Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]


Why hello there, intrepid explorer of forums! Welcome to Obdurate, where things are always crazy and out of control lovely and entertaining. We hope that you'll take a peek at the forums and decide to stick with us. We would love to have you along! :D


Join our community!

(If you do decide to register, please send a personal message to one of the administrators or leave a message in the cbox at the bottom of the page. This helps us cut down on spam. Thank you!)

Then, of course, all you other people who already have accounts can sign in. You know the drill.

Username:   Password:
Locked Topic
Carnival of Lost Souls; Not the happiest place on Earth
Topic Started: Oct 11 2011, 05:28 PM (645 Views)
Pokeking
Member Avatar
Dream Master
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
"No! I don't wanna be a scarecrow!" A young man was dragged behind tents and trailers, struggling to get free from the two burly men holding him. One placed a gag over the man’s mouth to smother further shouts. No one heard his pleas except one Brett McPherson. The recent high school grad slinked trying to keep out of sight. He knew that he was no match for the men, but he could spy to see what the men were up to. The two men took him to a storeroom. They tied him down and one got what looked like a lamp. It shone an eerie light as one placed a cloth hood on the young man. The man struggled to get free, but in vain. Flailing arms flopped to the side and hay sprouted from beneath the sleeves. Horrified, the man tried to scream, but his face started to become more simplistic and cloth like until he was silenced into a permanent shock. The two men released the new scarecrow and they took it away. "It's so easy to find a replacement. A good thing we take good care of our scarecrows."

Completely freaked out, Brett could take no more and started to run. Running feet pounding against the grass and huffing breaths. He collided into a series of barrels and got himself back up. He heard shouting and ran as fast as his legs could take him. He soon found himself in a large octagon shaped room. The lights cut out leaving him in darkness. A silhouette appeared in the dim light. The only thing he could make out was a gloved hand, fingers tapping on a cane. A distorted voice said, "A pity that you had to see that. No outsider is permitted backstage to see how we do things here until if and when they are chosen. Since you have seen, we certainly can't let you leave. You should know that there's always room for one more. The wicker cane tapped the ground three times. Brett grumbled angrily, "What is this? What are you doing?" The voice said, "You might as well run for all the good it'll do. You can hide, but you can't hide from this."

Brett felt movement at the base of his spine and with a rip, a tail emerged. He reached behind him and held a panther's tail in his hand. He tried pulling it hoping that it was a fake, but it stayed firmly rooted and he felt himself being tugged. His ears felt tingly and he reached up and felt panther ears to accompany his new appendage. The young man broke out of his trance and ran out the door. The voice laughed manically, "A marvelous new act for Wicker World!"

Brett paid no heed to the distorted voice or to the changes that progressed. All he wanted to do was get as far from the Wicker Cane's owner as possible.

Not a dream come true, but a nightmare.
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Aeternum Vale
Member Avatar
Overworked
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Whump! Something collided with Alice like a freighttrain. As she looked up she realized that she had been toppled by someone unlucky enough to have incurred Mr. Wicker's wrath. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed the paniked man by the arm; she'd be damned if she'd let this happen to another person on her watch. Tugging insistanly, she quickly pulled the man towards a storage tent, a finger on her lips to signify him to be quiet.

She wasn't an act or a worker here, she was a guest who knew the dark inner workings from months of secret study, and she knew from those observations that storage tents were gruesome but reasonably safe. It had all started when her boyfriend had gone missing at this place. She had searched for him for hours, until she found him. Ever since then she had been desperate to bring Mr. Wicker and his derranged establishment to an end.

She pushed the changing man down behind some boxes as the shouts got closer. She waited until they sounded distant before she spoke in whispers. "Listen to me, they won't stop until they find you. The only way you can escape is if you make it to the exit before the transformation completes, do you know where the exit is?"
~On Sporadic Hiatus Until Late December~
Bots- 0 Aeternum Vale- 3

Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Pokeking
Member Avatar
Dream Master
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Brett had collided with a woman who then grabbed him and soon pushed him behind boxes to hide him. With skin feeling tingly, Brett was still running on adrenaline and he tried to get out a response. He puffed, "No. I thought I'd go back the way I came while keeping hidden, but nothing seems right. It's like I'm going in circles. All the while I hear awful laughter and derranged carnival music."

He spotted a nearby puddle of water and saw that the color of his eyes had changed and his pupils became slit. "I must be losing my mind or something." His blond hair had shortened by a couple of inches and had darkened to pitch black. He looked at his moving tail with morbid fascination. They have the same coloring. He eyed the woman suspiciously and asked "Who? Who are you?"

