boom

"Cover your ears," John said, aiming. "Or go. While they're distracted."

"I can only cover one," Lucy said.

John reached around her head, putting one hand at her ear. She put her right hand to the ear with the earring.

Gashwad opened his mouth, and then the lights in that area went out.

The sound followed, muffled by the hands at her ears. A 'bap', sharp, and the sound of breaking glass. Some practitioners had fallen over immediately, but others took a bit longer to do so.

"Tacks, crushed lightbulbs, cut up paperclips," John said. "And a minor explosive charge. But that wasn't seven minutes. He must have cut the fuse before drawing their attention."

*

"Hello, dearies."

Lucy jumped a little. She spotted the monocle reflecting the porch light from one of the workshops.

"I'm glad you're safe," Avery said.

"Thanks to John's preparations," Gashwad growled. He drew forward from the deeper shadows of the woods, casting aside bits of trash. He had bits of glass and burned tacks dug into his flesh on one side of his face and shoulder, cuts, scars, and gritty bits where it looked like clusters of smaller fragments had bitten in, like bad zits.

- Gone Ahead 7.2