#(he tried her speed and while on master. died v quickly) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mando-lore · 3 years

Text

"A bird... or something...": The story of Mothman and other 'flying men'

Certainly Strange: A Podcast About The Unexplainable, episode 7

Listen on: YouTube Spotify Castbox

"It was a bird... or something."

It was the 15th of November, 1966, and Roger and Linda Scarberry and Steve and Mary Mallette were joyriding through a maze of dirt roads that connected abandoned world war two bunkers, late at night in Point Pleasant West Virginia. They had just driven past an abandoned generator plant when they saw… something. A huge figure in the darkness, just off the side of the road. And it was watching them. With huge, blood red eyes.

"I'm a hard guy to scare" Scarberry later said to the local newspaper, "but last night I was getting out of there." He slammed the gas and tried to manoeuvre his car out of the dump area as quickly as possible, away from the strange creature that watched them. And as they fled, they all saw the creature, something that looked like the hybrid between a man and a bird, standing on a hill by the side of the road.

And then, it started following them. It hoovered above the car, chasing them. “We were driving one hundred miles per hour and that bird kept right up with us. It wasn’t even flapping its wings.” The women started crying. The creature followed them until the couples reached the National Guard Armory on Route 62. They thought they had finally lost the strange man-bird, but once they turned the car around, there it was again. It seemed to be waiting on them.

The creature was over six foot tall, grey, with a wingspan of 10 feet. "It was like a man with wings," Mallette said. "It wasn't like anything you'd see on TV or in a monster movie..."

The Scarberries and the Mallettes gave a statement to the police. "If I had seen it while by myself I wouldn't have said anything," Scarberry commented, "but there were four of us who saw it."

At first, the four witnesses were the laughingstock of the town. But soon, stories started to surface, old and new. They were definitely not the only ones who had witnessed the creature that is now known as the Mothman.

On that very same day, on November the 15th 1966, the Mothman had been spotted by a farmer about 90 miles away in Salem. Newell Partridge was watching television when at 10:30pm he heard his German shepherd named Bandit howling. The farmer went out to check on his dog with a flashlight, when he was met with two large red eyes, like red reflectors, staring at him.

Bandit took off towards the creature that threatened his master, into the night. Then, the farmer could hear his dog screech and whine. And he never saw him again.

The strange thing? In their eyewitness report, The Scarberries and the Mallettes told the police that, while they were being chased by the Mothman, they had seen something, lying on the side of the road. It had been a carcass. The carcass of a dead dog.

The very next day, the Mothman was spotted by one Mr and Mrs Wamsley and their friend Mrs Bennett, who were driving through the world war two bunker area on their way to visit a friend. They parked the car in a darkened area several feet from the residence, and knocked on their friend’s door. When they found him not at home, they headed back to the car. This is where they saw it. In the darkness, a shadowy figure lurked behind the automobile.

“It rose up slowly from the ground. A big, grey thing. Bigger than a man, with terrible, glowing red eyes.” Said Bennett. According to her own statement, when Bennett saw the creature, she was so horrified she fell on her baby whom she had been holding in her arms.

There were dozens of Mothman sightings during the next several weeks. One witness, Mrs. Roy Grose, saw the creature through her kitchen window, early in the morning when her barking dog had awakened her. She say a large multicoloured object hovering over the treetop in a field across the road. That same day a local teenager encountered a huge birdlike creature with his car, and claimed that it had followed him for more than a mile.

Tom Ury, a young shoe salesman, was driving down route 62 at 7:15 in the morning on his way to work, when he spotted a towering figure standing by the road in an adjacent field. Suddenly it had spread its wings and took off straight up. The figure then started circling his car like a bird, and kept flying over the car even at the speed of seventy-five miles per hour, much like as he had done to the Scarberries and the Mallettes. Tom was apparently so frightened by this encounter, he did not get into work that day.

In total, there were around 200 sightings of the Mothman in the year 1966 to 1967. But it was not the first time something like a bird-man was spotted near Point Pleasant.

In 1961, 5 years prior, a woman was driving down route 2 along the Ohio river with her father when she spotted a winged figure. She had just passed by a park when a tall figure suddenly appeared in the road ahead of her. It was a grey figure with folded wings across its back, like how one would describe an angel. Startled by the car, the creature unfolded its wings, which “practically filled the whole road”, and then the mysterious creature took off.

However, the woman and her father were not the first to ever witness the creature that would become known as “The Mothman”. In 1948, the Army officials at McChord Field in Washington state were approached by the 61-year-old Mrs Bernice Aikowski, who claimed that she had seen a man-bird in her backyard in nearby Chehalis.

“I know most people don’t believe me, but I have talked to some people in Chehalis that tell me they say the man, too. It was about 3 PM on January 6th, and there were a lot of small children coming home from school at the time. They saw the man, too, and asked me if they could go into my backyard so they could watch him longer as he flew towards the south end of the city.”

According to her, the flying man-bird seemed to be a man equipped with long silver wings fastened over his shoulders with a strap, like one of the inventions of Leonardo da Vinci.

On April 9th, 1948, two Longview Washington state residents named Viola Jonson (a laundry worker) and James Pittman (a janitor) told journalists that they had seen several men with flying suits and goggles, flying through the air, circling the city at a hight of 250 feet. Two similar flying men were sighted near Butte in Oregon, on September 16th that same year.

In 1971, at 2AM in Norton Massachusetts, police sergeant Thomas Downy was driving home along Winter Street in Mansfield. As he approached a place known, ironically, as Bird Hill in Easton, he was confronted by a huge winged creature that was over 6 feet tall with a wingspan of eight to twelve feet. As sergeant Downy drew to a stop at the intersection, the birdman flew straight up, disappearing over the dark trees into the swamp. Downy reported the sighting to the Easton police when he arrived home and a patrol car searched the area, but the man bird was never seen again.

These birdmen are not sighted exclusively in the United States, however. Plato and Homer already wrote about a race of winged men in Ancient Greece. On July 11th, 1908, the Russian explorer VK Arsenyev sighted a winged humanbeing near the mouth of the Gobilli river. Sightings have also been reported in Portugal, England, and Vietnam.

The many sightings of the Mothman came to an end on the 25th of December in 1967, when the Silver Bridge, connecting Point Pleasant with Gallipolis collapsed. 46 people died, and it is still known as the deadliest bridge collapse in the history of the United States. Next to the Mothman sightings, the Silver Bridge collapse was the second terrible and bizarre thing to put Point Pleasant on the map in one year’s time. So it was not hard for people to seek a connection between the two.

Some eyewitnesses claimed that they had seen the Mothman at the bridge that day it collapsed, blaming the creature for the disaster that killed so many. Of course, it is a way of mourning to seek an explanation, someone to blame, for this terrible loss of life.

People did indeed think that the Mothman was a bad omen, a demonic vision that foreshadows a great disaster. The Mothman does bear the resemblance of a demon, the embodiment of fear itself.

A more realistic based explanation for the Mothman comes from Dr. Robert L. Smith, an associate professor of wildlife biology at West Virginia University, who said that the description of the Mothman all fitted the sandhill crane, the second largest American crane, which stands almost as high as a man and has a wingspan of more than seven feet. He said the “red eyes” could be the large red circles around the crane’s eyes. The appearance of the bird could have been moulded into the image of a monstrous creature through mass hysteria.

So, is the Mothman an image of the mind, the demonic embodiment of fear? Is it simply a bird, mistaken for a monster through mass hysteria? Or… is the Mothman real? Whatever he was or whatever he may be now, still, he is certainly strange.

SOURCES

All That’s Interesting. (2017, May 17). The True Story Behind The Legendary Mothman Said To Terrorize West Virginia. Retrieved from https://allthatsinteresting.com/mothman

Coleman, L. (2001). Mothman and other curious encounters. Cosimo, Inc. https://books.google.nl/books?hl=en&lr=&id=KZlavRmNPtkC&oi=fnd&pg=PA8&dq=mothman&ots=KSz4GP-jP7&sig=-WwUOFtlxYvPePGyE-MwpPccj4s#v=onepage&q&f=false

Daly, J. (2020). Narrative Hijacking: Mothman and the Silver Bridge Collapse. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2279&context=researchweek

Gettysburg Times. (1966, December 1). Monster Bird With Red Eyes May Be Crane. p. 12. Retrieved from https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LG0mAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Rf8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=620,2790721&dq=point+pleasant+roger+scarberry&hl=en

Point Pleasant Register. (1966, November 16). Couples See Man-Sized Bird...Creature...Something. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20071011230219/http://www.westva.net/mothman/1966-11-16.htm

#certainly strange #nemo #podcast #mothman #urban legend #urban legends #folklore #lore

1 note · View note

emile-hides · 4 years

Text

YouWatch

This is a conversation topic that came up playing Overwatch last night; What if the Overwatch cast all has YouTube channels?

And while we voiced our opinions and debated to eachother, I feel the need to share all of my own takes as well.

