A Clover and a Bee

 The Aurora Skies Times Spooky Day Mania: Police Receive Flurry of Reports as Festival Goer Frightens Citizens  Spooky Day is a beloved holiday in Aurora Skies and the annual festival draws attendees from all around the island. Most years, it’s a fun-filled and candy-rich celebration. This year, however, the festivities became all too real for some citizens. It was early in the night the the Aurora Skies Police Department found itself bombarded with distress calls from citizens, calls which soon clogged their emergency line. “It isn’t unusual for us to receive a lot of calls on Spooky Day,” Officer Luke Bee explained, “but this year was just insane. And most of the calls were about the same incident.” The “incident” in question was apparently a festival goer in a frighteningly realistic costume.

Lark draws in a sharp breath. Despite her best attempts to remain as still as possible, she’s trembling. Mere centimeters from her face is the sneering maw of her newly transformed werewolf-fiancé, his glowing eyes narrowed as he looks her up in down. He sniffs at the air, saliva dripping out of his mouth as he snarls. It’s an unsettling sight, to say the least--his new face is similar enough she can still recognize him, but distorted enough to elicit a surreal discomfort. When his growling intensifies, so does her shaking. She knew this was coming, but she didn’t expect it to be so intense. When Karl had transformed during That Batshit Vampire Thing, he seemed to maintain some degree of his humanity. Nikolas, however, has done nothing the past few moments to demonstrate that he is in any way still himself

I was nominated for a Liebster Award by a few people. Thank you FutureCarrie, Urunwa, Heatherfeather, Twinsimskeletons, and Nocriel! Efelkay and MommyIce also nominated me, so thank you! :D

Life returns to quiet domesticity. Before “That Batshit Vampire Thing”--as Lark likes to call it--Nikolas had hired a contractor to build a small addition to the house. Construction is quick, and soon the loft is expanded to include two small rooms: an alcove bedroom for Bjorn and a small bedroom for Lark and Nikolas. The newfound privacy is welcome, though it’s used for nothing more than sleep. Ever since That Batshit Vampire Thing, their conversations have been short and erratic. And Nikolas--perhaps as to be expected--has been cold and distant, abandoning his normal affection in lieu of brooding silence. Lark is trying to be understanding. It is, after all, an enormous change he’s facing. But it’s beginning to take a toll, and a sense of isolation creeps in, bringing with it the paradox of being both tied to and completely severed from someone.

The men gather around Lark. “I think she’s dead,” Dominic repeats himself. His voice is trembling. Nikolas feels like time is frozen. This can’t be real.

  The only peaceful moments in the Bee-Oskarsson household are when everyone's asleep. They’re rare, highly sought after, and enjoyed by all. Soon Lark and Nikolas’ sleep schedule changes to match Bjorn’s in order to accomplish such a feat.

It’s Leisure Day in Aurora Skies, a holiday usually reserved for rest and relaxation. But there’s no way Lark can unwind--she’s several days past her due date, and she has come to the irrational conclusion that she’s going to be pregnant for the rest of her life. It’s a dismal prospect, and the thought of it is taking a toll on her already fragile morale. In a misguided attempt to cheer her up, Nikolas persuades her into visiting Björn Café. But the walk to the café tires her, and none of the expensive, fatty drinks look appealing. Citing the need for fresh air, she excuses herself to the balcony. It overlooks the eastern shores of the island, providing an endless view of the sea, a sublime sight of deep blues and greens. But even the view, a normally reassuring sight for Lark, can’t take her mind off her discomfort. Nikolas follows her to the balcony, a look of concern on his face. “Are you okay?” “Fine,” she replies, “I just feel like shit” He pulls her in for a h...