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***SHIVERS*** · 11-23-2023, 07:14 AM

4:45 AM

▶ Woof Woof
ARTHUR

The alarm clock on the table cycles through garbled radio broadcasts as it struggles to seek a proper station.

It manages eventually,
music flooding the tiny, dingy apartment from the tinier, dingier speakers.

The lump in bed is compelled to rise, revealing its form:
A light elemental.
Or, a hybrid of one, at least;
scattered circular and polygonal markings denoting the difference, along with other minor body variations.

Howe rubs their head, pressing their fingers against their temple.

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You let out a yawn, then drag yourself out of bed,
stumbling your way into the bathroom.

What little clothes you slept in are pulled off.
Your shirt is tossed over the mirror, obscuring yourself.

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You take a quick shower, feeling half asleep for most of it, but having to rush a little regardless.

Soon enough, you're dried off,
grabbing clothes from your 'closet' just outside the bathroom door - really just a clothing rack pushed haphazardly into the corner.

You slip on your work uniform:
A burgundy polo shirt featuring the country club logo,
tucked into cheap black slacks;
some non-slip restaurant shoes tying together the 'look'.

Your barely-working heater gives a good taste of just how cold the late-autumn air must be.
So, you grab a bulky blue hoodie with a fluffy collar and slide it on over everything.

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With the essentials taken care of,
you pocket your phone, keys, and pills, and hurry out the door.

It's a relatively short walk to the bus stop,
which you're plenty thankful for given the wind is making the air even colder.

The cold at least keeps you awake while waiting for the bus, though it mercifully arrives a little earlier than usual.

You hop on,
tap your card to pay your fare,
tell the driver 'good morning', and head to the back.

You get a funny look from one of the only other passengers - a karacel with their hair in a bun.

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You scrunch yourself into the very back corner of the bus,
propping your shoes up on the back of the empty seat ahead of you.

You stare out the window listlessly, doing your best not to fall asleep.

A familiar roadside sign catches your eye.

[Image: 325YYEX.png]

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You scratch your neck, yawning as you muse on whatever happens to occupy your thoughts,

waiting for your stop.

The bus shakes.

Or-

The ground Under the bus, shakes.

▶ El Regreso De Patagrande
Mica Levi

A noise cuts through your ears.

High-pitched, or low-
You can't tell.

Is it even a Sound?
It feels like

Something pulsing its way through the atmosphere
through the bus
through Your Head

As if the physical space you reside in is being
Occupied.

It feels like your skull is Fizzling

Disoriented.

Your eye twitches.

You want to run.
You try to stand.

You can't move.

Muscles don't respond.

Neurons fail to fire.

Do you Have a body, anymore?

Your eyes.

With great effort, your eyes can move;
sluggish,
dragged like a brick across concrete.

You can't see much of the driver, just their hat and shoulder;
the bus somehow still moving forward, although it's beginning to list to the side.

But, you have a full view of the other passenger;
they're frozen, too.
Wide-eyed, looking at you in shared horror and confusion.

In this moment, you find a macabre thankfulness.

You are not alone with this.

You don't know how much time is passing.

Everything is hazy.
Your body dead-still.

You ache with a Need to feel Motion,
Activity,
Normalcy again.

Lights at the front of the bus catch your gaze.

Off-yellow light is coming from where the driver sits.
It flickers in a strange, strobing pattern.

The bus's lights follow suit in a way that makes your head hurt.

It feels like the sky outside is doing the same.

Your brain throbs like a piston.

The yellow strobe turns to an off-putting cerulean,

then dissipates entirely.

You can't see the driver at all anymore.

The bus is shifting further and further to the side.

It's slowing gradually, but you can tell: It's drifting to the edge of the road.

It's darker outside than you swear it was before, but you can't tell in the chaos.
You want to get up and hit the brakes.

You can't move.

The yellow glow from before appears around the karacel passenger,
enveloping them.

You watch as their eyes somehow grow even wider, glancing frantically around.

The manic, glitchy strobing is back.
It's a little closer this time,
it's More disorienting.

You try to close your eyes.
You can't.

The blue flash comes faster this time.