How could a place be so fun and exciting turn out to be so horrendous? Did this woman work at Wicker World? If so, did she know what went on or was she an accomplice to the madness. "What kind of man operates a hellish place like this? I saw a guy get tied down and the men who held him changed him to a scarecrow. His skin became cloth and his eyes became buttons inside white circles. If you work here, you must know why and how this is happening."

I can't believe this is happening to me. Brett collapsed on the ground and sat down. He didn't believe in irony or coincidence, but a panther? He whispered, "It's like they knew that my high school's mascot was a panther and decided to play a twisted prank on me. My name is Brett McPherson, can you help me?" How much time do I have?
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Aeternum Vale
Member Avatar
Overworked
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Alice shook her head, "I'm sorry but this isn't some kind of hallucination, you are turning into a panther." She bit her lip, where could she start with all of this? There was so much he needed to know, but not near enough time to tell him.
"This carnival is run by Mr. Wicker himself, I can't tell for sure but it seems he's able to use some sort of dark magic to turn people into amusements. Listen, I don't work here so you can trust me. My name is Alice Ostin and I'm working to stop Mr. Wicker's madness somehow. I'd tell you more and answer all your questions but we don't have time for-" she dropped her voice even lower, "Someone's coming." The sound of slow steady footsteps were approaching the tent.

"In here." Grumbled a low voice as a hulking form became outlined against the closed opening of the tent.
Edited by Aeternum Vale, Dec 15 2011, 01:36 AM.
~On Sporadic Hiatus Until Late December~
Bots- 0 Aeternum Vale- 3

Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Pokeking
Member Avatar
Dream Master
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
(ooc: Um, Alice or Maria? I'm going to go with Alice)

Brett didn't want to believe in the absurdity that Alice was spouting. Dark Magic? Quite ridiculous. In his heart though, he knew that there must be truth in her words as his endorphins were working overtime to keep the pain of the transformation to a minimum.

He couldn't believe his misfortune. His parents had gotten him a pass to Wicker World as a birthday present. It was styled as a Magnificent Pass which was so much more than an ordinary season pass which simply allowed a visitor free admission. It provided all the food he could want, lodging at their hotel, free access to any attraction that caught his attention, and unlimited rides. The Magnificent Pass had a hefty price tag, but it was worth it and was easily affordable by his parents who were key players in the petrochemical business. He had to wait until the summer though to use it. He ran his hand through his hair and muttered, "I wonder if this has anything to do with getting this Magnificent Pass or because of who my parents are."

Brett reached under his shirt and pulled out a card that was on the chain that hung around his neck. The card was of a metallic purple hue and possessed gold lettering that identified what type of pass it was as well as his name. Before, he hadn't paid attention to the fact that it looked like a soldier's dog tag, but what was happening to him made him created suspicion in his mind. Perhaps it was a way of keeping record of who had been added to Wicker's collection. Maybe he wasn't meant for this because he held a Magnificent Pass, but because he had seen too much, they couldn't ignore their sinister duty. He said, "Please Alice, you must tell..." That's when he heard a voice say, "In here."

Caught! Brett saw the shape of the shadow and didn't want to know what was making that shadow. Please go away! Go far far away. The opening parted revealing their visitor. What abomination was this! It was like something out a nightmare. The creature wore grimy overalls and boots. It had a wide torso with thick arms ending with large hands and wide fingers. That was nothing compared to what rested on top of the torso. It wasn't just a head, it was three heads obscenely stitched together. Each seemed capable of independent thought as far as those vacant eyes could reveal.

In its left hand, it held a net and the other it carried a stick. One of the heads spoke in a soothing voice, "Here kitty kitty. Come peaceful to us. Recombinant no harm you or friend." The head on the opposite side was of a different opinion. It grumbled, "Hurry or we'll break your bones." The middle mouth moved speaking in the same voice as the one who said, "In here." It said, "Recombinant works House of Horrors. Wicker sent us to do his will."

The being known as Recombinant lumbered slowly towards them. Brett blabbed, "Forget this!" and made a run for it dashing under the other side of tent. His legs squirmed and his tail thrashed about as he made his escape. Then his body was gone from that dreadful tent. His hand soon appeared and it lifted the tent's cloth. "Come on Alice!" He beckoned with his free hand.

