Chapter Text
“We all lie dreamily upon damp earth spotting clouds shaped like animals we have yet to invent. Welcome to Night Vale.”
Jon’s feet beat against the pavement, the box in his arms meowing and shifting in protest but he only paid it enough mind to keep the contents from crawling out: the squirming, wiggling beasts in the sky above gave chase, spitting their venom at any unfortunate enough to pass by.
For the first time in a dozen years, the worms had returned to Night Vale- and this time, they were moving under the guidance of The Corruption, a Fear Entity that engulfed all that rotted, squirmed or decomposed. Their numbers were record-breaking, unlike any horde Seen before, and not even the Beholding knew they were coming.
Reason would implore Jon to stay inside, to hide and Watch the chaos around town… but the worms were eating the stray cats, and he could not leave the cats to become worm food of all things. The strays were hiding as best as they could, but some were not so lucky. Some of them, Jon managed to grab and put in a box before the worms could get their gaping maws around them. Others… others, he had been too late.
Besides, his Papa Carlos was doing science in the Desert Otherworld that was only accessible through the Forbidden Dog Park and his Dad Cecil was doing his radio broadcast, so he had free reign to do whatever he wanted. If he wanted to save cats, then by the Beholding’s retinas he was going to save cats!
“Witnesses report that Jon, my son and local Avatar of the Beholding, an all-Seeing Fear Entity- and did I mention my son? is running away from a clew of worms while carrying a box. Witnesses are unable to say what’s in the box, but that it appears to be moving- and the source of the worm’s focus.
Jon, if you are listening as you run: put down the box. Whatever’s in there is not worth your life! What would I tell Carlos if you get eaten by worms? Who will eat Rico’s Pizza with me while Carlos is lost in the Desert Otherworld and we can’t reach him because the Forbidden Dog Park- the only way to reach him- is off-limits? Who will haunt people’s municipal-controlled dreams? Please, Jon, stay safe.”
Slam!!
Locking the door as quickly as he could, Jon breathed out, resting his back against it as the worms made no move to break it down. He Knew that most creatures avoided this place due to the Erikas (who Jon Knew were angels but acknowledging angels was illegal so he couldn’t do that, as much as it annoyed him), but it had been close.
“You weren’t listenin’ to Cecil,” Old Woman Josie, the owner of the house and friend to the entities called Erika, said. She did not stand up from her couch, instead just giving him the side-eye from where she sat, radio playing beside her.
“I was listening,” Jon replied, matter-of-fact. “I always listen.” Cecil, as Night Vale’s Voice, was a great source of information of the going-ons of the town. It was how he knew that the warning scale had gone from ‘Worms!!’ to ‘WORMS!’ - underlined twice.
“Then you know he told ya to put down that box and save yourself,” She eyed the box carefully. One of the tall, winged beings named Erika cooed at the box, already knowing the contents. “What’s so special about it anyhow?”
Jon opened the flap, and several fluffy heads popped out- only to hiss and cower upon seeing the Erikas. “The worms want to eat them,” He informed her, despite the fact she would have heard that tidbit during Cecil’s earlier announcement. “I need to keep them safe.”
Old Woman Josie snorted, shaking her head. “Of course you’d risk your neck for them… isn’t Carlos allergic to the little beasts?”
“Papa’s in-”
“The Desert Otherworld, only accessible by the Forbidden Dog Park,” She finished for him. “I know, you’d think he’s been shipped off to the Blood Space War with how Cecil talks about him.”
As if on cue, Cecil switched topics from the recent assassination attempts on Mayor Cardinal. “Speaking of the Faceless Old Woman... she knows a lot about this town. I bet I could ask her how to get into the Dog Park, how to get into that desert otherworld.”
Old Lady Josie sighed, shaking her head. Several of the Erikas fluttered around nervously, and one placed a hand down on Jon’s shoulder. He had to pretend like he didn’t notice the gesture, lest he alert the ‘Angels acknowledged’ alarm, so he could not even think his appreciation.
