#the maize

Following Incident #S-I/F-2/08, staff member [REDACTED]—main handler for Amalgamate #2—stole a vehicle and left the facility with the Amalgamate in tow. As Security personnel gave pursuit, the Amalgamate fired on their vehicles with the same magic plant pods originally found in the Scarecrow’s repertoire. The vines and bushes it created tangled the cars’ tires before growing through and tearing apart most of the engines. More cars had to be dispatched to assist them, and one officer managed to send a single glove to act as a tracker. The culprit’s vehicle was tracked to a farm outside of Selaluna and found empty, surrounded by stalks of corn on the side of the road.

As a precaution, a drone squad was sent over the town, and undercover staff were alerted to potential danger while five small security teams—with one in plain clothes—entered the area. All of them were given orders to find and destroy the Amalgamate’s Heart, as patches of corn could be seen in various alleys and random yards and patches of grass. Several civilians spoke of the strange corn patches: people disappearing into them, and more surprisingly: “people” emerging from them to snatch anyone that got too close.

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The following footage was recovered remotely during the incident; consult the transcripts as needed.

DRONE FOOTAGE

[Four cameras fly over quadrants of the town. It’s unusually still, even for a weekend; not many cars are on the roads, and several groups of people seem wary as they move. There are a handful of moments where, as a drone passes overhead, civilians are suddenly dragged into patches of corn, vanishing completely no matter how small the cluster appears. In more secluded areas, figures (Harvesters*) can be seen emerging from patches of corn, walking slowly toward or into buildings on the central streets.

These unknown figures all wear coveralls similar to the Amalgamate’s, with their heads and faces obscured by hats, and several of them can be seen with sickles in their hands. The armed ones seem to take care to stay hidden.

One of the drones flies out over Lake Selena, and [Subject 090547]’s shadow can be seen in the water circling around the lake’s perimeter. Cornstalks occasionally sprout from the ground near the lake, only for the serpent’s head to lash suddenly from the water and rip them out with its teeth. The stalks wither to dust when removed from the ground, but the ears of corn fall into the water, quickly disappearing in [Subject 090547]’s mouth. As the drone starts to fly back into town, there is a glimpse of a figure stepping out of corn, followed by a glint of light as the drone is knocked out of the air. Its camera is destroyed before it hits the ground. With its destruction, several of the unknown figures in other feeds can be seen glancing up before running back into the nearest patches of corn.]

BODY CAM. FOOTAGE (Group 1—Group Leader)

[As the group reaches the central area of town, the area is oddly quiet.]

G. Leader: [approaching a pair of civilians: an elderly woman with a younger man beside her.] Hey, excuse me, ma’am! Uh, we just got back in town. Seems awfully quiet for a Saturday, doesn’t it?”

Civilian 1: [She eyes them warily, but she looks around.] Quiet isn’t the half of it. All this magic nonsense has been getting worse and worse.

Security 1: Yeah, what’s with all the corn everywhere? The Hearthlight Festival isn’t for a few months yet.

C. 1: Don’t even mention the Festival; I swear, two years, and ever since that day, it’s been out of control. People acting weird; goin’ missing for days; and don’t even get me started on that thing in the lake. Gods, when that thing showed up—

Civilian 2: [He pats her shoulder gently] Whoa, now; okay, Ma, don’t get worked up.

C. 1: [She huffs a little and rolls her eyes, glancing curiously into a window they’d been passing.]

C. 2: I, uh, can’t say she’s wrong though. Just today we’ve seen a bunch of these weird folk. N-Not really people, but like—[His gaze wanders; he suddenly taps the Leader’s shoulder and points] There; guys like that.

[The camera turns, catching view of a figure (Harvester) sort of shambling through the square. Another one, in matching clothes, approaches it quickly, seeming to help it straighten up and pulling its hat slightly over its “face” before walking away. At this angle, over a dozen of them can be seen wandering or behaving nonchalantly: including some sitting on benches, lying in the grass, and a few smaller figures climbing trees or following behind the larger ones.]

Security 2: No way…

G. Leader: Ah, um… How many of those did you say you s—

[Suddenly, all of the figures look up toward the sky, pausing for a few seconds before they’re all running back to corn patches or hiding under trees and buildings.]

Security 3: Captain…

G. Leader: [He grabs his radio as it beeps loudly. He speaks just a few seconds later, his voice weighted with urgency.] Sir, can you carry her?

C. 2: I-I—Well, yeah. What—?

G. Leader: [He turns to his team, pointing at each of them] You two; take them to the checkpoint. Pick up anyone you see on the way. Prioritize the civilians; you’re cover fire. The rest of you, with me. We’ve got one chance. We push for—”

[They flinch as the town storm siren starts to wail, and screams can be heard in the distance along with loud cracking sounds getting closer to them.]

BODY CAM. FOOTAGE (Group 3—Security 2)

[The camera’s holder is underground alone, walking along the maintenance paths in the sewer system while referencing a map on their phone. They move a bit faster as they approach a green door with chipped reflective paint and lettering.]

Security 2: Blue, checking in. I found the Town Hall access. It doesn’t look like the door has been touched. Preparing to breach.

[They take a deep breath, drawing their gun as they pull the door open. They climb a set of stairs, opening another heavy door leading into a wide-open basement. The area is dimly lit with a few ceiling lamps, and it’s more or less a maze of pipes, machines, and storage shelves. “Blue” walks as quickly as possible without making noise on the stone floor, reaching another flight of stairs and pausing as they get to the top. The door has a mostly frosted window, and vague orange shapes can be seen through it. Blue seems to hesitate before they slowly push the door open.

The door opens into the main floor of the building, and more specifically into the massive main chamber. A handful of desks with computers are scattered around, along with several pieces of art and decorations for the upcoming fall season. Everything is in disarray: desks turned over, decorative pieces broken on the floor, and parts of the tile flooring ripped up by the thick roots growing through them. The entire room is a labyrinth of roots with over a hundred visible pumpkins connected into them. At the very center of it all, a pumpkin sits pressing the railings of the top floor paths, with its stem nearly reaching the ceiling. The area is silent, with no corn anywhere in sight except through the windows.

Blue can be heard breathing nervously, and they move slowly between the roots to an office marked ‘Radio Station HQ’ with a large window beside it. They struggle with the handle, picking the lock and pulling open the door. They quickly lock the door again breathing heavily as they lean on the desk. The room is completely soundproofed, with most of the older radio equipment untouched save for the new computer and microphone setup on the desk. A button with a bright red light sits in a case attached to the far wall.]

