{"sf1_id":1497975,"sf2_id":"znJwkG71","title":"The Leaves of Fall Act 2: Fear the Nobodies (Part 7)","author":"Oliver_Hart","words":1878,"posted_at":"2019-10-07T18:48:07.000Z","tags":["Adventure","Alternate Reality","Anon","Boy","Brother","Bunny","Classroom","Couple","Emo","Fight","Girl","Green text","Greentext","HMOFA","Halloween","Heterosexual","High School","Hmofa/","Human","Kissing","Plot Development","Rabbit","Siblings","Slow burn","Young Romance","anthro/human"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1497975-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-7","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/znJwkG71","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/4b/29/4b29e4e4-d9f3-4b5d-85f4-d503f7bc4d46","description":"You've never really 'fit in' with the heavily divided Ranchview High School crowd. Jock, Goth, Prep, Cheerleader, Nerd... you were never any of these. But as Halloween approaches, strange things start happening, and a dark ritual begins with the finding of a curious red book. It's a race against time for you and your friends to stop a group of students from ushering in an age of darkness, and to also figure out just what the hell is wrong with that rabbit.  \n~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  \n  \nAbout this version: originally, The Leaves of Fall was split into two pastebins to compensate for the length of the story. Given that pastebin has chosen to censor this story for ambiguous reasons, it will forever be stored here and on AO3. This new version contains spelling, grammar and content fixes. Please understand that the content is all the same as the earlier versions minus some sentences being changed and fixed up. I cannot stress this enough: no new content has been added. It's my hope that this is a cleaner, easier-to-read version of the story.  \n  \nCover: [https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q](https://imgur.com/a/vZS4Q)  \nSam (drawn by Akella of /hmofa/) [https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT](https://imgur.com/a/nk3t1wT)  \nFan art collection: [https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv](https://imgur.com/a/SCCSIQv)  \nAccompanying playlist (WIP): [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410\\_nI-0J](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9aXlzDRA49QKxgYsOV2JuDd410_nI-0J)  \nAlternative link: [https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078](https://www.sofurry.com/view/1479078)  \nTotal word count: 147,552 words","content":"\\\u003eYou don't take Alex home  \n\\\u003eThe car ride is quiet and uneventful  \n\\\u003eThe street lamps come on early  \n\\\u003eIt's not even late, just dark  \n\\\u003eAnd the moon is so cold and big in the sky  \n\\\u003eAnother full moon  \n\\\u003eYou may be braver, but that doesn't stop a knot from twisting in your stomach, thrashing around like a headless snake  \n\\\u003eThat moon has a cause, and it has an effect  \n\\\u003eSo what did you accomplish today, other than a few felonies?  \n\\\u003eYou shift your eyes briefly from the road to the rabbit in the seat next to you  \n\\\u003eHe's not wearing his seatbelt, and you don't have the energy to tell him to do so  \n\\\u003eHe's curled tightly into a ball, his arms forming a tight link around his twiggish legs  \n\\\u003eHe keep his head down, his hair a shut curtain over his face  \n\\\u003eWithout his hoodie on, in that awkwardly sized gray long sleeve and jeans, he looks almost naked  \n\\\u003eYou can see more of him, the way clothing hangs off him like a sheet, his bird-like body only a thin and fading line against the drape of the fabric  \n\\\u003eYou can't imagine what he's going through — what he's been through  \n\\\u003eHe looks malnourished  \n\\\u003eAnd somewhere, deep in a pit in your heart, where hope once lived, you begin to see that you've made a grave error in trying to save him and the world from what's about to happen  \n\\\u003eYou flick the blinker on and turn into your driveway  \n\\\u003eIt begins to sink in  \n\\\u003eYou've sealed someone's fate  \n  \n\\\u003e\"So, sleepover then?\" Alex says, flashing a tired smile from the backseat  \n\\\u003eYou nudge Sam  \n“Hey. Dude.\"  \n\\\u003eHe looks up and pushes away his greasy hair  \n\\\u003eHis eyes are bloodshot, stung by tears  \n“We… We uhhh. This is my house.\"  \n\\\u003eHe looks forward  \n\\\u003e\"Oh,\" he says distantly, still sniffling a little  \n\\\u003eAlex unbuckles and leans into the center console  \n\\\u003e\"Because I'm not going home tonight.\"  \n“Yeah, what about your parents though?\"  \n\\\u003e\"Fuck the oppressors. After this evening, I just want to kick back and drink some bee-“  \n\\\u003eHe glances at Sam, but he doesn't look like he's paying attention  \n\\\u003e\"Some sodas. Or something.