*This fanfic is under my folder “Shadow House fanfics”. Gacha Club character designs are under this forum: https://www.writerfeed.com/topic/117842-my-character-designs-lt-33-3?start=225. This is based off the Dan Poblocki Scholastic book series “Shadow House”, except it takes place long after the events in the books. Poppy is twelve in the books but she’s an adult here. Valerian is my OC. Enjoy!*
Poppy couldn’t help but scream when Valerian flew her towards the door. His leathery black wings covered most of her view of the decaying manor. Not that she wanted to see it, anyway.
It was as if she were twelve years old again, without a family, without anyone to love her, trying to find comfort in the encroaching shadows, a reason for all the madness-but did she really grow up? Did she really? All those years and still no sense of true clarity and purpose. She was still trying to find her place in the world. She was still trying to belong.
But Valerian wasn’t flying anymore. There was a deep pressure all around them that was pushing them down, trying to stop them-Larkspur. It was always Larkspur, giving them wrong turns, giving them exits that did not exist. Poppy saw him beating his wings, straining against the movement. It was a lot of effort and it would not work.
She could hear music crawling up the walls, tinkling and chiming in a distantly familiar circus melody. The farther they fell, the louder it got, until-
Dirt. Dirt underneath them and circus tents towering above them. Poppy sat up on the ground, looking for the three clowns that were there last time, the clowns that watched…but there were no clowns. Nobody but the two of them.
That did not mean they weren’t there.
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142,322 Literary Works • 677,257 Reviews
These fanfics connect to this!:
Connie Caldwell’s request
The interesting man
Let the fake facades rot away
Back at her apartment (part one)
Back at her apartment (part two)
Memories find a way of coming back
Letter for Poppy
Morning breakfast
All roads lead to Larkspur
To fly high is an art
I really like the atmosphere of this piece, especially with the decaying manor, circus music "crawling up the walls", they paint a really eerie picture throughout. I also think Poppy's inner thoughts in the second paragraph is a great touch, since it gives us direct access to Poppy's psychology and hint at unresolved trauma from her past, which is a great reminder to the previous stories. It also grounds the danger in something emotionally real.
Here, you have used black twice, probably by accident!
I really like the movement of this scene; it's really clear. However, the second sentence is a bit flat compared to the one before it. Maybe it could be more about how Poppy feels in this moment tied into the flying?
The description here is amazing, this is my favourite line. The idea of the music crawling up the walls is so creepy!
This is a great, eerie beat to end on!
<3
I’m glad you enjoyed this!
Hey! I really liked this! It's so creepy, especially how they get louder as they fall to the music of the circus. I like how the Poppy is an adult but still has those childish feelings. The last line was creepy and made you wonder what other things were there. ! <3
I’m glad you liked this!