𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐨!

Star, ever since she was a little girl, observed, learning to watch small movements from people around her. The way her mother's foot would anxiously twitch when her father was late coming home. The way her father would take two steps, pause, then three, then pause, then two again on his way to the fridge for another beer. Not to mention the men she surrounded herself with when she left home.

With Sam, it had been no different. She watched the way he altered his sleep patterns for the rest of theirs, how he always was at Michael's side, that idolization look in his own blue eyes that made the matriarch of the Lost Boys nervous. With Lucy knowing the truth about everything, that there was no possibility of Michael becoming human again without killing David, she couldn't forbid Sam from being around his own brother, but things were getting dangerous now more than before. Talk of rival vampires in Santa Carla, the ever-present worry of hunters emerging, and even with time passing and the dust settling, but it had been two years-

He wasn't that same fifteen year-old anymore, and he had taken the time to truly consider and weigh everything of what he wanted, and that was to stay with his brother. No matter what it meant, even if it meant being immortal, having to kill; the thought almost made Star feel sick, Sam still being that sweet kid she had first protected on the boardwalk years ago. Everyone knew the bond brothers especially had, that growing even more amongst her brothers, Star herself seeing it, and part of her knew Sam would fit in perfectly, as it was Paul had already been calling him an 'honorary Lost Boy', something that made her skin itch.

               HE   DIDN'T   WANT   TO   BELIEVE   WHAT   HIS   BROTHER   WAS   BECOMING,   but   once   he   had   there   were   a   bunch   of   emotions   he   had   gone   through.   In   the   end,   Michael   was   his   brother.   Michael   was   the   only   constant   in   life,   the   only   person   who   truly   cared   what   happened   to   him.   That   might   not   be   fair   to   say   given   his   mother,   but   even   she   couldn’t   understand   him.   He   chose   Michael.   He   chose   to   hang   around   The   Lost   Boys.   

                  SAM   WASN'T   SO   SURE   IF   HE   WOULD   FIT   IN   QUITE   well.   First   of   all,   he   dressed   way   differently.   Second,   did   he   truly   have   what   it   took   to   be   a   Lost   Boy?   It   didn’t   appear   so,   but   in   such   a   dark   way,   these   boys   were   similar   to   him.   The   decision   was   already   made   when   he   found   out   that   Michael   could   not   turn   back   to   human.   Sam   would   become   one   of   them.   Sure,   he   promised   to   finish   this   year   off,   and   after   that?   After   that   he   was   going   to   stay   here   in   this   cave   with   them.   He   started   to   change   his   way   of   sleeping.   He   stayed   up   way   late,   slept   in   most   of   the   day,   and   adjusted   himself   to   the   cave   they   called   home.   The   boys   still   intimidated   him,   but   Paul   and   Marko   were   pretty   easy   going.   David   seemed   to   avoid   him,   and   Dwayne…   well   he   hardly   spoke   to   him.   Though,   that   didn’t   take   a   genius   to   figure   out.   

"But you did, Sam. The moment you realized that there wasn't a chance of your brother becoming human again, you made your choice, even if you don't think so," brown eyes settle on Sam's blue, a serious, somber look in Star's own. The last thing she had ever wanted was this, both Emerson boys now having given up at least half their life, her heart breaking for their mother. Having spent months with Lucy, Star had grown to see where each of them got their kind, loving nature from, so to know now that the youngest had now been toying with becoming like the rest of them... It broke her once beating heart. What about their mother? This wasn't going to all end the way Max had first intended it to, was it? Even with him dead and gone, it would be like he had won still.

She took a breath, fingertips anxiously playing with the lace trim on her jacket for a moment. "I know you don't want to leave your brother, but you also have to know that this... It's not a way to be, Sam. You have your mom and grandfather, you're a child still, you have so much to offer. You have a choice, something Michael and I didn't get," gaze flicks away for a second before back to the teenager, the familiar sadness in Star's face. "Please make the right one."