Security 2: This is Blue. I-I’ve located the Heart in Town Hall. I…We need to evacuate the town. …Yes, immediately, I—You haven’t seen this place. We aren’t going to be able to destroy this thing with civilians around. Sir, respectfully… [As they were speaking, the camera spots a crow outside the office window; it lands on the nearest desk to the radio office and seems to stare into it at “Blue”. They shift closer to the door, closing the window blinds before grabbing their gun.] I saw dozens of pumpkins in here at just a glance. With the number of people it has—W-What? Guys, no. Do not send people here; I’m serious, you need to get—

[They pause as something starts tapping the window sharply. Short, quick taps that seem to multiply as several shadows appear behind the blinds on the other side of the window. Within a moment, the shadows disperse, and a new, louder tapping starts on the door’s window.]

Security 2: Evacuate the city. Now.

[The door’s window suddenly shatters as a scythe blade swings through it, and the door cracks loudly as a barely visible Scarecrow starts to rip it from the wall. “Blue” spins quickly, and the footage blurs as they swing their gun at the wall. Pieces of cracked plastic start to fall as “Blue” hits the button before they’re pulled away from it.]

COLLAR CAM. FOOTAGE (Group 4—Familiar: Valek)

[Security Group 4 lingers around a bus as several civilians are loaded onto it, with Valek’s handler helping lift a wheelchair through the emergency door while her crewmate secures its owner in a nearby seat. The camera shifts suddenly as Valek turns to bark loudly at an approaching Harvester. It pauses, placing its hands in its pockets and kicking at the dirt as Valek growls. He lunges shortly, a flash of bright blue light fills the camera’s view as a blast of ice strikes the Harvester’s leg. It struggles to move, letting out a sort of hiss as it drags itself back toward a patch of corn.]

Handler: [She leans to call to the front of the bus] Everyone’s locked in, right? We’re ready?

[Someone starts to answer when the storm siren goes off. The air is filled with noise as dozens of crows fly out from Town Hall’s roof, and the street starts cracking loudly as stalks of corn burst from the ground.]

Handler: [She slams the door, pounding on the side of the bus.] Go! Go, now! Valek, come!

[The bus starts to drive off, accelerating as the corn surrounds it. Meanwhile, Valek and his handler start sprinting off of the main streets. Within seconds, they’re surrounded by corn as well, pushing forward as they follow beside the broken sidewalk.]

Handler: Valek, we need a Frost Rush!

[Valek barks and runs ahead of his handler, and the corn around him becomes brittle and withered as ice settles on the stalks. After barely half a minute, Valek’s handler cries out, and he slides to a stop to turn around. The camera finds her getting caught by roots and vines coiling up her legs and waist. She flails as Valek starts to move closer.]

Handler: Stop! Don’t get c-close, you’ll—! [She struggles to keep her arms out of the vines’ grasp as laughter starts to slip into her voice.]

[Valek barks at her, making false lunges as if the roots could be intimidated. Any ice that settles on the roots just causes more roots to replace them.]

Handler: Stay back! Ack, heh—Dammit. [She rips her dog tags off of her neck, one of her gloves taking them past Valek’s head.] You need to run; Go!

[Valek hesitates for a second, but he turns to run, his handler’s voice and laughter fading behind him. Underneath the sound of the storm siren, another alarm starts going off: the standard retreat signal from one of the vehicles beyond the perimeter. Valek turns to run towards the alarm, picking up speed until he suddenly stops. He looks around quickly, shifting back and forth while huffing softly.]

??: [a soft, weak voice, vaguely childlike calls nearby] …Help…Please?

[Valek barks toward the voice, scratching at the dirt and nearby corn to make noise.]

??: H-Help…

[The corn parts slightly as a small figure approaches, and the camera catches the boots and overalls before Valek seems to notice them. A Harvester wearing a child’s torn parka lunges and grabs at Valek, and in the ensuing struggle, there’s a flash of orange light as a sickle appears in the Harvester’s hand. Valek barks and snarls, whipping his head aggressively until the sickle comes down. The camera’s angle falls awkwardly as the collar’s latch breaks away, and Valek can be seen grabbing his bag by its newly torn strap to drag it with him as he starts to run again.

The Harvester doesn’t follow him, but the angle shifts to the sky as it waves the camera over its head. A single crow dives down and snatches the collar from its hand, and as it flies in a wide arc over the town square, the camera can glimpse the corn spreading out for miles beyond it, filling up the streets and surrounding buildings and houses into the horizon. The storm siren grows louder before the sound distorts and dies, and the camera falls into a spin until it’s caught by the collar. The frame is filled with a view of a white coat, and there’s an audible clicking sound before a disappointed sigh. The camera is lifted up, revealing the Amalgamate’s main handler seated on the roof of Town Hall. She has one arm wrapped around her knee, and she glances sideways at the camera as she plays with the cigarette between her fingers. She heaves another sigh as she reaches to turn the camera just enough to observe the overgrown town.]

[REDACTED]: A Ram loses his Ewe, to the bleak jagged stone, so he goes to the farm with his children in tow. He returns to the mountains, leaping alone, in the hopes that his efforts they will never know. With horns sharpened by turmoil—forced to bleed others’ sons, others’ daughters—he returned from his deeds, to find all his lambs slaughtered… [She sighs, pulling the camera to focus on her again.] It is such a beautiful mess, isn’t it? Serendipity…

[She breathes a wisp of flame from her mouth that lights her cigarette, and her eyes glow as she glares at the camera, with a crow landing on her shoulder and following her gaze. The Scarecrow can be seen climbing the roof to join her as swirling black markings rise up on her skin. Her eyes flash orange, pupils narrowing before she breathes a plume of flame that engulfs the camera.]

