calloused hands.

the fair grounds had all but materialized over night. all of the plush green and blue sky now muddled by the neon lights and sugary sweet scent of confections in the air. afia loved every single of it. she had missed the reverie of celebration in common spaces when she was marooned in new york all by her lonesome. in the city that never slept, it seemed that no one truly connected unless it were business or unfettered pleasure. she had never been the type to chase that kind of career high nor the bodily kind; yet, she tried to make it work until it didn't. pinehaven found new ways to celebrate every tiny little thing--almost like every day marked some special, earth moving event. the thought filled in the tiny cracks that warped the shell of her ribs; the boney barbs no longer jabbing into her lung with each inhale.

this could be good and fit right even if she didn't fit at all.

in the line for the tea cups curled around the dusty trail, the scuffed toe of her keds etched into the dirt. she waited dutifully for her turn as she contemplated where she had lost her brothers in the crowd. amongst the soft muttering and whirling screams of delight or pain, she had noticed the soft disagreement unfolding before her. the despondent expression of the young man had rattled her to the bone. there was a familiar look to transplant in a new city. all of the wonder and trepidation lives in the void spaces in a person's joints. she had only just shaken it off herself. afia quickly shuffled up to the ill draped tent, hands gesturing wildly to grab the attention of the attendant at front of the ride.

"hold up cowboy, he does in fact have a plus one for this porcelain cyclone you call the tea cups. " she turned her head back to follow the tall wisp of a man before curling her neck back with a grin. this was going to be her oscar winning moment. "..can you believe him? all i said was that cotton candy isn't my favorite fair food and he tried to drop me like that? oh the real real..i'm betrayed. thankfully, we're friends and all so i'll forgive him.." afia turned away from the slow moving stranger to regain the attention of the unenthused teen who watched this all play out like a greek tragedy; who trained them to be lack empathy or maybe it was just the generation. "now, are you gonna take our tickets or should i start asking for the leader of this here circus?" the fury of her words feigned a level of outrage that couldn't quite reach her eyes.

afia quickly climbed into the final tea cup amongst the fast filling fleet. her fingers smoothed over the chipped edges before she had finally fully acknowledged her "new" buddy. "don't sweat it. it's a bullshit rule to have to ride with someone but it does make it more fun. you simply cannot get enough torque in this thing by yourself. i want to feel like the bald guy from fast and the furious." she plopped down in the seat. afia held her hand out towards amos. "i'm afia, nice to meet you old pal."

as   she   approached,   waving   the   young   teenage   attendant   down   to   get   his   attention,   the   tension   in   amos'   shoulders   began   to   relax.   fully   expecting   her   to   save   him   from   the   spectacle,   his   lips   began   to   pull   into   an   appreciative   smile,   only   to   have   more   of   a   spotlight   thrown   onto   him   as   she   spun   some   fabricated,   dramatic   story   about   how   they   were   friends,   feuding   over   cotton   candy.   the   kid   running   the   ticket   station   didn't   seem   to   care,   there   wasn't   an   ounce   of   empathy   anywhere   in   them,   but   amos   wasn't   going   to   fault   them   for   it.   how   could   he   when   the   story   had   him   wanting   to   pull   his   hat   even   further   down   to   cover   his   face   and   hide   him   from   the   embarrassment.  unfortunately   his   ears   were   in   the   way.   and   hats,   even   something   superior   like   a   stetson,   couldn't   do   all   that. the   worst   part   was?   he   might have hated   every   second   of   this,   the   eyes   of   people   didn't   know   boring   into   him   as   he   stood   in   front   of   them   and   suffered   his   way   through   this   performance,   but   he   also   felt   bad   for   her.   she   stepped   forward   to   help   him,   she   threw   herself   into   the   fray,   and   this   kid   couldn't   even   give   her   a   courtesy   laugh?   squeezing   his   hands   at   his   side   to   keep   himself   from   burrowing   into   his   boots   to   hide,   since   his   hat   wouldn't   work,   amos   swallowed   his   breath   before   interjecting.   “who,   uh,”   his   voice   was   soft   and   shaky,   his   southern   drawl   sticking   to   his   words   like   melted   sugar   in   this   heat,   as   he   nodded   his   head   and   tried   to   corroborate   her   lie.   her   story.   “who   says   cotton   candy   isn't   their,   uh,   favorite?   i   thought   i   knew   ‘er,   turns   out   i   didn’t.” tough crowd.

