STILL. REVAMPING.
trying on a metaphor

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RMH
Show & Tell

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let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open

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Love Begins

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Misplaced Lens Cap
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Keni
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NASA
cherry valley forever
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Sweet Seals For You, Always
almost home
seen from T1

seen from Libya

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seen from United States

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@gbveryspecialguests
STILL. REVAMPING.
REVAMPING....
It's been a while since we've heard from our favorite paranormal investigation gang! What have y'all been up to? Anything especially unusual, lately?
Robby: We're... Making something!
Michael: Come on, Rob! Just finish the bit! My face's aching!
Robby: Shush! Let the artist take his time!.... Oooor I can hurry the exaggerations and I'll be free from a friend group's potential wrath!
It was a cold and drenched night.
You've just crashed your car in the middle of the forest, with not much cell service or help around. Worried, you took a stroll to search for a town or a building...
When you noticed...
A strange, three-story house, almost like a mansion, caught your eye. Surrounded by a large metallic fence, its paved stone path trailed down, leading from the door to the open field. The mansion lays in the middle of the forest, where trees sway up and away to let you see the glowing lights within.
It's like it wanted you to come in.
Coincidentally, the rain clapped thunder.
Rushing forward, you didn't stop until you've reached the door. And then you knock.
Someone opened.
"Oh! Greetings! Are you lost? Do you need help?"
THE ORPHANAGE BLOG IS OPEN
Asks are open!
Heheheheh~ It's here~ - Mun
Goosebumps RP Fic Sneak Peek 👀
Yep. That RP event between me and @gbveryspecialguests has inspired me to make a sequel in fan fic form. Right now, here's a quick look at what I got done so far
Even after all that multiversal BS was said and done, and that the people from the other reality can live out their lives once more without some omnipresent duo controlling every action of theirs for their own sick form of entertainment, Lizzy couldn’t help but let that perilous adventure linger on her mind for just a little longer, a little too long if you ask her.
Such as in the homeroom the week after the chaos, her classmates spending the last fifteen minutes before class started chatting it up about whatever topic they could think of, from their hobbies to the weather and even a few things about the school’s upcoming Halloween festival.
Lizzy, meanwhile, sat at her desk behind the front row, too busy jotting down notes in her journal to really pay attention to things. From notes comparing how that other reality differed from her home dimension, but was also alike, to writing down what lingering questions she still had about those so-called “Harbingers,” even if most of them have abandoned their goals in favor of...whatever else it was they do, as well as some idle doodling.
And after the typical goofy doodles of the Archivist and Author getting their just desserts for everything they put everyone through, especially of the Author getting betrayed by that world’s Madison Storm, the one person she didn’t expect to actual defect from a life of evil, she stopped before she could accidentally draw over her pre-existing doodles of two people from that other world in particular.
Norman and Jean-Louis. Two boys around her age who would've been nothing more than eternally cosmic playthings if it weren’t for her intervention.
She sighed, this being the fifth time this week she’s been reminded of them, no matter how many times she’s tried to forget.
Is it possible…if they could…
Sadly, no. We cannot let too many things interfere with another realm…Who knows what might happen or if there’s a possibility of two versions existing in one…For now, we leave this world to them…
Even with Cranium’s warning about messing with the stability of things left a harsh reminder in her head, she couldn’t help but think of the what ifs.
Like, what if they were able to leave their home dimension? What if they were given a new home, a new life better than what kind of sick fate The Author had dealt them. What if-
She was visibly irritated by the morning bell ringing too loudly for comfort, the students silencing their chatter as they rushed to their desks, acting like they were sitting nice and quiet the whole time and totally not being as loud as possible as Mr. Grey entered.
“Good morning, students,” Mr. Grey said with a near yawn, Lizzy wondering if he didn’t get enough sleep…again.
“Good morning, Mr. Grey,” they all said in almost perfect unison.
If it weren’t for the tiredness on his face, and his tendency to put the morning schedule first above all else, he probably would’ve been suspicious.
“As you all know, the school’s annual Halloween Festival will start in the next few weeks, and preparations will begin today. All homerooms are expected to do their assigned task in preparation for the big day.”
The entire class, sans Lizzy and a few other teens, groaned, not like Mr. Grey seemed to notice, or care to notice.
“And this year, we’re assigned with…” Mr. Grey traced a finger over the list he held with one hand. “Decorating. Or at least decorating the gymnasium.”
While some of the students seemed excited, others…not so much.
“I know this task may sound monumental, but I promise it’ll be worth the hard work I expect you all to put into it.”
“Whatever,” one student said, the others giving varied responses.
Mr. Grey just shook his head and continued.
“Now, usually this is the part where I ask each of you to turn in last night’s assignments, but I think we can shake things up a little.”
Compared to the other announcement, this bit caught their interest.
“For we have two new students joining us today. Please give a warm welcome to Norman Prey and Jean-Louis Afterglade.”
And this definitely got Lizzy’s attention, probably more than her peers.
They…they CAN’T actually exist in this universe…can they?
And sure enough, two figures entered.
[SCREAMING INTO THE VOID]
I LOVE THIS SO MUCH [FOAMING AND BITES THIS]
- Mun
"Karloff!" Pat cried, avoiding the melted dolls while rushing to her dear beloved. She went over to him and gently rose his upper body up, "Are you okay, love?"
She tipped over his hat to look at his beaming eyes slowly opening up, confused and in pain. When he looked at her, Pat noticed something wrong, with the way he stared at her as if he had never seen -
"Pat-sephone?" The Karloff in their dimension called out from the opposite side, "That's not me! I know I look handsome, but the confusion is almost too perfect... Ugh." He then fall back, a bit injured.
"Oh." Pat casually responded, then awkwardly turned to the other version, Harbinger Karloff, with a small smile, "My apologies." She gently set him down and rushed over to the real Karloff, "I'm glad you're alright!"
Karloff smiled and they shared a small kiss.
Luke, on the other hand, watched as the protection circle closed and he turned to Sebastian, "That's so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" His eyes beamed with joy, sparkling as if he had ignored the dead doll bodies around him.
Karl Knave: *too busy bemoaning the destruction of his creations to do anything else* MY DOLLS! MY PRECIOUS DOLLS!
Sebastian Jones: *waking back up* Ugh...what did I miss... *upon noticing Pat patching Karloff back up*
Sebastian Jones: *more sheepishly* Sorry! My powers act out like that sometimes! I hope you're not too hurt...
*now comes his confusion as Luke rushes up to him to declare how awesome that was, how did he do that, and if he could do it again at a rapid fire pace faster than Sebastian can keep up with*
Kanduu: *not sure how to react at first* ...Well...didn't see that one coming...
Kanduu: *regaining his ominous composure* And I would recommend licking your wounds quickly, for we aren't done-
*as if he had to be interrupted one too many times today, Kanduu begins to feel the very earth beneath his feet shake, eliciting a rare, concerned look from him, followed by what appeared to be faint cracking*
*and it seemed like his opponents and Karl noticed too, concern etched across their faces*
Kanduu, thinking to himself: This better not be Madison's, or heaven forbid, The Author's, doing...
*back in the tunnel*
The Author: Four minutes, thirty seconds remaining...
While The Author stood by, The Archivist gleefully cackled, crawling after the runaway members as they tried to run and hide. Lizzy grabbed Jean-Louis by the hand and pulled him away from an incoming lightning bolt, hinted to be The Archivist's power based on the direction.
"Awww~ Why save the alien, Morris?" The Archivist mocked, "He's not really him, you know? His original body WAS EATEN ALIVE by a bunch of CHEESE PUFFS!" He roared and climbed onto the green walls, crawling over the screens as he caught up to the two.
Lizzy quickly jumped away, grabbing Jean-Louis' hand as they both fall down in some kind of big dip, only to land in on a floating rock. The ground trembled, and cracks began to appear as if the dimensions cannot hold onto much longer.
The Author: Oh my, you two seem to be in a heap of trouble. At least you're not like the others
*back on the main platform Billy is struggling to figure out a way to rescue Lizzy and Jean, while Norman is running around from screen to screen like a headless chicken trying to figure something out, and Madison, upon being presented a panel of multicolored buttons, smashes each and everyone in hopes of there being a kill switch for the arcane bombs, all while evading the Archivist's hunting spree*
The Author: Running around frantically, trying to gain some sort of control over the scenario I presented before them, thinking they can evade a fate their alternate counterparts have suffered oh so many times, even if its only to delay the inevitable
*looking up to the timer, the Author finds its 3 minutes left*
The Author: And just enough time to talk about you, me, the Archivist, and what all of this means. And I don't even know where to start...
The Author: I know, how about the Archivist isn't too wrong about you saving the scrappy, Morris. I mean, REALLY? His original self died to a sentient species of snack food for crying out loud! Not like his other selves I made for my stories are better off, always hunted by more vicious, hostile beings that want nothing more than to kill him to satisfy their genocidal urges. Greg and Bonnie, the Xenotronians, the list can go on and on and on...All for the simple task of ensuring my readers can have a good story to tell, and to rant and rave about I redeemed the least favorite character of their fandom, even if I did it the worst possible way. Besides, not like there's anybody out there who actually CARES for him as a character anyway...
