Between the kindness of strangers and the rumble of the road
Who: Aoko Nakamori, Crow Hogan, Harry Mason, Heather Mason, Henry Townshend, Kaito Kuroba
Where: Route 38
When: Nighttime, August 31
Summary: Campfires are interesting places. Even more interesting when the people sitting at one are a detective's daughter, a guy who plays card games on motorcycles, an internationally-wanted jewel thief, an ( Read more... )
Where: Route 38
When: Nighttime, August 31
Summary: Campfires are interesting places. Even more interesting when the people sitting at one are a detective's daughter, a guy who plays card games on motorcycles, an internationally-wanted jewel thief, an ( Read more... )
[It's a grin that spells trouble.]
[With one hand, she removes the stick she's been holding from the flames of the campfire and turns it aside so that Cujo can happily gobble the flaming marshmallow from the end of it, which he does with gusto. With the other, she lifts Hazel the Pichu up underneath her chin in the same way one might traditionally hold a flashlight, to cast dramatic and spooky shadows over one's face. It's not quite as effective when the 'flashlight' is actually a squirmy, faintly-luminous mouse, but it works well enough.]
I'm gonna tell you guys a story... but not just any story.
This one's true.
And yeah, yeah, I know, everybody claims that about their campfire stories... but you can be sure of this one, because it happened right there in my town.
[... But don't worry. She's not referring to Silent Hill, thank god. Although her tale may still ring bells to a few of the little group...]
[In any case, she clears her throat and begins, voice serious except for that note of mischievous glee that she can't quite extinguish. Camping out, telling stories... it's just part of the feel, y'know?]
First, there's a little book-keeping to get outta the way.
It's always been thought that when people commit suicide, their souls don't realize they're dead. So they'll just hang around in the spot where they died, for yeeeaaars and yeeeaaars... reliving their deaths over and over again. Got that tidbit? Okay, movin' on.
All through my city, there's a subway system. It's the most convenient way to get around, so everybody takes it, even the kids. So you'd think it'd be pretty safe, right?
Well.
One day, at the Hazel St. station platform... there was a man.
He was around forty, they say-- and wearing a black jacket. Perfectly normal-lookin' dude, from all accounts... He wasn't drunk or stoned, the witnesses say... He seemed perfectly sane and clear-minded when he jumped in front of the moving train and was decapitated.
Messy stuff... they shut down all the trains that day to clean up.
But for years, people still felt weird while standing on that platform...
Reply
A few years later... there was a girl on her way home from the mall. Right around this time of year, actually... She'd stayed out later than she'd planned, having lost track of time... by the time she realized how late it was, the sun was already setting.
Now, she could've walked home on foot... but it was already late, and the subway was way quicker, even though everybody knew it wasn't a good idea to go down there late at night... But she was like, 'Well, if I don't get home like, YESTERDAY, I will be so grounded it's not even funny. Challenge accepted!'
And down she went.
There wasn't a single soul down there that she could see, except for her... and as she walked down the dark platforms, aaaall she could hear were her own footsteps echoing...
... Until she reached the Hazel Street platform.
[... A dramatic pause as she surreptitiously checks to make sure everybody's paying attention.]
... As soon as she set foot past the sign, she froze. She wasn't sure how, or why... I mean, it wasn't even the platform she needed to go to to get home... but she did. It was like somethin' was holdin' her in place. Some kinda curiosity.
All of a sudden, she remembered reading an article about the suicide... and wondered if there was any trace of the bloodstains still there on the tracks.
Slowly, she turned... and started to walk towards the edge. For a second, just before she reached it, she had a horrible thought... that she would look down, and see the man's head down there, nestled on all the coal between the tracks.
... But when she got there, to her relief, there was no head. Not even old bloodstains.
Whew, she thought. That was really weird. Well, I'd better get going.
... Except she couldn't.
Like her feet were stuck to the ground... something just made her stand there and keep staring down into the gap... until she heard something.
[She pauses again, letting the crackle of the fire fill the silence for a moment. ... And then, instead of continuing to narrate, she suddenly makes a sort of choked, shuddery gasping sound-- ... several of them. Twitching her head for effect-- ... while the Pichu in her hand just looks sort of... horrified. WHAT IS HAPPENING.]
... That's what she heard... along with shuffling footsteps behind her, stumbling towards her...!
But before she could turn around... a pair of hands shoved her hard in the back, and she fell down onto the tracks before she even knew what was happening. Needless to say, she was totally freaked, and with a horrified scream, she tried to scramble upright to see who had pushed her and climb back to safety...
But it was too late.
The last thing she saw were the lights of the oncoming train, timed perfectly, coming towards her.
[... Aaaand Heather leans back, setting the Pichu (who scampers over to Harry) down and smirking.]
The end.
Reply
Khff-khh-- uhhg.
[He failed to address the fact that if the girl in the story died, who would have been able to spread the story. And that was a good thing because Henry already thinks Vincent is a zombie. He doesn't need to fear Heather eating his brains in his sleep.]
Woah.
Reply
Yep.
S'all true, too.
Spooky, huh?
Reply
[Uh oh....uh oh...those braincogs are a-whirlin'!]
...was somebody with her when that happened?
Reply
[Spoilers, Henry: EVERYONE YOU MEET IS A ZOMBIE.]
Reply
[Either Heather was a zombie. Or she was making shit up.]
[Henry decided he'd rather not have a zombie for a roommate.]
You made all that up.
[OPEN MOUTH. INSERT MARSHMALLOW. HENRY IS NOT IMPRESS. B| YOU CAN'T SCARE HIM.]
Reply
I did not!
Every word of that is gospel truth, buddy!
Reply
B\
B|
[NOM.]
[You're gonna have to work a little harder if you want that argument, Heather. He already thinks he's won it. YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT!]
Reply
You're just pissed because I scared you.
[She SAW that little jump when she started making ghost noises, Henry. She saw it.]
Reply
[NU UH.]
Reply
Reply
I choked. Burger jumped on my back.
[The Glameow looks up from patting at a few stray leaves, utterly SCANDALIZED. DB HE HAD BEEN HELPING.]
Reply
Nope, you started choking before he jumped on your back. I was watchin'. The Masonator sees all.
[Poor Harry. Having to sit through teenagers (and a twenty-something) tell horror stories and talk about people making out in unconventional locations and now this.]
Reply
Whatever.
Reply
[Cujo agrees with that, because of course he immediately leans over and tries to snuffle all over the Glameow with his melted-marshmallow-covered snout.]
[Heather, meanwhile, does a fist-pump!]
The 'w' word has been used!
Victory automatically goes to meee.
Reply
Leave a comment