               HIS   MOTHER   AND   GRANDFATHER.   BOTH   OF   THEM   ARE   WONDERFUL   PEOPLE,   but   yet   Sam   still   felt   so   distant   from   them.   He   was   annoyed   by   both,   and   yes   he   was   aware   that   didn’t   mean   anything.   However,   he   never   really   belonged.   He   was   different   in   many   ways.   The   way   the   boys   lived   seemed   somewhat…   freeing.   He   wanted   to   feel   that.   He   wanted   to   be   with   his   brother   most   of   all.   Sam   knew   well   enough   that   it   wasn’t   a   healthy   choice   to   a   point,   but   Michael   needed   him.   He   needed   him   more   than   anyone   realized.   No   one   would   understand   it.   Not   even   Michael.   Sam   seemed   to   make   sure   Michael   was   grounded,   steady   when   things   got   rocky.   He   protected   his   big   brother.   

Edgar gives nothing in response but a roll of his eyes. He refuses to dignify his mascot defense with a response. He even goes so far as to turn his back on Sam to the nearest rack of comics, a wide assortment he and his brother had been sorting through ever since Phoenix had come in and nitpicked their stock. Edgar hated to admit it, but even he couldn't deny the fact these comics might look and even sell better if their organization made some sense. Numbers out of order, thrown into their shelves with the only idea being Superman goes with Superman and Spider-Man goes with Spider-Man. Him and his brother had been working on that for the past few days and Edgar was all-too-willing to use it as an excuse to ignore their ever-present loiterer. Not as if he really was ignoring Sam, though, despite the fact he really was working to fix the stock. Such was obvious enough when Sam's Rambo comment hit him and the muscles in his jaw tensed. He paused, turning to look at Sam with the same narrow-eyed irritation he always seemed to have.

" Rambo's cool, " A small hint of defensive tone, clearly heard through an even lower drop in his voice as if he was attempting to sound even more like the bandana-wearing action hero. Edgar's fashion inspiration was obvious and he didn't exactly hide the fact he tried to mimic him, but getting it pointed out by Sam felt a little too targeted. Guy probably hadn't even seen the movies, probably too extreme for him.

" Just saying your wardrobe could use some updates, man. You look like a tourist, " Too nice for the boardwalk. Edgar clocked that from Sam the moment he entered the store, Santa Carla wasn't home. At least, not originally. Lucky him, moving all the way from glorious Arizona, huh?

" Vamps always target the obvious, " Edgar holds out his hand, a closed fist. He extends his thumb as he speaks, " Runways, " His index is next, " Tourists, " And then his middle, " And people that piss them off. " Edgar drops his hand back to his side then. Clearly this was all a dig at his clothes, but buried under it all really was the desire to give Sam some good advice. Guy stuck out too much in his opinion.

                  HE   HELD   UP   HIS   HANDS   WHEN   HE   APPEARED   TO   HAVE   struck   a   sensitive   nerve.   Sam   canted   his   head   playfully,   giving   a   gentle   smile,   “   Hey,   hey   I   never   said   anything   was   wrong   with   him,   ”   a   brow rose,   as   if   to   say   his   point   was   made,   “   Just   called   you   Rambo   is   all   I   did,   ”   he   shrugged   his   shoulders   as   he   kept   leaning   back   on   the   counter.   His   eyes   then   moved   to   look   at   the   couple   passed   out—   the   ones   Edgar   briefly   glanced   at,   “   Besides,   my   outfits   are   fine   just   the   way   they   are.   It’s   style   and   color.   Perfect.   ”

Halloween and fall in general were one of Star's favorite time of year, getting to be creative more than ever before, memories of taking her sister out trick-or-treating slowly coming back. It was easy to find a sisterly connection with Sam, now moreso than ever the last number of months she had been with the Emersons. Still though, she could feel the uneasiness of the youngest, Star merely attesting that to the empathetic quality she had always had, her brown eyes watching him as he worked out of the corner of her eye. It was nice that he did want to spend time with her more, doing things together just the two of them, Star's protective nature for Sam only growing.