Now, there’s 32 of these assholes so I’ll put it under the cut. Cause it’s long

Ana

Her channel is called “Grandma reacts”

Her viewers send her videos or shows to react to

She likes to have Jack, Gabe, Rein, and Torb on sometimes for some of the funnier videos

Hates daredevil compilations of people on high places with no safety gear

She swears at jump scares

Ashe

Daily vlogs

She calls her viewers part of the gang

BOB is the camera man and the crowd favorite

She mostly just likes to chat about nothing while wandering around the hide out

BOB makes really cool time lapses of them riding her bike down Route 66

Baptiste

Runs an advice channel

Mostly does Q&A live streams

All of his ad revenue goes to local charities and hospitals

People sometimes donate to him and that also goes to charity

There’s a very slim chance he got overnight famous because he’s so pretty

Bastion

One 12 minute video of him playing with Ganymede in Torbjorn’s backyard

Torbjorn recorded it for him

Brigitte

Tried to do a make-up channel

Eventually devolved into a “How to” builder’s channel

Can put together an Ikea bookshelf in 15 minutes without even glancing at the instructions

Ikea furniture speed runs are her most popular videos

D.Va

Canonically already has a gaming channel

Also has a daily vlog channel where she hangs out with Lucio and Junkrat a lot

Takes requests on what games she plays

Despite mainly being an online PvP gamer, she adores playing story games and voice acting

She cried on live stream when she finished Undertale

Doomfist

Runs Talon’s official YouTube channel

All the videos are join Talon adds

Echo

Her channel is a mash

Will play or do any kind of video that’s popular at the moment

There’s three episodes of a Minecraft LP left to die

Seven vlogs all recorded almost 3 months apart

Two animations she made herself

A couple of reaction videos

And a Pachimari unboxing

She has a lot of sponsors

Genji

Also, canonically, has a gaming channel

Sometimes does videos of sick ninja tricks in his backyard

Has the same channel from before his fight with Hanzo, so there’s a 4-5 year gap between two videos

“So my brother tried to kill me” is the first video he makes when he finally comes back

Occasionally makes “Master reacts to (anime)” videos with Zenyatta

Hanzo

The show off channel

It’s mostly just target practice with his bow and arrow Genji recorded for him

90% of his comments are telling him to put a shirt on and cover the nipple

His channel also went dead after he killed Genji

Might start recording and uploaded unscheduled vlogs during his hobo days

Also does movie reviews

Junkrat

If I may defer your attention to this post

Yeah he just runs a demolition channel

Roadhog makes sure the camera doesn’t get damaged

Junkrat really loves the slow motion effect

Lucio

Like Hana, he has two channels

One is his official music channel with music videos and concert clips

The other is also a vlog channel where he hangs out with Hana and Jamie

He’ll also talk about serious issues and his opinions on them on his second channel

McCree

Much like Hanzo, runs a show off channel

His is more popular because he’s straight up a cowboy though

People think it’s a gimmick for the channel. They have no idea he looks and sounds like that all the time

Mei

Has a scientific fact of the day Podcast with Winston

Talks about big issues

Her channel is very kid friendly and she explains things like global warming in a way they can understand

A lot of her videos will be watched by kids in science class

Mercy

“What to do encase of an emergency” tutorial videos

Gives basic medical training, like how to do CPR

Her videos are short and to the point so they can be played in an actual emergency

Genji is usually the person she uses as an example

Moira

Her channel is like Junkrat’s but more contained(?)

She does dangerous shit with chemicals but somehow it always ends wholesomly

The last minute of the video she speaks in a soothing Bob Ross voice as the lab is on fire behind her

The videos typically end with Angella coming back from her break

Orisa

It’s technically Efi’s channel

It’s a vlog to record Orisa’s progress tword becoming Numbani’s protector

Very popular, everyone loves how wholesome Orisa is

The money from the ads goes to fixing whatever Orisa breaks while trying to be helpful

All rude comments are deleted

Pharah

Show off channel

“99 dunks in a row” and such types of videos

They’re typically sped up with relaxing music

Lucio has appeared to play soccer with her a few times

Reaper

As Gabriel Reyes he ran a prank channel around the Overwatch base

He didn’t do any pranks that hurt or scared people though

Just recorded himself eating vanilla pudding out of a mayo jar to get people’s reactions

His favorite people to prank were Jesse and Genji because they had the most over the top reactions

Reinhardt is unprankable

The channel died with the fall of Overwatch

Reinhardt

Advice channel but louder than Baptiste

He’s full of energy in every one of his videos

Calls himself his viewer’s Grandpa

If anyone comes to him for advice on how to handle abuse of any kind he will adopt them on the spot

Also does meme reactions, sometimes has to have Brigitte explain what makes it funny

Has one video where he speaks quietly called “Grandpa reads a bedtime story” and it’s literally just him reading a bedtime story with soft music in the background

Roadhog

Toy unboxings

All of his videos are silent aside from the cute music he puts of them

The only part of him that’s ever on camera are his hands

Sigma

All his videos devolve into rambles about the universe

Other than that his channel doesn’t have a real theme

He tries to explain scientific principals but quickly turns into a shouting mess about the universe and gravity

Moira is the one to stop recording in the middle of his breakdowns

Soldier 76

Use to run a tutorial channel

Gabe called it “Dad Teaches you” and Jack hates that he’s not your father

He teaches you to cook basic meals and do simple repairs on a car

He talks in a very fatherly voice

Begrudgingly, he became his veiwers father

His channel died with Overwatch as well

Sombra

Gaming channel, but hacked

Does glitched speedruns on live stream

Clickbait thumbnails and titles

“How to get 1,000,000,000 free V-Bucks in Fortnite”

Steals kid’s Fortnite accounts

Symmetra

Stim channel

All of her videos focus on satisfying visuals

Someone asked her to do ASMR once and she hated it. The video existed for less than 24 hours

Torbjorn

Like Brigitte, runs a builder channel

It also doubles as a story time channel as he tends to ramble about the good old days

All his videos are 30+ minutes long

Somehow adds “and that’s how I lost my eye” to every story so no one knows how it actually happened

Bastion guest appears in a lot or Torb’s videos but only because he’s bored and wants attention

Tracer

Animated story telling

Makes animations of their missions and her day-to-day life

Thanks to her chronal accelerator animations take half as long

Still only uploads like two videos a month

Widowmaker

Food review videos

Hates everything, nothing gets high marks

Gets view ship cause she’s hot and very snarky

Winston

His channel is exactly like Mei’s

It’s more popular though because he’s a monkey and thus draws kid’s attention better

All of his viewers are elementary school science teachers and their class

Wrecking Ball

Tried to do a builder channel but all the comments were on how cute he is

Hates being called cute so he made his mech say swear words

He’s very popular with little boys

Also loves destruction and may destroy things for fun

“5000lbs wrecking ball VS Junkrat’s house”

Zarya

Vlogs but like... Work out vlogs.

It’s just time lapses of her at the gym

Insanely popular with lesbians for very obvious reasons

Encourages her viewers to take care of themselves and start slow

Blew a kiss at the camera once, became the most used image of her on the internet

Zenyatta

Most of his videos are relaxing music over beautiful visuals he recorded

The other half of his videos are meditation leadings and yoga

He’s also done videos on the omnic crisis and talked in length on his belief for the future

Has one video of him pranking Genji

#Overwatch #Long post #Under the cut #I'm not tagging every character it's literally all of them #I liked writing these down though #Overwatch Youtubers AU

29 notes · View notes

renaer-is-allegedly-hot · 4 years

Text

session 13

wow i’m really out of it tonight lmao uh some highlights bc these r rlly atrocious:

adam shit himself and vomited over the dwarf in our basement

fought some ppl n killed; gotta hide six bodies

pregame !

Jacob n dom r talking abt other dnd campaigns

Jacob rigged explosives somewhere

They need souls to open coffins or smth

I REALIZED MY MIC IS MUTED SO THEY CAN’T HEAR ME SING THE GOLDEN GIRLS THEME SONG THE WAY MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER DOES HAHAHAHHAHA

Thank you for being a friend

Bum bum bum bum

Travel round the world and back again

If the truth be told you’re a friend and a confidant

Etc

Jacob explaining his eye scratch

I’m just sitting here singing the golden girls theme song

Tunnel vision in smash

I’m just renegading while they talk smash

Jacob wants to home alone our house the next night we have

Immovable rod is abt 3ft long

Last time on dnd asyna heard a window break

Roll initiative

Aerana and theo roll 22

Asyna rolls 21

Adam 13

Cel 6

Asyna was waking everyone up

Halfling size ballista ? In our turret ? Maybe

Ooh trebuchet is an interesting sans font

Aerana is going first

Double dash downstairs

You hear stuff on the first floor making noise; you and theo get to the second floor about to go downstairs

Theo in master bedroom double dashes towards where I am

Asyna

In watchtower, asyna's gonna try and do stuff from above ? Maybe .

Proposes turning into a hummingbird

Spike growth ? Grows spikes

Also creates rough terrain

In front of the door

Oop they're speaking goblin

Goblins

2d4 damage for each 5 ft they move

Some of them were able to get inside the house but still slowed down

Adam

Will cast cantrip

Thaumaturgy to boom voice 3x louder than normal "WHO DARES ENTER MY HOUSE PLEASE LEAVE WITHIN THE NEXT TEN SECONDS AND YOU WILL BE SPARED ,,, PLEASE"

Intimidation check

Lmao a 7

Entire house booms; everyone heard it but like effect?

Adam sleeps naked

Cel

Right in front of door to hall on second floor

Aerana

2 squares away from action at back of house

Theo

Also goes for pantry, same place generally as aerana

Asyna

Starts downstairs

Gonna turn into ape and try and make way down side of building as ape

Down p much by next turn

Goblins

Apparently being eaten up by spikes

Should I make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich I'm kinda craving

O shoot I gotta run soon for medicine

Adam

Dashing

This is just slow running in a dream

Cel

Base of stairs ?

Also heading towards pantry

Aerana

Bust in

Momentarily frozen

To the right next to basement hatch r two hulking figures covered in thick dark fur; kinda pointy ears, look kind of like goblins and v tall like easily 7ft

Big mauls

Bugbears

Can I fight?

23 to hit, 7 damage to closest one

The goblins trying to move the thing but not working well

Theo

I'M GONNA RUN TO GRAB MY MEDS

Slashes at the one aerana didn't hit lmao I rlly just did that I'm breathing

15 barely misses

Goblin blocks lillian's strike

Asyna

Srsly should I make a sandwich

On first floor outside

Bro my headache went to the other side of my head wtf

Gonna go through a window

Follows them in and attacks a bunch of them

Bro I kinda rlly want a sandwich

17 and 18 to hit, 6 and 4 damage ?? 10 damage ?? 10 damage for both ??

KILLS BOTH OF THEM N I C E

Bashes their heads together

I'm making a sandwich

"it's a very forceful kiss"

Third one readies self

Lashes out at asyna, misses

Goblins

R also gonna try and attack aerana and theo

12 damage to theo

I'm eating my sandwich

One of the middle ones is gonna go for asyna, hits, 5 damage

That was a good sandwich might get another one

Adam

Bro I kinda want another sandwich

Gets downstairs w max speed and peeks in, sees aerana and theo and two dead guys by window and two more living fighting an ape

Looks at theo

Bro again I kinda want another sandwich

Makes the one that hit theo make a wisdom saving throw

Did not make it, hideous laughter

Mans can't stop laughing, has to make wisdom saving throw each turn ig

Adam has to tell a joke

Comes down and looks at bugbear, locks eyes

Our party walks into a bar . But most of us walk under it

What

Is this a short joke ?