\"  \n\\\u003eYou silently thank whatever God there might be for Alex's save  \n\\\u003eProbably not a good night to get wistfully drunk  \n\\\u003eSam clears his throat and rubs his eyes eyes with his sleeve  \n\\\u003eHe looks from you to Alex a weak smile hanging to his lips by one finger  \n\\\u003e\"S-Sodas?\" He says softly, though you can still hear the ache in his voice  \n“Don't tell me you've never had a soda before, dude.\" You try to put a little pep in your voice  \n\\\u003eSam's ears shake from side to side  \n\\\u003eThere's a little more color back in his cheeks  \n\\\u003eHis voice still shakes  \n\\\u003e\"I-I-I h-have. J-Just not many of t-t-them. O-O-Or-“  \n\\\u003eYou pop open the door  \n\\\u003e\"Well, come on. Lets get some dinner. And maybe I can wash your clothes?\"  \n\\\u003eSam glows beat red and hides his gaze in his lap  \n\\\u003eBut you can see how big his eyes are  \n\\\u003eF-Fuck  \n\\\u003eYou shake your head free of The Gay(tm), sucking down cold air  \n\\\u003eIt just occurred to you how deep your pits are soaked  \n\\\u003eYou need to change  \n\\\u003eAnd…  \n\\\u003eYou glance at your phone  \n\\\u003eNo missed calls from Mike  \n\\\u003eMaybe you should give him a ring  \n  \n\\\u003eYou are Mike MUTHAFUCKIN' Sapone  \n\\\u003eAnd you gotta keep moving  \n\\\u003eYour eyes nervously flit around the neighborhood as you bank into a turn, your car gliding under the streetlamp like a wraith  \n\\\u003eYou grab the spot where Lydia's claws held into your skin  \n\\\u003eIt hurts, but the bleeding was fairly minimal  \n\\\u003eYou considered going to the hospital, but you don't think that's a good idea right now  \n\\\u003eYou were followed a good distance once you made it to your car  \n\\\u003eAnd you can't trust anyone right now, not while the moon is out in full  \n\\\u003eFirst evil vampiric cheerleader encounter and it was hardly sexual  \n\\\u003eYou're pretty sure you're going to run into werewolves at this point  \n\\\u003eIn fact, you've decided to run over any fangmouths you see  \n\\\u003eBut that won't happen  \n\\\u003eYou've been doing loops around this random neighborhood for what feels like an hour  \n\\\u003eCovered in sweat  \n\\\u003eHair matted down with moisture   \n\\\u003eHead aching from where you rekt Lydia  \n\\\u003eEyes heavy with sleep  \n\\\u003eBody…  \n\\\u003e…Strangely warm and feverish  \n\\\u003eJust keep doing loops, wait until it gets dark  \n\\\u003eJust keep moving  \n\\\u003eAnd then what?  \n\\\u003eGo home? Wouldn't they know where you live?  \n\\\u003eDo they?  \n\\\u003eGod you don't feel good  \n\\\u003eHow long as this car been on the 'E'?  \n\\\u003eAre you even moving?  \n\\\u003eYou feel like you're going to be sick  \n\\\u003eYou pull over, kill the engine and throw open the door  \n\\\u003eYour body seizes up and forces its contents out  \n\\\u003eBut nothing comes  \n\\\u003eIts just your body retching and lurching out of the car underneath the street lamps of some foreign neighborhood  \n\\\u003eYou try forcing your body to stop heaving but to no avail  \n\\\u003eYour stomach is colliding against your ribcage and it hurts  \n\\\u003eYour back and shoulders hurt  \n\\\u003eEverything hurts  \n\\\u003eEven your eyeballs  \n\\\u003eYour vision is going dark  \n\\\u003eThe idea that something isn't right has long since been replaced with the firm, unshakeable knowledge that something is REALLY wrong  \n\\\u003eAn image of you receiving your diploma flashes in your head  \n\\\u003eAnd it slowly becomes ethereal, fading away like smoke against the sky  \n\\\u003eYou reach out to grab one tendril and anchor it to the Earth  \n\\\u003eBut it slips through your fingers  \n\\\u003eAnd your vision collapses  \n\\\u003eAs your body hits the sidewalk  \n  \n\\\u003eBe Anon  \n\\\u003eYou open the door to your room and motion for Sam to enter  \n\\\u003eBut he doesn't  \n\\\u003eHe stands in the entryway, hands folded in front of him, twisting his body as he peers into the dark space  \n“What? He's not here dude. Remember? He's back at your old house. Probably,\" you laugh. “Probably wishing he lived in a place like this.\"  \n\\\u003eYou snap on the lights, part of you expecting to find Sam's Dad in wait  \n\\\u003eBut it's your same old room   \n\\\u003eSame old desk, same old computer, same old unmade bed and messy, low dresser  \n\\\u003eThe floor is a minefield of dirty clothes and loose sheets of paper  \n\"Go on, I'll find my old pajamas while you change.\"  \n\\\u003eYou almost nudge him forward, but hold back  \n\\\u003e\"I-I-I can't…\" he says, looking up at you with a worried expression  \n\\\u003e\"D-Dad said I'm n-not allowed in a b-b-boys room.\"  \n“What? Why would he say that? Now come on, lets go.\" You push him inside, very quickly done with being tender  \n\\\u003eHe squeaks at your touch and jumps forward into the room, gaining impressive distance  \n\\\u003eRabbits. Fucking rabbits, man  \n\\\u003eSam glances around your room, his eyes lighting up as he glosses over the little bookshelf in the corner  \n\\\u003e\"Y-You have a b-book shelf?