[REDACTED]: [The audio is distorted as the camera dies] I̷̧̧̦͇͎̖̟͈̥̱̣͙͠’̴̮̰̩̻̹̮͚͊̽̿͑̊̿͘m̸̡̲̹͖͔̙͌̑̓̀ ̵͙̭̟͐͛̚̕s̶͉̐̇̂͝͝o̶̡̼̬͔̱̖̓͒̈́́̽̂̇̕r̶̨̧̦̙͎̲̩͈̮͈̓͜r̸̲͇̭̂̉̌y̶̱̰͛́̈́̄̾͝,̶̖̤̜̖̞͙̂̄͒͠ ̸̡̥̣̬̪̦̤͖̮͕̣̿̂̊̌̔͘ͅD̸̡̙͍̙̪̭̼͈͕̮̥̫̅̽̌̽͐͐́̀̊͒̓ȅ̴̞͎͉̰͈̖̮̳ͅṛ̸̨̨̡̟̲̺̫̗͐̅͛̃̇͊̉̑͘͘r̸̛̫̩̰̰͆̈́̌̍̾͘͠i̷̺͚̥̘̙̘̜͎͎͎͋͆̃̓͒̔̀̃̿̔̿́͜c̷̳̯̘̙͎̞̺̬͈̿͘͜k̶̰̘̞͕̃̍͆̓͒͂̒̀…̶̧̢̩̠͖̥͚̂̂̏̾̈́͂̏̄̾͠͠

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Of approximately 2,500 known civilians residing in Selaluna, 135 were successfully evacuated.

Of 50 staff members sent into the city center, only four were successfully evacuated.

All of the familiars that entered eventually returned unharmed, but without their handlers.

The Amalgamate’s cornfield stretches to nearly every edge of the city, even crossing the highways on both sides. Roadblocks are being set up to prevent unauthorized entry and divert civilians around the area. Any Harvesters that are seen near the perimeter are to be terminated with extreme prejudice. Maintain a safe distance from the corn at all times, and always make sure someone is always awake and alert at your station.

Current orders are to maintain constant observation. Deploy drones into the city at least once a day to search for activity. An operation to extract Subject 090547 from Lake Selena was successful; he was moved to Sector H for alternate testing and containment.

Alerts have been sent to staff in neighboring sectors, facilities, and cities to evacuate immediately if they see corn spreading near their location.

We would like to remind all staff that we are grateful for all you do for the Prince’s cause. Your Presence, Your Loyalty, and Your Sacrifice.

[FILE 1 START]

[The standard post-commercial bumper for Ertonfield’s Channel 17 News plays. Graphics summarizing the time and current weather roll across the frame. A transition animation leads to the newsroom, and the anchor takes a breath and folds her hands as the camera settles on her.]

“Good evening, Ertonfield. It’s currently 6:30, and tonight, we’re covering our top story of the week. At the top of the hour, we’ll be speaking with one of the leading investigators of the incidents. Throughout the past week, over a dozen individuals have been reported missing, all of whom were last seen at or around the Hearthlight Festival in Selaluna.”

[Several photos are displayed onscreen featuring people of various ages and species, above text disclaimers:

*Photos received from case files and approved by families/guardians of those featured.

*Some individuals not pictured.]

Note: As of writing, the known number of civilian victims is 37, subject to change. —Addendum: Updated known victim count by 7 —Addendum 2: Updated known victim count by 12. Consider it finalized.

“As a whole, the individuals have nothing in common aside from their location. Victims include children, adults, teenagers, and a handful of employees and performers working the Festival. Representatives from the Herschel Walker Foundation and other festival sponsors have made statements expressing their sympathies with the Herschel Walker Foundation itself announcing plans to lend aid to search parties. The local Fae Council has also been sweeping the area to collect alibis and potential information from known entities settled near the town.

All of this comes alongside reports of two missing children: Naomi Isabella Rottblum and Turlough Murray.”

[A new photo is displayed: Three children in school uniforms embracing; the child on the far right has their face blurred out. The tall boy—with bright blue eyes; wavy, unkempt hair; and a scarf around his neck—is labeled Turlough Murray. The shorter boy in the middle—with long, curly red hair tied back into a ponytail; dark green eyes; and freckles across his face—is labeled Naomi Rottblum.]

“Naomi is a ten-year-old human girl, about 125 centimeters tall and 48 kilograms. It’s important to note that she is affected by Lycanthropy, and as such, may currently be in a full or partial Lycan shift. We have yet to receive any photos of her in her werewolf form. Turlough is almost twelve; he is partially merfolk, about 160 centimeters tall and 56 kilograms. While they can’t be seen in the photo, he has visible gills on his neck and was recently given a God’s Mark in the shape of a serpent that wraps between them.”

Note: This is the same photo recovered from [Student 1543]’s cell phone upon his initial discovery and transfer to Mountainlake. The blurred, unnamed child is Student 1544. As of writing this note, we have yet to find any reports regarding him by name. —Addendum 4: In light of the current state of Selaluna, we have stopped checking for reports on [REDACTED], and we have confirmed the fate of his so-called “Mother”. Gods, I know we’re not going to tell him, but I don’t think he’d be complaining. —Addendum 3: [Student 1543], [REDACTED], is referred to as [REDACTED] by others and goes by masculine pronouns. Non-vocal references have been adjusted in the transcript.

“The pair was last seen walking to school together by one of Turlough’s siblings, who—alongside his mother and Naomi’s parents—made the initial report. It has not been confirmed if these disappearances are related to the incident at the Hearthlight Festival, but we encourage everyone to remain vigilant. If you have any information about any of these people, contact police in Ertonfield or Selaluna. Please remain safe, and join us after these messages as we speak to the lead investigator of the Hearthlight Festival case.”

[Another commercial bumper plays as the camera pulls away from the anchorwoman.]

[END OF FILE]

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[FILE 2 START]

[A very brief introduction animation—comprised of just a shining three-starred logo above the title “Trinity” and several handles for other social media sites—quickly moves across the frame, lingering in the center for a moment before the animation ends. A woman with braided pigtails and striking makeup spins her computer chair around to face the camera.]

“Hello, hello! I’m Mary-Beth, and welcome back to Trinity, where we keep your ears—and God’s—tuned to all the world’s most viral heretics.”

[She leans on her hands as she chuckles, and a still frame of an Ertonfield News broadcast appears in the corner of the video.]

“Gotta be honest; I do not want to waste any time with this one. Believe me; it’s been a long time coming. Okay, so, for those of you who don’t live around Ertonfield, there’s a cute little Podunk about half an hour south by the highway: Selaluna. Every year, they have a festival to celebrate their Hearth Tree or something. Could be a topic for another day—they’re not the only ones who have this ‘Hearthlight Festival’ right on the edge of Halloween, after all—but, anyway, this year, something pretty serious seems to have occurred during the event.”

[She motions up to where the news footage was embedded, and it played for about a minute, obviously cut and edited to pieces.]

Anchorwoman: Throughout the past week, over a dozen individuals have been reported missing, all of whom were last seen at or around the Hearthlight Festival in Selaluna—Victims include children, adults, teenagers, and-- The local Fae Council has also been sweeping the area to collect alibis and potential information from known entities settled near the town.