I don't get it yikes

Panicked dom laughing

Tells us to not hit the guy laughing; save him for last

Bonus action uses cutting words on the one aerana is fighting; "fuck you"

Cel

I still kinda want another sandwich

To clarify my sandwich was like half

I think yesterday or smth I like hit my foot lol and I did the thing where I compose myself rlly quickly to ignore the pain and up my pain tolerance and it left a mark but like it literally doesn't hurt so not saying I'm upping my pain tolerance but one day if I ever got like idk shot or smth I'm not gonna have a reaction

Cel hits the one that's doing better w a spell and then does shortbow 25 to hit, 12 damage

"how do you want to do this?"

Takes an arrow right through his brainstem and the arrowhead goes out his mouth

Aerana

Wasted insightful fighting, didn't hit

Scream of frustration that I missed

Theo

Takes bow and tries to hit, 13 misses

Asyna

Do I rlly still want another sandwich

Hits on one roll, 7 damage

Guy is barely alive

Goblins

One that tries to attack aerana misses, guy on ground is now up, guy attacking asyna hits, 11 damage

Adam

Cutting words on guy that just got up "oh you're finally awake"

"ever heard of the one where the guy got back up"

Goblin rolls nat20

Cel

22 to hit, 9 damage

Stabs him, hurts

Aerana

"next time remember it"

If an ally is within 5 ft of you you get sneak attack

If u have advantage

Don't need advantage if another enemy of the target is within 5 ft of it

Start over

When rogues have advantage, get to add sneak attack

Can add sneak attack when u don't have advantage if

One of allies is within 5 ft of you

And if u don't have disadvantage

Theo

Gonna try for the bow again

Going for the one asyna's fighting

8 damage

Guy is on last legs

Asyna

Kills

Fun fact apes have been known to rip off the faces of their enemies

Rips face off then gently puts him down

Still two goblins left

Goblins

Try and run

Attacks of opportunity from celandine, theo and aerana

Nat20 from cel

Theo and aerana miss

I've missed like every hit what is this

14 damage from cel

They're still able to get away

Asyna makes attack of opportunity

I still kinda want another saaaandwich

Neither hit

Adam

33 across board for both for sleep; both fall over and hit ground, asleep

Adam goes outside and looks if anyone is watching outside their window

Looks like one of our neighbors is at their window out of the apothecary

Uses infernal legacy to cast darkness, blocking their darkvision

Puts it between fallah's house and bodies

Then drag the bodies

Adam is kinda sweaty n exerted

Aerana is watching ot, asyna takes one body cel adam and theo take the other

Theo is rolling damage

Cel binds their feet first and adam prepares sleep

Theo rolls 13 damage and one dies, other 15 and also dies

Why is my eye glitching lmao

Maybe I still want a sandwich

What time do I need to be up tomorrow wait

Idk lmao

We've brought our bodies in, the night is ours

It's 10ish at night

Adam's gonna sleep in jeans

Adam was not naked in combat ?

Or maybe he was

Adam doesn't wear pajamas so he had pants

Sleeping downstairs shifts for the night

Adam takes first shift

Adam is sweating a lot, feeling a little odd; feels super weak and cold and feels a little sick like he might throw up

Constitution saving throw

"can I feel this coming and give myself bardic inspiration?"

"uh . Sure"

"hold it in hold it in hold it in"

Check to see if he can make it to the bathroom

"boi that's just nasty" adam wakes up someone ? Adam

Adam wakes theo up

"you must be real glad I'm wearing pants right now"

Rolls nat1

Adam vomits onto theo ? Vomits into theo's cloak

Adam becomes violently ill

The key eventually comes out the butt

A 4

Able to makes way down hatch towards bucket by ot

Vomits on ot

"ot is, like, weeping"

Adam is weakened

So adam shit and hurled

Adam stomps it down the drain ?

Next morning

Adam comes down with the key

Adam's exhaustion is cured after long rest

We're not talking to adam today

Adam sets key on table "did you wash that first" theo / adam slowly takes key back

Adam casts sleep on ot to kind of relieve him

Cel goes to jones, one of the goblins informs cel that jones is out ,,, just out

Cel can't find jones

Home alone-ing the house now ?

Aerana

House was in state of disrepair before

Spike spell tore up front of house, lots of windows knocked out from fireball explosion and were damaged during fight

Bad to a little bit worse

Theo 20 for investigation

Random ropes and bricks, nails, wooden planks

Intelligence check w advantage

19, sets up a few different traps; two swinging brick traps when a door is opened + simple nails stuck into plank so would hurt if someone stepped on it

Asyna 9 for investigation

Cel sees jones putting a bunch of keys into the lock

Jones can't find the key to open his door

Jones is maybe gonna get some stooges to remove the bodies

10 dragons

Henrietta is gonna dump em

Astigmatism lmao

Back at the manor

Adam is done cleaning

Ot asked if he could be set free, adam says "this is my fault, I got it buddy"

Adam is going to the apothecary down the street

Walks up to counter, fallah is there

"heyo what's poppin fallah"

Takes out potion of necrotic resistance

Adam says he bought it at sea ward, roll for deception; 12

Why am I sO LETHARGIC ALL THE TIME !!!

Offers adam 50 gold

Pushes for 60, 10 for persuasion check

Just takes it for 50

Fallah gives medicine, smells like oregano

Adam goes in for a hug, hesitates then retracts

Goes to bardic school to talk to master

Yava is there

12 insight check

Yava is usually v composed but today

Yava is an elf so is like bruh wdym u trust me after knowing me for like a month

Asks abt house security

Adam just straight up tells her he's in trouble w the xanathar guild and is asking for glyph of warning spells ?

Persuasion check, gives self bardic inspiration

11, yava agrees to help

She's willing to do it for free

Can cover 8 entrances to the house

"I'd b willing to do this but adam u must b more careful"

Adam tells her he's dealing w a large sum of money - half a million dragons

There was half a million dragons embezzled ?

Yava thought it was just a rumor

Adam is idiot

Adam asks yava if she wants in

Idiot

#i talk a lot about sandwiches in this one #sn #13

3 notes · View notes

anniebattiebats · 4 years

Text

hi im annie and today i’ll be gushing over the greatest game ever made

sonic adventure 2

THE CHARACTERS! OH MY GOD THE CHARACTERS!

everyone was so in-character in this game! Sonic was himself, and was perfectly cocky in this game. In later games, he says the most unnecessary shit nsjsnjdn but this Sonic feels genuinely witty and cocky.

Tails is bettering himself to become stronger and braver than before, which is BETTER THAN WHAT THE MAIN GAMES DO (COUGHCOUGHSONICFORCES) even Sonic Adventure did a better job at this!

Knuckles is all about the Master Emerald - THANK GOD - which is what I prefer instead of him leaving his island to do God knows what. And he sounds more level-headed and calm here, which I prefer too.

Rouge is amazing and I love how smooth she is and Shadow is so relatable when it comes to forgiving others. Not only that, he was brooding, but not too much. He was melodramatic and energetic, which is something I love about him. He just felt more lively than what we have now.

And Eggman. Omfg Eggman. I love Eggman in this game SO! MUCH! He has the perfect menacing voice and he has his mind of offing Sonic and the world. He held Amy at gun point TWICE! And, for once, he didn’t bring out some otherworldly entity on purpose this time. The Biolizard was an accident.

wait, Amy? She was just there, I’m not gonna lie. But she did help Shadow accept how good humans can be.

THE STORY

It’s straight ass :> but I love it so much. It’s so wild and energetic. It’s meme worthy. It really grabbed my attention as goofy and broken as it was. Eggman blew up a fucking MOON! And there was so much at stake besides that! The ARK was gonna crash into the Earth! A FUCKING ISLAND BLEW UP! it’s like michael bay directed it but it’s actually entertaining. to me at least.

i feel like the whole story focuses on forgiveness and learning from your mistakes, since shadow is the central character of this game. he grows from being a vengeful, hellbent hedgehog to an understanding, noble one, risking his life to protect humans, the one species he hated.

at the same time the way they tell this story is like sonic pointing a gun at you and going “live and learn, bitch” because shadow (supposedly) DIES after he stopped the ARK from crashing. it’s basically saying “learn from your mistakes or die”

or if I have to use it, die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain

it was worth it.

THE GAMEPLAY

it’s annoying as fuck BUT once you get used to it, things are alright... i guess. the game’s hard imo. i was STRUGGLING with the last story of this game. i keep getting an E on Final Rush! Crazy Gadget called me a slur!! MAD SPACE MADE ME DEAD INSIDE! Aside from that, I enjoy the way the characters work. You take your time as Tails, you quickly find emerald pieces by maneuvering around the map as Knuckles, and you have a high speed track to go through as Sonic. I enjoy all gameplay styles, I’m just not used to the difficulty curve the game puts you through. But, I did find the game surprisingly easier to play than something like Sonic Heroes. The characters are super slippery in that game.

There’s also this thing where each stage has it’s own gimmick. Metal Harbor’s gimmick for difficulty and challenge was beating the clock to get to the tip of the rocket. I pulled it off plenty of times and I was relaxed enough to do it, and it makes me wonder why someone would have a hard time with it. I GET WHY BECAUSE I DID TOO, but I practiced enough to understand how to maneuver Sonic around to get to the rocket. I know, I’m amazing uvu (Final Rush can kiss my ass though). The gimmicks kept me on my toes and I honestly appreciate that. it made each stage feel different, which is a really good thing!

OH YEAH, you can PLAY as Eggman this time. LEGENDARY! AND his stages are more relaxing to go through than Tails’... which makes no sense. Imo the hero story should be the easy mode while dark is the hard mode, but Eggman’s stages say otherwise. Oh well ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ At least they’re fun. And the music is GREAT in his stages. I love Lost Colony’s music so much!

OH EYAH ABOUT THAT

THE MUSIC

I FUCKING LOVE ROCK! Besides some rap, I enjoy rock a LOT! While there may be TOO much rock in this game compared to Adventure where you had all kinds of genres fitting each setting, I enjoy every piece of music here. I sing to City Escape when I play it because it’s that much of a rush and it’s so catchy! And it matches the stage so well!