again,   there   was   no   response,   but   at   least   amos   was   breathing   again.   hurrying   away   from   the   front   of   the   line   after   passing   off   his   ticket,   ducking   towards   the   last   emptied   tea   cup,   safe   out   of   everyone's   field   of   vision--   ignoring   the   reality   that   they   probably   weren't   paying   him   any   attention   at   all--   he   sank   back   into   the   rickety   fair   ride's   stiff   curved   seat   and   took   a   deep   breath.   it   wasn't   long,   maybe   another   second   or   two,   before   his   new   friend   had   joined   him.  sighing   again,   after   thanking   her,   he   sank   back   in   his   seat   and   reached   out   to   let   his   hands   rest   on   the   edge   of   the   silver   circular   handle   between   them;   gently   grabbing   at   the   rounded   edge,   testing   his   grip,   as   what   she   said   earned   another   look   of   confusion   from   him.   “you   want   to   feel   like   the   bald   man   from…   what   now?   i,   uh,”   a   soft,   genuine,   laugh   broke   from   his   lips   as   he   offered   her   an   apologetic   shrug   of   his   shoulders.   “amos-- an' i   don'   really   know   who   that   is,   or   what   you're   talkin'   about,   but   if   you   wanna   fast   we   can   try.   so   long   as   i   don't   lose   my   hat.” 

OPEN EVENT STARTER FROM: SHREYA @pinehavenstarters WHERE: PINEHAVEN CEMETERY

the nocturnal air of the pinehaven cemetery was thick with the scent of damp cedar, crumbling slate, and the bitter, comforting heat of the hot beverage radiating from shreya’s thermos. it was exactly nine forty seven in the evening. according to the meticulous charts she had spent three days compiling from old county agricultural logs, the barometric pressure and atmospheric humidity were at the precise intersection required for peak activity. her mood ring was presently glinting a deep, anxious shade of blue under the moonlight, mirroring the hum of anticipation vibrating through her chest. most people avoided the graveyard after dark, but to shreya, this place was just an extension of her childhood backyard. everyone else in the town associated summer migrations with birds heading south, a predictable, evolutionary monotony that bored her to tears. but the junewing beetles were a beautiful, defiant anomaly and shreya respected the absolute, stubborn determination of the species.

"watch your step," she muttered absentmindedly, her hand automatically reaching backward to grasp her companion's hand, tugging them along the narrow gravel path between the family plots without looking away from the canopy. "the soil settling over the older vaults makes the terrain completely unstable due to the recent rainfall, and if you twist an ankle, i am not filling out the county incident report." she clicked on her flashlight, the beam cutting through the gloom and illuminating the etched marble obelisks, but she kept it pointed firmly at the ground so as not to disrupt the phototaxis of the impending swarm.

she had been listing off the exact genus and species of the beetles for the last twenty minutes, unapologetic in her ramble. then, the cemetery went completely silent. the breeze died, the rustle of the surrounding pines ceased, and a collective, bioluminescent glow began to ripple through the ivy covered stone walls. shreya froze, her breath catching in her throat. thousands of tiny, incandescent sparks rose from the graves and the old ornamental flower beds like a spilled chest of gold leaf, ascending toward the sky in a massive, swirling helix.

it was a breathtaking, the sheer scale of the phenomenon sent a thrill straight through her analytical brain, every neuron firing as she watched the beetles navigate by the stars above the resting place of the town's ancestors. a soft, involuntary smile broke across her face, entirely erasing the tense, hyper focused frown she had worn all evening. her eyes wide and bright with a childlike wonder that she rarely let the world see. "they say catching one is good luck. biologically speaking, it’s just a statistical probability given the density of the swarm, but..." she trailed off, her gaze rising as one of the tiny creatures fluttered past. she watched it go, her hand half lifted but ultimately hanging in the empty air, feeling the sudden, overwhelming urge to reach out and hold onto something permanent before the night could slip away.