The Author: As for Norman, well...somebody's gotta learn that a god complex will always end in failure, even if it literally eats him alive
*the screens representing the other dimensions begin to crack, as if they couldn't hold the pressure any longer, while the timer shows one minute remaining*
The Author: Aww, but I'm having too much fun with these turn of events for Horroland to go "KABOOM!" I know, how about I add...three more minutes, and what the hell, an extra thirty seconds on top of that? Not because I'm feeling charitable, but because it prolongs the suffering and entertainment value of it all. And just enough time for the Archivist to give us a much needed expodump about the significance of the blue screen of flames to a certain Morris, and perhaps take our minds off our incoming demise if only for a little longer...
The Archivist grinned ear to ear, then he jumped forward, blocking of the runaway kids and standing between them and the blue flaming screen.
"You want to know what this is, Lizzy?" The Archivist, hand gesturing to the screen, "This is the original you.... But this is special~"
He crawled backwards, looming over the screen as he tapped it, hearing the faint cries and screams, "The Lizzy Morris everyone knows is just a smart girl who went through trouble at a monster-filled amusement park - But this screen... Ohohoho~ This isn't like any other!
It could've shown you the alternate end of your trip, where you and your family fall off a cliff. Or it could've shown you a bad ending where you failed the Horrorland series:.."
The Archivist tapped the screen gently, "But this... Get this people - This screen -
is from the same length as YOUR universe!"
Lizzy's eyes turned to dots, watching the Archivist cackled and unveiled his hands to show the continuous flames growing. The reflection emitted a blue hue bouncing off of the group.
"Shut up..." Lizzy muttered.
"Is this the past?... The present?... Or more sensible... The future?" The Archivist teased.
"Shut. Up." Lizzy's eyes darkened and she lowered her head down.
"Who knows? Maybe you're not a hero at all, but a villain meant to -"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Lizzy screamed, eyes jerking up with tears pouring out. At that moment, not only did the blue screen paused, but so did every other scene. They all shut down instantly, causing confusion, even to the two masterminds.
Suddenly, Lizzy's spoke up in the silence.
"Do you think it's a joke to you?! We're just characters meant to follow your stupid rules and games so that you can torture us?! You think it's good to remind us WHAT KIND OF VERSIONS WE ARE?!"
The Archivist stared, then responded casually, "Well, yeah -"
"I DON'T CARE!" Lizzy interrupted, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO I WAS WRITTEN BY - AND I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO BE OBSESSED OVER THESE STUPID ALTERNATE WORLDS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS. IT'S NOT MY BUSINESS OR YOURS TO MIND AND CONTROL OTHER VERSIONS OF ME AND WHAT-IFS SITUATIONS! I AM LIZZY MORRIS AND I CHOOSE TO THINK FOR MY OWN LIFE!
AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE JEAN-LOUIS AND NORMAN - THEY'RE LIKE ME TOO! THEY'D BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND THEY DESERVE A SPOT WHERE THEY GET TO LIVE PEACEFULLY, EVEN IF THEIR VERSIONS DIED MANY TIMES."
While Lizzy continued, the screens began to flicker. The Archivist, shocked unexpectedly, looked at the Author as if he suspected it was her doing.
"I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL A WORLD WHERE THEY GET TO BE AT PEACE - AND IF NOT, THEN MY WORLD WOULD BE FAIR FOR THEM ALL! FOR PEOPLE LIKE THEM! BECAUSE - THEY ARE MORE THAN CHARACTERS - THEY ARE PEOPLE!"
*The Author looks to the Archivist in return, as if she expected HIM to know what to do as the screens now began to distort and glitch out, the timer, which formerly left on one minute and thirty seconds, now flipping back and forth between numbers as the tunnel began to shake more violently, whether from the bomb or the fact Lizzy's "reason you suck" speech about fate and control was fucking up what bits of the current story left the Author had control of*
*all while everyone continues to panic even further, and upon realizing the situation, and how the Author's demeanor is now souring to the point of no return, for her and the rest of them, Madison gets an idea...*
The Author: *her once strange blue eyes now catching a blue kind of fire like the flames on the screen* No...NO! This is MY story, told on MY terms, and YOU, Ms. Morris, regardless of which version, are nothing more than a puppet under my-
*cue her getting cut off, and getting caught off guard, by a sudden surge of purple lightning bolts knocking her off what remained of the main platform, knocking her down into the cracking green void below*
*everyone looks, or looks up in Lizzy and Jean's case, to a Madison Storm engulfed by purple volts of electricity, his veins and eyes glowing with a bright purple before dying down*
Madison Storm: What? Even I have my standards. And I did tire of the way she was running things anyway...
*the Archivist, shocked at what Madison had just done, looks down to the void, then to the others, then to the scenery around them becoming more and more broken and chaotic and plain fucked up now that this reality's precious Author was gone, and for good from the looks of it*
MEANWHILE
*Samuel had just finally broken down the door to the Horrorland Theatre, only for instinct to force him into immediately get the hell out of there upon seeing the strange, cosmic cracks leaving the strange, green portal*
Mia: *panting* Finally, boss, I found you-
*Samuel immediately passes right by her, Mia questioning what the hell is happening when she sees the green arcs following right after him, and targeting HER too*
Mia: NOPE!
*but before either could flee, the arcs quickly catch up to them, the two of them turning into strange, green clouds of dust that immediately dissipates into the air, the same thing to the shadow creatures that once followed after Samuel*
*as for the other three Harbingers, and Pat, Karloff, Luke, and Sebastian, they all worry as the shaking gets more violent, the world around them breaking apart into these large, green cracks*
Karl Knave: Screw this shit, you're on your own!
*Karl gives two peace signs as his body, as well as the remnant of his dolls, fades into a cloud of dark mist, leaving behind no trace of him or his army of doll zombies*
Kanduu: As much as I would like to gloat further, I'm certainly not dying today!
Sebastian Jones: That makes for the both of us-
*all of a sudden, strange tendrils begin to surround our main four*
Kanduu: Not dying without YOU!
The world shook, reality started to break. Everything is going to end...
Lizzy gasped as she watched the Archivist fell, his green glow fading weakly. She looked around, scared that everything is breaking so fast, without any control to stop it.
"I-I'm sorry..." She cried, then she held onto Jean-Louis' arm for support as pieces began to fall down.
Outside, the trees glitched in and out, and the sky began to emit large cracks above - Karloff rushed over and held Pat and Luke close, pulling Sebastian along in his hold so that they don't get the first hit.
As much as they're panicking and bracing, Pat remained holding a determined and hopeful face. She looked at the sky, as if she expecting a miracle.. Or someone.
Back at the tunnels, while everyone braced for the end of everything, the screens suddenly began to flicker once more, and the screen that showed the blue flames turned to reveal something strange, without anyone noticing.
As the video played out, the rumbling slowed down, stopping to a halt. Then...
When it finally stopped, the screen turned back to black.
Everyone then looked up, seeing the world that was about to break.... Turning back to normal.
The cracks began to close up, and the glitching trees returned...
"What.... What happened?" Luke asked, staring up at what seemed to be the weirdest transition ever.
Sebastian Jones: I...I don't know...but, we live...
*as Sebastian tries to make sense of the situation, a shocked Kanduu gets rid of the tentacles once surrounding the others with a snap of his fingers, grabbing all of their attention*
Kanduu: So, we live...heh...I think I'll take my leave, if you all pardon me...
*but before he can leave, Pat and Karloff, but not his Karloff, block him from both sides*
Kanduu: Look, I was only bluffing when I said I wanted you all dead. Can't we talk things out like civilized people?
*they don't seem too convinced*
Kanduu: Well crap...
Sebastian Jones: *realizing something* Maddy! And the others!
*without another word, Sebastian rushes off, Luke questioning if he should stay or follow, as much as he'd rather not see Storm again*
*back in the tunnels, everyone is too perplexed by what just happened, the once vibrant green color scheme now a beautiful mish mash of all sorts of other colors, the once cracked and darkened screens buzzing back to life to display the other dimensions once more*
*except, instead of the pain and suffering they saw earlier, these dimensions were so...happy, uplifting even*
Billy Harlan: What...just happened?
Norman: And the screens. They've changed!
Madison Storm: Well...this was something even I wasn't expecting...
Jean-Louis: *instead of commenting on the state of the tunnel, he turns to speak to Lizzy* You...what you said to them...about us...you really mean that?
Pat stared at Kanduu, then glanced over to see Sebastian leaving with Luke following him. Once the two are gone, Karloff smirked, "No witnesses..."
In a blink of an eye, Kanduu was then heavily shoved down and a cleaver heavily whacked the concrete floor next to him HARD. Pat, donning her Butcher's outfit, glared at Kanduu while Karloff placed his shoe over his neck.
"You're not even worth a good meal for Karloff -" Pat said, leaving her calm and happy tone away and putting on her cold and monotonous attitude, "So I'll give you a choice.
Either you take a white flag and wave it high, and never EVER bother those kids again... Or... Maybe, you'll be just like Slappy again..."
She leaned down, her red goggles beaming boldly with Kanduu's reflection appearing shocked, "But I'll make it special. I'll carve out your insides, hollowing you out. Then I'll re-organize your bones so that it'll be a good mechanism to move your umoving, separated jaw and cut limbs. The worst thing is - You'll be ALIVE when I do it to you... Just like the rest of my victims...
So Kanduu.... Do you want to test me to see if I'll do it?"
-----
"I really mean it..." Lizzy smiled, looking at Jean-Louis, "You guys deserved more than pain. Life shouldn't make you live in it."
Suddenly, the screen in front of them glitched out, then it opened up a circular portal which revealed....