Knuckles’ SA2 version of his song is amazing because it sounds like hip hop, and the lyrics dive deeper into his character. I wish the other themes did this but sadly, they didn’t.

Is this the way? The path I chose? Then why am I living with my heart so cold?

Hunnid P just. Gets it.

At least Eggman’s theme is a MANIACAL BANGER!

VOICE ACTING

While some characters sound like they’re reading off a damn script (looking at you Tails and Amy) I prefer these voices over the other ones in later games. Mainly because, the way I see it, since the Sonic characters never age, their voices don’t need to change.

Ryan Drummond makes Sonic sound so young, free, and energetic! I like that about Sonic! And while he’s also the type to relax, his speed along with his wit just matches with his energetic side so well.

Jennifer’s voice (if I ignore that she sounds like she’s reading from a script) is actually pretty nice.

And I ADMIRE Scott Dreier’s work for Knuckles in this game SO MUCH! He still sounds like a teen yet he sounds mature and level-headed, it’s amazing!

Eggman’s voice by Deem Bristow is AMAZING. Every line oozes with creepy and unsettling! He’s EVIL, he’s SET ON RULING THE WORLD. Why shouldn’t he have this voice?

David Humphrey’s work for Shadow is too good for my ears and fits him so well. He was the perfect choice to capture Shadow’s melodramatic nature.

Rouge’s voice is surprisingly sweet to listen to. It makes her older voice in later games sound... exaggerated? Like they exaggerate how SMOOTH she is. Idk. This voice has a perfect balance of smooth and immature, and trust me, Rouge really is immature.

THE CHAO GARDEN

Y’all know this was coming. The chao garden instantly makes the game better. It just does. It’s a nice relaxing mode people can go to since the rest of the game is so CRAZY. Ever since I played SA2, I appreciate the chao so much and I think about them often. It cheers me up ;v; and it’s rewarding to be cuddled by the chao after you take care of them so much.

I will never get the “Hiiii” out of my head, not even if I died.

IN CONCLUSION

SEGA is ass for not making an Adventure 3 where these guys are playable again, but at least we have Adventure 2 to fall back on. The game really is dated, but I have so much fun with it, genuinely! It solidified my reason on why I’m a Sonic fan. SA2 keeps that Sonic charm that other games lack. It’s cool! It’s edgy! It’s energetic and wild! That’s how Sonic games should be imo, even if a game has multiple plot holes.

I used to talk shit about this game. And this was around the time I never even played it, and just watched some youtuber rant about it. Now? I can enjoy it despite someone who can’t. I KNOW I can get to the tip of the rocket in Metal Harbor! I KNOW I can hit King Boom Boo twice! I KNOW I can get through Eternal Engine without dying (but I haven’t... DON”T JUDGE ME) the game makes me wanna do better (kind of, one time I tried to get an A rank ona a stage and died then gave up, I had enough. I’m tired. I’M TIRED-) to get A ranks across the board. Since Knuckles’ gameplay is my favorite, getting A’s in his stages is super easy.

I can’t gush about this game enough. I love everything about it, even if some parts frustrate me to no end. I’m really happy I have a game to fall back on and appreciate whenever I play it. It’ll always mean a lot to me.

That being said, the game’s $9.99 on PC, Xbox One, and PS3 so feel free to try it out if you can! If you can’t enjoy it, I can’t blame you. There are many more sonic games to fall back on for you :>

if you read all of this... thank you??? omfg im surprised someone cared enough to finish this. why??? why did you finish this??? DO BETTER! jk, thank you ; v;

#annie the annoying #long post #tagging long post for mobile users #im ESTATIC #IM IN LOVE #IM SA2'S BITCH #one time it punched me in the face. *music stops* it was awesome

3 notes · View notes

bailesu · 5 years

Text

One Day in Paris (Haruka / Michiru Fanfic)

This is for a Haruka / Michiru exchange thing for @amrynth.

I’ve put the story behind the cut as it’s kind of long for a tumblr post.

One Day in Paris

By John Biles

For the Haruka/Michiru stuff exchange.

*******************

Some days, Haruka loved being a detective. A good, challenging mystery. High speed chases on high mountain roads where one wrong turn meant going off a cliff. Shootouts in a Monaco casino. Romance under the stars. Finding yourself tied up the next morning and your wallet stolen. Being arrested as a homeless person and…

Okay, her last job hadn’t *ended* well, but the start had been awesome.

“But Saaaaaam,” Makoto wailed into her cellphone two desks down. “I’m a detective! I can’t just let criminals rampage even if we did plan this for a week!”

Detective Minako had legs which wouldn’t quit. Wouldn’t quite *kicking her desk to a beat*, that is. Detective Rei, who had the desk behind Haruka, was starting to crumple paper and make grunting noises, and this could not lead to *anything* good.

“So you’re saying it’s Lupin,” Detective Zenigata said, four desks down into his cellphone.

It’s never Lupin, Haruka thought, sighing; she was busy checking her email to make sure she hadn’t missed a summons from their boss. The last time she’d done that, Head Detective Setsuna had somehow gone back in time and wrecked the best date she’d had in high school.

Petty, yet powerful.

I need a mission, Haruka thought as Rei now rose and began heading over to Minako’s desk.

Also, I need to convince Head Detective Setsuna that this open office arrangement is a *bad idea*, she thought as Makoto now babbled to Sam; no one was sure if Sam was male or female; Haruka was pretty sure Sam was a woman, but whatever Sam was, Makoto was headed for another crash and burn. Haruka would have felt sorry for her but now Clippy rose from the grave, occupying half the screen on her monitor. ‘Do you want help with your resignation letter?’

‘I want a damn mission to get me out of this office,’ she typed in. ‘Also, I thought you died.’

‘That is not dead which cannot die, but with strange aeons…’, Clippy began.

Not another cult case, dammit, Haruka thought.

“If it’s a woman, it’s not Lupin, it’s his confederate Fujiko,” Inspector Zenigata said into the phone. “Be very careful; she is nearly as cunning as Carmen Sandiego, who *still* has my Betamax, dammit.”

A coffee mug slid onto the desk, and Haruka started, then saw it was Detective Usagi. “I thought you were on the Osaka Jewelry case,” she said to Detective Usagi.

There was a crashing sound as half of everything on Detective Minako’s desk (six figurines of Sailor V, five of various idols, four pictures, a baseball signed by Babe Ruth, and a stack of books Minako would never read but claimed she would) all fell off it because Rei and Minako were engaged in either a fight to the death, foreplay, or probably both, Haruka assumed.

It had been kind of sexy the first three times but after Minako had accidentally somehow knocked Haruka’s favorite racing trophy into the toilet (which was fifteen meters away, an act which was *never* clearly explained to Haruka), Haruka now wished they would keep it at home and be professional at work, like *her*.

“I want to explain it to you, but the Kingdom of D was involved and Umino had to pass himself off as the princess and I just don’t want to think about it,” Usagi said, looking haunted.

“If those two weren’t separated at birth, I will be stunned,” Haruka said, then tried her coffee. She took Usagi’s hand and squeezed it. Usagi turned a little red. “You are a master of coffee. Did you catch the thief, then?”

“It was all a trap to kidnap the princess, and we barely rescued Umino from the deathtrap when they realized they had the wrong person,” Detective Usagi said, trying to sit on Haruka’s desk.

Makoto sat at her desk, clutching her head, while Detective Ami patted her shoulder over and over, trying to help but not knowing what to do.

“I think I have to help Makoto,” Usagi said.

“Drop by any time,” Haruka said.

DING.

Salvation had arrived. A mission, so she could get out of this madhouse before…

“So is that your gun, or are you happy to…” Minako began.

“It’s my gun,” Rei said irritably as she tried to pin Minako.

“That joke only works with Detective Conan or Inspector Zenigata,” Ami pointed out.

Minako sighed. “Ami, the straight woman’s job isn’t to ruin my jokes.”

The mission was to investigate the break-in at Renate Jewels in Paris. Ahh, gay Paris, Haruka thought with satisfaction. A city of beautiful buildings, great food and drink, love, and… hopefully not another chase through the sewers.

“No one in this place is straight except maybe Conan but he’s too young for us to think about that,” Ami said.

“Ami, you made *me* the straightwoman,” Minako said mournfully.

Haruka fled to get in her car and drive to Paris.

******************* Haruka then remembered it was not in fact possible to drive to Paris, so she got a plane ticket and arranged for a Lamborghini to be waiting for her in Paris. When she arrived, she got it and… immediately fell asleep from jet lag in the parking lot of the rental place.

The next morning, she woke up, went to her hotel, took a shower and headed off to investigate the case, hoping the trail had not gone cold. She felt alive; she needed her missions to give her purpose after she’d been banned from racing, even if it was all that freak Dirk Dastardly’s fault!

Then she headed out to Renate’s Jewels, a beautiful boutique near the Seine; a superheroine and a villain were fighting on a roof nearby, but Haruka ignored them; they had no jewels and were not part of her very important mission.

Renate was a middle-aged redhead who looked oddly familiar to Haruka, but Haruka didn’t worry about that, since it probably wasn’t going to be relevant. “So she seduced you, tied you up, and then stole everything.”

“I wouldn’t have minded being tied up if she hadn’t *stolen* everything,” Renate said, then swooned.

Haruka caught her and put her up on her feet. “You should probably loosen your corset so you can breathe properly,” she said very seriously.

Renate said, “I’m going to need your help, detective. Why don’t we go upstairs and you can help me do it.”

“Sorry, fair lady, but I’m on a *mission*,” she said, kissing Renate’s hand, then quickly adjusting her corset without taking it off. Soon, Haruka headed for the Regal Arms, as the thief, who Renate had identified as the notorious Jewel Thief Michiru from a photo, had left behind a pack of matches. The place was huge and grand, exactly the sort of place for an exciting showdown. Every piece of furniture was worth two years of Haruka’s salary.

That would make her triumph cooler.

She paused to adjust her suit in the mirror. When confronting your nemesis, you have to have everything *just right*. If your tie is out of place, it ruins the moment.