[Mary-Beth waved a hand dismissively, rolling her eyes as she folded her hands on her desk.]

“Now, I’m not going to sit here and insult your intelligence. Obviously, there was some type of fae involvement. That’s just what happens when you choose to celebrate a demonic piece of wood. I pray for those people, of course; may God forgive them when their judgment passes and all. But, you, ah… You reap what you sow, eh?”

[She chuckles, shaking her head.]

“Oh, but I promised you something big. Said I wouldn’t waste time. Soo~ Who remembers way back in winter when we last talked about Mr. Irvin Muiriartach? Founder and CEO of Pearlescent Designs? One of the richest people this side of the mountains? Yeah, turns out his chickens are coming home to roost.”

[She points up again; a new clip starts up featuring the photo of Incident #1’s victims with audio underneath it.]

Anchorwoman: —All of this comes alongside reports of two missing children: Naomi Isabella Rottblum and Turlough Murray—Turlough is almost twelve; he is partially merfolk, about 160 centimeters tall and 56 kilograms. While they can’t be seen in the photo, he has visible gills on his neck and was recently given a God’s Mark in the shape of a serpent that wraps between them.

[Mary-Beth seems unable to contain a smirk, resting her chin on one hand.]

“Almost twelve, huh? And wasn’t it about twelve years ago that Mr. Muiriartach went through that nasty divorce? Had all~ the stations buzzing about what the cause might be. Someone had just barely breathed the potential of an affair when suddenly, everyone stopped talking about it. Just brushed it away. Probably nothing to do with the huge gap in Pearlescent’s bank book that year either, right? Right.

Some of you might remember quite a while back on the show, when Trinity was…well, a trinity. And some of you might remember how that ended…”

[Another video fills the whole frame, with the camera following a young man through a neighborhood in the early morning. The person holding the camera points out a boy with messy, blue-black hair running out from a yard after a ball, and the pair sprints to approach him before he can get back behind the house.]

??: Hey, little guy! Can you help us?

[The boy, now clearly a much smaller Turlough looks around curiously at their shouting, only to flinch when they approach him. He steps back, blue eyes wide as he starts to breathe quickly.]

??: [He crouches, holding his hands up innocently before showing Turlough the microphone in his hand] Don’t be scared, kid, we just need to ask you a few questions. It’ll be quick.

[The camera and the microphone are sort of shoved into Turlough’s face, and he reflexively shoves the camera back, nearly knocking the cameraman off his feet despite his small size. The camera catches the other man grabbing Turlough by the arm to stop him scratching, and the cameraman scrambles to try and separate them.]

Turlough: [He starts to cough, his free hand pawing at his gills as he screams hoarsely for his mother.]

[The door of the house flies open within seconds, and the video cuts just as a woman runs toward them. A short transition brings back Mary-Beth’s studio, and she smiles slightly, fidgeting with the diamond ring on her finger blatantly in front of the camera.]

“Five years, babe. We were right. And it was worth it all.”

Note: Upon further research, the men in the video are most likely Judas Torrance and Samuel Bale, who were reportedly jailed for Harassment and Endangering a Minor about five years ago. Trinity videos around that time and earlier feature them prominently. Addendum: Judicial records in Ertonfield show that this video clip was not to be republished by punishment of law. Mark all three of them. Addendum 2: The transfer of Judas Torrance and Samuel Bale to our custody was approved. They and Mary-Beth Jones were moved to Sector F, Test Site 4. A video was uploaded announcing Trinity’s “hiatus”, and all of their videos have been locked down. Praise God, indeed.

“It’s funny, isn’t it? All the work you spent putting other people down. Pressing down the truth. But the lord sees everything in the end. And even the bastard son must pay for the sins of the father. Bye for now, guys~!”

[END OF FILE]

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[FILE 3 START]

Sector A, Mountainlake Academy (Infirmary 3; Camera 2)

Timestamp: 02:35

[The infirmary is empty except for two students in beds and two young interns keeping watch over them. The student closest to the window starts to stir awake, hands catching on the blankets as he goes to rub his face. The intern in the chair nearby is shocked.]

Intern 1: Oh, my gods, she’s waking up!

Intern 2: [She gets up suddenly from the desk] Really?!

Intern 1: Call Dr. Lynn, hurry! [She lifts the window blinds slowly to let in the moonlight before sitting gently on the side of the bed.] Hey… Hey, honey. You alright?

Student 1543: [He groans, eyes finally opening at the sound of her voice. He looks around groggily, gripping the blanket as if it might disappear. His voice is choked and rasping.] W-Where…? [He looked over at the other bed, leaning unsteadily to reach] Yakov?

Intern 1: [She moves quickly to catch him before he falls off the bed.] Careful now, hon. You’re okay. Both of you.

Student 1543: …Both? [He turns, staring out the window at the snow.] Wha—Where are we?

Intern 1: You guys are in Mountainlake. This is the Academy, near the Hearth Tree. All I heard was that you two were found out in the blizzard. You’ve both been asleep for almost two days since.

Student 1543: N-No, I…We can’t—I need to call some—[He suddenly retches, coughing as the intern pats his back.]

Intern 1: [She pulls a shallow tub from under the bed just in case, but she shakes her head.] Listen, we can try to make calls in the morning when the grid is up, but right now, we need to make sure you two are stable. Here, lie back—

[The door opens suddenly, and a woman with tied-back braids and a clipboard under her arm runs into the infirmary as she’s buttoning a white coat.]

Dr. Lynn: [She quickly softens her voice as she rushes to sit on the opposite side of the bed from her intern.] I’m so sorry. I-I knew I should have stayed in my office. I just—Sorry… [She pats Student 1543’s leg before setting the clipboard on her own knee.] Sweetie, I’m Dr. Lynn, you can call me Octavia. Now, we don’t know exactly how long you two were out in the cold, so we are going to have to do a few tests after your friend wakes up. Considering how late it is, I won’t ask you for much right now except some vitals if you’re not up for it; but do you need anything? We’ll get you some water, maybe a snack?”

Student 1543: …W-Where is my brother? [He shakes his head when Dr. Lynn starts to motion to Student 1544] Not him. There were three of us. Where is he?

Dr. Lynn: [She and the intern exchange a worried look.] Sweetie…you two were the only ones brought in. We, um…We weren’t told about anyone else.

Student 1543: [He stares at them, eyes wide before suddenly seeming empty. He doesn’t speak, turning to stare over at Student 1544]

Dr. Lynn: [She leans slightly as the intern whispers into her ear. She hesitates, but she pulls a pen from her coat pocket.] Ah… Okay. I know you must be feeling…a lot. But you asked if we could call someone for you. Can you tell us your name first?