It's too bright to see much,
but you could swear you spot a horizontal line - like the slit pupil of an eye -
appearing across the karacel in that moment.

Just as they disappear entirely.

Panic truly strikes you now, even through the fog of half-consciousness.

You want to breathe.

Your lungs don't move.

Surely you're choking.

You must be,
your thoughts tell you.

You think you may pass out.

That would be easier.

The yellow light swallows you.

Along with a sensation far stranger than any you've experienced.

T o u c h

vibrates your skin

thundering through every part of you

you grow warmer, then Hot

as if you're being boiled
a magnifying glass trained on you from the sun itself.

Just as you can't stand it

the final flash signifies the end of it

only

yours is Red.

You swear you see two diagonal lines in your vision, just as it does so.
An X.

⏸

You can MOVE again

You stand

The bus SLAMS into something outside.

You're thrown forward.

Your shoulder catches a pole on the way to the floor, where you smack your head.

You groan,
picking yourself up off the floor.

The bus is almost pitch-black;
lights off, save for the occasional flicker.
You can hear some part of the bus steaming, and it's tilted forward somewhat.

Your head is sore.
Your shoulder is worse.

But nothing broken, as far as you can tell.

Unsteady, you manage to make your way forward,

and pull the level to open the door,
stumbling your way outside.

▶ Intro Cymbal Wind
Dean Hurley

The bus has crashed into some fence poles on the side of the road.
An open field is past them.

You expected to see livestock, maybe, but the field is empty.

The sky is now unnaturally dark, and it's difficult to tell if it's cloud cover, or something else.

Tendrils of light flash above, on occasion.

At first glance, you assume it's lightning,
but it's too straight, too oriented.

Looking at them makes your head hurt, like you're seeing something you shouldn't.

Square, ember-like sparks flit through the air, seeming to appear and vanish at random.

The air itself feels

dense, heavy,
still; the wind is gone.

You could swear you smell metal, or something similar.
Blood?
Smoke?
You aren't sure.

No matter what, it makes you uneasy.

Something tells you that it isn't safe outside.

Up the road, you spot a gas station, with a motel across the street.
The signs for both flicker and pulse in odd, gradual patterns, like slow-burning flames.

The gas station is devoid of cars, and it's difficult to tell, but it looks to be empty.
The motel, meanwhile, has a couple of cars in the parking lot.

Further up the road, past both of them,
there's a concrete point where everything past it looks to be covered in a thick, still smoke.
The smoke doesn't seem to drift past there, as if it's all contained on the other side of some invisible barrier.

There's a similar wall of smoke far behind you,
only this one is so dense with smog as to look almost solid.

MarxzVulpez · 11-23-2023, 07:28 AM

I say take a look at the gas station first, it's on the way to the motel so it most likely wouldn't hurt to take a peek at the least

MarxzVulpez · 11-23-2023, 07:31 AM

also, there's more than likely not but I'd say check and see if there's anything on the bus you can take with you besides your stuff

***knux400*** · 11-23-2023, 07:47 AM

Check the bus for your (and others') belongings, and check to see if it's still driveable.

Then head for the gas station, in the bus if possible.

***skinstealer*** · 11-23-2023, 07:49 AM

i dont think the bus is safe to drive after crashing, and i worry that taking too long looking for things in the bus itself could lead to issues, considering we're smelling smoke right now. i also have no idea how vehicles work so take that with a grain of salt

however gas station is a good idea

palencorgi · 11-24-2023, 07:17 PM

Take a look around the bus for signs of the others-
but be quick, as has been said. If it isn't safe outside, the bus isn't much better.

But being able to tell what happened to them could still be helpful.

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 11-26-2023, 03:07 PM by SHIVERS.)

You glance back at the bus you'd practically crawled your way out of.

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Speaking of:
The buzzing in your head is still present.

But, it feels like it's slowly fading into the background; like you're getting used to it.

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▶ A Voice at the End of the Line
M. Ward

You make your way over, now painfully aware of the pain in your right shoulder.

It's small,
with only two spots to fill up gas, an overhang above both of them.

Muffled radio music plays through the cheap speakers above.
It feels somewhat ominous, given the state of emptiness of the place.

