Quietly heroic former business owners forced into other work.
A town that faced monstrous threats inundated by celebratory tourists.
Mysterious deaths and unexplained sightings.
With the loss of their business, Critter Catchers Cody and Demetrius have found work with the Parson’s Hollow Department of Public Works. It’s far from ideal as they spend their days working for a town that’s never truly thanked them for their many sacrifices. At night, they enjoy time together, feeding their foster raccoon or visiting with family and friends. A calm life, without a monster in sight.
With Halloween approaching, however, their normally quiet town is flooded with tourists looking to celebrate the spooky season in a place internet famous for the terrifying. The crowds are annoying, and their costumes and attitudes more than a little unsettling. This coupled with a sudden surge in unexplained deaths at Parson’s Pines nursing home has Cody feeling anxious. He is concerned about his Grandma Felicia’s safety, and curious who hung a cross just inside the threshold of her room.
While putting in overtime late one evening, Demetrius and Cody come upon the scene of a violent attack, bringing home just how dangerous things have become without the Critter Catchers around to help. But their familiar team is quick to come together to uncover the latest threat and the best way to fight back. On Halloween night, as strangers crowd the streets to celebrate the monsters they’ve faced in the past, these heroes will once again put their lives on the line to save not only those they love, but every resident of Parson’s Hollow. And, yes, even the damn tourists.
“I can’t believe you would do this to me.”
Demetrius pulled on his work gloves. “I’m not having this discussion again.” He opened the door and stepped down from the cab, waiting to continue until he reached the back of the large Department of Public Works dump truck and saw Cody appear from the driver’s side. “This is something you’ve been aware of as long as we’ve known each other.”
Cody shook his head as he put on his own gloves. “But it’s not usually so, you know… ” He held his gloved hand up right in front of his face and gave an exaggerated shudder. “In my face. It’s like it’s so awful my mind can’t take it, and I have to forget about the tragedy of it throughout the year. Then October comes around, and it just slaps me in the face all over again.”
READ MOREDemetrius allowed himself a moment to entertain the mental image of slapping Cody in the face himself before he gestured to the shape lying on the shoulder of the road. “Can we just get to work, please?”
“Anything,” Cody said, starting forward. “Even shoveling up road kill, as long as it will erase the image from my brain.”
“You’re being a huge baby about this.”
“First of all, I appreciate your use of ‘huge’ as a descriptor for me.” Cody shot a smirk over his shoulder that sent a jolt of want through Demetrius’s core and down into his groin. Dammit.
“I think you’re overlooking the word that followed it.”
“No. I’m ignoring it because, frankly, it’s a little creepy.”
They reached the animal and stood with fists on their hips, looking it over. It was a white-tailed doe, and the sight of it sent an ice-cold shard of sadness into Demetrius’s gut. He’d long thought deer were graceful, almost majestic animals, and seeing one dead on the side of the road always made him sad.
“Doesn’t look like it’s been hit by a car,” Cody said.
“You’re right.” Demetrius squatted and waved away a cloud of flies. “Legs are all fine, and there’s no trauma to the head or back end.”
“Maybe it saw you eating candy corn and died from how overwhelmingly gross it is.”
Demetrius straightened up and shot him a glare. He tried to hold it, but it turned into a grimacing smile at how pleased Cody looked with himself.
“Look, I put up with a lot of your peculiar habits,” Demetrius said.
“Peculiar?”
“And I have one treat I enjoy for a brief time during the Halloween season. One. So, how about we both agree to accept each other, peculiar habits and all, and just move on with our day? Sound good?”
“Candy corn is a little more than a peculiar habit,” Cody said, following as Demetrius walked toward the truck. “It’s basically wax. You might as well be eating candles.”
“Maybe that’ll be next on my to do list.” Demetrius pulled a shovel from where it hung along the side of the truck.
COLLAPSE