“...I’ll leave when the worms are gone,” Jon said, crossing his legs as he sat down. He kept the box on his lap, carefully. “I just wanted to keep them safe.”
“Kid, stay here as long as you need. I’ll call Cecil and let him know you’re inside now.”
“Listeners, I have great news! Old Woman Josie has just called to inform me that Jon, my son, has safely arrived at her house- and despite my insistence, he did not leave the box behind. While usually I would be upset that he blatantly ignored my instructions on keeping him safe, he had a really good reason this time! Namely, that the box was full of stray cats that he was saving from the worms.
I wish you guys could see the picture he sent me- the cats are so cute!! I mean, they could probably use some treatment- who knows what kind of things they’ve been exposed to- but they’re still the cutest little things!! There’s this one with a little patch over its ear and eye that makes it look like an eyepatch and agh, I love her so much!!
Of course, I am also happy that Jon is safe. He has always gotten himself out of trouble before, but as I have grown closer to him, I also find myself becoming more worried over his safety. Loving someone, as a friend, partner, or child, is both a blessing and a curse. Every moment with them is filled with joy and light, but every moment without them is-
Oh. Oh dear. I have made a bad mistake. I believe I have upset station management. I think my openly talking about the Dog Park has proved to be far too political a topic for this station’s old fashioned values that believe in not questioning local, world, or secret reptilian governments, nor their parks.
I have grown cavalier in my anxiousness to get out of town for a vacation, and this lack of care in my job perhaps will lead to my end. I do not like the color glowing around my studio door right now. I do not like the predatorial sniffing around the door’s edge. I do not like that hum nor the heat of my skin nor the cold of my heart.
I cannot face them, listeners. I cannot. I just want a vacation. I just want to see Carlos, for a week. A day. A-”
Old Woman Josie started expectantly at Jon, who was currently play-fighting with one of the cats using his hand: the cat had latched on, but not enough to leave marks, and was attempting to ‘defeat’ his hand. “Cecil’s fine,” Jon explained, Knowing her question. He perked up as he added, “His vacation got approved!”
“Huh, didn’t think Station Management had it in them,” She remarked, going back to petting the cat on her lap; an older cat who had no teeth left. “I can’t recall the last time they granted him permission to take vacation.”
“When he went to Europe,” Jon helpfully supplied. “I… can’t Know when that happened.” Time-related questions in Night Vale caused the Beholding to get all awkward, the answers reverting down to simple ‘shrugs’ (or, as much as an Eldritch God with no physical form could shrug). He tilted his head. “...I’m not going to have time to pack.”
The worms were still outside, and his house was a distance away, and the cats…
“I’ll make sure these little monsters are safe until the worms are gone,” Old Woman Josie promised. “Pretty sure Erika’s bonded to them already.”
One of the Erikas, who was currently a cat tree to at least eight different cats, would have given a thumbs up if their hands weren’t full of cats.
“Good night!! Woohoo!”
“Josie!” Cecil greeted. “Is Jon still here? Oh, I have just the greatest news!!”
“He already Knows, Cecil,” Old Woman Josie reminded him, stepping to the side so Cecil could approach Jon and the cats. “His entire thing is that he knows everything.”
Cecil did not hear her, and he was stunned by the utter cuteness of his son covered in cats. “Jon! I’m so glad that you got away from the worms in one piece- and guess what! My vacation was approved!! We can go visit Carlos in that Desert Otherworld and everything will be perfect again.” He held his hand out, and Jon picked the cats off his lap so Cecil could pull him up. “Come on! Carlos awaits!”
“Come back in one piece!” Old Lady Josie shouted after them, Erikas and cats crowding the doorframe around her as Cecil skipped off, Jon on his shoulders. “I’m not sure how much I trust that ‘Desert Otherworld’ to keep you two in one piece,” She chuckled humorlessly, adding under her breath, “Beholding Knows that Night Vale struggles with that…”