You push through the glass door, a little chime signaling your arrival inside.
The music is a little bit more clear indoors.

Just as you predicted:
It's empty, no one behind the counter.

But, the gas station is fully stocked, plenty of food, drinks, and various other goods.
Only one of the overhead lights is working, though, the other just giving the occasional flicker; you can see enough, but it's eerily dim in here.

Is there anything you want to look for while you're here?

There is a short hallway in the back, with doors labeled Restroom and Office across from each other,
along with an unlabeled door past both of them; you assume it's a back entrance.

There's a rattling noise coming from either the office or through the back door; you can't really tell which.

***skinstealer*** · 11-26-2023, 07:08 PM

stuff some nonperishable snacks into your pockets and look for a first aid kit, for sure

***knux400*** · (This post was last modified: 11-26-2023, 07:21 PM by knux400.)

First of all, we should verify we still have everything we brought with us initially.

Seconding nonperishable snacks and a first aid kit, also look for some bottled water if it's there. This is a bit of a long shot, but any way of carrying things would be nice, too. It's going to be difficult fitting all this into pockets.

Finally, a weapon of some sort wouldn't be a bad idea. Anything relatively heavy you can swing at things would work. The gas station should have a fire extinguisher somewhere, or possibly some hand tools.

palencorgi · 11-27-2023, 01:11 AM

Some gas stations can have a lot of useful things, right? See if this one has camping equipment or anything like that, or things for emergency situations like car wrecks. You may not have a car, but it should still have a flashlight or other emergency equipment.

Hand tools are also a really good idea. re: above. Anything that can deconstruct, like pliers or a screwdriver, could pull double duty as a weapon or simply a tool.

Also, maybe anything to keep yourself from getting bored. A notebook or games or something. Gotta take care of your mental state, too!

Ignispark · 11-27-2023, 02:52 AM

Maybe get some coffee or something.

Shifter55 · 11-27-2023, 09:15 AM

Any medication in this gas station? Things like pain meds, bandaids...

***knux400*** · 11-27-2023, 06:53 PM

(aa forgive me for double posting)

Also look for a pack of frozen peas or something for your shoulder.

***ThreadLurkingComorant*** · 11-28-2023, 01:29 AM

Make sure you're truly alone so you don't get in trouble grabbing stuff for yourself.

MarxzVulpez · 11-29-2023, 06:40 AM

If we're going through with yoinking stuff right away,
I'm seconding trying to find like, painkillers, a flashlight and maybe a backpack of some sort? should probably be practical and discerning in what we take, have space for what we need and can use rather than whatever catches our eye
(Do we have any money we could maybe leave of we feel bad enough about absconding with stuff? If not, fuck it)

Also do we want to chance seeing what the banging is? I'm guessing there's a 3 way split for what it could be: 1.) Actual Danger in which case we should be prepared to defend ourself or run 2.) Someone who needs help 3.) Nothing and this place is fucking with us
I vote yes ftr

***SHIVERS*** · 12-01-2023, 04:54 AM

You pat your pockets just in case.

Your phone, keys, and pills are all still there.

With that, you get down to business.

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Not far from the door, you spot a rack of backpacks.
They're simple, not too big, and look pretty cheaply-made - you doubt they'd hold together well with strain - but they'll do.

Though, most you can see are in various camouflage patterns.
Against your better judgment of wanting to act quickly, you take the time to sift through them.
They are, in fact, all in camouflage patterns.

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You resign yourself and grab one of the pink and purple camouflage backpacks,
zipping it open,
stuffing in whatever you can think of that fits.

A first aid kit, pain relievers, bandages.

A pack of two flashlights.

Various nonperishable food:
Packs of jerky, protein bars, dried fruit, some canned food, some bottles of water.

Some coffee, too, while you're at it.

You feel a twinge of guilt.
Or at least, worry that you could be jumping to conclusions, acting rash.

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You hurry and finish up, grabbing a small tool kit and cramming it in.

There's almost no room left.
On a whim, you snag a tiny notebook and some pens and stuff them in the backpack.

You zip it up.

The rattling noise from before returns.