"LIZZY!"
"CRANIUM! KEITH! GUYS!"
Lizzy ran towards Inspector Cranium and hugged him, then the rest of her friends rushed in to hug her as well. Tears swelled on her cheeks as she continued holding onto her family close.
"What's with the rope?" Lizzy asked the inspector, looking at the rope around his waist. He sighed, "I was worried this dimensional trip will leave us lost so I have a secured rope just in case."
Michael smiled at her, then he turned his attention to the group, "Oh uh - Hi! I'm Michael Munroe, and you guys are - MADISON?!" His eyes glanced at each one until it landed on Madison.
Madison Storm: Uh, do I even know you?
Sebastian Jones: MADDY!
*before Madison could react, the winged man had tackled him into a tight bear hug, Madison regaining his composure before returning the hug back, both smiling as they felt glad that the other was okay*
*at least until the noticed everyone staring at them, Luke and Lizzy in particular both sharing glances of "WTF??!?!?!!?"*
Madison Storm: What are you all staring at?! Even a Harbinger has his loved ones!
Sebastian Jones: I'm just glad you're okay. But what about Billy? Jean? Norman?
*Madison waves a hand over at the three teens, Sebastian sighing out with relief*
Sebastian Jones: Good. You're all safe...
*Sebastian then notices Cranium, squinting hard as if to recognize something about him*
Sebastian Jones: I'm guessing you're a other Inspector Cranium? *deciding to put it to the test* You don't happen to know a certain Six, do you?
*back outside*
Kanduu: *as nervous as he is, and nervous of a mortal for the first time in eons, he tries one last bluff just to rub it in that they hadn't won just yet* But don't you think this is the end of it. As Karl is still out there, probably planning revenge as we speak. I can't say the same of Samuel, a shame our link died with that dimension rift got him, and Madison actually cares too much about you vermin to actually destroy this feeble world you all call "home." So go ahead, do what you must. Not like it'll change anything...
Inspector Cranium quirked a brow, "I have not.. I'd never known a person with that name before, unless you're preferring to numbers."
Lizzy gestured Billy, Norman, and Jean-Louis to the gang, "Everyone - these are Billy Harlan, Norman, and Jean-Louis - The kids from this world."
Michael looked at Billy and squinted his eyes, "Billy Harlan? You mean the kid who beat my ass when he learned I can turn into the lizard alien?"
Matt smiled and looked at Jean-Louis, "Nice to meet ya - I'm Matt Daniels."
-----
Pat leaned down, and by just whispering, she told Kanduu EXACTLY where Karl would hide.
Along with his secret compartments.
His codes.
His magic.
His weaknesses.
Any personal detail that Kanduu could have known about Karl, or not even know but will be shocked if it's real.
Everything.
Karloff then eyed at the other version of him, who's groaning up in pain from the shock. Once Pat's done, she grabbed her cleaver and swung it around until she's gripping the handle.
"What are we gonna do about the other me?" Karloff asked, gesturing to the other version. Pat turned to him, "He's cute, but I'm done chasing food for today. Plus, you wouldn't eat a version of yourself, would you?"
Karloff chuckled, then he held Pat's waist and kissed her lips, "I wouldn't even~"
The two then walked back to the cinema, and with another blink, Pat's back in her regular clothes.
*Kanduu just...stands there in shock, both from the revelation she's more than she lets on, and the fact they...let him live...for now...*
*but still nervous about that encounter, and wanting to get the hell out of dodge to prepare for what he hope will be his revenge, Kanduu closes his eyes, allowing the fog that he once commanded to swallow him whole, leaving no trace of him or itself...*
*in the tunnels*
Billy Harlan: What? And I wouldn't dare, as my Michael would've whooped my ass first. And please to meet you
Norman: Um, nice to meet you all...people who look familiar but are also not, and people I've never seen before?
Jean-Louis: Bonjour, if that's even the correct French word for hello...
Sebastian Jones: Oh...so she doesn't exist in your world...
Madison Storm: So, what now? And what to do to the damage that Author bitch left on my park...not to mention the Hell I'm gonna inflict on the others over turning on one of their own. And once I demand why they would dare lay their hands on MY Sebby...
"Don't worry," Karloff, the VSG's Karloff, called out, "They won't bother us - And Pat said that the cracks are fixing itself, so the park's probably gonna return like no one busted it. As for the other Harbingers - They won't bother the kids anymore."
"Pat!" "Karloff!" Luke and some of the VSG rushed in and hugged the two, who hugged them back joyfully.
Speaking of which, Lizzy glanced at Norman and Jean-Louis, then turned to Cranium, "Hey - So they don't exist in our universe... Is it possible if..." She then gestured to them, "They could...?"
"Sadly, no -" Cranium sighed, "We cannot let too many things interfere with another realm. Who knows what might happen or if there's a possibility of two versions existing in one. For now - we leave this world to them."
Lizzy frowned, but then she sadly smiled at the others, "Well - at least it's nice to meet you all. And hey - Maybe there are other kids who are in the same place as yours, but they're probably happy that they survived in this universe..."
She then gestured to the screens showing the Haunting Hour Squad with happy endings, "Like they do..."
Norman: Oh. I...I think I understand
Jean-Louis: *appears saddened by the revelation, but nods in understanding*
Billy Harlan: Plus, the squad wouldn't be the same if you two left. What would we be if we didn't have Billy, Lucy, Keith, Norman, Matt, and Jean-Louis running around solving mysteries and causing trouble along the way? And look around. What we did ensured that, at least, the other versions of you two can have their happily ever after
*they both smile at that, especially at the screens showing the different, happier outcomes*
*from Norman creating a sanctuary for all things insects, with his universe's Keith making friends with a few beetles, Jean-Louis smiling and laughing with Billy as they try to outdo each other at the same video game, Norman and Lucy Dark debating about...something with Matt facepalming in the background, and one universe where Jean-Louis lived a happy, human life with the Currans*
Billy Harlan: But, chances we might see you all again?
*Cranium shakes his head*
Billy Harlan: Oh, I see. Well, it's been great meeting you all. I just wished this didn't have to end so bittersweetly...
Madison Storm: And you know, for a bunch of scrappy kids, you all aren't half bad, especially, as much as I hate to say it, both of you Morris kids. Now, if you all excuse me
*he grabs Sebastian by the hand*
Madison Storm: My Sebby and I have some damage control to do
Sebastian Jones: Wait, me?
Madison Storm: Well, with the Author gone, and my main source of storytelling and tech maintenance in the park no more, somebody's gotta fill in the void, and hopefully without so much sabotage
Sebastian Jones: Yeah, hopefully...
*Madison practically drags him along, Sebastian giving a quick wave before accompanying his boyfriend back to the park*
Billy Harlan: I guess this is the part where we also say goodbye, huh?
*Lizzy nods, her and the rest of the VSG waving their goodbyes, the three Haunting Squad members doing the same before following after Madison and Sebastian, leaving them all in the tunnel alone, and with their portal back to their home dimension beckoning them*
"Come on, guys!" Lizzy exclaimed, turning to her group, "Let's go out for some treats, huh?"
The gang cheered, talking and overlapping one and another. They all walked together back to their world -
"Ugh..."
- That all of them had ignored a groaning Archivist...
Except one.. Patrica... Jackson.
----
The Next Week.
Everyone is chatting at school, talking about hobbies and the upcoming Halloween School Festival. Lizzy, however, spaced out as she jotted down what happened in her journal. Her eyes stopped at the small doodles of Jean-Louis and Norman...
The thoughts still lingered around her, no matter how much she ignored them...
Maybe.. If what those two said were -
"Class," Mr. Grey called out, "We have new students today..."
"Bonjour! I'm Jean-Louis Afterglade! I may look like a normal human, but I'm actually an alien adopted by caring parents!"
"...H-hi... I'm Norman...Norman Prey.... I like bugs... T-that's it."
[The End]
"Karloff!" Pat cried, avoiding the melted dolls while rushing to her dear beloved. She went over to him and gently rose his upper body up, "Are you okay, love?"
She tipped over his hat to look at his beaming eyes slowly opening up, confused and in pain. When he looked at her, Pat noticed something wrong, with the way he stared at her as if he had never seen -
"Pat-sephone?" The Karloff in their dimension called out from the opposite side, "That's not me! I know I look handsome, but the confusion is almost too perfect... Ugh." He then fall back, a bit injured.
"Oh." Pat casually responded, then awkwardly turned to the other version, Harbinger Karloff, with a small smile, "My apologies." She gently set him down and rushed over to the real Karloff, "I'm glad you're alright!"
Karloff smiled and they shared a small kiss.
Luke, on the other hand, watched as the protection circle closed and he turned to Sebastian, "That's so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" His eyes beamed with joy, sparkling as if he had ignored the dead doll bodies around him.
Karl Knave: *too busy bemoaning the destruction of his creations to do anything else* MY DOLLS! MY PRECIOUS DOLLS!
Sebastian Jones: *waking back up* Ugh...what did I miss... *upon noticing Pat patching Karloff back up*
Sebastian Jones: *more sheepishly* Sorry! My powers act out like that sometimes! I hope you're not too hurt...
*now comes his confusion as Luke rushes up to him to declare how awesome that was, how did he do that, and if he could do it again at a rapid fire pace faster than Sebastian can keep up with*
Kanduu: *not sure how to react at first* ...Well...didn't see that one coming...
