Creeps is a Goosebumps fanfic by Shrikecatcher, a Darker and Edgier sequel/re-imagining of the creator's favorite book in the series, Calling All Creeps! In this new story, Caitlin Webster, a 12-year-old just starting middle school in Gainesville, Florida, is drawn into the inner circle of the Creeps after calling Elliott Beamer, young cousin of Ricky from the first book and a classmate of hers, a "creep" and having it be misconstrued as knowledge of his true identity rather than a simple insult as was intended. With the help of her best friend Serena, new British student Billy, and her parents, Caitlin must put an end to the Creeps' plans.
The first chapters are up: can be read here
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Tropes
- Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene: A few; for instance, Caitlin talking to her father about her fear of helplessness.
- Actionized Sequel: Played With, as although the story becomes much more action-packed (after the first act), the character development is also much richer than in the original series.
- Action Prologue: Caitlin chases and catches a southern black racer (snake) in the forest while Serena tries to film it, in the style of a Nature Documentary.
- Alien Autopsy: After Caitlin blows up a gas station and kills Eddie, the authorities examine his charred body - unaware that he was ever human - and learn about the Creeps' biology.
- Badass Family: The Websters. Lampshaded by Caitlin.Caitlin: "Badass is in my blood!"
- Brief Accent Imitation: Billy, in his opening scene, fakes an American accent to fool his teacher and classmates into thinking they were misled about a British student joining them. It works, briefly.
- Call-Back: As a sequel, there are quite a few nods to the original Goosebumps book.
- Most notably, Ricky's former subordinate status to Tasha on the Harding Herald school paper, and the change in their dynamic since then, is an important plot point.
- The main character falls for the new kid in town.
- Reference to phone calls at midnight by the Creeps. Shortly afterward, Caitlin indeed gets phone calls in the middle of the night, to keep her on her toes as a means of intimidation by Ricky.
- At some point, a bake sale is involved.
- Calling Me a Logarithm: Although it is an actual insult, Elliott still has this reaction when he and Billy are arguing over Caitlin.Billy: "You're not going on a date with this ponce, are you?"
Elliott: "I am not a ponce! What's a ponce?" - Chase Scene: Several, most notably an epic foot chase through the city culminating in a gas station showdown.
- Chekhov's Gun: The video camera. Used in the beginning of the story as Caitlin and Serena film their Nature Documentary, it becomes important later by providing proof of the Creeps' existence (when Caitlin secretly filmed them at their hideout).
- Commonality Connection: After getting off to a bad start when Billy's antics embarrass Caitlin in front of her entire science class, the two of them start to bond when they meet each other in the park, both birding.Caitlin: (skeptically, upon seeing Billy's binoculars) "What are you looking at?"
Billy: "Tits." (Beat) "Or as you Americans call them, chickadees."
- Darker and Edgier: Than the original novel, the story's predecessor in-universe.
- Deconstruction Fic: Puts the original story's premise into a more plausible setting, and examines the effects.
- Descriptively-Named Species: The Creeps. Justified, since this is a name the humans gave themselves after becoming reptilian monsters.
- Distressed Dude: Billy, who still manages to gain a slight edge over his kidnappers by being incredibly annoying.
- Expy: Billy is basically Spike as a 12-year-old kid and with an affinity for birds.Caitlin: "...someone wasn't very creative."
- Force Feeding: Attempted by the Creeps on Serena with the Identity Seeds, until Billy saves her.
- Insistent Terminology: In the opening, Caitlin explains to her father the difference between poisonous and venomous, of which the deadly snakes he worries about her someday handling are the latter.Caitlin: "Bites and stings are venom. Everything else is poison."
- Mutagenic Food: The Identity Seeds, which look like chocolate chips and turn those who eat them into Creeps.
- Nature Lover: Caitlin, Billy, and to a lesser extent Serena all love being in the wilderness looking for animals, especially birds and herps.
- New Transfer Student: Billy, originally from England.
- No Biochemical Barriers: Examined. It mostly boils down to the fact that the Creeps walking among us are not fully alien, having been converted from humans, and that the Identity Seeds are designed to convert any race into the shapeshifters represented by the villains.
- Nothing Is Scarier: The Creeps in their reptilian form - and what they are capable of - are not fully revealed until the end of the first act, as a prelude to the first Chase Scene, to enhance the horror that ensues when they do transform.
- One-Word Title: As an Antagonist Title, and a reference to its inspiration, Calling All Creeps!.
- "I like having things in my mouth." Another student snickered. Ignoring them, Billy explained, "It helps me to concentrate."
- Pity the Kidnapper: Tasha, after taking Billy hostage.Tasha: "Are you flirting with me?"
Billy: "Does that bother you?"
Tasha: "Yes!"
Billy: "Then I shall continue." - Precision F-Strike: Combined with Curse Cut Short (this is a story based on a children's series, after all). It Makes Sense in Context.
- Punny Name: Mary-Ann Webster, Caitlin's mother.
- Rogue Protagonist: Ricky, the protagonist of the first book, is the Big Bad in this follow-up (actually only a Big Bad Wannabe), but this is consistent with the ending of the previous story.
- Rule of Three: How many times does Caitlin infiltrate the Creeps' hideout (intentionally or otherwise) before they turn on her? Three times.
- Semper Fi: Caitlin's father Jim is a former Marine, now a firefighter.
- Shout-Out: Two of the Creeps are named Brenda and Eddie, which leads to Caitlin quipping, "Does Billy Joel know about you two?"
- Teens Are Monsters: Literally, in the case of the Creeps.
- Transhuman Treachery: Played straight at first, with all the Creeps seen as devoted to the spread of their kind and the turning of all humans, but subverted later on.
- Turn of the Millennium: Set in late 2001, shortly after The War on Terror has begun. Explicitly begins a week after 9/11, with the fear of terrorism (as represented by the titular Creeps) serving as a thematic plot point.
- Voluntary Shapeshifting: The Creeps can transform from their human to alien forms and back at will.
- Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Mary-Ann's fear of snakes is the only thing standing in the way of Caitlin getting one as a pet.