Or maybe you'd drowned it out in all your focusing.
Either way, you hear it.

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There's a long, sharp-looking screwdriver next to the tool boxes.

You kneel down carefully to pick it up, staying quiet.

With it in hand, you--

A horrid, metallic CRUNCH rings in the air.

A metal doorknob flies past the aisle you're at.

You gasp and duck away on instinct.

Your elbow lands against bottles of motor oil as you fall back,

which subsequently clatter their way down to the floor behind you.

▶ Lipstick to Void
Mica Levi

Terror roots you to the spot.

Some part of you can't bear to move.

Your heart beats faster.

You hear
soft footfalls that sound

off -
almost Wet, akin to someone lightly tapping freshly-caught fish to tile floor -

approaching.

Your chest starts to hurt.

Your pounding heart
slows

you Hear it

Your heart

beating

Outside Your Body.

You look up.

Before you is a creature you don't have time to fathom.

Standing like a tripod on three legs.
Only slight hints of a torso and head, with no arms.
Shades of teal mark its translucent body - looking somewhere between squid limbs, a kitchen sponge, and water snake toys in texture.
A deeper aquamarine fluid pumps through bright orange, simplistic, organ-like structures around its body - watching the motion makes you feel sick somehow.

At its midsection, slightly to the left side;
the largest organ, almost spherical in nature

pumps, in a slow rhythm.

Your own heart

mirrors every beat.

In Perfect Sync.

Before you can think

of anything else

you realize

the creature's heartbeat

is still slowing

as is yours.

It Hurts.

You clutch your chest with a pained whimper.

You try your best to back away, to stand.

But you can't feel your fingers.

The creature follows along with you, anyway.
Gently.

Patiently.

You smack at your chest with your best approximation of a closed fist.
Your movements are slow.
You cough.

Nothing helps.

You feel cold and sluggish

▶ Black Box
Dean Hurley

The radio speaker overhead screeches with static.

The creature loses focus.

Your heart resumes.
Once.
Twice.

You use everything you have to grip the screwdriver tight

and Plunge into one of the creature's legs;
it's all you can reach.

It soaks the floor with blue-green fluid as the limb deflates, giving the creature a limp.

▶ Lipstick to Void (4:51)
Mica Levi

It's otherwise unperturbed.

The speaker shorts out, goes quiet.

You pull the screwdriver back out.

Its attention is on You again.

You don't finish another strike as both hearts once more grow still.

Despite the lack of a face

you feel like it's staring at you

as the edges of your vision begin to fuzz over.

your thoughts slow

you curse your hybrid anatomy

for having a heart at all

A gunshot thuds dull in your bloodless ears.

One heartbeat.
Two.

Three.

You open your eyes a little.

You hadn't realized you'd closed them.

The creature's head drips teal fluid onto your shoe
as you watch it turn towards the door.

Four.

Two more gunshots
tear through the air

and rip through the orange heart at the creature's middle.

Five.

Six.

You move your arms again.

The creature slumps into itself

and falls.

▶ You Can Talk To Me
Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein

Seven.
Eight.
Nine.
Ten.

Your heart beats on its own.

You can feel your fingers again.

You watch as someone -
a white, brown-and-blue-spotted bat with a large tail, holding a revolver -

walks in front of your aisle
and Slams their boot down on the creature with a horrible squelch.

You groan, sliding your legs along the tile as you try to gain enough traction to get up.

They turn to you.

"...hell--"
The bat places their firearm in a holster at their side.

"You good?
I gotcha. Here."
Their free paw grasps your arm, and hefts you up to your feet with surprising strength.

They drape your arm over their neck, using their own to shoulder you.
"C'mon, we're goin', okay?
I gotcha, but do y'r best to walk if you can, yea?
We'll move faster that way."

Most of you still feels numb, and disoriented.

And you're very tired.

Your eyes close.

You hear the gas station door open,
then close behind you.

The bat's paw nudges your shoulder.
"Hey hey, stay with me.
Keep awake.
You pass out n' I gotta carry ya, and I won't have a free hand if somethin' like that comes around again.
So, whatever y' gotta do to stay awake.

