Mark always knew who he could trust with all his secrets, who would walk with him, and who was out to get him. Being able to read minds had it perks but overall, it kind of sucked. Just having those constant voices in your head, yelling, whispering, just talking. It drove him mad. Mark was still an optimist, no matter what life threw at him. The red-haired kid that you would either see with a smile or a look of impatience, who stayed behind in empty classrooms for three minutes and only having two more minutes to run across the school the next classroom. That was Mark Fischbach, the one not many knew. Jack never knew who he could trust, who he could complain to, who to confine to without being betrayed. He didn't know why he couldn't trust people, he just had trust issues. He was an optimist, though even an optimist had something to complain about so they could remain optimistic. Not wanting to plague others with his deepest secrets that they had to keep or with his flurry of complaints that he had about life. He was the green-haired kid you could always hang out with, the kid that you could ask for help and he would always come through, the kid with the big toothy grin that everyone loved. That was the Sean McLoughlin that everyone knew. Jack didn't know a lot about his life. Who he could trust? Who he could be actual friends with? Who was out to get him? Who actually hated that giant grin on his face and wanted to wipe it clean? Who is the red-haired kid that looks like he's about to explode in the back of the classroom? Why does he want to help Jack? Why does he know that Jack needs help the first place? The Cotton Candy haired boys; Green and red acting as a beacon of that everyone's eyes are drawn to. The Candy Floss haired boys; Red and green catching the attention of passersby no matter the case. The Candy Haired Boys that needed to live for once instead of hiding from the possiblilities in life.

Geoff and Naomi are dead, and they're depressed, but when Geoff's cat Bernie dies as well, they embark on a wild journey to find it in the underworld. ***** When Geoff dies, alongside his girlfriend Naomi, they end up sharing an apartment in the Underworld as skeletons. But after a few years, Geoff starts suffering a mid-death crisis. What's the purpose of going through the motions as a skeleton if you can't really live? Then he gets word that his cat, Bernie, just died and he can collect him and bring him home! Geoff and Naomi hurry to get Bernie only to discover that, due to a clerical error, their cat has been lost. With the hunt for Bernie giving new purpose to Geoff's un-life, he and Naomi begin a quest to get back their cat. Battling skeleton pirates, climbing the sky ladder and facing off against the villain who took Bernie, Geoff is determined to find his purpose - or die a second time trying! [[2018 Wattys Winner - The Originals]] [[word count: 30,000-40,000 words]]