it   was   a   bit   early   into   his   tenure   as   the   groundskeeper   of   the   cemetery   for   him   to   be   worrying   himself   with   any   locals   wandering   through   the   property   outside   of   the   usual   hours,   he   didn't   know   what   the   people   were   like   here   or   what   their   personal   schedules   were,   but   he   wanted   to   make   a   good   impression;   he   wanted   to   make   sure   they   didn't   regret   hiring   him   for   this   job.   so   when   he   saw   a   light   bobbing   off   through   the   tombstones   he   pulled   on   one   of   the   many   tattered   baseball   caps   that   were   a   staple   of   his   look   and   ushered   his   way   outside;   leaving   his   jacket   behind   thanks   to   the   warmth   of   the   summer   night   air.  it   didn't   take   him   long   to   catch   up   with   them;   his   shoulder's   slumping   down   as   he   tried   to   make   his   frame   smaller,   to   make   himself   seem   less   intimidating,   so   that   he   wouldn't   scare   them   as   he   announced   himself.   his   only   real   plan   was   to   ask   what   they   were   doing--   you   know,   make   sure   they   weren't   up   to   any   mischief--   and   then   he   was   going   to   leave   them   alone   but   she   never   gave   him   the   chance. stumbling   over   his   own   feet   as   he   tried   to   pay   attention   to   where   he   was   stepping,   taking   extra   care   to   not   trample   over   any   of   the   names   and   headstones   he   had   yet   to   familiarize   himself   with,   as   she   pulled   him   along   behind   her.   a   new   companion,   of   sorts,   to   keep   her   company   while   she   chased   after--   what   was   it?   junewings?   “i   appreciate   your   concern,   ma'am,   but   i'll   be   fine.   promise.”   he   half   laughed,   the   sound   choked   out   under   his   breath   as   he   caught   himself   slipping   on   a   particularly   damp   of   grass   and   moss.   “remind   me,   again,   what   it   was   you   said   you   were   lookin'   for?”   he   might   not   have   none   much   about   these   bugs,   but   in   a   twist   of   fate   he   was   somewhat   enjoying   following   after   her.  maybe   he   was   the   one   who   needed   some   company. another   question   worked   it's   way   to   the   tip   of   his   tongue,   ready   to   fall   from   his   lips   in   an   attempt   to   get   to   know   the   girl   more--   to   try   and   understand   why   she   cared   about   all   of   this--   but   amos   held   his   silence   instead   as   a   soft,   almost   ethereal   glow   began   to   build   up   and   rise   around   them. for   a   moment--   a   brief,   fleeting   moment--   he   felt   like   a   child   again.

watching   with   wonder,   his   eyes   blinking   as   thousands   of   flickering,   blinking   sparks   that   looked   like   fallen   star   light   lifted   off   the   graves   and   the   flower   beds   around   them;   building   towards   the   sky   in   a   brilliant,   colorful   vortex.   it   was   probably   the   most   beautiful   thing   he'd   ever   seen   in   his   life   and   instead   of   worrying   about   his   phone   or   trying   to   take   a   picture   he   just   stood   in;   taking   it   in;   wishing   his   mother   was   there   to   see   it   with   him.   his   head   cocked   to   the   side   a   bit   as   one   flew   right   past   his   face,   as   shreya   told   him   about   the   beliefs   and   superstition   that   catching   one   was   considered   a   sign   of   good   luck.   he   considered   it,   for   a   second.   they   seemed   easy   enough   to   catch,   and   he   needed   a   spot   of   good   luck   for   a   change,   but   even   as   desperate   as   he   was   for   a   break   he   didn't   want   to   risk   hurting   one   of   them   by   trying   to   clasp   his   fist   around   it.   hurting   something   or   someone   else,   even   if   it   was   an   accident,   for   his   own   gain   was   never   worth   it   in   his   eyes.   “it's   mesmerizin',”   he   finally   spoke   up,   his   voice   cracking   a   bit   from   the   prolonged   silence,   as   he   looked   back   at   her;   her   hand   tentatively   raised   into   the   fluttering   mass   flitting   and   swirling   around   them.   “you   should   try   it,   see   if   their   right.   you   came   out   here   for   this   didn't   ya?”

from 𝐭𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞.

at 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥.

                    put together two of pinehaven's beloved things — the carnival and cordelia tate's cooking — and you'd have pure euphoria.                     teddy could still remember the lights on carnival nights in town. he remembered how tiny he used to feel among so many attractions, running in every direction, trying to get on every ride possible, only to come back and beg his grandmother for some kind of dessert.

                    cordelia tate's stand, tate's kitchen, always had its place at the festivities, and for the first time, her grandson found himself on the other side of the counter, helping serve customers. usually, that spot belonged to teddy's father, who happened to be on shift that evening. the task had fallen to him instead.                     after getting through a long line of customers asking for cinnamon rolls and slices of homemade caramel pie, teddy had been instructed by his grandmother to take out the trash and head to the family van to grab whatever needed restocking. that's when reader appeared at the counter.