...What'd that thing do t'ya?
Anything y' can tell me?

Y'r name works, too.
Aubrey. By th' way."

MarxzVulpez · (This post was last modified: 12-01-2023, 06:51 AM by MarxzVulpez.)

My name's Howe, thank you very much Aubrey, nice shootin

that thing it

I think it hijacked my heart. It felt like it synced up whatever equivalent organ it had with my pulse then just
stopped it. I don't think I would have lasted much longer if you hadn't shown up. It seemed like it needed to concentrate in order for it to work though, it got distracted for a second and the effect stopped/lessened.

***knux400*** · 12-01-2023, 06:59 AM

Uhhh bus crash, painful light, red X, sky dark, weird lightning, went to get food, jelly thingy came out, and heart stopped.

I'm how hi howe are you

Lilium Mortem · 12-01-2023, 02:47 PM

Whaaaaaaaaaat the fuck is happening bat man?(bat girl? bat dude?) thanks for saving me from that Joker. you're like some kind of Dark Knight. cooool.

***SHIVERS*** · (This post was last modified: 01-16-2024, 08:31 PM by SHIVERS.)

"...Howe... nice,
shooting..."
Your head droops.

The bat nudges you once more.
You groan out of protest from your body.
"C'mon. Halfway there."

You struggle to stay upright, Aubrey putting in most of the work to keep you moving.
Following their advice, you do your best to keep talking,
to keep awake.

"Had... bus crash.
painful light, red X... went to... gas station.
That, thing
it... hijacked my heart..."
"Hijacked?"
"Stopped my pulse."
"...hell." They shake their head with a sigh. "Good t' know, I guess."

"What the fuck is... happening...?"
"Hell if I know.
I was helpin' out wi- hey--" They catch you as you topple, straining to get you back in position and continue on.
"...Was. Helpin' out with some U.M.I.R.A. business.
Said they had, reports of somethin' goin' on out here, weren't sure what.
Guess they were right.
...I just got to th' motel last night.
Was asleep this mornin' when shit hit the fan."

You want to listen, but
you can't remember the last time you felt this tired.

Your eyes close.

"Hey. Hey!
C'mon kid we are ALMOST there!"

You barely feel as they try to shake you awake.

You sleep.

▶ The A Pill
Dan Romer

Lost.

Run aground in fog.

The shore laps at your heels.

You sink ankle deep into muck.

Lights burn bright overhead.

Falling like stars.

Dotting landscapes you can't fathom.

They take knowable forms.

Street lamps.

Lanterns in tunnels.

Will o' wisps.

One appears along your path.

You don't know if

excavation,
exaltation,
or bright obliteration

awaits you.

But you wish to follow it regardless.

You reach out.

Movement stops.

Ivy.
Grows at your heels.

Up and around you.

Thorns scrape your hide.

Unfurling you.

A bony claw

climbs the murky depths.

It pulls away the vines.

But it frightens you more.

Your gaze meets glowing eyes below
which have witnessed you already

you--

▶ Jailbird
M. Ward

You awaken to music.

You're frightened and groggy at once, for a few moments,
until you realize you're in a motel room; lights off.

The alarm clock radio next to the bed you're in is playing music.

You can hear rain outside.

The motel room door opens up.
You flinch on instinct, swiveling your head to the door.

"Hey."
Aubrey steps in.

They shut the door behind them, then make their way over
and abruptly unplug the alarm clock from the wall.

The music instantly stops.

"Sorry, thing's been goin' off on its own since I got t' town.
Dunno if it's busted or it's somethin' to do with everythin' else happenin'.
Don't really wanna find out."

The bat rubs their back, and makes their way around to the other bed,
taking a seat.

"How long have I been out?" is all you can think to ask.
"Bout-" The bat checks their watch. "-four n' a half hours.
Probably needed it."
"Oh."

Things are awkward as you sit in silence.

Aubrey looks like they're working up to something.

"Said y'r name was Howe?"
You nod.
"Pronouns?"
"They, I guess." "She for me. Non-binary.

...Look, Howe.
Got things I wanna go over with ya.
So if y' got questions, now's th' time t' ask."

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