Student 1543: … [He blinks a few times, sniffling as his grip tightens on the blanket.] M-My name is Belfry.

[He struggles to keep from crying, but the intern pulls him into a soft embrace as he shakes and starts to break down. They both stay there with him until he falls back to sleep, with the intern tucking him back under the blankets before finally stepping away.]

INCIDENT REPORT #S-I/(Selaluna)TS-1/01 EVENT 2B: BLACKBLOOD ATTACK EVENT 3A: CIVILIAN DISAPPEARANCE EVENT 3C: CIVILIAN INFECTION Current Status: [RESOLVED] Summary: {AMALGAMATE #2} reportedly abducted three civilians outside of test parameters without authorization.

Approx. 30 hours prior to the scheduled experiment at Selaluna’s Hearthlight Festival, three adolescent runaways entered the unsecured test site where the Amalgamate was settling. Video records from the setup in the nearby barn show the Amalgamate moving suddenly from its bed despite being in a deep sleep just before. It exits the barn, and as it approaches the field, the cornstalks part in front of it. Immediately, cornstalks throughout the field begin shifting, with paths opening and closing rapidly and unpredictably.

According to testimony from the Subject and its handlers, the Amalgamate proceeded to stalk the children around the field, purposefully misdirecting them until it was finally prepared to strike. This final attack involved a summoned weapon: a tall scythe with unique runes etched into the blade. Apparently, through a newly developed spell, getting slashed with the scythe as it’s glowing causes the victim to be “absorbed” by the Amalgamate, their essence reforming as a pumpkin connected with the roots of its Heart. Reportedly, these connections cause an increase in the Subject’s power.

With some noted resistance, the Handlers were able to extricate the victims, but due to extenuating circumstances, they could not be released. One of the children was found to not only be Hexalian, but was also exposed to infectious material and very likely contracted the Blackblood. All three were transferred to appropriate facilities for evaluation and containment.

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Addendum: The Hexalian child, now referred to as Subject 090547, was transferred to Sector C Facility 4, and blood tests have confirmed that he is indeed infected. Recent tests and observations suggest that contact with the Amalgamate’s magic during his initial transformation has caused minor issues with his ability to shift in and out of his Blackblood form. His cooperation varies by day, but the Doctor sees potential in him.

The remaining two children—Students 1543 and 1544—were sent to Mountainlake Academy in Sector A. Blood tests have revealed some unique attributes within both of them, but staff have been careful about what questions they ask. The pair has been more or less inseparable, and some staff members have described them as ‘conspiring’. One of them actively refuses to speak English when staff are around, and neither have asked about their missing friend since their first week, when one of them referred to him as their brother. Remain vigilant.

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IINCIDENT REPORT #S-I/(Selaluna)TS-1/02 EVENT 2B: BLACKBLOOD ATTACK EVENT 3A: CIVILIAN DISAPPEARANCE Current Status: UNRESOLVED [RESOLVED] Summary: {AMALGAMATE #2} abducted three dozen civilians during testing and has refused to release them.

During Experiment #1 in Selaluna—the Hearthlight Festival Maze—the Blackblood we were testing used a newly developed ability to spirit away more than 30 known civilians over the course of two nights without being caught or causing a disturbance. While this can be considered optimal performance and data, it was brought to our attention that these people were never released, even after the maze was deconstructed. The essence it receives from harvesting people is connected directly into the Amalgamate’s “Heart”—the pumpkin that it carries with it and plants to summon its cornfield—and provides exponential increases to its magical ability and capacity. A previous report suggests that this allows it to increase the size of its field, but during the experiment, it maintained the size assigned for testing even as people vanished. This was likely intentional to keep staff from growing suspicious, an idea further supported by Amalgamate apparently suppressing the appearance of the new growths representing its victims.

The day after the maze’s closing, undercover staff members reported hearing rumors of missing individuals and families all throughout Selaluna. Before the situation could be contained, authorities had already been alerted in both Selaluna and Ertonfield. A statement was prepared for potential press interaction, but suspicion appears to be minimal to none. Staff members in the area are advised to participate in search efforts to gather more information.

When the Amalgamate was confronted for its actions, it gave little response. It has been ignoring attempts to complete CAR surveys and refuses to speak with anyone aside from its handlers. Even then, handlers report that they are having an increasingly difficult time getting through to its host, and that she may now be a lost cause. The Amalgamate has been moved to another enclosure for rehabilitation and further study.

Should we find a way to extract the civilians from its “Heart”, it is advised that we return them to Selaluna’s outskirts, where they will hopefully awake without incident or fanfare. Previous reports suggest that coming out of the Amalgamate’s control is similar to waking from a very deep sleep, with whatever exists on the other side feeling like a dream, or perhaps a nightmare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Derrick groaned, pouting slightly. “I literally just want to know how your side of the interviews went, Katrina. We’re on this assignment together for at least another week; how are you liking it so far?”

Katrina rolled her eyes, but she sighed again as she realized they were at least another ten minutes from the testing site. “These people… This town—it’s full of gossips. Anything happens, word will spread to all the corners. Even if it didn’t, we can’t make any big moves until we shut down that Mercurium Church.”

Derrick shrugged, but he nodded. “Well, we’d need more people to accommodate. Both crowd control and getting the church down.”

“Mm…”

“…Which brings me back to that original question!” He cackled shortly at the exasperated noise she let out. “Last night’s interviews were something. For me, at least. Did you see that big guy in blue? The one with the scarf.”

“…Yes.”

“He was in my bracket. He’s a merfolk, Trina! The only family for miles, it sounded like. I tell you; I was supposed to be interviewing him, but I’m pretty sure I was the one being interrogated. He told me his youngest—He has six kids, Katrina; Six! I couldn’t believe—anyway, his youngest recently became Hexalian. Full haul; got her mark and everything. Kinda sounded like he didn’t approve.”

Katrina did quirk an eyebrow at that. “Yeah…?”

“Yeah. I get the feeling he wanted to check that we weren’t some kind of cult more than help us out.”

“Every following is a cult if your people are crazy enough…”

“Ha! True enough, but I felt a little bad for him by the end. Someone kept messaging him through the interview—his watch kept making that buzzing noise. I passed him in the lobby; he was saying one of his kids didn’t come home last night. Sounded more angry about it than concerned for his kid though.”

