"Remember, be aware of how much space you take up," Jack warned, bending his legs in a spider-like fashion. "Smaller isn't always the best. Most of you are higher level Scarers, I'm expecting a lot from you."
He gently spun Fang around before lining them all up, gesturing for Vinnie to go first.
The mummy narrowed her eye and slowly let her bandages unroll, the white-yellow gauze bunching behind her until she slowly rose off the ground, the bandages extending her legs until she towered high over the small group, who gazed up in reluctant envy. She lifted one of the stilt-like legs and stepped forward-
Tap.
Fang lifted his hand from Vinnie's bandages almost apologetically. "Sorry, Vin, but I could hear the Wind in your bandages."
"Heyyyyy!" Vinnie whined to the sky. "No fair, Wind!"
"I apologize, Miss Vinnie," the Wind replied, causing Ivy to wince at the volume.
"Hmpf." Vinnie crossed her arms and slowly shrank, binding herself once more.
"Next!" Jack called, beckoning to a spider-child.
One by one the monster went down the line, Angus electing to burrow under the field until Fang thought to feel for vibrations.
When it was her turn, Ivy rocked on her heels at the start, watching as Fang stretched his hands out. Jack gave Ivy a thumbs-up as she stepped onto the field.
Ivy bent down slowly, grabbing a rock. Fang was slowly swirling his head side to side, his large nose trying to pick up her scent.
She crept forward, trying to push aside the states of the other monsters. I'm probably doing so many things wrong.
She eyed the boundary of the gauntlet, wondering if she could forfeit. Angus' beady eyes met hers and he subtly shook his head before tapping his own nose. He pointed to a stack of rotting leaves and then tapped his nose again before tucking his claws under his wings.
Fang opened his nose, giving Ivy another addition to her terrifying images list, and began to circle toward Ivy. Panicking, she crouched down and grabbed the leaves, wincing at the crunch inside the dampness, before letting the Wind scatter the remnants toward Fang, masking her scent. Fang turned away, extending a clawed hand.
This is more like it, she thought. Keeping her footfalls light, she slowly slipped into a hyper-focus as she navigated her way around sticks, small pits, the finish line just in sight-
Tap.
Fang's claw retracts from Ivy's shoulder. "Your hair's horrible, but it's noisy!"
Ivy's fingers darted to her wrist, where a thin hair tie sat innocently. Face flushed, she tied her hair up and stalked to the rest of the monsters, dropping her gaze from Jack's optimistic face.
Jack watched the rest of the class trickle through the course, more slipping past Fang as time wore on. Jack handed the monster back his eyes at the end, giving them all a smile.
"Well done, all of you!" The monsters gathered closer, save for Ivy, who still had her hands shoved deep in her pockets, gazing at the ground. "Be sure to remember that while you know each other's strengths and weakness, the ones you scare will not. Make sure you cover each other! For example...what's Vinnie's strength, everyone?"
"Being a pest," someone muttered, and the class giggled nervously. Jack raised a non-existent eyebrow.
"I'd be careful," he warned in a neutral tone, "she's still the best at discovering your hiding places."
The mummy in question flapped her bandages on the ground, her yellow eye gleaming smugly.
"So, somebody who's bad at seeking should team up with her," Angus said, keeping his gaze deliberately away from the monster who'd made the snide remark (notorious for losing Hide and Shriek).
The monster flashed orange but remained silent.
"Exactly, Angus!" Jack praised. "Teaming up will not only lead to more effective scares, but keep you focused and safe as well. Check in with your mentors, but otherwise you're done for the night."
"I wish," Angus grouched. "I'll be diving into the dirt all night at this rate."
"We'll match, at least," Ivy joked, brushing a clump of dirt from her jacket. "The Hanging Tree kept dropping dirt onto me."
Angus' small mouth quirked up before he walked over to his mentor, wings dragging long trails in the dirt.
"What did you think?" Jack asked, tucking his elbows into his hands and leaning down to Ivy.