Kanduu: *regaining his ominous composure* And I would recommend licking your wounds quickly, for we aren't done-
*as if he had to be interrupted one too many times today, Kanduu begins to feel the very earth beneath his feet shake, eliciting a rare, concerned look from him, followed by what appeared to be faint cracking*
*and it seemed like his opponents and Karl noticed too, concern etched across their faces*
Kanduu, thinking to himself: This better not be Madison's, or heaven forbid, The Author's, doing...
*back in the tunnel*
The Author: Four minutes, thirty seconds remaining...
While The Author stood by, The Archivist gleefully cackled, crawling after the runaway members as they tried to run and hide. Lizzy grabbed Jean-Louis by the hand and pulled him away from an incoming lightning bolt, hinted to be The Archivist's power based on the direction.
"Awww~ Why save the alien, Morris?" The Archivist mocked, "He's not really him, you know? His original body WAS EATEN ALIVE by a bunch of CHEESE PUFFS!" He roared and climbed onto the green walls, crawling over the screens as he caught up to the two.
Lizzy quickly jumped away, grabbing Jean-Louis' hand as they both fall down in some kind of big dip, only to land in on a floating rock. The ground trembled, and cracks began to appear as if the dimensions cannot hold onto much longer.
The Author: Oh my, you two seem to be in a heap of trouble. At least you're not like the others
*back on the main platform Billy is struggling to figure out a way to rescue Lizzy and Jean, while Norman is running around from screen to screen like a headless chicken trying to figure something out, and Madison, upon being presented a panel of multicolored buttons, smashes each and everyone in hopes of there being a kill switch for the arcane bombs, all while evading the Archivist's hunting spree*
The Author: Running around frantically, trying to gain some sort of control over the scenario I presented before them, thinking they can evade a fate their alternate counterparts have suffered oh so many times, even if its only to delay the inevitable
*looking up to the timer, the Author finds its 3 minutes left*
The Author: And just enough time to talk about you, me, the Archivist, and what all of this means. And I don't even know where to start...
The Author: I know, how about the Archivist isn't too wrong about you saving the scrappy, Morris. I mean, REALLY? His original self died to a sentient species of snack food for crying out loud! Not like his other selves I made for my stories are better off, always hunted by more vicious, hostile beings that want nothing more than to kill him to satisfy their genocidal urges. Greg and Bonnie, the Xenotronians, the list can go on and on and on...All for the simple task of ensuring my readers can have a good story to tell, and to rant and rave about I redeemed the least favorite character of their fandom, even if I did it the worst possible way. Besides, not like there's anybody out there who actually CARES for him as a character anyway...
The Author: As for Norman, well...somebody's gotta learn that a god complex will always end in failure, even if it literally eats him alive
*the screens representing the other dimensions begin to crack, as if they couldn't hold the pressure any longer, while the timer shows one minute remaining*
The Author: Aww, but I'm having too much fun with these turn of events for Horroland to go "KABOOM!" I know, how about I add...three more minutes, and what the hell, an extra thirty seconds on top of that? Not because I'm feeling charitable, but because it prolongs the suffering and entertainment value of it all. And just enough time for the Archivist to give us a much needed expodump about the significance of the blue screen of flames to a certain Morris, and perhaps take our minds off our incoming demise if only for a little longer...
The Archivist grinned ear to ear, then he jumped forward, blocking of the runaway kids and standing between them and the blue flaming screen.
"You want to know what this is, Lizzy?" The Archivist, hand gesturing to the screen, "This is the original you.... But this is special~"
He crawled backwards, looming over the screen as he tapped it, hearing the faint cries and screams, "The Lizzy Morris everyone knows is just a smart girl who went through trouble at a monster-filled amusement park - But this screen... Ohohoho~ This isn't like any other!
It could've shown you the alternate end of your trip, where you and your family fall off a cliff. Or it could've shown you a bad ending where you failed the Horrorland series:.."
The Archivist tapped the screen gently, "But this... Get this people - This screen -
is from the same length as YOUR universe!"
Lizzy's eyes turned to dots, watching the Archivist cackled and unveiled his hands to show the continuous flames growing. The reflection emitted a blue hue bouncing off of the group.
"Shut up..." Lizzy muttered.
"Is this the past?... The present?... Or more sensible... The future?" The Archivist teased.
"Shut. Up." Lizzy's eyes darkened and she lowered her head down.
"Who knows? Maybe you're not a hero at all, but a villain meant to -"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Lizzy screamed, eyes jerking up with tears pouring out. At that moment, not only did the blue screen paused, but so did every other scene. They all shut down instantly, causing confusion, even to the two masterminds.
Suddenly, Lizzy's spoke up in the silence.
"Do you think it's a joke to you?! We're just characters meant to follow your stupid rules and games so that you can torture us?! You think it's good to remind us WHAT KIND OF VERSIONS WE ARE?!"
The Archivist stared, then responded casually, "Well, yeah -"
"I DON'T CARE!" Lizzy interrupted, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO I WAS WRITTEN BY - AND I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO BE OBSESSED OVER THESE STUPID ALTERNATE WORLDS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS. IT'S NOT MY BUSINESS OR YOURS TO MIND AND CONTROL OTHER VERSIONS OF ME AND WHAT-IFS SITUATIONS! I AM LIZZY MORRIS AND I CHOOSE TO THINK FOR MY OWN LIFE!
AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE JEAN-LOUIS AND NORMAN - THEY'RE LIKE ME TOO! THEY'D BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND THEY DESERVE A SPOT WHERE THEY GET TO LIVE PEACEFULLY, EVEN IF THEIR VERSIONS DIED MANY TIMES."
While Lizzy continued, the screens began to flicker. The Archivist, shocked unexpectedly, looked at the Author as if he suspected it was her doing.
"I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL A WORLD WHERE THEY GET TO BE AT PEACE - AND IF NOT, THEN MY WORLD WOULD BE FAIR FOR THEM ALL! FOR PEOPLE LIKE THEM! BECAUSE - THEY ARE MORE THAN CHARACTERS - THEY ARE PEOPLE!"
*The Author looks to the Archivist in return, as if she expected HIM to know what to do as the screens now began to distort and glitch out, the timer, which formerly left on one minute and thirty seconds, now flipping back and forth between numbers as the tunnel began to shake more violently, whether from the bomb or the fact Lizzy's "reason you suck" speech about fate and control was fucking up what bits of the current story left the Author had control of*
*all while everyone continues to panic even further, and upon realizing the situation, and how the Author's demeanor is now souring to the point of no return, for her and the rest of them, Madison gets an idea...*
The Author: *her once strange blue eyes now catching a blue kind of fire like the flames on the screen* No...NO! This is MY story, told on MY terms, and YOU, Ms. Morris, regardless of which version, are nothing more than a puppet under my-
*cue her getting cut off, and getting caught off guard, by a sudden surge of purple lightning bolts knocking her off what remained of the main platform, knocking her down into the cracking green void below*
*everyone looks, or looks up in Lizzy and Jean's case, to a Madison Storm engulfed by purple volts of electricity, his veins and eyes glowing with a bright purple before dying down*
Madison Storm: What? Even I have my standards. And I did tire of the way she was running things anyway...
*the Archivist, shocked at what Madison had just done, looks down to the void, then to the others, then to the scenery around them becoming more and more broken and chaotic and plain fucked up now that this reality's precious Author was gone, and for good from the looks of it*
MEANWHILE
*Samuel had just finally broken down the door to the Horrorland Theatre, only for instinct to force him into immediately get the hell out of there upon seeing the strange, cosmic cracks leaving the strange, green portal*
Mia: *panting* Finally, boss, I found you-
*Samuel immediately passes right by her, Mia questioning what the hell is happening when she sees the green arcs following right after him, and targeting HER too*
Mia: NOPE!
*but before either could flee, the arcs quickly catch up to them, the two of them turning into strange, green clouds of dust that immediately dissipates into the air, the same thing to the shadow creatures that once followed after Samuel*
*as for the other three Harbingers, and Pat, Karloff, Luke, and Sebastian, they all worry as the shaking gets more violent, the world around them breaking apart into these large, green cracks*
Karl Knave: Screw this shit, you're on your own!
*Karl gives two peace signs as his body, as well as the remnant of his dolls, fades into a cloud of dark mist, leaving behind no trace of him or his army of doll zombies*
Kanduu: As much as I would like to gloat further, I'm certainly not dying today!
Sebastian Jones: That makes for the both of us-
*all of a sudden, strange tendrils begin to surround our main four*
Kanduu: Not dying without YOU!
The world shook, reality started to break. Everything is going to end...
Lizzy gasped as she watched the Archivist fell, his green glow fading weakly. She looked around, scared that everything is breaking so fast, without any control to stop it.
"I-I'm sorry..." She cried, then she held onto Jean-Louis' arm for support as pieces began to fall down.
Outside, the trees glitched in and out, and the sky began to emit large cracks above - Karloff rushed over and held Pat and Luke close, pulling Sebastian along in his hold so that they don't get the first hit.
As much as they're panicking and bracing, Pat remained holding a determined and hopeful face. She looked at the sky, as if she expecting a miracle.. Or someone.
Back at the tunnels, while everyone braced for the end of everything, the screens suddenly began to flicker once more, and the screen that showed the blue flames turned to reveal something strange, without anyone noticing.
As the video played out, the rumbling slowed down, stopping to a halt. Then...
When it finally stopped, the screen turned back to black.