“I can see why you want to hang around here so much.”

“Oh, hush.” Derrick leaned forward, squinting a bit as they rounded the hill near their destination. He pulled the van onto an area of dirt that they’d fenced off for parking a short walk away from a large field of corn. “Let’s see if she’s awake, eh?”

The pair climbed out of the van, opening the second-row doors to pick up their backpacks and equipment.

“Does the field seem, uh, bigger than it was yesterday?” Derrick asked warily as he was buttoning his lab coat.

“It definitely is.” Kartrina said curtly, approaching the perimeter of the field and pulling up a piece of a stake that had marked the original corner. The piece came away attached to an extending cable with measurement marks. She set her cigarette between her teeth as she snapped her fingers, and one of her gloves took the cable while another took a clipboard from her bag. She followed the cable and counted the larger marks, making tally marks on one of her papers before walking back to Derrick. “Extends about 45 feet southward. Assuming it’s symmetrical, that’s a 30-yard increase along the road.”

“‘S around a hundred percent increase, yeah? So, it’s doubled in size?”

Katrina blew out a cloud of smoke as she clipped her pen to the clipboard and continued inspecting the perimeter. “Closer to 150%. Something must have happened. Unpack the drone and send it over to check if it’s grown further back.” She reached into her coat pocket, pulling up a pair of goggles with deeply tinted lenses that she strapped onto her head.

Derrick nodded, rummaging through his bag for the hard case containing their miniature drone and the device used to control it. One of his own gloves acted as a launchpad while he activated the drone and flew it high over the area.

“Well, it certainly looks like it’s spread from above.” He noted as he watched the screen, offering Katrina the device when she approached him. “She’s been shifting the layout since yesterday too. We’ll probably need to move the barriers for the rest of the festival area.”

He lowered the drone toward the ground, and she made a note of the new distance, over thirty feet more than it had been the day prior. As Derrick recalled the drone, Katrina motioned him to follow her, and he missed the red indicator light alerting the drone’s distress.

“I want you to see something.” She called, kneeling near the maze entrance to show him several shoeprints in the dirt.

“Oh, that’s…” He murmured while she pulled out a ruler to measure one of the clearest prints. It was hard to tell with all the prints crossing over each other, but they seemed…small. He crouched to examine them closer while she flipped to a different paper to take notes. “You don’t think that—Jesus Christ!” Derrick hadn’t heard their subject approach, toppling backward as a boot landed in his field of view.

Katrina pulled her cigarette out of her mouth as she looked up, unbothered. “Hello, Abigail.”

The scarecrow loomed over them, almost unmoving until it presented their drone—its propellers bent and tangled with straw—in one “hand”. The voice that struggled to escape from it was still vaguely female. “…I have reports.”

“Good.” Katrina stood up, grinding her cigarette against the side of her leather glove. “Let’s go ov—”

“Actually—” Derrick interrupted as he got back to his feet, smiling at the glare Kartrina gave him and removing his bag to start looking for his medical equipment. “We do need your morning evalu—whoa…” Derrick had cringed as the scarecrow’s head lifted toward him, revealing the jack-o-lantern covering Abigail’s head. “Heh, that’s certainly a face; any chance you want to take that off so I can get some vitals?”

There was a long pause before Derrick realized the scarecrow’s head was slowly shaking left and right.

“Ah, no then…?” He asked warily, glancing at Katrina for reference. Once again, she was unbothered, and he supposed she would know what behavior was normal for Abigail in this form. “Well, I mean—That’s alright. Yeah, it’s cool, Abby.” He grabbed his clipboard instead, quickly making notes on the top form. “We are still going to need to do your CAR Survey though.”

The scarecrow turned slightly to Katrina, who waved her hand expectantly, and it turned back to Derrick to nod. “…Yes.”

Finally, he let himself relax, dropping his bag onto the ground as he shuffled the papers on his clipboard. “Wonderful; we’re getting somewhere! Now, can you state your full name for me?”

“…Abigail Ethel Clarkson.”

Derrick nodded. “Have you found yourself struggling to remember your name or identity since the last survey? Options are ‘Never’, ‘Less than Five Times, ‘Sometimes’ and ‘Often’.”

The scarecrow shifted, and Abigail made a tired sound. “A few moments.”

“Ooh, we’ll have to talk about that later. State the name of your main handler.”

“Katrina—um…”

Derrick chuckled as he checked another box. “That’s alright, Abby; I forget her name half the time too.” He grinned brighter at the punch he got on his arm. “Do you see your handler here today?

The scarecrow’s head tipped, and Abigail’s voice brightened as she chuckled. “Derrick, she’s right here. She’s always with you.”

“You laugh now, but you got that one wrong three days ago.” Her remembering his name unprompted was a decent sign. “Now, two in one, state your location and objective.”

“Hm… Sector I? Outside of Seleluna. Field testing.”

“Close enough.” Derrick opened the booklet, folding it carefully before clipping it back to the board.

The scarecrow’s arms moved, gloved facsimiles of hands fidgeting with their fingers.  “Do we, ah—do we have to keep doing this? I really need to show you something.”

“Halfway done, pumpkin; don’t worry about it. I haven’t forgotten.”

Katrina huffed at his little joke, and Abigail laughed stiffly. “Don’t call me that…”

Derrick glanced at her warily, but he smiled. “Sorry, Abby. Anyway, have you slept at all since your last survey?”

There was a noise—closer to a hiss than a sigh—before she answered. “…Yes.”

Derrick skipped over a couple sub questions on that one. “Did you find yourself in a different location when you woke up from when you went to sleep?”

Silence. The scarecrow’s face hadn’t changed, naturally, but Derrick could feel it leering at him. It grew taller—both of them could see the straw extending between its boots and the cuffs of its pants—and its eyes flickered with a barely contained flame as it leaned closer to Derrick. The voice that came from it had hollowed again. “I…have reports…”

Derrick stayed still, though he couldn’t tell if it was from instinct, training, or compulsion. The fire made his eyes sting even though he couldn’t even see its heart, and his entire throat felt dry when he thought about speaking.

He didn’t realize his hands were shaking until a more familiar hand grabbed his arm, and Katrina shouldered her way in front of him, having pulled her pair of dark goggles over her eyes. Her presence drew the scarecrow’s attention, and she lit another cigarette as she spoke, her tone even and just as uninterested as it had been for Derrick. “Abigail. Show us.”

The flame dimmed slightly, and the scarecrow stepped back with a huff. As it turned away from them—its legs returning to their previous length—Abigail’s voice stabilized. “Follow me.”