Worry etched on her face the second she saw the cut on the teen's finger, dark crimson droplets pooling together, and for a split second, a feeling Star had forgotten about, had returned. It was like a hunger pain in the pit of her stomach, but it felt different, but thankfully Sam's question actually managed to pull her out. As she held his hand with her own, some of the blood had spilled onto hers, ignoring it to instead give a playful roll of her eyes. "No, I'm not going to drink it," she replied, leading the way to the kitchen sink and turning the tap on. "Rinse it with cold water," she instructed, before going to look under the sink for a first aid kit. Covered by her hair now as she looked, a small voice in the back of her head urged her to even try it, go on, it wouldn't do any harm; she was fine now, right?...

                  THE   YOUNG   TEEN   TURNED   ON   THE   FAUCET,   AND   PLACED   HIS   injured   hand   under   the   cold   water.   He   slightly   winced   at   the   feeling,   scrunching   his   nose   as   he   watched   red   turn   to   pink   down   the   drain.   Once   his   hand   was   fully   clear   of   the   blood,   Sam   turned   off   the   faucet,   eyes   still   looking   at   the   cut   when   he   faced   Star.   She   was   quick   to   place   the   cream   on   the   wound,   and   then   cover   it   with   the   band-aid.   Although,   when   she   pulled   her   hands   away…   the   blood.   Where   was   the   blood?   It   was   no   longer   on   her   hands.   This   made   him   furrow   his   brows.   Did   she—   no,   no   that   wasn’t   possible.   They   were   fine.   

" No. "

Edgar responded with obvious irritation. It was an all too common occurrence given the open layout of their store and the shitheads that often wandered around the boardwalk. This hadn't been the first time that sun-dried asshole had stolen comics from him and Alan and if they hadn't been preoccupied with Sam, he was certain the two of them would've spotted him before he even had a chance to snatch it. Guy was already banned from the store, the rest of them were just lucky Edgar and Alan couldn't remember of their ugly faces long enough to kick them out. He'd really have to review their security cameras more, because their constant theft was starting to become a problem. To layman these were, sure, just comics or, worse, wastes of paper, but to true connoisseurs? There wasn't a finer collection of purchasable comics in the entire county of Santa Carla. Besides that, these were still the Frog's livelihoods. With his parents out of commission for the foreseeable future, the duty of providing for the Frog clan depended entirely on him and his brother, and losing out on any stock was enough to start putting a strain on them. Hell, some days the arcade machines they had at the front of their store brought in more than the books sold. It wasn't as if the Frogs were particularly wealthy either. They really only had this shop and if that started going under?

Yeah. That guy was lucky the Frog brothers hadn't caught him.

" He tries that again, I've got something planned for him. "

He eyed the counter Sam had previously been sitting on, his parents passed out on seats against the back wall. He'd been getting sick and tired of having to fend off those jerks and Edgar wasn't as stupid as some might assume. He knew he couldn't take them all head on, not when he could count twenty or so of them prowling the boardwalk in a single night. No, just like it came to hunting vampires, he and his brother made sure they were armed and dangerous.

He looks back over at Sam after another second.

" Whatever customers you bring in, I don't think we'd want them. They'd probably think Frog-Man was cool, " Despite the similarity in name, Frog-Man was clearly not winning any favors with Edgar. He finally got his name in a comic and it was for some useless nobody?

