Challenge #01798-D337: A One Horse Christmas

In one town, a natural disaster isn’t something that comes around every once in a while—it’s constantly there, like forest fires always glowing just over the hills, a tornado cycling down the same streets every day, or an earthquake constantly jolting the town. And instead of moving away, the town and its people have simply adapted to it. -- Illuminate-Prompts

Welcome to One Horse. It's simply liminal! People who actually see it as they pass by read it as something else. But those who live there... exist there... know differently. In fact, a vast majority... are differently.

There are houseboats built on fault lines, so that liquefaction doesn't get them down. There is an actual road called Tornado Alley. It is wide, and packed dirt, and all the houses along its twisting path are built like bunkers. If you stay there during August, you will find out why. Long about the middle of that month, a twister comes down that exact path. Usually a category 3, it follows the road like it's on rails. Forming at one end and petering out at the other. And then the residents throw a huge party because tornado season is done for that year. And it is where a perfectly ordinary split-level home with a white picket fence is neighbour to an eldritch abomination designed by both Lovecraft and Escher simultaneously, and their hydrangeas are always on fire.

Baq'oth'met, scourge of several dimensions, was hanging up his Christmas Lights. He was still getting the hang of mortal holidays and careful observers would note that some of those jolly, twinkling lights were in the shape of skulls. He was wearing an abominable Christmas sweater, but that was not because of his demonic attributes. It was because it was a gift from his best friend in the world. Neighbour Steve. Who was also setting up the ladder for his seasonal lights and actively trying not to flinch again at the sight of an eight-foot skeletal hellbeast with a deer skull for a head. Well. Mostly a deer skull. "H41l 4nd w3ll m3t, th1s m3rry m0rn, n31ghb0ur!"

Steve jumped anyway. Uttered a small noise of alarm and disgust. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" squinted. "Are those... skull-shaped lights?"

If Baq'oth'met had had flesh on his head, he would have grinned. Nevertheless, the little candle-flames at his antler tips flared with glee. "1 4m pr0ud t0 h4v3 g0t th3m 0n d1sc0unt, n31ghb0ur St3v3. Tw3nty d0ll4rs f0r tw3nty y4rds!"

Steve's arms shook as he set up the ladder. He really should have his human spawn helping him out, just in case. Baq'oth'met knew that Neighbour Steve was allergic to Demonic Revivals and had screaming terrors for two weeks after every time Baq'oth'met saved his life. Plus, it never did well to do that sort of thing too often. "Let me guess. Halloween discount bin?"

He nearly stumbled in his work. "N31ghb0ur St3v3! H4v3 y0u b3c0m3 psych1c?"

"Nope. Just... learning the pattern of things, I guess." He looked again at the lights and did some of his breathing exercises. "Y'know... they suit the place better than the regular ones might."

Baq'oth'met knew better than to laugh at this. His laughter was another thing Neighbour Steve was allergic to. "My th4nks 4nd bl3ss1ngs, n31ghb0ur."

"Back at'cha, neighbour."

Another perfectly normal December Day in a town called One Horse.

[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / zenina]

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