Derrick let out a sigh as he refocused himself, looking down at the survey booklet. It was not a good day for results like this, to say the least. He tucked his clipboard under his arm, and Katrina shoved a pair of goggles similar to her own against his chest before motioning him to follow.

They followed behind the scarecrow as it led them, the corn stalks bending and shifting at its command.

“Hey.” Derrick whispered to Katrina, rolling his eyes as she only acknowledged him with a noise. “How did you do that before? Shutting her down like that.”

“My job, you mean?” She glanced up at him with a smirk. “Maybe if you don’t piss me off for more than ten minutes, I could tell you.”

“Very funny. Since you are in such a good mood all of a sudden, maybe you want to do this part of your job?” He offered his clipboard as quietly as he could, opening the CAR booklet to the alternate pages.

She glanced between the clipboard and the scarecrow’s back before nodding slightly. “She’s deteriorated from yesterday. She’s at a low 4, at best; unstable.”

Derrick took her comments in shorthanded notes while checking the relevant boxes. “You think you can keep her in check?”

Katrina’s face softened a bit, and she took her cigarette out of her mouth as she sighed. “I was her Handler even before they fused her into that…thing. That’s how I know she’s struggling. She barely had a grasp on her own Blackblood form; I can respect dedication, but the timing…”

“Am I detecting some concern there, Trina? I wouldn’t expect you to be the type to get sentimental.”

She huffed, taking another drag off of the cigarette. “A Handler’s job is focused on Risk. Your lot evaluates, but mine actually manages it.”

Derrick paused, looking over to try and examine her face. But she simply blew out a cloud of smoke, her emotions seeming to drain away as she set the cigarette back between her teeth.

“Are you two finished?”

Both of them stopped as the scarecrow looked over its shoulder at them. The voice hadn’t come from it, and it certainly wasn’t anyone familiar, but it had been stern, impatient. In its left hand, it now held a scythe taller than itself, strands of straw reaching from under its sleeve to coil around the handle. The hooked blade appeared to be polished steel, and every time it caught the light, it gave an orange sort of flash.

Katrina rested her hands on her hips. “Are you finished? I doubt your new weapon is all that has you so excited.”

The scarecrow didn’t move, and the path behind them filled up with cornstalks.

“Is Abigail alright…?”

The sound was hollow, struggling all of a sudden. “S…Abigail…” The flame behind the scarecrow’s eye went out, and a feminine voice sighed. “Alright… I-I’m alright.” The corn beside them fell swiftly in a long straight line, and Abigail lifted the scythe to point at the chamber at the end of the path. “It’s this way. I have a lot to tell you.”

The “central” chamber—nicknamed the Heart Chamber in their files to keep things easier—was the only thing that hadn’t changed in the week that the site had been set up here. Abigail, or maybe just the scarecrow, was insistent in keeping it both hidden and untouched. Which is why it was so surprising to find the area just a bit more occupied than usual.

“By Gods, she’s propagating.” Derrick joked casually as he and Katrina were led to three small pumpkins growing from the roots of the large one in the center.

“You’re still not funny.” Katrina called to him despite Abigail’s soft chuckling, and she pulled a tape measure from her bag to record the sizes of the new pumpkins along with the now increased size of the main one. “What actually happened here?”

Abigail moved closer, setting one hand against the rind as she leaned on it. At her touch, an orange glow filled the veins of its roots and spread fully to the smaller pumpkins’ stems. “You asked earlier, if something happened while I was asleep. When I woke up in the maze, I thought I’d just been dreaming. But I had this—” She gestured with the scythe before resting her head against it. “—and I felt…different. And he—um, the heart, here—was calling to me. I got here, and these had grown.”

Katrina nodded while Derrick was writing. “Did you learn what happened in your ‘dreams’?”

She nodded. “There were people here. I could hear them in the corn, even from the barn. They were just wandering; like it was a normal maze, with no idea. This, um, feeling came over me. I imagine it like…the way a lion would feel stalking prey.”

“Wait, you were hunting?” Derrick asked warily. “Did you—Was it trying to feed?”

Abigail shrugged. “Honestly, they seemed to be having fun on their own. The energy they gave off wasn’t much, but it was fine. I would have just let them be, but…” She sighed, touching the pommel of her scythe to one of the smaller pumpkins, and an orange orb floated up from it before transforming into a cell phone with a small flash. Abigail caught it with her free hand before offering it to Katrina to look through.

“I-I don’t know why, but he—it led them here. Two of them touched the Heart, and one of them just started panicking; so, they started talking about leaving, and… Maybe that triggered something? I had thought for a moment that there could be a chance of them telling someone, but suddenly, I felt this surge, and I sort of blacked out. The next thing I knew for sure, I was waking up with this scythe practically tied to my hand on some random path, and I couldn’t hear them anymore.”

Derrick hesitated, but he had to ask. “Did it let you see what happened?”

Abigail shifted to sit on the Heart, leaning against the scythe as her boots just barely touched the dirt. “Just, a few blurs, but—”

“I got something.” Katrina called, walking between them and motioning Derrick to come closer. “They make apps for everything, I swear.”

The app she showed them was a sort of digital journal with sections for text entries, video recordings and photos, and all of them had files saved back at least a year, with every inch of the interface either bright pink or dotted with “stickers”.

“Aw, I remember that one!” Derrick chuckled, patting Katrina’s arm. “It came out when we were kids, right? It’s been 20 years, just about; everyone in class used it back then.”

“Did everyone hide their passwords in their phone cases too?”

Derrick elbowed her gently as she flicked through thumbnails, and as she opened the most recent “page”—from two days ago—the first thing they were presented with was a small block of text over several pictures.

[I still can’t believe it’s finally happening. I don’t think I can sleep. We’re getting out, and we’ll never have to look back again. I kind of wish we could have waited until next week, but Yakov can’t take any more. And Turlough’s family is the same as ever. I’m not entirely complaining; Mom is leaving early tomorrow, so I’ll have an easy out. Turlough’s bringing me a bunch of clothes, so I didn’t have much to pack, but I’m planning a little surprise for Mom to come home to. I’m bringing the rose dress though, just not for me.]

The first photo featured what looked like a large backpack laid out on a bed, while the other showed three kids—two boys with obviously inhuman eyes and a shorter, scrappy looking kid between them—in school uniforms underneath the Hearth Tree nearby. Derrick’s face fell as he pulled out his own phone to go through some files in his email.

