Edgar Allan Poe In My Own Backyard
This was written in answer to the SMALLVILLE STORY DICE FAN FICTION CHALLENGE at
Smallville Fan Fiction Resources. This challenge asks you to pick any of the
stock television plots listed below and write a piece of Smallville fan fic.
I've never been all that great at making decisions so I just decided to use them
all in one story.
Amnesia Evil Twin/Prince and the Pauper
Undercover as a (married or dating) couple (i.e. "The surburban episode")
Temporary blindess Snowed into a cabin/trapped in a mine/locked in a
freezer Handcuffed together It's a Wonderful Life Stakeout The
High School Egg Baby
And for the fun of it I also added THE MOST
DANGEROUS GAME (where people are hunted for sport), forced gladiatorial combat,
an ex-lady friend of Lex�s, guys in drag, an illegitimate Luthor or two and some
other stuff.
So, here we go...
- - - - - - - - -
-
EDGAR ALLAN POE IN MY OWN BACKYARD
by Linda
Seaton
On a late Sunday afternoon, Pete Ross places a paint
roller in a pan and steps back to admire his handiwork. His bedroom walls
glisten a rich blue color and Pete praises himself, �Cool.�
Starting the
clean-up process, Pete gathers and bags loose rags and a few stray paint
brushes. He reaches for a can of turpentine that rests near his bed but catches
the lip of the container with his thumb. The thinner splatters on the floor, the
bottom of his bedspread and all over some of the random boxes hidden under his
bed.
�Great,� Pete mutters as he kneels down and blots up the turpentine
from the floor and off a dozen or so old board games and other childhood relics.
Pete fails to notice the droplets of paint thinner that have landed on
his rock collection. One of the rocks - a small green meteorite - begins to
sizzle.
�Pete, dinner is ready!� His mom calls from the
kitchen.
�Be right there!�
Pete grabs all his paint supplies and
rushes from the room.
The meteorite sparks to life and throbs with a deep
green color.
- - - - - - - - - -
Across the fields of Smallville a
little later that evening, Clark Kent studies in the family kitchen. He flips
the page of his American History text and glances up at the hen egg resting in a
basket directly across from him.
�How�s junior doing?� Jonathan Kent
walks into the kitchen and toward the refrigerator.
�Mom says it�s a
girl. She wants more estrogen in the house.�
Jonathan pours himself a
glass of water and joins Clark at the table.
�I have to admit son that
when you told me about your biology teacher�s Egg Baby assignment I thought he
was cracked."
Clark gives his father a look on the pun but Jonathan keeps
on talking. "But it�s good to see that you�re taking the assignment seriously.
How many more days of fatherhood do you have?�
�Wednesday, we get to turn
the egg in for inspection and then tell the class what we learned about
parenting from the experience.�
�And no more carrying an egg around,
right?�
�Right, Dad.�
Jonathan looks relieved.
"I'm lucky.
At least I still have my egg. Unlike Pete. Someone from the football team took
it. Pete said he was going to put Missing Person signs up at school tomorrow to
try to get it back."
- - - - - - - - - -
One of the signs in
question rests on Pete's desk in his bedroom as he does the last of the
lettering. The sign features a drawing of an egg done to scale and large type
announcing a reward for any leads about what happened to the missing baby.
"Needs Medication, " Pete mutters as he finishes writing. He yawns, turns off
his desk lamp and crawls into bed.
Light from the full moon spilling
through the window keeps him from noticing the strange luminescence seeping from
under the bed. He closes his eyes and his breathing quickly becomes slow and
steady.
The shadow cast by the light takes on a life of its own and
creeps up the side of the bed. It seemingly solidifies into a pulsing
mass.
Pete sleeps soundly as the shadowy presence wraps around
him.
Waking from a dream about a supermodel, Pete stirs in his bed. He
can�t shake the feeling that he is being held tightly in the embrace of his
dream woman. He shoves his hand out and connects with something
solid.
His eyes flash open and he is nose to nose with -
himself.
His newly formed twin opens its eyes.
They both scream in
the same voice at the same time. Both Petes slide to the floor and peep over the
bed at each other. They speak in tandem.
�Who are you?!�
�I�m Pete
Ross.�
�No, I�m Pete Ross.�
Pete�s hand comes down on the edge of
his rock collection and he notices the still flickering meteorite. �Oh, man,
Chloe! Why does she always have to be right?�
Faux Pete grins. �Do you
want to kill Chloe?�
�No.�
�Pete, are you taking the bus this
morning? You better get a move on!� Pete�s mother calls from somewhere
downstairs.
�I�ll be down in a sec, Mom!�
Faux Pete smiles once
again. �Do you want to kill your mother?�
�No, I love my mom. And what
have you got against women? I like women.�
�We have to kill
someone.�
�No, we don�t!�
�How about Lex Luthor?� Faux Pete
smiles.
Pete takes a moment too long to answer. Still smiling, his double
gets to his feet and moves to the closet. He tosses Pete a black t-shirt, a pair
of khaki pants and then finds a nearly identical ensemble for
himself.
�Dressing alike will make it easier to get out of the
house.�
Pete continues to sit on the floor in a stunned kind of silence
as his doppelganger puts on his clothes.
�Coming, or not? Going to help
me kill Lex Luthor, or not?�
Faux Pete makes for the door.
�Wait.�
Pete struggles into pants and shirt as he pursues Faux Pete. He can�t let him
hurt anyone - even Lex Luthor.