She then went to the front desk, presenting her badge and a photo of Jewel Thief Michiru running out of a shop with a bag full of jewelry. “Have you seen this woman?”

The clerk adjusted her glasses. “Yes, she was lounging around… our lounge… all night last night, looking increasingly cranky, then finally her friend dragged her upstairs with the help of the night concierge.”

Friend?

“Can you describe the friend?” she asked.

Hotel security footage showed Michiru, clutching a wine glass in one hand, unconscious and being dragged onto a luggage cart by a dark haired man in the hotel uniform and by a dark haired woman who was ambiguously teenage and wearing a black blouse, black knee-length skirt, black high stockings, black boots, black nailpolish and a pink rose over her heart which looked lost, but certainly stood out.

Haruka said, “Can you get a printout of that?”

After some tech fumbling, she and the desk lady got the footage sent to Detective Ami for analysis. She also got the desk lady’s phone number, the address of a good chicken place, and the room number of Jewel Thief Michiru.

And the advice to never eat at Francois’ near the Arc d’Triomphe. Or however you spell it; Detective Haruka never sweats the details.

The elevator took her to the twenty-third floor and she made her way down the hallway to 2307. She pulled out the keycard the clerk had given her and unlocked the door.

“I’m going to have to steal the crown jewels,” she heard Michiru say; she flattened herself against the wall inside the little atrium; to her right was the changing area and a hanging closet; beyond that was the bathroom; she pressed herself against the left-wall, then realized it left her visible, so she slipped into the hanging closet, where a half-dozen dresses were hung up.

The burgundy one was the best, but Haruka wasn’t sure if it really matched Jewel Thief Michiru’s hair. As she contemplated high fashion, she heard a woman she did not know. “I’m sure she’s coming. The Fox told us that her plane arrived last night.”

“Then why didn’t she come to the hotel?” a despairing voice said from the bed.

“Why do you *want* her to find you, anyway? You’re not the Riddler’s sister, right?” the woman asked. “I need the money to get Father exorcised, but if I go to jail, I can’t help him!”

“What good is stealing things if there is no one to recognize my skill?” Jewel Thief Michiru said. “I am in this for the sport, to pit myself against the best.”

“Then why are you worried about this bozo?” the other woman asked.

“I am not a bozo!” Haruka said, coming out and throwing the finger of accusation at the other woman, who turned out to be the teenager from the photo, holding a short fighting staff.

Which she now flicked and it somehow extended into a glaive.

“Don’t bring a glaive to a gunfight,” Haruka said, drawing her gun.

“Now, now, Detective Haruka,” Jewel Thief Michiru said, getting up off the bed and striding closer, gracefully. “Point the gun at me and make empty threats.”

“They’re not empty! I’ll shoot!” Haruka insisted.

“We both know you won’t shoot us,” Jewel Thief Michiru said, gliding closer. “Why didn’t you show up last night?”

“Jet lag,” Haruka grumbled.

Jewel Thief Michiru stopped, then said sympathetically, “I forgot to take that into account. My apologies.” The other woman, still unnamed, frowned. “Okay, what is *actually* up with you two?” She had turned her glaive back into a staff and put it in her black purse.

“Oh yes, Haruka, this is my new assistant, Hotaru. She’s a cyborg assassin from the future.”

“I’m not a cyborg *or* from the future,” Hotaru insisted. She pinched her arm. “This time, anyway.”

“I’m from the future!,” another teenage girl said from the balcony; she wore what looked like a Star Trek uniform to Haruka. But she was armed with something like a lightsaber. The big heart on the end did make it stand out.

“No! You’re going to ruin our sexy confrontation,” Michiru said angrily, pointing at her. The glaive vs. Heartsaber battle began wrecking the hotel room, so Haruka said to Michiru, “How about if we check out this chicken place I know about until they’re done?”

“My plans… in ruins…”

Then the scented oils caught fire from a parried Heartsaber blow and the whole suite went up in flames. Haruka picked up Michiru and ran.

***************

“So I got docked two weeks pay because Paris caught fire and it wasn’t even my fault,” Haruka groused to Usagi later as they ate okonomiyaki which Makoto had made them since they both had, as usual, no money.

Makoto flopped down on the other end of the couch with her pork okonomiyaki and put on Netflix. “Did they riot?”

“Don’t let the boss know or I’ll lose even more pay,” Haruka said, shaking her head.

“He doesn’t know I sunk Atlantis, either,” Usagi said conspiratorily into Haruka’s ear. Then she began stuffing her face.

I thought *I* sunk Atlantis, Haruka thought.

Makoto would never ever tell them it was the result of her trying to date a brother and a sister at the same time without either finding out about the other. Never, ever.

So don’t tell Haruka now that you know.

Iris Out.

#Sailor Moon #Fanfiction

7 notes · View notes

unto-myself-together · 6 years

Text

Of Stories and Songs: A Haunted Mansion Fanfic Ch 4

This chapter was getting so long, that I felt like I have no choice but to divide it into two. 30 some odd pages in word, after all, is a little long to be left whole like that.

Check below the cut for both author notes and the chapter proper.

Authornotes: Despite what the Ghost Host says, he will be making an appearance in the next chapter.

The description of the scarecrow should be familiar. It is, in fact, a description of Jack Skellington’s alter ego scarecrow disguise. I wanted to make tiny references to the Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay without making a pure crossover, as the plot I’m going with wouldn’t mesh well with the Nightmare characters. So, instead, I’ll just briefly reference it here and there. Thus, the scarecrow in this fic isn’t actually Jack Skellington (unless you really want to pretend it is, I mean I can’t stop you).

Solomon Gracey….Oh let me tell you the story about this. When I was young, and going through the Mansion for the first time, I saw the aging man portrait. Except, I didn’t know anything about Oscar Wilde or Dorian Gray (I was a kid), so I never made the connection there (even though in retrospect, it seems a little obvious that’s what the Imagineers were going for). But I DID know about Batman, and through that someone had told me the poem once associated with one of the villains named Solomon Grundy:

Solomon Grundy, Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took ill on Thursday, Grew worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Buried on Sunday, That was the end, Of Solomon Grundy.

And you might be wondering “What does this have anything to do with anything?” You see, as a kid, I misinterpreted the poem and what it meant. I thought it referred to someone who was born, quickly grew up, lived, and died all within the span of a week. It apparently never occurred to my childlike mind that these things could happen on separate years.

So when I saw the portrait of the man, and he aged so rapidly, I thought “Oh! It’s like Solomon Grundy!”

And that’s the story of how the name stuck.

Artwork was drawn by me.

The statue comes from a statue in the Disneyland fast pass for Haunted Mansion

For the Gracey family seal, I used official Disney merchandise for the base. It is the Master Gracey necklace from the Memento Mori store. Here is the reference: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/506725395552228282/?autologin=true&lp=true

Here are other photographs and videos used as references for the other art pieces:

https://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/terrific-thirteen.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RGdw4ePzPg&t=306s

I am the one who played the piano and recorded myself. I used sheet music from the internet for this. Here are the reference links. Please note that I made small edits for the Haunted Mansion piece and I didn’t follow the original sheet music for John Brown’s Body piece, I just used the same key.

https://musescore.com/user/6017331/scores/1485776

https://www.music-scores.com/midi.php?sheetmusic=Trad_John_Browns_Body

~~~

Trigger warnings: ghosts, death concepts/discussions, murder, suicide, abuse, blood, lots of scary stuff (horror), implied sexual abuse, cursing (damn and hell), drug abuse, attempted rape (never completed; in a later chapter).

~~~

Table of Contents:

Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3 , Chapter 4 , Chapter 5 ,

Chapter 6 , Chapter 7

~~~

Ch 4. John Brown’s Body

“John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave, His soul is marching on!”

-Traditional Folk Song, John Brown’s Body

“This is all a bad dream. This is all a bad dream. This is all a bad dream. There’s no such thing as ghosts. This is all a bad dream. This is all a ba-“

“Repetition does not turn a statement to fact.”

“Shut up.” She muttered, shakily walking down the hall towards the door that she could see on the far end; the complete opposite end from the strange stretching room she had come from. “This is all a bad dream. This is all a bad drea-“

“You can chant such trifle prayers to your dying breath, but your words will never be any truer five centuries from now than they were five moments ago.”

“But it keeps me going,” She muttered again, this time to herself. “And there…there can’t be life after death. It’s impossible. There’s no such thing. Dead is dead.”

“Care to repeat that to the dead person behind you?”

The creepy feeling of an ice cold hand on her shoulder made her speed up, nearly running towards the door.

“Why not look behind you, hmm?”

“No I won’t I won’t!” The anxiety making her giddy, she gave a little nervous laugh as she made it through and slammed the door. She leaned against the door and slid to the ground, eyes closed and breathing in deep.

“Rather impolite, but no matter…. You can always repeat your statement to the one in front of you.”

This time…This time, her eyes had flung open all without her permission and she screamed.

She screamed all the while as she crawled backwards.

All the while as she jammed her wrist against a table in her attempt to get under it.

The thing that lay before her. Whatever it was, it did not follow her, choosing instead to remain swaying side to side in its position.

And she permitted herself to think about what she had just seen: its legs looked like bond stalks, it’s mahogany jacket in tatters. A figure that seemed stiff at first, its limbs in haphazard directions, as though it’s clothes were stuffed with straw. But…

…But that couldn’t be; there had to be a person in there because behind the carved smile of its pumpkin head….she could see teeth.

Human teeth.

She dared to peek out from under the table, but there was no longer any sign of it. The scarecrow’s long legs ought to have been in sight, where could it ha-

POUNDING ON THE TABLE ABOVE HER.

SHE COULD SEE THE SIDES TIP PRECARIOUSLY

AS SOMETHING DANCED ATOP IT.

“I’msorry I’msorry I’msorry!!” She screamed out, her shaking mimicking every jerk of the table.

The pounding stopped. The table stopped.

The thunder rolled off in the distance, and the rain pattered against the windows.

She took an uneasy breath.

“…Why are you doing this to me?” She said in a small voice.

“Why, whatever do you mean?”

She could hear his tone, the thinly veiled sarcasm, the mirth that made it seem like he was laughing at her. She tried again.

“What…what exactly do you want with me? What did you say before, that lives have value?? That the raven was useless to you?? What is it about me?”

“But lives DO have value. Unless, of course, you don’t see value in yours. We are certainly capable of removing such a heavy weight from your shoulders. Or are you more hands on?”

By her side….

………………

….a noose appeared….

Dangling over the sides of the furniture, her safe zone.

She found herself staring at it.

A good. Long. While.

“Are you really trying to kill me?” Her throat constricted, just by having it in her sights.

“Would you take comfort in hearing me say ‘no’?”

“At this point….At this point I’m not sure I’d believe you…”

“Then there’s nothing more to be said, now is there?”

She closed her eyes again. Even knowing that her “host” might take advantage and shove another creature in her face, it was comforting to pretend that she was back at home, in bed, with her eyes closed and ready for sleep.

But the noose…

“Please….please will you at least take it away?”

….

A soft whisper of a sound, and wisp of a breeze.

When she dared to peek, bracing herself for the return of the scarecrow or some other terrible thing, she was surprised.

The noose was gone. And there was no evidence of any new scary entity within her immediate sights.

“Thank you.” She mumbled.

The only response was the low rumbling of a chuckle.

Perhaps because of that, she could not bring herself to leave the relative safety of the furnishing she’d cowered under. The underside of the table was nice and cozy, after all.

So spent the time to look around instead.

There were instruments. Karen couldn’t pretend that she knew much about music, but she knew enough to recognize the violin sitting on one of the chairs. The bigger one sitting in the corner was probably a cello, and there were likely even more instruments hidden from sight in the cases she could observe.

A piano took up most of the room; the light from the candelabras on its surface glowed in the reflection of the gigantic window behind it. From beyond the window, she could see the dead trees buckling under the weight of the downpour, their gray limbs looking much like ghosts themselves. It seemed so deceptively easy to shatter the glass and escape.

“Whatever is the matter, hmm? Have you given up on your friend already? Shall I leave him my condolences? A message? The very last thing he’ll ever hear: ‘Karen has left you for dead’.”

“No.” She said flatly. “No I’m not leaving without him.”

That telltale chuckle again.

“That’s exactly what I’m counting on.”

“You’re not going to ever tell us why you’re doing this, are you? Is it really because you think we’re trespassers?”

“You’ll have to forgive me.”

The piano began to play, a series of mismatched notes creating a discord of ugly sounds.

“I was not aware I required a reason.”

She held her breath, watching the keys move across the instrument without any visible fingers to press on them. But there was a shadow that fell across the whole scene that looked oddly…human-esque. Already, she was too frightened to think too deeply into that.

“Shall I play you something light and bright to coax you from your crypt? The mortal creature does still love a happy harmony wrapped up in a major key…correct? And after all wouldn’t you agree that your life would be so flat without a sweet melody? ”

And with that announcement, the piano changed to a happier cord. Was that the Battle Hymn of the Republic?

Listen to the piano part1

Despite her wariness, she did feel herself relax a tinge. She even went so far as to lean back a bit to rest herself against the wall that bordered her ‘safety table’. The ruffling of paper at her fingertips snatched at her attention.

Two papers, actually.

“Mr. Williams,

I write to you on the matter of the issue you had previously approached me for.

Thus far, the Atencio Trading Company has remained relatively unchanged despite the change in the Head of the Gracey family. Indeed, the Atencio Company firmly remains under the ownership of the Graceys, as it always has, despite the remaining echoes of the war and reconstruction. None of the businesses contained within the company have been removed, destroyed, or discarded; if anything, new businesses have been added and not subtracted.

Below is a list that I have compiled, as best as I was able, of the Industries contained therein of the Gracey family’s Atencio Trading Company:

2 Wineries 6 Tanneries 4 Major Textile Production Factories (not containing various minor Textile Refinements involved) 1 Business involved in the Production of Cutlery 2 Beekeeping farms (also involve Honey Refinery) 3 Breweries of Beer and Fine Liquor 9 Livestock farms (not including horses) 5 Horse Ranches 2 Bakeries 7 Farms that variously produce Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Corn, Apples, and Vegetables 1 Metal Production or blacksmith factory whose purpose I could not ascertain

These industries are spread out among several states, regions, and cities. As you know, the Atencio Company regularly transports on the behalf of foreign companies. Thus, this is in addition to the trading profits the company gets for the transportation and shipping of goods owned by companies not under the control of the Graceys.

This is not including, however, the personal farm and properties therein attached to the Gracey Manor house itself. The production involved there is mostly for the immediate benefit of the family, it’s fellows, and the servant class who board there.

I am afraid I have still come up empty, sir, in finding the meaning behind the name “Atencio”. It has apparently been used for ages long past, as long as the Graceys have owned this company. The only shared name I have ever found in records, was that of a pirate crew that operated in the 1400s, long before the Golden Age of Piracy. As such, there are only scant records of this crew, and none of them enlightening enough to provide evidence that there is any relation.

The methods by which the Graceys run their business is still very non-involved. Like before, it appears that many of the overseers of each company sub-branch are left to manage their own affairs, provided that profits are returned to the family proper. The Graceys are involved in making final decisions regarding payment distribution, and appear to be very generous with those in their employment. Especially so with the current Gracey head of family. As such, exceptional loyalty to both the Atencio Trading Company and the Gracey Family itself is not unheard of, nor should be unexpected.

It is with this in mind that I send this letter through an unconventional means.

For you see, sir, I am greatly concerned that this letter should be intercepted by them.

-Leslie Harrison”

And there was a second letter underneath that.

At its very top, was a family crest: A carved letter G in the center of the decorative shape, swirling lines jutting on both sides and a devilish head at its very top. The symbol was flanked by Latin: Familia Supra Omnia.

“Dear Miss Slater,

I am very much distressed at reading your previous missive, which I had received on the fifth of February. I understand your concerns regarding your status as, and I quote you, “a lowly circus performer”. But as I have stressed on more than a single previous occasion, I do not care.

As far as the town is concerned: I, and my estate, are dead to them.

I have long given up on pleasing the most influential members of the community. As well you know, Mr. Williams, whom has the town in his purse strings, already hated my father long before even the War of Rebellion, hated him even worse during the war, and has shown even as recent as last week that he finds my methods of running my affairs a contemptable sight in his long list of grievances against my family name. What the head of the Williams Company says is practically decreed, and, by extension, I am no friend to any member of the upper crust in these parts. It subsequently gives me the freedom to do merely as I please.

And it would please me more than anything, Miss Slater, if you allow me to help you.

I have been hearing so many rumors about the financial status of that circus company that you have affiliated yourself with, and even worse rumors about the ringmaster himself.

Miss Slater, I do not trust that man. He has proven time and again that his humor is morbid, and that his tricks are similarly so. Many of his acts remark and revolve on death itself, and with such a depressing notion it is surprising that his fortunes did not deplete themselves sooner. That mishap with the lion and the poor drunkard is simply another suspicious death to add to his collection of mysterious airs.

I am concerned by some of your wording. You’ve known I have no qualms about reputation. And you’ve never asked for privacy before, even when you had fallen ill. Nor have you been forthright with any reasoning, on my part, that has caused you discomfort. All of these things are suspicious and so very out of ordinary from the past twelve years you have been with these travelers. Your phrases, too, are upsetting: “A lost cause” “Nothing left for me”, these are not words you have ever previously used to describe yourself. I cannot but be concerned that your ringmaster, or someone else in the company, has harmed you in some way.

Which is why, at first chance, I will make the journey to fetch you.

Your daughter is of Gracey blood, if not in name, Miss Slater. We are family. And I will make sure nothing lays a finger on either of you.

Yours in Sincerity,

Solomon Gracey”

As she tried to make sense of the newfound information…Miss Slater.

Mr. Williams.

Solomon Gracey.

Circus.

She….

…Was suddenly standing.

And not underneath a table at all anymore.

There was a man in front of her, sitting at a desk with a concerned expression. He had on a fine white shirt, nice trousers, a gray vest, and was that a pocket watch? It held the uncanny air of a bygone era, especially as he sat, the sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to the elbows, at a desk that had no dust.