(ooc: Just so you know, I'm having Brett be an antho panther as an end result rather than a full panther indistinguishable from a real one because it makes for a better sideshow.)
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Aeternum Vale
Member Avatar
Overworked
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
((Hurrrr durrrrr, can you tell I was sidetracked? Sorry XDD))

"Idiot!" Alice hissed as Brett attempted to make a break for it. He didn't know the behind the scenes so how could he possibly escape? He'd be lost immediatly! She glanced over at the monstrosity after them, "Damn." She said as she scrambled to her feet and ran after him and grabbed his arm. "Well you're not going to escape going that way!" Running as fast as she could--funny how she always seemed to be running or sneaking nowadays-- she dragged Brett towards another tent before dropping pace.

What was she doing? She gave Brett a shove, "Go into that tent okay? Leave when the cost is clear." And with that she turned around to face whatever chased after them. She knew that if she was caught Mr. Wicker would call all the 'Acts' in for a 'Welcome Feast', and that would be the end of her as she was now. It was sad to think that she had worked so hard and hadn't been able to save anyone, but if she could save Brett.....

She held her head high and clenched her fists. This entire time she had been just running away, but now it was time to actually do something, to help someone.
~On Sporadic Hiatus Until Late December~
Bots- 0 Aeternum Vale- 3

Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Pokeking
Member Avatar
Dream Master
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
(ooc: That's all right. I understand. Thankfully, this storyline didn't go away)

How could one stand it? He was used to being on the move because he played quarterback on his high school football team, but this was ridiculous.

Brett was alone in the tent alone with his changing body. He rubbed his abs because his skin felt itchy. He itched and itched all over, but the irritation ceased. Reluctantly, he lifted up his tee and looked down and the black pelt that now covered his body. So much had happened during the past few minutes. Minutes? Seems like hours, but every game seemed longer than it actually was. There were greater stakes involved with what was happening here. Instead of winning a game and potentially moving up in ranking, he faced the inevitable loss of his humanity. Alice didn't give me how long I have, but it seems like I only have a few minutes left. I guess I have to come to terms with not being human.

"Just how long do I wait here? Leave when the coast is clear? Who knows when that’d be?" His jaw hurt and his tongue caressed sharp teeth. With each second, he was becoming less and less recognizable. Would his parents even remember him? He had no proof, but he felt in his heart that once the changes reached totality, all outside trace of him would vanish. He pulled the chain with the Magnificent Pass off his neck and looked at it. Good bye Joey. He fingered the pass in his paws and then glanced at the sharp claws that came out of them. "I wish I had never visited this place." The changes aren't done yet, but as long I still have my form, I'm going to destroy this cursed thing. He twisted the pass back and forth and then it snapped off the chain and the shiny purple tag broke in half.

What's this? My body is at peace. The pain had stopped and he didn’t feel tingly anymore. There was a dusty mirror in the lonely tent and Brett advanced towards it. He spat on it and cleaned it with an empty burlap sack to look at his full length reflection in the mirror. It was as if he was a cartoon character; he was an anthropomorphic panther. His clothes were undamaged with the exception of the hole in the seat of jeans that accommodated his tail.

Brett looked at the shards of the Pass. Was that what broke Wicker's power over his body? Could it have been that simple? He recalled Wicker's cane and how it was held with loving care. I guess there are worse things in life. Things were quiet now. He looked at his hands. Not bad, not bad at all. He crept along the tent and reached an opening. His eyes darted to and fro. With a renewed sense of purpose, he was off with feline precision.

Wicker's cane. If that can be destroyed, then perhaps this madness can end as well. Even if he never saw Alice -and perhaps the name was appropriate seeing how he had fallen down a sinister rabbit hole- again, that would have to be his goal.
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Aeternum Vale
Member Avatar
Overworked
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Alice clamped her mouth shut in order to keep from screaming, she wanted to close her eyes just as tightly but the idea of bumping into some of these horrible creatures in blindness was much worse than just laying eyes on them.

She tried not to look at the oozing thing that escorted her on the left and instead focused straight ahead at the center of the tent. This place was the Big Top, the central circus of the carnival, and the place where normal people like her became like the monsters and oddities that filled the tent with howls and unspeakable noises.

Her fists clenched as the lights of the center ring flashed on with her forced approach of the stairs, revealing a nightmare come to life. The clamoring of the mutated crowd rose to a fever pitch as she was pushed onto the circular stage and then fell into deafening silence as she stood before the nightmare. A blue silk dust cover blanketed it, obscuring it from view for the moment, but she knew it wouldn't stay like this for long. Behind the benign cloth was a towering gold framed mirror, one that she had seen a few times before, but always as a secret on looker.

