{"sf1_id":1704156,"sf2_id":"k1V9r4An","title":"The Leaves of Fall Act 3: Something That Matters (Part 22)","author":"Oliver_Hart","words":1774,"posted_at":"2021-04-08T00:06:57.000Z","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/1704156-the-leaves-of-fall-act-3-something-that-matters-part-22","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/k1V9r4An","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/09/0c/090c3982-26bb-4774-8556-2967c9485e09","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 are Anonymous\n\n\\\u003eAnd you feel like crying\n\n\\\u003eLike, actually dropping to your knees in a terrible fit of anger and frustration\n\n\\\u003eYou’re drenched in sweat and your body is badly bruised and beaten\n\n\\\u003eThe ritual started\n\n\\\u003eThe books are nowhere to be seen\n\n\\\u003eAnd neither is Sam or Vanessa\n\n\\\u003eYou made it to the altar room, the one all scarred up with cryptic drawings and that burning ‘31’ etched onto the wall\n\n\\\u003eAnd the basin at the center of the room is filled with fresh blood\n\n\\\u003eBunny blood\n\n\\\u003eIn the ephemeral orange light of the room, you see a steady trail of blood leading your eyes across the room, back into the halls, and disappearing into the dark\n\n\\\u003eStanding between you and that trail of blood is Reese, a goth\n\n\\\u003eThe guy who carried Sam up here\n\n\\\u003eHe’s roughly your size, though pale as cream cheese. His blue lips look almost suffocated\n\n\\\u003eBlack hair drips across his sweat-soaked face\n\n“Outta my goddamn way, Reese,” you snarl at him. “I don’t have time for your bullshit right now.”\n\n\\\u003e”Pathetic mortal,” Reese scoffs, showing his bright vampire fangs. “I can’t let you past me. Turn around now.”\n\n“Don’t give me that ‘pathetic mortal’ shit, you useful idiot. Step aside or I’m going through you.”\n\n\\\u003e”Sorry dude. Guess you’re just going to have to go through me.”\n\n“Reese I swear to fucking G-”\n\n\\\u003eThe vampire goth is too eager\n\n\\\u003eHe leaps over the bloody altar, mouth wide open, ready to sink his fangs into your neck\n\n\\\u003eYou move to the side easily as the useful idiot crashes clumsily into the wall behind you\n\n\\\u003eHe turns to you with a growl\n\n\\\u003e”Heh, you’re fast, but I’m faster.”\n\n\\\u003eActually you’re not fast\n\n\\\u003eThat was the easiest dodge ever\n\n“Nothing about that was fast at all, but nice try.”\n\n\\\u003e”I guess I’ll have to use… THAT…”\n\n\\\u003eWhat is this, a shitty anime?\n\n\\\u003eHe lunges directly at you, catching you in the midsection and hurling you against a wall\n\n\\\u003eOkay, that one actually hurt, you think, as your body collides with the scarred up walls\n\n“Why do you obnoxious cunts have to be so strong?” You rise to your feet, still shaking out the adrenaline and the pain in equal measures\n\n\\\u003e”Because we have been given the gift of speed and strength by our queen, Vanessa Doermuth.”\n\n\\\u003eYou draw your water pistol from under your robes and level it at his chest\n\n“Bet she didn’t make you immune to this.”\n\n\\\u003e”A water pistol? My queen will be most pl-”\n\n\\\u003eYou spray him in the face\n\n\\\u003e”MOTHER FUCKER!” He shrieks, clawing at his cheeks and eyes\n\n\\\u003eThe smell of melting skin makes your stomach churn, and you don’t like doing this, but my GOD is your body in pain\n\n\\\u003eYou’d drown in morphine right now if you could\n\n\\\u003eSo with anger you pull the trigger again and blast Reese in the crotch, melting away any chance he ever had of reproducing\n\n\\\u003eHe collapses, legs kicking violently underneath him\n\n“I told you, I don’t have time to put up with your shit right now.”