Everyone then looked up, seeing the world that was about to break.... Turning back to normal.
The cracks began to close up, and the glitching trees returned...
"What.... What happened?" Luke asked, staring up at what seemed to be the weirdest transition ever.
Sebastian Jones: I...I don't know...but, we live...
*as Sebastian tries to make sense of the situation, a shocked Kanduu gets rid of the tentacles once surrounding the others with a snap of his fingers, grabbing all of their attention*
Kanduu: So, we live...heh...I think I'll take my leave, if you all pardon me...
*but before he can leave, Pat and Karloff, but not his Karloff, block him from both sides*
Kanduu: Look, I was only bluffing when I said I wanted you all dead. Can't we talk things out like civilized people?
*they don't seem too convinced*
Kanduu: Well crap...
Sebastian Jones: *realizing something* Maddy! And the others!
*without another word, Sebastian rushes off, Luke questioning if he should stay or follow, as much as he'd rather not see Storm again*
*back in the tunnels, everyone is too perplexed by what just happened, the once vibrant green color scheme now a beautiful mish mash of all sorts of other colors, the once cracked and darkened screens buzzing back to life to display the other dimensions once more*
*except, instead of the pain and suffering they saw earlier, these dimensions were so...happy, uplifting even*
Billy Harlan: What...just happened?
Norman: And the screens. They've changed!
Madison Storm: Well...this was something even I wasn't expecting...
Jean-Louis: *instead of commenting on the state of the tunnel, he turns to speak to Lizzy* You...what you said to them...about us...you really mean that?
Pat stared at Kanduu, then glanced over to see Sebastian leaving with Luke following him. Once the two are gone, Karloff smirked, "No witnesses..."
In a blink of an eye, Kanduu was then heavily shoved down and a cleaver heavily whacked the concrete floor next to him HARD. Pat, donning her Butcher's outfit, glared at Kanduu while Karloff placed his shoe over his neck.
"You're not even worth a good meal for Karloff -" Pat said, leaving her calm and happy tone away and putting on her cold and monotonous attitude, "So I'll give you a choice.
Either you take a white flag and wave it high, and never EVER bother those kids again... Or... Maybe, you'll be just like Slappy again..."
She leaned down, her red goggles beaming boldly with Kanduu's reflection appearing shocked, "But I'll make it special. I'll carve out your insides, hollowing you out. Then I'll re-organize your bones so that it'll be a good mechanism to move your umoving, separated jaw and cut limbs. The worst thing is - You'll be ALIVE when I do it to you... Just like the rest of my victims...
So Kanduu.... Do you want to test me to see if I'll do it?"
-----
"I really mean it..." Lizzy smiled, looking at Jean-Louis, "You guys deserved more than pain. Life shouldn't make you live in it."
Suddenly, the screen in front of them glitched out, then it opened up a circular portal which revealed....
"LIZZY!"
"CRANIUM! KEITH! GUYS!"
Lizzy ran towards Inspector Cranium and hugged him, then the rest of her friends rushed in to hug her as well. Tears swelled on her cheeks as she continued holding onto her family close.
"What's with the rope?" Lizzy asked the inspector, looking at the rope around his waist. He sighed, "I was worried this dimensional trip will leave us lost so I have a secured rope just in case."
Michael smiled at her, then he turned his attention to the group, "Oh uh - Hi! I'm Michael Munroe, and you guys are - MADISON?!" His eyes glanced at each one until it landed on Madison.
Madison Storm: Uh, do I even know you?
Sebastian Jones: MADDY!
*before Madison could react, the winged man had tackled him into a tight bear hug, Madison regaining his composure before returning the hug back, both smiling as they felt glad that the other was okay*
*at least until the noticed everyone staring at them, Luke and Lizzy in particular both sharing glances of "WTF??!?!?!!?"*
Madison Storm: What are you all staring at?! Even a Harbinger has his loved ones!
Sebastian Jones: I'm just glad you're okay. But what about Billy? Jean? Norman?
*Madison waves a hand over at the three teens, Sebastian sighing out with relief*
Sebastian Jones: Good. You're all safe...
*Sebastian then notices Cranium, squinting hard as if to recognize something about him*
Sebastian Jones: I'm guessing you're a other Inspector Cranium? *deciding to put it to the test* You don't happen to know a certain Six, do you?
*back outside*
Kanduu: *as nervous as he is, and nervous of a mortal for the first time in eons, he tries one last bluff just to rub it in that they hadn't won just yet* But don't you think this is the end of it. As Karl is still out there, probably planning revenge as we speak. I can't say the same of Samuel, a shame our link died with that dimension rift got him, and Madison actually cares too much about you vermin to actually destroy this feeble world you all call "home." So go ahead, do what you must. Not like it'll change anything...
Inspector Cranium quirked a brow, "I have not.. I'd never known a person with that name before, unless you're preferring to numbers."
Lizzy gestured Billy, Norman, and Jean-Louis to the gang, "Everyone - these are Billy Harlan, Norman, and Jean-Louis - The kids from this world."
Michael looked at Billy and squinted his eyes, "Billy Harlan? You mean the kid who beat my ass when he learned I can turn into the lizard alien?"
Matt smiled and looked at Jean-Louis, "Nice to meet ya - I'm Matt Daniels."
-----
Pat leaned down, and by just whispering, she told Kanduu EXACTLY where Karl would hide.
Along with his secret compartments.
His codes.
His magic.
His weaknesses.
Any personal detail that Kanduu could have known about Karl, or not even know but will be shocked if it's real.
Everything.
Karloff then eyed at the other version of him, who's groaning up in pain from the shock. Once Pat's done, she grabbed her cleaver and swung it around until she's gripping the handle.
"What are we gonna do about the other me?" Karloff asked, gesturing to the other version. Pat turned to him, "He's cute, but I'm done chasing food for today. Plus, you wouldn't eat a version of yourself, would you?"
Karloff chuckled, then he held Pat's waist and kissed her lips, "I wouldn't even~"
The two then walked back to the cinema, and with another blink, Pat's back in her regular clothes.
*Kanduu just...stands there in shock, both from the revelation she's more than she lets on, and the fact they...let him live...for now...*
*but still nervous about that encounter, and wanting to get the hell out of dodge to prepare for what he hope will be his revenge, Kanduu closes his eyes, allowing the fog that he once commanded to swallow him whole, leaving no trace of him or itself...*
*in the tunnels*
Billy Harlan: What? And I wouldn't dare, as my Michael would've whooped my ass first. And please to meet you
Norman: Um, nice to meet you all...people who look familiar but are also not, and people I've never seen before?
Jean-Louis: Bonjour, if that's even the correct French word for hello...
Sebastian Jones: Oh...so she doesn't exist in your world...
Madison Storm: So, what now? And what to do to the damage that Author bitch left on my park...not to mention the Hell I'm gonna inflict on the others over turning on one of their own. And once I demand why they would dare lay their hands on MY Sebby...
"Don't worry," Karloff, the VSG's Karloff, called out, "They won't bother us - And Pat said that the cracks are fixing itself, so the park's probably gonna return like no one busted it. As for the other Harbingers - They won't bother the kids anymore."
"Pat!" "Karloff!" Luke and some of the VSG rushed in and hugged the two, who hugged them back joyfully.
Speaking of which, Lizzy glanced at Norman and Jean-Louis, then turned to Cranium, "Hey - So they don't exist in our universe... Is it possible if..." She then gestured to them, "They could...?"
"Sadly, no -" Cranium sighed, "We cannot let too many things interfere with another realm. Who knows what might happen or if there's a possibility of two versions existing in one. For now - we leave this world to them."
Lizzy frowned, but then she sadly smiled at the others, "Well - at least it's nice to meet you all. And hey - Maybe there are other kids who are in the same place as yours, but they're probably happy that they survived in this universe..."
She then gestured to the screens showing the Haunting Hour Squad with happy endings, "Like they do..."
"Karloff!" Pat cried, avoiding the melted dolls while rushing to her dear beloved. She went over to him and gently rose his upper body up, "Are you okay, love?"
She tipped over his hat to look at his beaming eyes slowly opening up, confused and in pain. When he looked at her, Pat noticed something wrong, with the way he stared at her as if he had never seen -
"Pat-sephone?" The Karloff in their dimension called out from the opposite side, "That's not me! I know I look handsome, but the confusion is almost too perfect... Ugh." He then fall back, a bit injured.
"Oh." Pat casually responded, then awkwardly turned to the other version, Harbinger Karloff, with a small smile, "My apologies." She gently set him down and rushed over to the real Karloff, "I'm glad you're alright!"
Karloff smiled and they shared a small kiss.
Luke, on the other hand, watched as the protection circle closed and he turned to Sebastian, "That's so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" His eyes beamed with joy, sparkling as if he had ignored the dead doll bodies around him.
Karl Knave: *too busy bemoaning the destruction of his creations to do anything else* MY DOLLS! MY PRECIOUS DOLLS!
Sebastian Jones: *waking back up* Ugh...what did I miss... *upon noticing Pat patching Karloff back up*
Sebastian Jones: *more sheepishly* Sorry! My powers act out like that sometimes! I hope you're not too hurt...
*now comes his confusion as Luke rushes up to him to declare how awesome that was, how did he do that, and if he could do it again at a rapid fire pace faster than Sebastian can keep up with*
Kanduu: *not sure how to react at first* ...Well...didn't see that one coming...