                    —look, i was just about to go to the van and grab more of whatever it is you're planning to buy. but first, i need to throw these trash bags out, so . . . i think four hands would make things go a lot faster. he meant for it to sound lighthearted, as though the invitation to help him carry things was charming enough to be impossible to refuse. in reality, it came out desperate and, as he rounded the stand to grab the trash bags, he could only hope the person would take pity on him.

the  tightening  in  his  stomach,  and  the  slight  rumble  that  escaped  him,  forced  amos  to  ignore  his  nerves  and  his  discomfort  towards  crowds  in  order  to  find  himself  something  to  eat.  he  could  have  just  gone  back  home,  it  would  have  been  a  bit  of  a  walk,  but  all  the  smells  that  were  overwhelming--  the  scents  of  sweets,  fried  foods,  pies,  and  sugar--  had  his  mouth  watering  something  fierce.  even  if  he  wanted  to  leave,  this  carnival  wasn't  going  to  let  him  until  he  got  something  to  sate  his  hunger  and  his  sweet  tooth. a  benefit  to  being  so  new  meant  that  as  he  settled  into  one  of  the  many  lines  rather  than  being  drowned  in  small  talk  with  the  people  around  him  they  all  kept  to  themselves  and  the  friends  they  were  there  with.  it  was  actually  strangely  comforting  the  way  they  left  him  alone  but  still  made  him  feel  welcomed. the  downside  to  being  so  new  was  that  once  he  approached  the  front  of  the  line  he  had  no  idea  what  to  order.  hell,  he  didn't  even  know  what  they  were  offering;  he  just  knew  it  smelled  damn  good.  opening  his  mouth,  amos  went  to  speak--  he  was  going  to  ask  the  younger  man  working  for  a  suggestion--  only  to  find  himself  cut  off  as  he  was,  instead,  being  roped  into  helping  the  other  with  one  of  his  jobs;  one  of  his  chores.

“uh,”  furrowing  his  brow  and  cocking  his  head  to  the  side,  amos  watched  with  confusion  and  mild  amusement  as  the  other  stepped  out  of  the  booth  and  made  his  way  around  to  the  trash  bags.  glancing  around,  the  hairs  on  the  back  of  his  neck  began  to  stand  on  end  as  he  felt  the  weight  of  everyone  else's  eyes  on  him.  “alright  then.”  huffing  as  he  stepped  out  of  line,  he  sauntered  over  to  where  the  other  was  collecting  the  garbage;  where  he  seemed  to  be  waiting  for  amos. grabbing  two  of  the  bigger  bags,  not  flinching  or  caring  as  they  fell  back  and  rubbed  dirt  and  other  dampness  against  the  shins  of  his  jeans,  he  glanced  over  with  pursed  lips;  tightening  his  grip  as  he  stood  up  straight  and  took  a  step  back.  “you're  gonna  have  to  tell  me  where  we're  takin'  these,  i  don't  really  know  my  way  around  yet.”

Ebon was standing to the side of a 20x20 inflatable square with a mechanical bull stationed in the middle of it. He'd been watching for the past twenty minutes and contemplating whether or not he should give it a go. It had been years since he'd been on the back of a real bull and even longer since he'd gotten onto a fake one just for fun. Ebon's back wasn't the same as it was when he was in his 20s both because of age and because he'd never fully healed since he broke it in his early 30s. But... part of him just wanted to say screw it and climb on the machine. Just to see if he still had it.

Shifting back slightly, Ebon tested the tightness of his back. When he turned to stretch to the left he noticed someone else standing there, watching the teenage boy that was currently getting thrashed around. "Going up?" He asked, nodding towards the bull. Ebon's back was tight, but at this point he didn't know if that was going to stop him. "If I do, will ya call an ambulance if I start yellin' once I go flyin'?" He was only half joking.