Katrina flipped the phone around to show Abigail the picture. “These three were here yesterday?”

Abigail seemed to tense up, straw coiling further around the scythe’s handle. “W-Were…?”

“Can I take that as a yes or…?” Katrina blinked as Abigail stared down at the three pumpkins. “Did you—No way.” A smirk crossed her face as she knelt down, and her eyes widened when she found an intricate serpent carved into one of the pumpkins.

“Wait, what are you thinking?” Derrick asked warily, reaching for the phone as he stood beside her. He zoomed into the kids’ picture; the tall boy with his arms wrapped around the other two —with some kind of long marking around his neck barely visible to the camera—looked way too familiar. He flicked through the previous night’s interviewee profiles until— “Oh, no…”

Katrina glanced up at him, pulling the cigarette from her mouth and resting her chin on the heel of her hand. “Let me guess; we found the missing merfolk kid, didn’t we?”

Derrick stammered, his eyes somewhere between fearful and pained.

Katrina laughed brightly, pressing her palms to her knees to stand up. “Ah, serendipity. The Gods do so love their people.”

Derrick stared at her for a moment, shaking his head to refocus. “Abigail…Abigail, what did you do?”

Abigail shrugged slightly, and she reached to take the phone back. She looked at the picture for a few seconds before the phone was wrapped in a glowing orange orb that shrank and seemed to roll up her arm. “…The surge I felt. One of them was actually laughing. I had heard them talking before about their Gods, and I had a feeling one of them might be Hexalian.” She set the pommel of her scythe against the pumpkin with the carving, and the serpent’s eye flickered as a flame burst to life inside it.

“I thought that the Prince might want him for testing, but I didn’t know how I could catch him. The next thing I know, I feel this awful pain, like something tearing my arm open. All of that together; I think that caused something.  I summoned the scythe, and I got into a fight with one of them. I-I kept slipping out of it, but I remember seeing the Heart’s roots sticking out of the ground and, well, ‘bleeding’ black. When I saw the Hexalian kid again, he was… I think he was infected.” Her voice ran hollow as her hands relaxed, the echo bouncing between apathy and remorse. “I gave him the Blackblood.”

Katrina let out half of a cackle, crossing her arms. “This just keeps getting better.”

The Scarecrow hefted itself off of the Heart, setting its boot against the top of an uncarved pumpkin and gesturing across the roots with the scythe. “Their essence connects directly to the Heart like this. It can feed as it chooses; when I need its power.”

Katrina took a few notes on her own clipboard. “You never cease to amaze me.”

Derrick suddenly put a hand on her wrist, and the patience in her eyes put him even more on edge. “Okay, look, ladies—A-Abigail…”

The Scarecrow almost didn’t acknowledge him, but it turned slowly to give its attention.

“You can change them back, right?” He asked warily, eyes going wide at the faint hiss the scarecrow gave in return. “You will change them back, right?”

The orange glow filled etches in the scythe’s blade as the flame in the jack-o-lantern reignited, but Katrina held a hand up to the Scarecrow.

“Ah—Shh…” She turned to Derrick and pulled him closer by the collar of his coat. “Now, Derrick, I’m sure that Psych Brain of yours can probably put together why Ms. Abby’s sentient Heart here might be hesitant to just…unplug the batteries from itself, yes?”

“Katrina.” Derrick whispered sharply. “That thing ate three children. Children. You see the problem, right? Even disregarding the report we’ll have to file. we can’t just leave them here.”

“They didn’t seem too keen on going home anyway, from what I saw.” She sneered slightly at the incredulous look on his face. “And you know how the Doctor feels about loose ends. Or do you just think you can show your heart because I know your little secret?”

“You can’t just—” Derrick gripped the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. “Look, the experiment tonight is meant to be clean. We didn’t even know she could do something like this. We don’t have time to sit and run the numbers on what kind of boosts this gives her; it’s better if we take them off.”

“Ah, the experiment~ I suppose you do have part of a point there. The higher-ups get all sticky about these things…” Katrina pulled the cigarette from her mouth, blowing out a cloud of smoke before clapping Derrick on the shoulder. “Alright, then. You want to learn my job? You convince her.”

“W-Wha—” He flinched as he turned to see the Scarecrow looming again. “You—”

Katrina chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Abigail. You said there’s a way to get them back, yeah?”

The flame behind the carved face flickered as the Scarecrow seemed to stagger. “…Yes.” It set the pommel of the scythe in the dirt, and the stems connecting to the pumpkins glowed again. “There are…segments in the veins. If they’re s-severed completely, they’ll be freed, asleep, with everything they brought. If any of them remain…They. Stay. Mine.”

Derrick shivered, taking a breath as he pulled the tinted goggles over his eyes. “Abby, you said that you had wanted to catch them. To see if the Prince might take in the Hexalian kid. You…You know we can’t take him like this. Even if he’s infected, the Doctor will find use for him.”

The Scarecrow leered over at Derrick, and even through the goggles, he felt the weight of its disdain for him. He fidgeted with his coat, breathing slowly through his nose.

“Assess the risk…” Katrina called softly, taking a few notes on Derrick’s clipboard.

“Abigail, I think you did very well.” Derrick began again, stepping closer to look up at the Scarecrow’s face. “They’ll be grateful for your effort. And hey, come on, think about tonight! When the festival’s in full swing, you’ll be able to do whatever you want.”

The weight vanished completely, as if his head and chest had suddenly been released from a vice. The Scarecrow huffed and turned away from him, and they watched as it seemed to measure inches along the pumpkins’ stems before ripping the scythe through them. Derrick let out a long sigh, clenching his hands to stop them shaking.

“Well?” Katrina smirked, tapping the board on Derrick’s arm as she approached again. “What’s your call?”

Derrick eyed her warily, but he rested his hands on his hips. “Call for backup and have these three packed up. The Hexalian goes to Sector C, and the other two go up to Mountainlake. Make sure to get bloodwork for all of them and keep their things in order. I… I need a minute.”

Katrina pat his back, chuckling as she pulled her phone from her pocket. The Scarecrow sat back down on the Heart, a wisp of flame leaving its mouth as it sighed impatiently.

Derrick walked back down the path they’d entered from, trying to keep his heartbeat under control. He flinched as something clacked softly under his boot, and he knelt to shift a bit of dirt until his fingers came back with a plastic compass. The little loop meant to hold it to a carabiner was broken, and the back had some Russian written in faded ink over a cat-paw sticker. He set his free hand over his mouth, blinking back tears.

What would his own kids think of him right now?