Kanduu: *regaining his ominous composure* And I would recommend licking your wounds quickly, for we aren't done-
*as if he had to be interrupted one too many times today, Kanduu begins to feel the very earth beneath his feet shake, eliciting a rare, concerned look from him, followed by what appeared to be faint cracking*
*and it seemed like his opponents and Karl noticed too, concern etched across their faces*
Kanduu, thinking to himself: This better not be Madison's, or heaven forbid, The Author's, doing...
*back in the tunnel*
The Author: Four minutes, thirty seconds remaining...
While The Author stood by, The Archivist gleefully cackled, crawling after the runaway members as they tried to run and hide. Lizzy grabbed Jean-Louis by the hand and pulled him away from an incoming lightning bolt, hinted to be The Archivist's power based on the direction.
"Awww~ Why save the alien, Morris?" The Archivist mocked, "He's not really him, you know? His original body WAS EATEN ALIVE by a bunch of CHEESE PUFFS!" He roared and climbed onto the green walls, crawling over the screens as he caught up to the two.
Lizzy quickly jumped away, grabbing Jean-Louis' hand as they both fall down in some kind of big dip, only to land in on a floating rock. The ground trembled, and cracks began to appear as if the dimensions cannot hold onto much longer.
The Author: Oh my, you two seem to be in a heap of trouble. At least you're not like the others
*back on the main platform Billy is struggling to figure out a way to rescue Lizzy and Jean, while Norman is running around from screen to screen like a headless chicken trying to figure something out, and Madison, upon being presented a panel of multicolored buttons, smashes each and everyone in hopes of there being a kill switch for the arcane bombs, all while evading the Archivist's hunting spree*
The Author: Running around frantically, trying to gain some sort of control over the scenario I presented before them, thinking they can evade a fate their alternate counterparts have suffered oh so many times, even if its only to delay the inevitable
*looking up to the timer, the Author finds its 3 minutes left*
The Author: And just enough time to talk about you, me, the Archivist, and what all of this means. And I don't even know where to start...
The Author: I know, how about the Archivist isn't too wrong about you saving the scrappy, Morris. I mean, REALLY? His original self died to a sentient species of snack food for crying out loud! Not like his other selves I made for my stories are better off, always hunted by more vicious, hostile beings that want nothing more than to kill him to satisfy their genocidal urges. Greg and Bonnie, the Xenotronians, the list can go on and on and on...All for the simple task of ensuring my readers can have a good story to tell, and to rant and rave about I redeemed the least favorite character of their fandom, even if I did it the worst possible way. Besides, not like there's anybody out there who actually CARES for him as a character anyway...
The Author: As for Norman, well...somebody's gotta learn that a god complex will always end in failure, even if it literally eats him alive
*the screens representing the other dimensions begin to crack, as if they couldn't hold the pressure any longer, while the timer shows one minute remaining*
The Author: Aww, but I'm having too much fun with these turn of events for Horroland to go "KABOOM!" I know, how about I add...three more minutes, and what the hell, an extra thirty seconds on top of that? Not because I'm feeling charitable, but because it prolongs the suffering and entertainment value of it all. And just enough time for the Archivist to give us a much needed expodump about the significance of the blue screen of flames to a certain Morris, and perhaps take our minds off our incoming demise if only for a little longer...
The Archivist grinned ear to ear, then he jumped forward, blocking of the runaway kids and standing between them and the blue flaming screen.
"You want to know what this is, Lizzy?" The Archivist, hand gesturing to the screen, "This is the original you.... But this is special~"
He crawled backwards, looming over the screen as he tapped it, hearing the faint cries and screams, "The Lizzy Morris everyone knows is just a smart girl who went through trouble at a monster-filled amusement park - But this screen... Ohohoho~ This isn't like any other!
It could've shown you the alternate end of your trip, where you and your family fall off a cliff. Or it could've shown you a bad ending where you failed the Horrorland series:.."
The Archivist tapped the screen gently, "But this... Get this people - This screen -
is from the same length as YOUR universe!"
Lizzy's eyes turned to dots, watching the Archivist cackled and unveiled his hands to show the continuous flames growing. The reflection emitted a blue hue bouncing off of the group.
"Shut up..." Lizzy muttered.
"Is this the past?... The present?... Or more sensible... The future?" The Archivist teased.
"Shut. Up." Lizzy's eyes darkened and she lowered her head down.
"Who knows? Maybe you're not a hero at all, but a villain meant to -"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Lizzy screamed, eyes jerking up with tears pouring out. At that moment, not only did the blue screen paused, but so did every other scene. They all shut down instantly, causing confusion, even to the two masterminds.
Suddenly, Lizzy's spoke up in the silence.
"Do you think it's a joke to you?! We're just characters meant to follow your stupid rules and games so that you can torture us?! You think it's good to remind us WHAT KIND OF VERSIONS WE ARE?!"
The Archivist stared, then responded casually, "Well, yeah -"
"I DON'T CARE!" Lizzy interrupted, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO I WAS WRITTEN BY - AND I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO BE OBSESSED OVER THESE STUPID ALTERNATE WORLDS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS. IT'S NOT MY BUSINESS OR YOURS TO MIND AND CONTROL OTHER VERSIONS OF ME AND WHAT-IFS SITUATIONS! I AM LIZZY MORRIS AND I CHOOSE TO THINK FOR MY OWN LIFE!
AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE JEAN-LOUIS AND NORMAN - THEY'RE LIKE ME TOO! THEY'D BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND THEY DESERVE A SPOT WHERE THEY GET TO LIVE PEACEFULLY, EVEN IF THEIR VERSIONS DIED MANY TIMES."
While Lizzy continued, the screens began to flicker. The Archivist, shocked unexpectedly, looked at the Author as if he suspected it was her doing.
"I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL A WORLD WHERE THEY GET TO BE AT PEACE - AND IF NOT, THEN MY WORLD WOULD BE FAIR FOR THEM ALL! FOR PEOPLE LIKE THEM! BECAUSE - THEY ARE MORE THAN CHARACTERS - THEY ARE PEOPLE!"
*The Author looks to the Archivist in return, as if she expected HIM to know what to do as the screens now began to distort and glitch out, the timer, which formerly left on one minute and thirty seconds, now flipping back and forth between numbers as the tunnel began to shake more violently, whether from the bomb or the fact Lizzy's "reason you suck" speech about fate and control was fucking up what bits of the current story left the Author had control of*
*all while everyone continues to panic even further, and upon realizing the situation, and how the Author's demeanor is now souring to the point of no return, for her and the rest of them, Madison gets an idea...*
The Author: *her once strange blue eyes now catching a blue kind of fire like the flames on the screen* No...NO! This is MY story, told on MY terms, and YOU, Ms. Morris, regardless of which version, are nothing more than a puppet under my-
*cue her getting cut off, and getting caught off guard, by a sudden surge of purple lightning bolts knocking her off what remained of the main platform, knocking her down into the cracking green void below*
*everyone looks, or looks up in Lizzy and Jean's case, to a Madison Storm engulfed by purple volts of electricity, his veins and eyes glowing with a bright purple before dying down*
Madison Storm: What? Even I have my standards. And I did tire of the way she was running things anyway...
*the Archivist, shocked at what Madison had just done, looks down to the void, then to the others, then to the scenery around them becoming more and more broken and chaotic and plain fucked up now that this reality's precious Author was gone, and for good from the looks of it*
MEANWHILE
*Samuel had just finally broken down the door to the Horrorland Theatre, only for instinct to force him into immediately get the hell out of there upon seeing the strange, cosmic cracks leaving the strange, green portal*
Mia: *panting* Finally, boss, I found you-
*Samuel immediately passes right by her, Mia questioning what the hell is happening when she sees the green arcs following right after him, and targeting HER too*
Mia: NOPE!
*but before either could flee, the arcs quickly catch up to them, the two of them turning into strange, green clouds of dust that immediately dissipates into the air, the same thing to the shadow creatures that once followed after Samuel*
*as for the other three Harbingers, and Pat, Karloff, Luke, and Sebastian, they all worry as the shaking gets more violent, the world around them breaking apart into these large, green cracks*
Karl Knave: Screw this shit, you're on your own!
*Karl gives two peace signs as his body, as well as the remnant of his dolls, fades into a cloud of dark mist, leaving behind no trace of him or his army of doll zombies*
Kanduu: As much as I would like to gloat further, I'm certainly not dying today!
Sebastian Jones: That makes for the both of us-
*all of a sudden, strange tendrils begin to surround our main four*
Kanduu: Not dying without YOU!
The world shook, reality started to break. Everything is going to end...
Lizzy gasped as she watched the Archivist fell, his green glow fading weakly. She looked around, scared that everything is breaking so fast, without any control to stop it.
"I-I'm sorry..." She cried, then she held onto Jean-Louis' arm for support as pieces began to fall down.
Outside, the trees glitched in and out, and the sky began to emit large cracks above - Karloff rushed over and held Pat and Luke close, pulling Sebastian along in his hold so that they don't get the first hit.
As much as they're panicking and bracing, Pat remained holding a determined and hopeful face. She looked at the sky, as if she expecting a miracle.. Or someone.
Back at the tunnels, while everyone braced for the end of everything, the screens suddenly began to flicker once more, and the screen that showed the blue flames turned to reveal something strange, without anyone noticing.
As the video played out, the rumbling slowed down, stopping to a halt. Then...
When it finally stopped, the screen turned back to black.