She recognized that desk….and…when he turned and she saw him eye to eye….she recognized him.

This man wasn’t the same angry man from the earlier vision, with the maid and the young boy.

This man…was from the portrait.

The portrait that she had seen at the beginning of the house, the one that had aged to death right in front of her eyes. And as the eyes glanced her way, she felt herself back away a step.

To be sure, those eyes were beyond comparison. Even here, the vividness of their blue felt like they could see straight into her.

At the same time….she felt…safe. The other vision had held a sense of terror. The other man had clearly been antagonistic. But this man….

Please. Let me help you.

She blinked. For a moment, she had imagined that the man had spoken to her. But that…couldn’t be. He didn’t even seem to see her, for one, as his eyes had glanced over her without any acknowledgement. By now, he had gone back to writing….

She peeked over his shoulder. He was writing…the very letter…she had just recently read..?

Karen stood gob smacked, gaping as he finished it off with a flurry of his signature.

Was this really some kind of memory from the past. How….?

I just want you to be safe.

She blinked again. No, those weren’t words spoken aloud. She finally identified them as a gut feeling. An aura; something that the scene gave off that somehow she felt compelled to think of those exact words. She was sure, anyways, that those feelings were mostly for the benefit of the person he wrote to.

But those thoughts felt good. The scene felt good. After all the ridiculous stuff that Ghost Host had thrown on her, the scarecrow and spiders and stretching rooms and nooses appearing out of nowhere, this was so relaxing in comparison. Comforting, even.

Why couldn’t she stay and listen to Solomon? Would it hurt so badly? Who could blame her?

Staying like this, watching him read over and over the letter he had just completed. He had an intricate ring on his left hand; she could see it as he held his forehead in his hand in thought. It was a good ring.

What was wrong with staying like this, watching him, forever?

Without worries, without cares. No broken windows….Or was it reading…? Law school….Something feels missing….But what does it matter? None of the horror, just a calm room with a man writing a letter that he’d been struggling hours to find the words for. Finally. Finally, he had gotten around to writing it out in full.

But…This won’t do at all.

He stood up.

“Edgar!” He called out. “Fetch my coat and get Samuel! We’re taking a trip to that damned circus.”

Why did he even need the letter? By God, he’ll just show up unannounced, then he could see for himse-

….

Wait….

Karen’s face furrowed in deep thought. What were these thoughts that were now going through her head?

These weren’t…her thoughts. They had nothing to do with her. So why was it as though her thoughts had begun to turn, turning to mush and then reshaping themselves, and all without her permission? It didn’t hurt. But. There was this small sense of mismatch, that something wasn’t quite right….

Thoughts about the ring on his finger….No, this ring didn’t represent marriage…But what was it…Why was she….

…..She was back underneath the table.

There was a brief sense of déjà vu as she tried to catch her bearings; the piano wasn’t helping, as it was now playing a more sinister sounding version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. It only cemented the idea that the dream was over and the nightmare was back.

listen to the piano 2

….She stared back to the letter. Touched it, even brought it up to her nose to sniff it. It was real.

Which means….the vision….

She squeezed her eyes shut so that she could gradually open them again.

The piano was still playing. Didn’t that “Ghost Host” ever get sick of the same song over and over?

She didn’t want to deal with any of this; not him, not that vision-thingy, not this letter.

Michael…

There was a door to the left.

She glanced back to the piano. The Host was still playing, but for how long would he remain distracted?

Getting up on her hind legs, ready to sprint for it, the song still in the air,

one,

two,

three.

The door was in her hand, the handle turned, she slipped on through, into-

“Hmm hmm hmm.”

-the same exact room?

She opened the door behind her again. In the room she left, a piano playing the Battle Hymn of the Republic. In the room in front of her, an IDENTICAL piano playing…something else.

listen to the piano 3

Two pianos. The same chairs. The same violins. Even the same table she had taken refuge under.

Trying not to panic, she ran down to the next door. Went through it.

“HmmHa ha ha Ha HA ha.”

listen to the piano4

The same room. Again.

She ran over to the next door. Just to peek.

AGAIN. That piano! That horrible, wretched sounding piano!

She stood in the center of the room, carefully avoiding the shadowy figure that seemed to sit at the stool and play away, her eyes bitter and angry as she stared at the instrument. If she had to burn a hole through the piano with her eyes just to make a statement, so be it.

“Finally facing the music, are we? Have you accepted the reality that you need me as a guide if you ever hope of getting anywhere?”

“I’ve accepted the reality that you’re a well certified jerk. Let me out of this room.”

“I didn’t hear the magic words.”

“Sure. How about: ‘Let me out of this room or I break your piano’.”

Laughter radiated from the area of the piano, filling the whole room with the sound of the Ghost Host.

“My how BOLD you’ve become just now. Whatever happened to that poor, helpless mortal I left cowering under the table?”

Karen held her tongue at this part. She didn’t want to risk him retaliating and sapping what little courage she’d managed to muster in her bitterness.

“Take me out of this room now.” She said, holding her ground with her chin up.

….

“Please.” She halfheartedly added a moment later.

“…Well. Since you’ve asked so NICELY.”

The door in the middle opened. As she recalled, that was the door she took to enter the music room to begin with.

But strangely enough, it didn’t seem to lead out to the same hallway as before.

…Had he been moving her around when she was traversing all the duplicate music rooms?

If so…She opened the door that had led to a duplicate music room, only to find a wall. He’d completely stripped her of all sense of direction…

She shuddered at the thought, finally relenting to go through the door he’d opened for her.

“Th-thank you.” She stammered out.

“Hmm hmmm hmm…You’re very welcome.”

The door behind her slammed shut so loud that she jumped.

“Come now. Shriveling up on me, are you? I was having so much fun with this new version of you…”

“Is that what you call ‘torture’?”

“One man’s torture is another’s…entertainment. Hmm hmm hmm.”

“And that’s literally the reason you’re doing all this? THIS? All of THIS is entertainment to you? What was all that before about us being trespassers?”

The voice chuckled darkly.

“If you must know, I could care less whatever foolish reason a mortal comes wandering here for; trespasser or not. So long as they are here, in the flesh, I can take my pickings as I please. Such a curious creature you are, though, to keep asking about this. Most mortals merely accept my deeds without questioning my motives so aptly… . . . Perhaps this is your ‘gift’ talking…”

“My gift?”

“Yes. Surely you’ve noticed by now that you’ve a talent that expands beyond the grave. Becoming one with the very essence of human nature, and all of the exploits and endeavors, good or otherwise, therein. In effect, a psychic.”

“I am NOT a psychic.” She said with a huff as she strode off.

He had led her to yet another unfamiliar hallway. There was an end table with scattered papers, a stairway that lead up (complete with a fancy banister). Candelabras with intricate weaves of spiderwebs held behind an intricately carved griffin. And a statue was hidden in the alcove.

A very strange statue.

And familiar; she could have sworn she saw one like it outside with the gravestones.

But this one was much larger, human sized, in fact. And it was strange specifically because she got an odd, prickly feeling as she came close to it. For all intents and purposes, it LOOKED like any other statue she may have seen in her life.

It was that of a women who appeared to be grieving. Her dress cut just above her knees, the shawl around her shoulders wrapped up and covered her head. Her face was positioned to the floor, and one of her hands across her chest placed over to about where her heart would be.

Karen reached out and touched it, and it even FELT like a statue. Hard stone that was a little rough along the edges, likely from wear and tear over the years.

But very cold. Almost ethereally cold.

What was worse than any of that, was the smell. Statues didn’t normally smell, but this one reeked.

It reminded her of the time a squirrel had gotten into the electric breaker box of a telephone pole near her house; it had chewed through a few lines and wound up electrocuting itself. The power workers had tossed the remains by the side of the road, but no animal dared to take a bite of it so it simply sat there rotting. The smell that always ran to her nostrils every time she had to pass it was an unholy combination of cooked flesh and putrid decay.

“Are you sure you’re not psychic?”

The voice said, as though mocking the anxiety that the statue seemed to produce in her.

“No, I’m not psychic! Maybe…Maybe ghosts exist, ok? But I am definitely NOT psychic!”

“Oh? You admit to the existence of some of the supernatural? A nice improvement in your disposition. But do you mean to tell me you’ve never feel those moments? That prickling on the back of your spine?”

As if in obedience, the goosebumps on her back became more pronounced.

“Stop it.”

“That chill that you can so easily feel in the air?”

And in that moment, the area immediately around her dropped a few degrees.

“I said stop it!”

“That feeling of being watched, as though there were someone, or something there? And all you have to do is look behind y-“

“Shut up.” She seethed under her breath, trying to avoid glancing behind in case he sent another scarecrow. “Why don’t you just go back to playing the piano or something?? Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“As you wish.”

The temperature normalized, the goosebumps died down.

“Wha-really?”

“But of course. If you so desire it, I am FULLY prepared to leave you. In this empty, creaking, dark hallway. By yourself.”

“Or. You could drop Michael off near me.”

The Host’s laughter was raucous.

“And interrupt all of the exquisite entertainment he’s experiencing? Surely you don’t think me THAT cruel.”

Karen bristled. “You want to talk about cruelty?! How about ever-“

“But worry not. You may be alone now, but you’ll be joined soon enough.”

“What…?”

“The happy haunts have long since received your sympathetic vibrations and are beginning to materialize.”

“What. Does. That. Even. Mean?”

“They’re assembling for their nightly swinging wake, and they’ll be expecting me… I’ll see you a little later.”

“Wait…!”

There was no indication that the hallway had changed, and, of course, no actual physical sign that a disembodied voice had left the area. Yet it felt emptier than before.

“Ghost Host?” She called out tentatively.

No response. Only the low sound of thunder that rumbled in the distance. That indescribable feeling that she had experienced up until that point that had indicated his presence ceased to exist anymore.

The hallway was devoid of its Ghost Host.

And somehow, someway, she knew that.

#fanfiction #haunted mansion fanfiction #the haunted mansion fanfiction #haunted mansion fanfic #my fanfiction

7 notes · View notes

infinitehours · 5 years

Text

Chapter 4

This chapter was getting so long, that I felt like I have no choice but to divide it into two. 30 some odd pages in word, after all, is a little long to be left whole like that.

Check below the cut for both author notes and the chapter proper.

Authornotes: Despite what the Ghost Host says, he will be making an appearance in the next chapter.

Solomon Grundy, Born on a Monday, Christened on Tuesday, Married on Wednesday, Took ill on Thursday, Grew worse on Friday, Died on Saturday, Buried on Sunday, That was the end, Of Solomon Grundy.

So when I saw the portrait of the man, and he aged so rapidly, I thought “Oh! It’s like Solomon Grundy!”

And that’s the story of how the name stuck.

Artwork was drawn by me.

The statue comes from a statue in the Disneyland fast pass for Haunted Mansion

Here are other photographs and videos used as references for the other art pieces:

https://davelandblog.blogspot.com/2015/02/terrific-thirteen.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RGdw4ePzPg&t=306s

https://musescore.com/user/6017331/scores/1485776

https://www.music-scores.com/midi.php?sheetmusic=Trad_John_Browns_Body

