Eerie, Indiana fanfiction: Cygnet
There were two swans on the ornamental lake. A single cygnet, covered in soft grey fuzz, sat on his mother’s back as the adults made their stately way across the still water. The baby swan was trying to groom himself, and the mother raised her wings to keep him from tumbling into the water as he strained too far, lost his balance, and sat down suddenly.
A fine skin of downy fluff lay on the surface of the lake behind them. Lillian leant out over the raised lip of the artificial lake and used a shrimping net to scoop up the cygnet’s discarded feathers.
“That’s mine,” said Harley.
“Yes,” said Lillian. She pulled the net back and examined her haul before scraping it out into a small glass jar. She passed the shrimping net back to Harley. “Thank you for the loan of it.”
Harley dropped the net to the muddy ground and picked up the small transparent container, examining the wet pile of feathers inside. He gave it an experimental shake, then raised a pair of questioning eyebrows at Lillian.
“It’s for protection,” said Lillian, taking it back from him. “It... do you know what an eiderdown is, Harley?”
Harley shook his head. His fine blonde hair flew in all directions with the force of his answer.
“It’s a type of duvet,” Lillian explained. “It’s made with fluff that comes from an eider duck.”
“Swans aren’t ducks,” said Harley. “I’ve got a whole storybook about it.”
“No,” agreed Lillian. “But the thing I’m making is a bit like an eiderdown, all the same. Only instead of being full of eider ducks, it’s full of all kinds of nice things, from all kinds of nice creatures.”
She pointed out on the lake, where the cygnet was now bobbing gracelessly alongside his parents. A small water-hen drifted towards the little family, and the father swan twisted his long neck to glare at her from one yellow eye.
“Do you see how the baby swan isn’t very good at swimming?” she asked. “His parents know that, so they stick close while he learns, and when he gets tired, he rides on their back for a piece. They stop the other birds from getting too close, in case they want to hurt him while he’s too small to defend himself. The baby swan can be silly and fall over and make mistakes, because his parents are there to help him if he gets into trouble. All the care that they have for him gets into his fluff, more than even a baby swan can use, and that’s why some of his fuzz washes off in the water. I scoop up the bits of love and fluff that he doesn’t need and I use it for the people I love, in case they need more protection than I can give them.”
“Why don’t you just get a swan to guard them?” Harley wanted to know.
“Sometimes a person needs more than even a swan can give,” said Lillian.
“You should catch their baby,” said Harley. “Then you can take all his fluff. You can borrow my net, if you like.”
“You’re very kind,” said Lillian. “But no, that would make his mommy and daddy very sad and it wouldn’t work anyway. You can’t protect the people you love by stealing love from something else. You can only take a little bit, the thrown-away bits they don’t need because they are loved so well, and weave them in with your own heart. That’s the real trick of magic, Harley. You have to cut out your own heart and not expect to get it back. You can’t use another person’s organs, not if you want to be sure.”
“Will you put your heart in the eiderdown?” asked Harley, fascinated.
“Oh yes,” said Lillian. “When you really, truly need a thing to work, it’s the only way.”
“Can I help?”
Lillian gave him a look.
“I’m never sure if you’re deliberately being cute, deliberately being creepy, or if this is just how you are,” she said.
“I don’t know what deliberately is,” said Harley. “I’m only six.” He clapped his hands as a thought occurred to him. “You should ask Simon.”
“You know, I think I will,” said Lillian. “I wasn’t sure if he had enough to spare, but the more I talk to you, the more I think I can take a little, just a very little, from both of you to help me out.” She reached out and brushed a few stray golden hairs from Harley’s shoulders. There were a couple of Simon’s thick red hairs caught in the staticky woollen jumper and she picked these out to, holding them up for Harley to see. “May I please have these?”
Harley shrugged. He was watching the swans, his expression thoughtful.
Lillian unscrewed the little jar containing the wet down and added the hairs to it, replacing the lid carefully.
“Thank you very much, Harley,” she said. “And please thank your brother for me too.”
“Yes,” said Harley.
Lillian rose stiffly from her position crouched at the edge of the water. Her knees hurt, and her exposed toes were cold and damp in her orthopaedic sandals. She smoothed down the front of her skirt.
“I need to go home now,” she said. “Would you like to come? I can make us hot tea and sandwiches.”
Harley shook his head.
“Okay,” said Lillian. “If you change your mind, you can just let yourself in.”
Harley nodded. Lillian ruffled his hair and made her way up the duck-path, disappearing from view around a small copse of fir trees.
Harley watched as the tiny grey cygnet dipped his head under the water and managed to flop sideways in the process. One of his legs kicked in the air for a moment, and his parents crowded ’round him until he righted himself.
“I hate you,” Harley told the swans.
Milkman Series
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Reanimator by froodle, in which the Milkman returns
Multiplicity by froodle, in which Marshall must once again confront parallel realities, diverging timelines and public speaking
Lillian by froodle, in which Marilyn's mother has concerns
Hound by froodle, in which Simon makes a friend
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Strawberry by froodle, in which there is unauthorised hubbub in Eerie
Clockface by froodle, in which the City Hall's historic clock is damaged
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Blue by froodle: Sara Sue and Marilyn Teller in the laundry room.
Reflection by froodle: Sara Sue in Paris.
The Storm by froodle, in which Mayor Chisel has a very specific job for Eerie's resident weatherman
Pay Attention Part 1 by froodle
Pay Attention Part 2 by froodle
Pay Attention Part 3 by froodle
Pay Attention Part 4 by froodle
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Pay Attention Part 5 by froodle
Pay Attention Part 6 by froodle
Pay Attention Part 7 by froodle
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Pay Attention Part 8 by froodle
Pay Attention Part 9 by froodle
Pay Attention Part 10 by froodle
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Pay Attention: Coda by froodle
Christmas Morning by froodle; takes place in the Pay Attention-verse, after the main story
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Hometown by froodle, in which Mars and Syndi visit New Jersey
Holmes Brothers
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Three by froodle, in which Marshall and Devon discuss video games in a cemetary
Marys by froodle, in which Mary C. Carter takes on her new role
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Disguises by froodle, in which Marshall goes to visit Devon Wilde
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