"It was one of the better group activities I've done,' she admitted, unconsciously straightening as much as she could. "There was a lot of different skill levels, though- why have them all together?"
Jack chuckled and turned towards the path leading to town, Ivy glancing at the forest briefly before sprinting to catch up.
"I find it much more beneficial to gather them all," Jack explained, "because their mentors can focus on them as individuals- I need them to recognize each monster's value."
"But you're the Pumpkin King," she protested. "Shouldn't you be working with the best?"
"Oh, I do," he assured. "But making time for each- well, it keeps them interested and keeps me up to date on each talent. The group activities are such fun…"
"I hadn't thought of it like that," she admitted. "At home, usually you never interact with the higher level until you are one...mentors usually change, too."
"Different mentors? Whatever for?"
Ivy shrugged, her mind grasping for the foggy memories. "To make sure kids learn different styles, and that mentors wouldn't play favorites- but everyone knew they did."
"The different styles are an interesting idea," Jack mused, letting his gaze sweep the human. Her own eyes were fixed on the rough terrain below her still-uncertain feet. Her ponytail was low and crooked, and Jack suppressed the urge to straighten it.
"Were you a mentor?" He asked.
Ivy's footfalls stumbled before she continued, fiddling with her zipper pocket. Jack waited patiently for her thoughts to manufacture.
"Yeah, I guess," she finally said. "Didn't go so well, really. Kid drove me nuts."
They came over the swell of the hill, the gates of Halloween looming before them.
"I mean, he would not stop talking," Ivy continued, "and he was always asking me to show him the most basic of skills- I mean, Ollies? I'd have to say, 'Lars, that's a total waste of time-", don't get me started on how much practice time I lost."
"I suppose that happens, when you begin to assume responsibilities,' Jack said mildly. "You still had a mentor though, correct? How did they keep sharp?"
"Oh, Dodgers? Well, he…" she trailed off, looking puzzled. "He… he doesn't' really skate much anymore. Too busy running the place…" she looked up at Jack, her eyes wide. "Do you stay in practice with scaring?"
"Of course!" He let himself fix her flattened collar. "When I can, naturally, with the children, but sometimes…" his grin faded as he thought back. "But there does always seem to be something to do-"
"Jack! Jack!" The Mayor's pointed hat was visible through the gates.
"Well, speak of the Devil," Ivy muttered.
"Let's try not to," Jack said, just as quietly.
"We had a manager like him once," Ivy said, warming to the subject, "and he'd do the same thing, but-"
They stepped through Halloween's gates and her sentence evanesced all at once.
"What is it?" Jack asked, unable to look at the confusion he knew would show on her face.
"Uh...what was I... never mind," she shook it off. "Wonder what the Mayor wants?"
"One way to find out," Jack grinned falsely, tossing her a wink. "You can go if you like- I'll see what I can do for our mayor."
"Ok!" Ivy blinked, pleasantly surprised. "I'll see you later?"
"Naturally." Jack watched her wander away, letting his grin slip briefly. It's necessary, he reminded himself, but I suppose that doesn't make it any easier to watch.
"Now, Mr. Mayor," Jack said, cheerfully returning to his amused countenance, "what can I do for you?"
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Halloween Town, Ivy had decided, was quite ironically alive.
Despite the head removal and rotting pumpkin smell (which Ivy wearily accepted she would smell for the rest other days, no matter if- no, when- she got out), the Citizens seemed just as vibrant and active as their Upperwold counterparts. Even now, with the back streets of town sparse and the night in full force, Ivy swore she could feel the town breath around her, the goo bubbling beneath the streets making the cobblestones vibrate, and the occasional pumpkin scream breaking the relative silence.
Briefly, she wondered if she'd ever be able to figure out when there was real danger in town, and promptly dismissed the thought.
She kicked a stone aimlessly, wondering if the Creature could be bothered for another pot of tea, quietly chanting what couldn't be forgot.