\" he says  \n“… Yeah, I have a bookshelf. What's so cool about that?\"  \n\\\u003eSam presses his fingers together when he sees you waiting at the door  \n\\\u003e\"I-uhhh I always wa-wanted a book shelf in my r-r-room,\" he says  \n\\\u003eOh, right. Makes sense. His family was a buncha cunts and probably wouldn't get him one  \n\\\u003eYou sigh. You're not sleepy, but you're tired  \n“You can go look if you want.\" You point towards the shelf. “I think I've got old copies of Superman on the bottom shelf.\"  \n\\\u003eSam's eyes go big  \n\\\u003e\"S-SUPERMAN!?\" He catches his palms over his mouth before his voice hits a high note that…only girls can hit…  \n\\\u003eWell he is a super feminine boy  \n\\\u003eWith an oddly androgynous face  \n\\\u003eHmmmm  \n\\\u003eYou shake your head  \n\\\u003e\"S-Sorry,\" Sam whispers  \n\\\u003eYou turn to go find your pajamas  \n\\\u003eYou think you left them in the kitchen  \n\\\u003eNobody has been home for a few days  \n\\\u003eNot like anyone is gonna tell you otherwise  \n\\\u003eYou are Anon, a high school bachelor, after-all  \n“Just get undressed before you start reading the comics.\"   \n\\\u003eSam's ears shoot up to the top of his head  \n\\\u003e\"W-What? A-A-A-A-A-Anon I-“  \n\\\u003eYou shut the door  \n\\\u003eYou're a patient man, but not that patient  \n\\\u003eWhy is he being so weird about this? It's not like you haven't changed in front of Mike or Alex  \n\\\u003eSpeaking of…  \n\\\u003eYou pull out your phone and call Mike again  \n\\\u003eIt rings, but terminates in his voicemail  \n“Fuck,\" you whisper, stepping into the kitchen, where Alex has parked himself  \n\\\u003eHe's spoon-deep in a bowl of cereal, the fridge door still open  \n\\\u003e\"How'd it go with your boyfriend?\" He asks, the spoon hanging from his lips like a\u0026nbsp; metal cigarette   \n\\\u003eYou point your phone at him  \n“What did I say about that? What did I say?\"  \n\\\u003e\"I can't remember, but I think you came out to Mike and I at a burgershack. You're…You're at least bi, right?\"  \n“NO!\"   \n\\\u003eAlex sets aside his cereal and leans over the table, a templetive look on his face  \n\\\u003e\"Listen, Anon. I'm not Mike. I'm not trying to tease you here. But you gotta face facts…\"  \n“I know you're not Mike.\" Your groan echoing off the low ceiling. “Because you're my retard friend Alex, whose last two braincells are trying to tell me I'm gay, which I'm not.\"  \n\\\u003e\"You need to be honest with yourself. I support you and Sam, dude.\"  \n\\\u003eYou feel like you just got punched in the gut  \n\\\u003eYou and Sam?  \n“ME and SAM?\" You exclaim  \n\\\u003e\"Well that's what it looks like!\"  \n“It's not what it looks like. It NEVER is!\"  \n\\\u003e\"So why were you so hell-bent on saving him today?\" Alex folds his hands over each other  \n\\\u003e….  \n\\\u003eYou didn't think ahead this far  \n\\\u003eVery few times is Alex ever able to get an edge on you  \n\\\u003eFEW TIMES  \n\\\u003eYou swear this will not be one of those times  \n\\\u003eBut you did make a pact with the literal enemy in order to commit a felony in order to have a very obviously mentally ill gayboy have a forced, extended sleepover with you  \n“Listen here motherfucker, I am not gay. Alright?\"  \n\\\u003eAnd that'll do it, you think  \n\\\u003eThe smirk across Alex's face says everything  \n“What do you want me to say? That I feel…\" you lower your voice to a harsh whisper “… responsible for him? That maybe since him and I are such cowards deep down I might be able to at least save him?\"  \n\\\u003eAlex tilts his head  \n\\\u003e\"You're a coward? Since when have you been a coward? You could be the leader of the next intellectual movement to abolish property. You know I've read your writing-“  \n\\\u003eYou open your mouth to tell Alex everything  \n\\\u003eHow you made a pact with Vanessa  \n\\\u003eAnd will sacrifice Gloria to them so they can complete their dark rite  \n\\\u003eBut you say nothing  \n\\\u003eYou catch yourself before you can ruin another friendship  \n\\\u003eYou've already lost Mike  \n\\\u003eYou don't need Alex thinking you're a traitor  \n\\\u003e…But you've practically signed his death certificate and gotten him involved with a psychotic drunk  \n\\\u003eYou clutch your head and fight down the screams  \n\\\u003e\"Anon? Are you having an epiphany?\"  \n\\\u003eYou shove your finger at him  \n“LISTEN! I AM NOT GAY, I AM NOT A COWARD, I AM NOT GOING TO DIE, AND NEITHER IS SAM!\" You step forward, “And I swear to God, there will be no gay shit tonight. NOTHING!\"","series":{"name":"The Leaves of Fall","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1495382-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-6.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1499494-the-leaves-of-fall-act-2-fear-the-nobodies-part-8.json"}}