\n\n\\\u003eYou holster your water pistol in your a belt loop beneath your robes\n\n\\\u003eEvery motion and movement fucking HURTS as you grunt your way into the dark hall, leaving Reese to turn to a pile of goth-goo and ashes\n\n\\\u003eYou have one singular goal in mind as you follow the trail of blood into the dark:\n\n\\\u003eFind Sam\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eThe door to the rooftop shuts behind you as the raised wind batters it\n\n\\\u003eYou stand on the rooftop, the night sky dominated by the moon\n\n\\\u003eAnd\n\n\\\u003eStanding as a shadow against the titanic moon, is Vanessa\n\n\\\u003eBut you don’t care about that dumb hoe right now\n\n\\\u003eYour eyes quickly fall on Sam, who is unconscious near the roof’s edge, laying in a big heap of herself\n\n\\\u003e”You know, her blood is really useful. Plus Reese tells me she’s light as a feather. She’ll come in handy in the new world.”\n\n“Reese is dead,” you say, taking a step forward, clenching your fists. “He’s melting right now next to the altar. Don’t you care?”\n\n\\\u003eThe doe throws her head back and laughs\n\n\\\u003eThe canvas bag dangles in her hands\n\n\\\u003e”You think that’s going to get me to drop everything and rush down there? Nope!” She laughs again, her bright fangs glistening with need. “Reese served his purpose. And so did you! Look at what you brought me!”\n\n\\\u003eShe holds up the canvas bag\n\n\\\u003e”Like a good little idiot.”\n\n\\\u003eThe sight of that bag is enough to make your heart start to race\n\n\\\u003eAll you’d have to do is… somehow beat Vanessa and get both of those books back… and… grab Sam and… do it all before midnight rolls around\n\n\\\u003eSpeaking of\n\n\\\u003eA quick glance at your phone\n\n\\\u003eIt’s 11:40\n\n\\\u003e20 minutes until the end of the world\n\n  \n\n\\\u003e”See that?” Vanessa points up at the red moon. “It’s almost time for the new world, Anonymous. Aren’t you excited?!”\n\n\\\u003eThe moon is so close that you swear, if you were good and drunk, you might leap off this roof in an effort to grab onto it\n\n\\\u003eBright flashes of memory come back to you in lightning bolts of clarity\n\n\\\u003eYou can see yourself sitting next to Sam and Alex and Mike on the edge of this very roof, chucking beers over the edge\n\n\\\u003eBullshitting about lives you didn’t live\n\n\\\u003eYou, hiding your cowardice, avoiding the big questions like college and what will become of your friendships after school is over\n\n\\\u003eTaking your anxiety out on Sam\n\n\\\u003eAnd Sam, still hiding who she is, covering her abuse and neglect with the oversized clothes and awkwardness and a false gender\n\n\\\u003eSam\n\n\\\u003eWho is now broken-legged and on the edge of the roof, one good shove from oblivion\n\n\\\u003eBut Vanessa doesn’t seem to want to hurt her\n\n\\\u003e’She’ll come in handy in the new world.’\n\n\\\u003eWhat new world?\n\n\\\u003eYou lurch forward a little bit, grunting as you put pressure onto your beaten joints\n\n\\\u003eVanessa smiles as she sees you approaching\n\n\\\u003e”Oh? You’re approaching me? Instead of running away, you’re coming towards me?”\n\n\\\u003eOoh you hate her\n\n“I’m not saying the lines,” you say through clenched teeth. “Now get over here so I can punch your lights out you evil bitch.”\n\n\\\u003e”Fair enough.”\n\n\\\u003eShe darts forward, head down, eyes forward\n\n\\\u003eThis anime bitc-\n\n\\\u003eShe plants a strong right foot in front of her, cocks back her arm and swings into your stomach\n\n\\\u003eYou manage to block it with your arms\n\n\\\u003eBut the bone-shattering force of her hit forces a scream out of you\n\n\\\u003eYou swear you’re seeing stars\n\n\\\u003eAnd she didn’t even have to blast you in the head\n\n\\\u003eYour arm rings and vibrates with pain, but you bring your leg up for a kick\n\n\\\u003eYou’re no karate master, but you do manage to hit her in the side\n\n\\\u003eShe winces with pain\n\n\\\u003eThe ensuing psychotic smile she flashes makes you regret having kicked her\n\n\\\u003eAnd when she grabs onto your leg, leans back, and starts twirling you in a tight arc, you REALLY