~~~

Table of Contents Link

~~~

Ch 4. John Brown’s Body

“John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave, His soul is marching on!”

-Traditional Folk Song, John Brown’s Body

“This is all a bad dream. This is all a bad dream. This is all a bad dream. There’s no such thing as ghosts. This is all a bad dream. This is all a ba-“

“Repetition does not turn a statement to fact.”

“You can chant such trifle prayers to your dying breath, but your words will never be any truer five centuries from now than they were five moments ago.”

“But it keeps me going,” She muttered again, this time to herself. “And there…there can’t be life after death. It’s impossible. There’s no such thing. Dead is dead.”

“Care to repeat that to the dead person behind you?”

The creepy feeling of an ice cold hand on her shoulder made her speed up, nearly running towards the door.

“Why not look behind you, hmm?”

“Rather impolite, but no matter…. You can always repeat your statement to the one in front of you.”

This time…This time, her eyes had flung open all without her permission and she screamed.

She screamed all the while as she crawled backwards.

All the while as she jammed her wrist against a table in her attempt to get under it.

The thing that lay before her. Whatever it was, it did not follow her, choosing instead to remain swaying side to side in its position.

…But that couldn’t be; there had to be a person in there because behind the carved smile of its pumpkin head….she could see teeth.

Human teeth.

She dared to peek out from under the table, but there was no longer any sign of it. The scarecrow’s long legs ought to have been in sight, where could it ha-

POUNDING ON THE TABLE ABOVE HER.

SHE COULD SEE THE SIDES TIP PRECARIOUSLY

AS SOMETHING DANCED ATOP IT.

“I’msorry I’msorry I’msorry!!” She screamed out, her shaking mimicking every jerk of the table.

The pounding stopped. The table stopped.

The thunder rolled off in the distance, and the rain pattered against the windows.

She took an uneasy breath.

“…Why are you doing this to me?” She said in a small voice.

“Why, whatever do you mean?”

She could hear his tone, the thinly veiled sarcasm, the mirth that made it seem like he was laughing at her. She tried again.

“What…what exactly do you want with me? What did you say before, that lives have value?? That the raven was useless to you?? What is it about me?”

“But lives DO have value. Unless, of course, you don’t see value in yours. We are certainly capable of removing such a heavy weight from your shoulders. Or are you more hands on?”

By her side….

………………

….a noose appeared….

Dangling over the sides of the furniture, her safe zone.

She found herself staring at it.

A good. Long. While.

“Are you really trying to kill me?” Her throat constricted, just by having it in her sights.

“Would you take comfort in hearing me say ‘no’?”

“At this point….At this point I’m not sure I’d believe you…”

“Then there’s nothing more to be said, now is there?”

But the noose…

“Please….please will you at least take it away?”

….

A soft whisper of a sound, and wisp of a breeze.

When she dared to peek, bracing herself for the return of the scarecrow or some other terrible thing, she was surprised.

The noose was gone. And there was no evidence of any new scary entity within her immediate sights.

“Thank you.” She mumbled.

The only response was the low rumbling of a chuckle.

Perhaps because of that, she could not bring herself to leave the relative safety of the furnishing she’d cowered under. The underside of the table was nice and cozy, after all.

So spent the time to look around instead.

“Whatever is the matter, hmm? Have you given up on your friend already? Shall I leave him my condolences? A message? The very last thing he’ll ever hear: ‘Karen has left you for dead’.”

“No.” She said flatly. “No I’m not leaving without him.”

That telltale chuckle again.

“That’s exactly what I’m counting on.”

“You’re not going to ever tell us why you’re doing this, are you? Is it really because you think we’re trespassers?”

“You’ll have to forgive me.”

The piano began to play, a series of mismatched notes creating a discord of ugly sounds.

“I was not aware I required a reason.”

And with that announcement, the piano changed to a happier cord. Was that the Battle Hymn of the Republic?

Listen to the piano part1

Two papers, actually.

“Mr. Williams,

I write to you on the matter of the issue you had previously approached me for.

Below is a list that I have compiled, as best as I was able, of the Industries contained therein of the Gracey family’s Atencio Trading Company:

It is with this in mind that I send this letter through an unconventional means.

For you see, sir, I am greatly concerned that this letter should be intercepted by them.

-Leslie Harrison”

And there was a second letter underneath that.

“Dear Miss Slater,

As far as the town is concerned: I, and my estate, are dead to them.

And it would please me more than anything, Miss Slater, if you allow me to help you.

I have been hearing so many rumors about the financial status of that circus company that you have affiliated yourself with, and even worse rumors about the ringmaster himself.

Which is why, at first chance, I will make the journey to fetch you.

Your daughter is of Gracey blood, if not in name, Miss Slater. We are family. And I will make sure nothing lays a finger on either of you.

Yours in Sincerity,

Solomon Gracey”

As she tried to make sense of the newfound information…Miss Slater.

Mr. Williams.

Solomon Gracey.

Circus.

She….

…Was suddenly standing.

And not underneath a table at all anymore.

She recognized that desk….and…when he turned and she saw him eye to eye….she recognized him.

This man wasn’t the same angry man from the earlier vision, with the maid and the young boy.

This man…was from the portrait.

The portrait that she had seen at the beginning of the house, the one that had aged to death right in front of her eyes. And as the eyes glanced her way, she felt herself back away a step.

To be sure, those eyes were beyond comparison. Even here, the vividness of their blue felt like they could see straight into her.

At the same time….she felt…safe. The other vision had held a sense of terror. The other man had clearly been antagonistic. But this man….

Please. Let me help you.

She peeked over his shoulder. He was writing…the very letter…she had just recently read..?

Karen stood gob smacked, gaping as he finished it off with a flurry of his signature.

Was this really some kind of memory from the past. How….?

I just want you to be safe.

Why couldn’t she stay and listen to Solomon? Would it hurt so badly? Who could blame her?

What was wrong with staying like this, watching him, forever?

But…This won’t do at all.

He stood up.

“Edgar!” He called out. “Fetch my coat and get Samuel! We’re taking a trip to that damned circus.”

Why did he even need the letter? By God, he’ll just show up unannounced, then he could see for himse-

….

Wait….

Karen’s face furrowed in deep thought. What were these thoughts that were now going through her head?

Thoughts about the ring on his finger….No, this ring didn’t represent marriage…But what was it…Why was she….

…..She was back underneath the table.

listen to the piano 2

….She stared back to the letter. Touched it, even brought it up to her nose to sniff it. It was real.

Which means….the vision….

She squeezed her eyes shut so that she could gradually open them again.

The piano was still playing. Didn’t that “Ghost Host” ever get sick of the same song over and over?

She didn’t want to deal with any of this; not him, not that vision-thingy, not this letter.

Michael…

There was a door to the left.

She glanced back to the piano. The Host was still playing, but for how long would he remain distracted?

Getting up on her hind legs, ready to sprint for it, the song still in the air,

one,

two,

three.

The door was in her hand, the handle turned, she slipped on through, into-

“Hmm hmm hmm.”

-the same exact room?

She opened the door behind her again. In the room she left, a piano playing the Battle Hymn of the Republic. In the room in front of her, an IDENTICAL piano playing…something else.

listen to the piano 3

Two pianos. The same chairs. The same violins. Even the same table she had taken refuge under.

Trying not to panic, she ran down to the next door. Went through it.

“HmmHa ha ha Ha HA ha.”

listen to the piano4

The same room. Again.

She ran over to the next door. Just to peek.

AGAIN. That piano! That horrible, wretched sounding piano!

“Finally facing the music, are we? Have you accepted the reality that you need me as a guide if you ever hope of getting anywhere?”

“I’ve accepted the reality that you’re a well certified jerk. Let me out of this room.”

“I didn’t hear the magic words.”

“Sure. How about: ‘Let me out of this room or I break your piano’.”

Laughter radiated from the area of the piano, filling the whole room with the sound of the Ghost Host.

“My how BOLD you’ve become just now. Whatever happened to that poor, helpless mortal I left cowering under the table?”

Karen held her tongue at this part. She didn’t want to risk him retaliating and sapping what little courage she’d managed to muster in her bitterness.

“Take me out of this room now.” She said, holding her ground with her chin up.

….

“Please.” She halfheartedly added a moment later.

“…Well. Since you’ve asked so NICELY.”

The door in the middle opened. As she recalled, that was the door she took to enter the music room to begin with.

But strangely enough, it didn’t seem to lead out to the same hallway as before.

…Had he been moving her around when she was traversing all the duplicate music rooms?

If so…She opened the door that had led to a duplicate music room, only to find a wall. He’d completely stripped her of all sense of direction…

She shuddered at the thought, finally relenting to go through the door he’d opened for her.

“Th-thank you.” She stammered out.

“Hmm hmmm hmm…You’re very welcome.”

The door behind her slammed shut so loud that she jumped.

“Come now. Shriveling up on me, are you? I was having so much fun with this new version of you…”

“Is that what you call ‘torture’?”

“One man’s torture is another’s…entertainment. Hmm hmm hmm.”

“And that’s literally the reason you’re doing all this? THIS? All of THIS is entertainment to you? What was all that before about us being trespassers?”

The voice chuckled darkly.

“If you must know, I could care less about whatever foolish reason a mortal comes wandering here for; trespasser or not. So long as they are here, in the flesh, I can take my pickings as I please. Such a curious creature you are, though, to keep asking about this. Most mortals merely accept my deeds without questioning my motives so aptly… . . . Perhaps this is your ‘gift’ talking…”

“My gift?”

“I am NOT a psychic.” She said with a huff as she strode off.

A very strange statue.

And familiar; she could have sworn she saw one like it outside with the gravestones.

Karen reached out and touched it, and it even FELT like a statue. Hard stone that was a little rough along the edges, likely from wear and tear over the years.

But very cold. Almost ethereally cold.

What was worse than any of that, was the smell. Statues didn’t normally smell, but this one reeked.

“Are you sure you’re not psychic?”

The voice said, as though mocking the anxiety that the statue seemed to produce in her.

“No, I’m not psychic! Maybe…Maybe ghosts exist, ok? But I am definitely NOT psychic!”

As if in obedience, the goosebumps on her back became more pronounced.

“Stop it.”

“That chill that you can so easily feel in the air?”

And in that moment, the area immediately around her dropped a few degrees.

“I said stop it!”

“That feeling of being watched, as though there were someone, or something there? And all you have to do is look behind y-“

“As you wish.”

The temperature normalized, the goosebumps died down.

“Wha-really?”

“But of course. If you so desire it, I am FULLY prepared to leave you. In this empty, creaking, dark hallway. By yourself.”

“Or. You could drop Michael off near me.”

The Host’s laughter was raucous.

“And interrupt all of the exquisite entertainment he’s experiencing? Surely you don’t think me THAT cruel.”

Karen bristled. “You want to talk about cruelty?! How about ever-“

“But worry not. You may be alone now, but you’ll be joined soon enough.”

“What…?”

“The happy haunts have long since received your sympathetic vibrations, and are beginning to materialize.”

“What. Does. That. Even. Mean?”

“They’re assembling for their nightly swinging wake, and they’ll be expecting me… I’ll see you a little later.”

“Wait…!”

There was no indication that the hallway had changed, and, of course, no actual physical sign that a disembodied voice had left the area. Yet it felt emptier than before.

“Ghost Host?” She called out tentatively.

The hallway was devoid of its Ghost Host.

And somehow, someway, she knew that.

#chapter 4

0 notes