Everyone then looked up, seeing the world that was about to break.... Turning back to normal.
The cracks began to close up, and the glitching trees returned...
"What.... What happened?" Luke asked, staring up at what seemed to be the weirdest transition ever.
Sebastian Jones: I...I don't know...but, we live...
*as Sebastian tries to make sense of the situation, a shocked Kanduu gets rid of the tentacles once surrounding the others with a snap of his fingers, grabbing all of their attention*
Kanduu: So, we live...heh...I think I'll take my leave, if you all pardon me...
*but before he can leave, Pat and Karloff, but not his Karloff, block him from both sides*
Kanduu: Look, I was only bluffing when I said I wanted you all dead. Can't we talk things out like civilized people?
*they don't seem too convinced*
Kanduu: Well crap...
Sebastian Jones: *realizing something* Maddy! And the others!
*without another word, Sebastian rushes off, Luke questioning if he should stay or follow, as much as he'd rather not see Storm again*
*back in the tunnels, everyone is too perplexed by what just happened, the once vibrant green color scheme now a beautiful mish mash of all sorts of other colors, the once cracked and darkened screens buzzing back to life to display the other dimensions once more*
*except, instead of the pain and suffering they saw earlier, these dimensions were so...happy, uplifting even*
Billy Harlan: What...just happened?
Norman: And the screens. They've changed!
Madison Storm: Well...this was something even I wasn't expecting...
Jean-Louis: *instead of commenting on the state of the tunnel, he turns to speak to Lizzy* You...what you said to them...about us...you really mean that?
Pat stared at Kanduu, then glanced over to see Sebastian leaving with Luke following him. Once the two are gone, Karloff smirked, "No witnesses..."
In a blink of an eye, Kanduu was then heavily shoved down and a cleaver heavily whacked the concrete floor next to him HARD. Pat, donning her Butcher's outfit, glared at Kanduu while Karloff placed his shoe over his neck.
"You're not even worth a good meal for Karloff -" Pat said, leaving her calm and happy tone away and putting on her cold and monotonous attitude, "So I'll give you a choice.
Either you take a white flag and wave it high, and never EVER bother those kids again... Or... Maybe, you'll be just like Slappy again..."
She leaned down, her red goggles beaming boldly with Kanduu's reflection appearing shocked, "But I'll make it special. I'll carve out your insides, hollowing you out. Then I'll re-organize your bones so that it'll be a good mechanism to move your umoving, separated jaw and cut limbs. The worst thing is - You'll be ALIVE when I do it to you... Just like the rest of my victims...
So Kanduu.... Do you want to test me to see if I'll do it?"
-----
"I really mean it..." Lizzy smiled, looking at Jean-Louis, "You guys deserved more than pain. Life shouldn't make you live in it."
Suddenly, the screen in front of them glitched out, then it opened up a circular portal which revealed....
"LIZZY!"
"CRANIUM! KEITH! GUYS!"
Lizzy ran towards Inspector Cranium and hugged him, then the rest of her friends rushed in to hug her as well. Tears swelled on her cheeks as she continued holding onto her family close.
"What's with the rope?" Lizzy asked the inspector, looking at the rope around his waist. He sighed, "I was worried this dimensional trip will leave us lost so I have a secured rope just in case."
Michael smiled at her, then he turned his attention to the group, "Oh uh - Hi! I'm Michael Munroe, and you guys are - MADISON?!" His eyes glanced at each one until it landed on Madison.
Madison Storm: Uh, do I even know you?
Sebastian Jones: MADDY!
*before Madison could react, the winged man had tackled him into a tight bear hug, Madison regaining his composure before returning the hug back, both smiling as they felt glad that the other was okay*
*at least until the noticed everyone staring at them, Luke and Lizzy in particular both sharing glances of "WTF??!?!?!!?"*
Madison Storm: What are you all staring at?! Even a Harbinger has his loved ones!
Sebastian Jones: I'm just glad you're okay. But what about Billy? Jean? Norman?
*Madison waves a hand over at the three teens, Sebastian sighing out with relief*
Sebastian Jones: Good. You're all safe...
*Sebastian then notices Cranium, squinting hard as if to recognize something about him*
Sebastian Jones: I'm guessing you're a other Inspector Cranium? *deciding to put it to the test* You don't happen to know a certain Six, do you?
*back outside*
Kanduu: *as nervous as he is, and nervous of a mortal for the first time in eons, he tries one last bluff just to rub it in that they hadn't won just yet* But don't you think this is the end of it. As Karl is still out there, probably planning revenge as we speak. I can't say the same of Samuel, a shame our link died with that dimension rift got him, and Madison actually cares too much about you vermin to actually destroy this feeble world you all call "home." So go ahead, do what you must. Not like it'll change anything...
Inspector Cranium quirked a brow, "I have not.. I'd never known a person with that name before, unless you're preferring to numbers."
Lizzy gestured Billy, Norman, and Jean-Louis to the gang, "Everyone - these are Billy Harlan, Norman, and Jean-Louis - The kids from this world."
Michael looked at Billy and squinted his eyes, "Billy Harlan? You mean the kid who beat my ass when he learned I can turn into the lizard alien?"
Matt smiled and looked at Jean-Louis, "Nice to meet ya - I'm Matt Daniels."
-----
Pat leaned down, and by just whispering, she told Kanduu EXACTLY where Karl would hide.
Along with his secret compartments.
His codes.
His magic.
His weaknesses.
Any personal detail that Kanduu could have known about Karl, or not even know but will be shocked if it's real.
Everything.
Karloff then eyed at the other version of him, who's groaning up in pain from the shock. Once Pat's done, she grabbed her cleaver and swung it around until she's gripping the handle.
"What are we gonna do about the other me?" Karloff asked, gesturing to the other version. Pat turned to him, "He's cute, but I'm done chasing food for today. Plus, you wouldn't eat a version of yourself, would you?"
Karloff chuckled, then he held Pat's waist and kissed her lips, "I wouldn't even~"
The two then walked back to the cinema, and with another blink, Pat's back in her regular clothes.
"Karloff!" Pat cried, avoiding the melted dolls while rushing to her dear beloved. She went over to him and gently rose his upper body up, "Are you okay, love?"
She tipped over his hat to look at his beaming eyes slowly opening up, confused and in pain. When he looked at her, Pat noticed something wrong, with the way he stared at her as if he had never seen -
"Pat-sephone?" The Karloff in their dimension called out from the opposite side, "That's not me! I know I look handsome, but the confusion is almost too perfect... Ugh." He then fall back, a bit injured.
"Oh." Pat casually responded, then awkwardly turned to the other version, Harbinger Karloff, with a small smile, "My apologies." She gently set him down and rushed over to the real Karloff, "I'm glad you're alright!"
Karloff smiled and they shared a small kiss.
Luke, on the other hand, watched as the protection circle closed and he turned to Sebastian, "That's so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" His eyes beamed with joy, sparkling as if he had ignored the dead doll bodies around him.
Karl Knave: *too busy bemoaning the destruction of his creations to do anything else* MY DOLLS! MY PRECIOUS DOLLS!
Sebastian Jones: *waking back up* Ugh...what did I miss... *upon noticing Pat patching Karloff back up*
Sebastian Jones: *more sheepishly* Sorry! My powers act out like that sometimes! I hope you're not too hurt...
*now comes his confusion as Luke rushes up to him to declare how awesome that was, how did he do that, and if he could do it again at a rapid fire pace faster than Sebastian can keep up with*
Kanduu: *not sure how to react at first* ...Well...didn't see that one coming...
Kanduu: *regaining his ominous composure* And I would recommend licking your wounds quickly, for we aren't done-
*as if he had to be interrupted one too many times today, Kanduu begins to feel the very earth beneath his feet shake, eliciting a rare, concerned look from him, followed by what appeared to be faint cracking*
*and it seemed like his opponents and Karl noticed too, concern etched across their faces*
Kanduu, thinking to himself: This better not be Madison's, or heaven forbid, The Author's, doing...
*back in the tunnel*
The Author: Four minutes, thirty seconds remaining...
While The Author stood by, The Archivist gleefully cackled, crawling after the runaway members as they tried to run and hide. Lizzy grabbed Jean-Louis by the hand and pulled him away from an incoming lightning bolt, hinted to be The Archivist's power based on the direction.
"Awww~ Why save the alien, Morris?" The Archivist mocked, "He's not really him, you know? His original body WAS EATEN ALIVE by a bunch of CHEESE PUFFS!" He roared and climbed onto the green walls, crawling over the screens as he caught up to the two.
Lizzy quickly jumped away, grabbing Jean-Louis' hand as they both fall down in some kind of big dip, only to land in on a floating rock. The ground trembled, and cracks began to appear as if the dimensions cannot hold onto much longer.
The Author: Oh my, you two seem to be in a heap of trouble. At least you're not like the others
*back on the main platform Billy is struggling to figure out a way to rescue Lizzy and Jean, while Norman is running around from screen to screen like a headless chicken trying to figure something out, and Madison, upon being presented a panel of multicolored buttons, smashes each and everyone in hopes of there being a kill switch for the arcane bombs, all while evading the Archivist's hunting spree*
The Author: Running around frantically, trying to gain some sort of control over the scenario I presented before them, thinking they can evade a fate their alternate counterparts have suffered oh so many times, even if its only to delay the inevitable
*looking up to the timer, the Author finds its 3 minutes left*
The Author: And just enough time to talk about you, me, the Archivist, and what all of this means. And I don't even know where to start...