"Mamma heißt Selina, Papa heißt Tom," she murmured, kicking a yellow-spotted pebble. "Wir wohnen ins Stuttgart, Deutschland. Mein Bruder heißt Anton, und er ist fünf- sechs? Nein, seib- UGG!"
She kicked the pebble as hard as she could, not expecting to hear a metal clang! and see it come flying back.
Rubbing the sore spot on her arm, she glanced up at her apparent destination: The Witches' house.
Ivy let her eyes roam over the abandoned shack, wondering exactly what the witches were doing in their absence. Was Rosie ok? Helga still disparaging humankind? What if Gretchen believed her?
Ivy pushed the thought aside, deciding she'd think positively if it killed her.
Which, given the town, just might.
Ivy nudged the door open with her foot, letting the moonlight cast her shadow across the floor. Well, she reasoned, if the Wind isn't showing up to tell at me, it can't be all that bad.
The storeroom was easy to find, despite the darkness. Matches apparently weren't necessary to those with firepower, but the old kerosene lantern revealed itself from under a shelf. The room pressed around the pale glow as Ivy slowly walked around, giving the screaming book a wide berth.
A crowbar peered over the edge of a box, and she hefted it out, wincing at the weight. "Not much use," she said, "unless maybe the door is wedged shut?" She set it aside anyway, looking back into the book for anything that might aid her escape. Pushing aside broken goggles and empty beakers, she blew dust off old labels and frowned.
"Poison Oak Itch Activation? No! Don't you guys have anti-gravity potion or something?" She pulled out what appeared to be a clunky CB radio, heart rate spiking before noticing the dented sides and snapped antenna. Ivy fiddled with the dials halfheartedly, nearly dropping it when a sonorous voice drifted from the radio without a hint of static.
"...the world is ending. If you cannot hide, then you must run. If you cannot run, then you must die. Buy Clorox Bleach today!"
Ivy started before leaning down and listening to the human voice, wondering if she should take any meaning from the cryptic warning. She focused on trying to find the source of power when she realized the voice had switched languages.
"Wir wissen nicht was der Mann in der braunen Jacke wollte, aber wir hoffen, es ist nicht unheimlich…"
Experimentally, she flipped the dial all around, searching for other stations, but it seemed only the man dominated the airways.
"...and the kittens are just adorable, listeners!" The man squealed in German. "Of course, feeding hovering kittens will always pose a challenge, but Koscheck had been wonderful in teaching them…"
She slumped back onto the floor, hardly caring about the countless (mostly) sentient dust bunnies, when she noticed the coil of a rope hanging over another box, tucked high on a shelf.
She turned her current (and thankfully empty) box over, balancing as she shifted, dimly hearing the radio murmur, "...ight Vale. Goodnight."
An empty silence filled the room as she reached into the dark, just as stark green eyes opened before her.
"Oh, joy," the eyes said, at the same time a screeching erupted from the radio.
Ivy shrieked and lost her balance, collapsing onto the box and scattering Rosie's posy collection.
"Welcome!" the radio announced cheerfully, now with a female presenter, "to the Four Hours of Tearing Metal Station!"
"Turn that off, will you?" Said the eyes lazily, leaping down to the floor in the form a seemingly normal (albeit talking) black cat.
Ivy gaped, hardly noticing the next metallic shriek. "It's- uh- it's not connected to a-anything," she stammered.
"Well, obviously," the cat snarled, kicking the radio with a long back leg, disconnecting the appendage from the socket briefly. The radio shut off with a mournful click!
"Oh, you have made a mess," the cat continued with disdain, raising its pointed chin. "Human clumsiness is most irritating."
"Sorry?" She replied, tucking the crowbar into her lap. The cat didn't seem to be the most threatening creature, but Ivy would bet her board there was something unnatural about it (overlooking the grasp of spoken language, naturally).
The cat rolled its eyes, and wondering where it had learned to do that distracted her nicely for a moment.
"What are you doing here?" She asked, gripping the crowbar tightly. "Don't you belong to the witches?"