regret kicking her\n\n\\\u003eThe world becomes a blur\n\n\\\u003eColors and shape lose their meaning\n\n\\\u003eEverything is just a mishmash of everything, atomized and reduced to smears of motion\n\n\\\u003eThen everything snaps into focus as she releases her grasp on your leg\n\n\\\u003eYou’re airborne now, sailing across the roof of the school like a human comet\n\n\\\u003eYou skid back to earth, your back scraping on the grit and gravel of the rooftop\n\n\\\u003eWhen your body comes to a halt, you’re dangerously close to the edge of the roof, and dangerously close to being paralyzed by Vanessa\n\n\\\u003eWhy?\n\n\\\u003eBecause now she’s airborne and falling fast, her heavy black boots ready to smash your skull and grind your brain into a fine paste\n\n\\\u003eSplayed out on the gravel, it takes a good amount of your strength just to throw yourself out of the way of her killing blow\n\n\\\u003eShe lands like she weighs 20 tons\n\n\\\u003eYou feel the shock wave of her landing in your palms\n\n\\\u003eYou climb to your feet and throw a quick jab at Vanessa\n\n\\\u003eYet again, she catches your fist with little effort\n\n\\\u003eStill holding your fist in the air she sucker-punches you in the gut\n\n\\\u003eAnd there, on the rooftop, the final hope for humanity is brought low\n\n\\\u003eYou seem to crumple around her fist\n\n\\\u003eAll the air is forced out of your lungs as you drop to your knees\n\n\\\u003eYou suck oxygen like earth was running out\n\n\\\u003eAnd who knows, in Vanessa’s new world, maybe that’s the case?\n\n\\\u003eThrough all of this, that canvas bag is still in the crook of her elbow\n\n\\\u003eThe two most important books in the world, and there they are, in a thin canvas fucking bag, right in front of you\n\n\\\u003eShaking and badly bruised, you reach for the bag\n\n\\\u003eThe doe laughs and bats your arm away like an annoying fly\n\n\\\u003eShe all but punches your lights out with an unnaturally wild right cross that sends you skittering across the rooftop\n\n\\\u003eYour eyes snap shut, and you try to pretend that it’s not happening, which has been your strategy for everything in your life that scares you\n\n\\\u003eYou try to pretend that none of this is real and that this is all some really bad teen movie, or that you’re trapped in some shitty dubbed anime\n\n\\\u003eBut it’s real. It’s all real. Vanessa, the moon, Sam, Mike, Jenna, Alex, The Behemoth\n\n\\\u003eYou’d rather get a slap to the face to wake you up, but you can’t choose how things happen\n\n\\\u003eVanessa starts laughing in that really obnoxious laugh that’s made you hate her for so many years, and you want to tell her to shut the fuck up, but you can’t put your energy into words\n\n\\\u003e”Outnumbered, outclassed, outdone,” she lifts you easily in the air by the collar of your vestments and stares into your eyes. “And here I thought at least you and I could see common ground. I really thought you’d understand. And after all you’ve done for us, I was perfectly willing to let you live.”\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eWell, here we are\n\n\\\u003eThis same tired start where the story began\n\n\\\u003eYou on the rooftop, the parking lot a total wreck, you close to death, and everything everywhere a complete and utter mess\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eVanessa’s lips curl up into a smile, and the fangs — which a doe definitely shouldn’t have — slide forward\n\n\\\u003e”Unlike people, I guess some things change.”\n\n\\\u003eYou never thought it’d end like this. In all the fantasies you’ve had of your demise, death-by-doe was not one of them","series":{"name":"The Leaves of Fall","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1702960-the-leaves-of-fall-act-3-something-that-matters-part-21.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1706089-the-leaves-of-fall-act-3-something-that-matters-part-23.json"}}