I'll Protect You (Original Version)

Like Taylor Swift says--No amount of vintage dresses gives you dignity

You know what I should be doing on a fine Halloween night like tonight?

Every year in Paradise, Montana, Elijah and I used to dress up as zombies, with shredded clothes and gory make-up, hide in the bushes and trees, and then pop out while a group of kids walked past. It was a brilliant event, because not only did the five-year-olds petrify and flee, but so did the academy students.

But not this year, my friends. Why? For two straight weeks, I've beeing "recovering" because Professor Fell said my mind needed time to mend and heal. Also, in case I got any more killer amnesia attacks, I could be safe and protected under the careful watch of my brother, father, and Darkwood.

Two weeks had gone on by since my stay in the hospital. They released me soon after I woke up, and I haven't left this house since, staying in its walls all day and night. Sure, I had visitors. Elijah, Logan, Minnie, Zen, and Vincent stopped by every day, checking up on me, squeezing every story out of Archer.

Well, they tried to learn more about him. But Archer, folks, is more secretive than the night when it comes to his secrets.

So, alas, my dears, instead of scaring the living daylights out innocent, annoying children, or stuck-up teenagers at night, I was holed up in this house, where Elijah was helping my father fill Halloween-themed bowls with a nonsensical amount of sweets.

Only one good thing was going to come out of tonight: my father had baked cookies and pie.

I wish Minnie and Zen could've come over. But for some reason, tonight was the night my friends decided to be weird and actually volunteer to help out in the academy Haunted House, where they turned the whole campus of Cross Academy into spooky scenarios or ghastly hauntings.

Zen, helping others? I almost destroyed myself with hysterics of giggles when I first heard about it.

"Park, sweetheart, be a dear and bring these plates up to Archer and Alexander, would you?" my father called out. Sighing, I crawled away from the piano, dragging my feet towards the kitchen. Elijah was still pouring a black and orange bag of candy into a bowl. He was in staff uniform: black shirt, black pants.

"You working tonight?" I asked Elijah as I reached for the two plates of pumpkin pie, topped with whipped cream. Elijah sent me a you're-kidding-me look.

"Of course I am. Halloween's one of the busiest nights ever! I wouldn't be this tight on schedule if someone stopped getting in trouble so often," he joked, shooting me a mocking glare.

"Forgive me for being so amazing that I have gathered an abundance of very obsessed psychos who fantasize about killing me. When they're done trying to shoot me, I'll come back to work, Eli," I said, picking up the plates and striding away.

"Oh, and Park?" my father called out once more. "Would you please hand this to Archer?"

I turned around. My father was not donning his frilly pink apron for once; he had on an orange one, with black bats imprinted on them. I swear, the future king of Cimeria owned more decorative aprons than the cook back at Cimeria did.

My father was holding out a shopping bag, pink with baby blue tissue paper sticking out at the top. I blinked.
That was so not for Archer.

Hesitantly, I took the handles of the bag, frightened of its contents. Now I was beginning to wonder about Archer and his personality change....and that maybe include a change in his sexual orientation.

Quickly, I headed up the stairs and to the guest room, where heavy dubstep was playing through Archer's new set of speakers. Well, I guess you could say everything in the guest room was now brand new, save for the bed and drawers.