                  HIS   EYES   SNAP   BACK   DOWN   AS   HE   HEARD   HIS   VOICE   reach   his   ears   again.   Teeth   chewed   the   inside   of   his   cheek   for   a   second,   a   nasty   nervous   habit   he   had   picked   up.   He   sighed,   now   leaning   back   against   the   counter,   far   enough   to   have   his   elbows   propping   him   up.   Sam   looked   back   to   Edgar,   and   let   go   of   the   inside   of   his   cheek,   “   Oh   yeah?   Maybe   that   should   be   your   mascot.   Some   people   like   stupid   things.   And,   if   that   brings   you   business,   then…   ”   he   shrugged   his   shoulders,   gesturing   to   the   whole   store   as   best   as   he   could   in   his   position.   He’d,   once   again,   take   the   bite   on   his   comic   taste.   

masterlist of autumn and halloween themed sentence starters! some are original, but most are collected from other posts.

​❝ i made pumpkin cookies! want to try one? ❞

❝ did you cut yourself carving the pumpkin? let me see it. ❞

❝ stay still i’m almost done with your costume. ❞

​❝ let’s paint pumpkins. ❞

❝ hurry up! we’re going to be late for the costume party! ❞

❝ help me decorate! ❞

​❝ let’s open some windows, okay? ❞

​❝ it’s starting to rain… ❞

​❝ bring a jacket! ❞

​❝ do we really need to go to a pumpkin patch? can’t we just buy one at the store? ❞

​❝ let’s go pick pumpkins! ❞

​❝ it’s chilly out here, you need a coat. take mine. ❞

​❝ you sound sick. are you sick? ❞

*sneeze* ​❝ sorry, allergies. ❞

​❝ wanna go out for halloween? ❞

​❝ looks like it’s time to rake the leaves… ❞

​❝ let’s go get hot chocolate then go for a walk. ❞

​❝ let’s go trick-or-treating! ❞

❝ let’s go jump in the leaves! ❞

​❝ come in here where it’s dry! ❞

​❝ it’s dark?! already?! ❞

​❝ ooh it’s chilly out. ❞

​❝ please, enough with the pumpkin spice. ❞

​❝ good morning. no, don’t get up, it’s raining, let’s stay in bed a little longer… ❞

❝ did you hear about the werewolf/vampire/witch roaming around this town on halloween night? ❞

❝ let’s go to the haunted house! oh, please, please, please, please?! ❞

❝ i don’t get scared. i’m practically fearless. ❞

❝ did you hear that? ❞

❝ we have to get out of here! ❞

❝ are you going to hide in my shoulder the whole time? or actually watch the movie? ❞

❝ i’m not going in a graveyard. ❞

❝ what did you get? ❞

❝ want to trade candy? ❞

❝ i got a rock. ❞

❝ don’t blame me! it was your idea to come in here! ❞

❝ what are you going as for halloween this year? ❞

❝ i just can’t wait for halloween! ❞

❝ you should totally buy that costume! ❞

❝ trick or treat! ❞

❝ happy halloween! ❞

❝ happy fall! ❞

❝ i wanna make sure that my jack-o-lantern is the best! ❞

❝ i’ll race you through the corn maze! ❞

❝ that guy in the gorilla costume has been following us for the past ten blocks. ❞

❝ aww come on! it was a prank! ❞

❝ please, please, PLEASE no scary movie marathon! ❞

❝ that wasn’t funny! ❞

❝ i keep tripping over my costume. ❞

❝ i’m not sure we should go down that street. ❞

❝ no fair! your costume is getting you more candy. ❞

❝ faster! we need to get to all of the houses! ❞

❝ forget being ‘too old’ to trick or treat. i’m doing this forever! ❞

❝ i don’t like these woods. ❞

❝ i just saw something! ❞

❝ look at that intestine cake! ❞

❝ i’m a real vampire. ❞

❝ do you think stuff really happens on halloween? like..supernatural stuff. ❞

❝ i made us matching costumes! ❞

❝ i think i just saw something move outside your window…is someone watching us? ❞

❝ you’re not going to make me carve this pumpkin all by myself, are you? ❞

❝ did you hear there’s a masquerade ball this halloween? let’s go! ❞

❝ you shouldn’t go out there! ❞