Her heart rose to her throat as a single pair of footsteps split the silence. The fear that gripped her made her eyes dart around in a desperate search for an exit, but the stage was surrounded by a sea of beings. Suddenly she regretted having watched this process happening to other people. The footsteps stopped, and for a moment her heart beats did the same.

The hair on her neck rose as an all too familiar voice came from inches behind her. "Now, I'm sure you know how all of this works but perhaps we should refresh everyone's memories."

Cheers, gurgles, and roars filled the air and goosebumps ran over Alice's skin as she fixed her eyes to the black floor. An equally dark set of boots walked along her peripheral vision and stopped beside the mirror.

"Today, ladies and beasts, we have someone who wants to try their luck with The Mirror-" He paused for applause and Alice raised her head with defiance, and glared into the gaze of the Ring Master. He tipped his top hat with sarcasm, his eyes glittering silver. But where was Mr. Wicker? It was he who usually performed this, not the Ring Master and then-... Oh no...Brett...

"But Alice here," her heart leapt again, and the Ring Master seemed to pick up on it with a grin, "Has been watching us for so long she must want to become one of us. So why don't we....reveal her new self!." Alice tried to look away as he pulled the cover away, but it was too late.


She watched as she began to change, unable to look away from the mirror that was binding her to this new form. Her eyes faded from brown to a deep ocean blue and her blonde hair seemed to burn away, becoming long black flames that flared and swirled. In only moments she had become some sort of monster with long claws and sharp fangs to match. The new deathly paleness of her skin matched how she felt perfectly, and as a pair of jet black twisting horns grew from her head she lost consciousness.
~On Sporadic Hiatus Until Late December~
Bots- 0 Aeternum Vale- 3

Offline Profile Goto Top
 
Pokeking
Member Avatar
Dream Master
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
(ooc: Moving forward in time are we? Oh, and we have two villains to deal with? Cool.)

With reflexes honed by years of football and refine by the feline genes that now permeated his being, Brett stalked off into the night carefully avoiding anyone who might be aligned with Wicker.

He passed by a few humans who appeared to be guests. He flailed his arms and bellowed, "You gotta get out of here. This place is a trap!" The guests giggled and moved on murmuring, "Those costumes are so realistic." He encountered another guest and said the same thing, but grabbed onto the guy's wrist. The man didn't like that and said, "If you do not let go, I am going to tell management on you." Brett let go and ran off into the darkness.

The young man was frustrated. Either he wasn't believed or was thought to be a nuisance. If I can't help them save themselves, then I'm just going to the source. He spotted the Big Top looming over all the other buildings. There, perhaps? That would have been too obvious, but there was little alternative. He peeked inside and saw that Alice had been caught. Not only that, but she stood transfixed in front of a gilded mirror as she finished changing into a profane creature before falling down unconscious.

The crowd was too caught up in the delight to notice the panther man entering the tent at last and creeping off to the side. Brett spotted what looked like a panel that controlled the lighting. His leg rose and he kicked the panel with all the power he could muster. His rounded ears heard the whine of dying machinery and the tent went dark. There were many boos and heckles permeated the tent. Curious. If these had been normal humans, why were they so cheery when the show was on and angry when it was rudely interrupted? Was the change addictive where one not only got used to being altered, but they yearned for others to experience it? Could one grow to love this hideous place? With the lights off, he ran to the middle ring and pushed the mirror down and he heard it shatter. Might be bad luck, but he had bad luck already before shattering the mirror. He picked up Alice and ran out the tent. From behind, he heard a voice, most certainly that of the Ringmaster, screaming in the darkness, "Betrayers! Assassins! I spit at thee! Wicker! Wicker! Help! Where are you?"

Brett collapsed behind the concession stand and lay Alice against the trailer. He then looked up, eyes darted to and fro and took a couple of hot dog off the counter before the vendor had a chance to notice. He stuffed his mouth with one and saved the other one for Alice. Would she want one after her ordeal? I don't know, but something's better than nothing. We must keep our energy up with all this running around if we are going to put an end to the plans of Wicker and this Ringmaster.

(ooc: Since Wicker is different from the Ringmaster, it'd be curious to learn the relation between the two.)
"Occasionally -but not often- a dream of mine forms a usable fictional plot." H.P. Lovecraft
Offline Profile Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Other · Next Topic »
Locked Topic