The cat puffed up, looking indignant. "I don't belong to anybody," it sniffed. "But I do lend my expertise of Spell-Casting to the Ladies Helga and Gretchen, regardless." The cat thrashed its tail, drawing the small, lithe body up. "For I am Jasper, the Black Cat of Misfortune, he who walks unseen, with the strength of-"
"Oh yeah! Rosie said she braids lilies into your fur sometimes."
Jasper deflated, looking annoyed. "Yes, well... I'll train that apprentice to better appreciate her betters." He yawned and stretched his claws. "So, Human Ivy, why are you poking around in my Mistresses' things?"
"I was picking up some stuff I left," she said, thinking fast, "and then I got curious-"
"-which I could believe, and even endorse, but not only do you not have nine lives to bring you back, but I doubt those tiny pockets of yours brought anything of significant value. You've got nothing but what you're wearing, girl."
"You hang out more with Helga, don't you."
"That's beside the point," Jasper replied smoothly. He elegantly stepped over scattered petals and brews before leaping onto the store book's stand. "Let's see what they've managed to find out there, hmm?"
"NO!" Ivy yelled, scrambling over as Jasper nonchalantly flipped open the book. "You're going to-" she stopped as no face or scream arose from the pages, with only Gretchen's messy scrawl to be seen. "Uh..."
"That defense is only for intruders," the cat said smugly, "of which I am certainly not. I can access it at my own discretion. Come closer if you must, but keep your clumsy human fingers off it."
Ivy stood behind the cat's shoulder, eyes widening at a familiar page.
Stinging Nettle...4
Poison Ivy...0
Giant's Wart...6
Nightshade...8
The long trails of zeros had been replaced with steadily rising numbers, but Jasper tsk'ed over one entry.
"No more peach blossoms? Ah, the tree must be dead again. They're in such rare supply… I might as well go get them from the human world now."
"You've only got one tree for- wait, WHAT?"
Jasper hopped from the stand, heading toward an innocent-looking old cabinet, trailing a veneer of nonchalance behind him. "I'll be back in a moment- don't touch anything."
The black cat's tail disappeared as the cabinet closed softly.
Ivy froze, her body locked and mind racing before snapping to action, throwing open the door and dropping to her hands and knees. The cabinet was completely barren.
She wormed her way into the tight space, the dark closing around her as she her limbs knocked against the walls. The air grew hot from her breath as she moved around, ignoring the quiet and tightness coiling in her stomach, frantically patting at the walls and floor.
"Alright, that place has traps n-WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE?"
"AHHHH!"
Jasper was half-phased through the back wall, a bunch of peach blossoms clamped in his jaws. Ivy slammed her hand onto the flickering wall, only to meet solid wood.
"Get out of here, you stupid girl! You're confusing it! You'll get me cut in half!" When the girl didn't relent, he rolled his eyes and swiped a paw across her face, hissing as best he could through the flowers.
She shoved herself backwards in shock, tumbling into the cool air of the witches' storeroom.
Jasper emerged from the cabinet, fur noticeably more rumpled than before, the peach blossoms already wilting from Halloween's definition of life. He spat the batch by the cauldron and turned to his fur, sparing caustic glances to Ivy every change he got. The human payed no mind, back inside the cabinet, where a faint pounding could be heard.
"It's not that simple," the cat grouched. "Believe me, dear, you wouldn't be in this town if we could get you out."
"How come it worked for you?" She snapped, now slamming her feet against the stagnant wall.
"I'm a Citizen," Jasper growled, smoothing the fur on his back legs. "You are more definitely not. The Gateways won't open, no matter how much you abuse them," he added scornfully as Ivy brought the crowbar into the cabinet with her.
"And nobody thought to mention there were 'Gateways' to me?" she snapped, her voice hoarse and muffled. "Make me a Citizen then, or something! I'll sign the stupid book-"
"What do you think would be the point?" the cat countered, considerably calmer. "Being a Citizen isn't as simple as you may think- it's a bit more intricate than simply 'signing the book'."