he'd  barely  been  in  town  two  weeks  and  he  was  already  overwhelmed  and  lost  in  the  noise,  and  the  crowd,  as  he  walked  a  carnival;  like  a  deer,  wandering  wide  eyed  onto  a  busy  highway,  frozen  in  fear  and  confusion.  eventually  enough  bumped  shoulders  and  whispered  excuse  me's  pulled  amos  out  of  his  head  enough  for  him  to  start  moving  again.  he  might  not  have  known  where  he  was  going,  or  what  he  was  doing,  but  at  least  he  was  getting  out  of  the  way. after  some  time,  he  managed  to  find  a  spot  tucked  away  against  one  of  the  carnival's  gimmick  rides.  there  was  a  steady  enough  crowd,  people  clamoring  into  line  to  try  their  luck  while  their  friends  and  family  gathered  around  to  watch  and  cheer  them  on,  but  compared  to  everything  else  he  saw  the  mechanical  bull  had  the  smallest  hoard  of  people  around  it;  at  least,  it  seemed  to  be  the  most  manageable.  approaching,  his  stetson  hat  helping  him  blend  in  with  some  of  the  other's  gathered  around,  he  settled  into  place  against  the  barrier  and  watched.  half  paying  attention  to  the  teenager  currently  trying  their  best  to  hold  and  half  just  disassociating,  his  eyes  staring  off  into  the  distance,  a  man's  voice  pushed  through  the  void  of  his  thoughts  and  pulled  him  back  into  the  moment. 

“wasn't  plannin'  on  it,”  he  admitted  honestly,  his  tongue  pushing  at  his  bottom  lip;  his  southern  drawl  pulling  his  words  back  and  making  them  sound  longer  than  they  should  have  been;  lazier.  “but  if  that  will  getcha  up  there  i  guess  i  can.”  he  offered  with  a  loose  shrug  of  his  shoulders.  “worst  case  scenario,  i'll  call  for  both  of  us  and  we  can  just  carpool.”

darcy & her beloved australian shepherd, maple, were heading back from a semi-frequently hike through pinehaven forest. maple being a larger dog, needs plenty of exercise. having grown up in pinehaven -- darcy knew the trails by heart.

it wasn't until darcy knelt down to tie the lace of her shoe that maple managed to slip from her grip. her dog approached the other figure, hoping to make a new friend with her tail wagging behind her. darcy called out to her " hey -- no, maple ! " she exclaimed, hustling over. " sorry, she's friendly ... " darcy recovered her grip on the dog's leash. " and hasn't learned not to talk to strangers ... " their attempt at a lighthearted comment, her tone still vaguely apologetic. darcy took this moment to get a proper look at the individual, their eyes narrowing in hazy recognition. " wait a second, have we met? " she inquired, tucking loose pieces of her copper behind her ears. surely they knew most of the faces in pinehaven ...

his  t-shirt  was  stained  with  fresh  dirt  from  his  early  morning  work  on  the  graveyard  grounds  and  remnants  of  his  past,  his  jeans  were  tattered  and  worn  as  well,  and  his  boots;  and  even  the  dark  green  baseball  hat  he  was  wearing  to  keep  the  sun  out  of  his  eyes  had  on  had  seen  better  days.  his  clothes  were  a  badge  of  honor  for  his  stubborn  dedication  to  repetition  and  sticking  with  what  he  knew;  what  he  was  used  too.  it  gave  him  a  bit  of  comfort  which  he  had  been  in  short  supply  of  for  some  time  now;  especially  now  being  in  a  new  place. walking  down  one  of  the  forest  paths,  half  acclimating  himself  to  his  new  surroundings  and  half  just  passing  the  time  away  from  other  people,  amos'  borrowed  stretch  of  solitary  peace  was  interrupted  as  an  australian  sheppard  came  bounding  towards  him;  it's  leash  dragging  along  the  path  behind  it  as  it's  owner  yelled  after  it.  well.  yelled  after  her.

“no  worries,  ma'am,  no  need  to  apologize.”  his  southern  drawl  hung  from  his  words  like  honey  as  he  pursed  his  lips  into  a  tight  line,  almost  a  smile,  and  lifted  his  head  to  look  out  from  under  the  brim  of  his  cap  to  see  the  person  now  approaching  him.  “uh,  no--  no  ma'am--  i  don't  reckon  we  have.  i'm  pretty  new  to  the  area,  just  got  in  a  couple  days  ago.  i  don't  really  know  anyone  'round  here,”  pausing,  tucking  his  bottom  lip  into  his  mouth  a  bit,  he  furrowed  his  brows  as  he,  instead  of  introducing  himself,  glanced  back  down  at  Maple.  “Sorry--  you  mind  if  I  pet  'er?”