"How so?" the pungent remark was soon accompanied by a face of frustration as Ivy pulled herself from the cabinet.
Jasper wrapped his tail around his front paws, trying to control his pique. "Well, you become bound to the town, and it takes a bit of your remaining life force. You have responsibilities to uphold in keeping Halloween relevant and frightening. You gain awareness to the true nature of these worlds...and to revoke the town's protection dooms you to become a forgotten memory."
Ivy glanced back at the cabinet in desperation.
"You have to earn Citizenship, girl," Jasper continued. "Souls approach Halloween because they are either condemned from Heaven or prove to be a strong force for fright in their life. I doubt your human soul would fare well with the binding." He approached the girl and flexed his paw, displaying hard white and red lines coating the pad. "My mark of Citizenship," he said, with a touch of pride.
Ivy let her fingers trace over the raised lines, though her eyeing of the Gateway remained. "Where did that one go?"
"Oh, the destinations change all the time," Jasper dismissed with a flick of his tail. "Depends on where reality is most altered at the time. Today it was some greenhouse in the American Northwest, but once I got a room with a bunch of sleeping humans- unusual, generally there's no humans around- except for one girl still awake, watching the wall." He purred fondly. "She nearly startled me in her stillness; she'd be excellent scaring material."
He shuffled the peach blossoms over to an empty cubbyhole, sweeping each petal in with the inky-black tail. "How much does the book say I got?"
Ivy pushed herself from the floor and leaned carefully over the book. "Uh...three."
"Damn," the cat huffed, "it didn't look like there was anymore. I'll have to go back later…" he stretched across the floor, gazing at Ivy through half-lidded eyes. "Clean up here and put that box back, and I won't alert the town that you've been snooping through the witches' possessions."
"I wasn't snooping," she protested hotly, even as she set the radio and beakers back into the box. "I was…"
"Oh, save it," Jasper yawned. "I could care less, as long as you keep away from my crunchy tuna bones."
"I won't lay a hand on them," the human promised.
"Mm. see that you don't." Jasper gave her one last stare before hopping onto the countertop, melting away into the shadows.
Ivy meticulously went over the room, replacing anything she might have displaced, refusing to look at the Gateway again, feeling the town watching her now, just waiting for her to try again. Her mind's eye was fixed on the Signature Book, tempting her to pick up the pen…
No. Not until you have more evidence. Keep an eye on the Gateways, though. Maybe I don't need to be the one to go through them.
She retraced her steps through the dark, letting a pumpkin's screen muffled the sound of the door sliding shut on the witches' house.
Ich heiße Ivy Kunze. Ich bin fünfzehn Jahre alt, und ich bin in einem Albtraum stecken...
Mamma heißt Selina, Papa heißt Tom..."Wir wohnen ins Stuttgart, Deutschland. Mein Bruder heißt Anton, und er ist fünf- sechs? Nein, seib-:
-Mom's name is Seliana, Dad's name is Tom...we live in Stuttgart, Germany...my brother is named Anton, and he's five-six? No, (seven).
Wir wissen nicht was der Mann in der braunen Jacke wollte, aber wir hoffen, es ist nicht unheimlich…:
-We don't know what the man in the tan jacket wanted, but we hope that it's nothing sinister...
Ich heiße Ivy Kunze. Ich bin fünfzehn Jahre alt, und ich bin in einem Albtraum stecken...:
-My name is Ivy Kunze, I'm fifteen years old, and I'm living in a nightmare.
And if the character of Jasper seems familiar to anybody, you may have seen him over in Skeleton Anne, Corona Pax's ever-evolving story with some of the best written characters I've come across. Everybody go check it out!
Hope you all have a good weekend! If you're traveling, tell me your Thanksgiving plans, and for all readers, the cliched question arises: "What are you thankful for?" (My cliche answer is, of course, that I'm thankful to have so much online support for a story I thought would never be written down. Thank you sincerely, to every one who's ever reviewed or read this book. It means more than I can say.)
See you next Saturday,
-Aria