The Author: I know, how about the Archivist isn't too wrong about you saving the scrappy, Morris. I mean, REALLY? His original self died to a sentient species of snack food for crying out loud! Not like his other selves I made for my stories are better off, always hunted by more vicious, hostile beings that want nothing more than to kill him to satisfy their genocidal urges. Greg and Bonnie, the Xenotronians, the list can go on and on and on...All for the simple task of ensuring my readers can have a good story to tell, and to rant and rave about I redeemed the least favorite character of their fandom, even if I did it the worst possible way. Besides, not like there's anybody out there who actually CARES for him as a character anyway...
The Author: As for Norman, well...somebody's gotta learn that a god complex will always end in failure, even if it literally eats him alive
*the screens representing the other dimensions begin to crack, as if they couldn't hold the pressure any longer, while the timer shows one minute remaining*
The Author: Aww, but I'm having too much fun with these turn of events for Horroland to go "KABOOM!" I know, how about I add...three more minutes, and what the hell, an extra thirty seconds on top of that? Not because I'm feeling charitable, but because it prolongs the suffering and entertainment value of it all. And just enough time for the Archivist to give us a much needed expodump about the significance of the blue screen of flames to a certain Morris, and perhaps take our minds off our incoming demise if only for a little longer...
The Archivist grinned ear to ear, then he jumped forward, blocking of the runaway kids and standing between them and the blue flaming screen.
"You want to know what this is, Lizzy?" The Archivist, hand gesturing to the screen, "This is the original you.... But this is special~"
He crawled backwards, looming over the screen as he tapped it, hearing the faint cries and screams, "The Lizzy Morris everyone knows is just a smart girl who went through trouble at a monster-filled amusement park - But this screen... Ohohoho~ This isn't like any other!
It could've shown you the alternate end of your trip, where you and your family fall off a cliff. Or it could've shown you a bad ending where you failed the Horrorland series:.."
The Archivist tapped the screen gently, "But this... Get this people - This screen -
is from the same length as YOUR universe!"
Lizzy's eyes turned to dots, watching the Archivist cackled and unveiled his hands to show the continuous flames growing. The reflection emitted a blue hue bouncing off of the group.
"Shut up..." Lizzy muttered.
"Is this the past?... The present?... Or more sensible... The future?" The Archivist teased.
"Shut. Up." Lizzy's eyes darkened and she lowered her head down.
"Who knows? Maybe you're not a hero at all, but a villain meant to -"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Lizzy screamed, eyes jerking up with tears pouring out. At that moment, not only did the blue screen paused, but so did every other scene. They all shut down instantly, causing confusion, even to the two masterminds.
Suddenly, Lizzy's spoke up in the silence.
"Do you think it's a joke to you?! We're just characters meant to follow your stupid rules and games so that you can torture us?! You think it's good to remind us WHAT KIND OF VERSIONS WE ARE?!"
The Archivist stared, then responded casually, "Well, yeah -"
"I DON'T CARE!" Lizzy interrupted, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO I WAS WRITTEN BY - AND I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO BE OBSESSED OVER THESE STUPID ALTERNATE WORLDS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS. IT'S NOT MY BUSINESS OR YOURS TO MIND AND CONTROL OTHER VERSIONS OF ME AND WHAT-IFS SITUATIONS! I AM LIZZY MORRIS AND I CHOOSE TO THINK FOR MY OWN LIFE!
AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE JEAN-LOUIS AND NORMAN - THEY'RE LIKE ME TOO! THEY'D BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND THEY DESERVE A SPOT WHERE THEY GET TO LIVE PEACEFULLY, EVEN IF THEIR VERSIONS DIED MANY TIMES."
While Lizzy continued, the screens began to flicker. The Archivist, shocked unexpectedly, looked at the Author as if he suspected it was her doing.
"I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL A WORLD WHERE THEY GET TO BE AT PEACE - AND IF NOT, THEN MY WORLD WOULD BE FAIR FOR THEM ALL! FOR PEOPLE LIKE THEM! BECAUSE - THEY ARE MORE THAN CHARACTERS - THEY ARE PEOPLE!"
*The Author looks to the Archivist in return, as if she expected HIM to know what to do as the screens now began to distort and glitch out, the timer, which formerly left on one minute and thirty seconds, now flipping back and forth between numbers as the tunnel began to shake more violently, whether from the bomb or the fact Lizzy's "reason you suck" speech about fate and control was fucking up what bits of the current story left the Author had control of*
*all while everyone continues to panic even further, and upon realizing the situation, and how the Author's demeanor is now souring to the point of no return, for her and the rest of them, Madison gets an idea...*
The Author: *her once strange blue eyes now catching a blue kind of fire like the flames on the screen* No...NO! This is MY story, told on MY terms, and YOU, Ms. Morris, regardless of which version, are nothing more than a puppet under my-
*cue her getting cut off, and getting caught off guard, by a sudden surge of purple lightning bolts knocking her off what remained of the main platform, knocking her down into the cracking green void below*
*everyone looks, or looks up in Lizzy and Jean's case, to a Madison Storm engulfed by purple volts of electricity, his veins and eyes glowing with a bright purple before dying down*
Madison Storm: What? Even I have my standards. And I did tire of the way she was running things anyway...
*the Archivist, shocked at what Madison had just done, looks down to the void, then to the others, then to the scenery around them becoming more and more broken and chaotic and plain fucked up now that this reality's precious Author was gone, and for good from the looks of it*
MEANWHILE
*Samuel had just finally broken down the door to the Horrorland Theatre, only for instinct to force him into immediately get the hell out of there upon seeing the strange, cosmic cracks leaving the strange, green portal*
Mia: *panting* Finally, boss, I found you-
*Samuel immediately passes right by her, Mia questioning what the hell is happening when she sees the green arcs following right after him, and targeting HER too*
Mia: NOPE!
*but before either could flee, the arcs quickly catch up to them, the two of them turning into strange, green clouds of dust that immediately dissipates into the air, the same thing to the shadow creatures that once followed after Samuel*
*as for the other three Harbingers, and Pat, Karloff, Luke, and Sebastian, they all worry as the shaking gets more violent, the world around them breaking apart into these large, green cracks*
Karl Knave: Screw this shit, you're on your own!
*Karl gives two peace signs as his body, as well as the remnant of his dolls, fades into a cloud of dark mist, leaving behind no trace of him or his army of doll zombies*
Kanduu: As much as I would like to gloat further, I'm certainly not dying today!
Sebastian Jones: That makes for the both of us-
*all of a sudden, strange tendrils begin to surround our main four*
Kanduu: Not dying without YOU!
The world shook, reality started to break. Everything is going to end...
Lizzy gasped as she watched the Archivist fell, his green glow fading weakly. She looked around, scared that everything is breaking so fast, without any control to stop it.
"I-I'm sorry..." She cried, then she held onto Jean-Louis' arm for support as pieces began to fall down.
Outside, the trees glitched in and out, and the sky began to emit large cracks above - Karloff rushed over and held Pat and Luke close, pulling Sebastian along in his hold so that they don't get the first hit.
As much as they're panicking and bracing, Pat remained holding a determined and hopeful face. She looked at the sky, as if she expecting a miracle.. Or someone.
Back at the tunnels, while everyone braced for the end of everything, the screens suddenly began to flicker once more, and the screen that showed the blue flames turned to reveal something strange, without anyone noticing.
As the video played out, the rumbling slowed down, stopping to a halt. Then...
When it finally stopped, the screen turned back to black.
Everyone then looked up, seeing the world that was about to break.... Turning back to normal.
The cracks began to close up, and the glitching trees returned...
"What.... What happened?" Luke asked, staring up at what seemed to be the weirdest transition ever.
Sebastian Jones: I...I don't know...but, we live...
*as Sebastian tries to make sense of the situation, a shocked Kanduu gets rid of the tentacles once surrounding the others with a snap of his fingers, grabbing all of their attention*
Kanduu: So, we live...heh...I think I'll take my leave, if you all pardon me...
*but before he can leave, Pat and Karloff, but not his Karloff, block him from both sides*
Kanduu: Look, I was only bluffing when I said I wanted you all dead. Can't we talk things out like civilized people?
*they don't seem too convinced*
Kanduu: Well crap...
Sebastian Jones: *realizing something* Maddy! And the others!
*without another word, Sebastian rushes off, Luke questioning if he should stay or follow, as much as he'd rather not see Storm again*
*back in the tunnels, everyone is too perplexed by what just happened, the once vibrant green color scheme now a beautiful mish mash of all sorts of other colors, the once cracked and darkened screens buzzing back to life to display the other dimensions once more*
*except, instead of the pain and suffering they saw earlier, these dimensions were so...happy, uplifting even*
Billy Harlan: What...just happened?
Norman: And the screens. They've changed!
Madison Storm: Well...this was something even I wasn't expecting...
Jean-Louis: *instead of commenting on the state of the tunnel, he turns to speak to Lizzy* You...what you said to them...about us...you really mean that?
Pat stared at Kanduu, then glanced over to see Sebastian leaving with Luke following him. Once the two are gone, Karloff smirked, "No witnesses..."
In a blink of an eye, Kanduu was then heavily shoved down and a cleaver heavily whacked the concrete floor next to him HARD. Pat, donning her Butcher's outfit, glared at Kanduu while Karloff placed his shoe over his neck.
"You're not even worth a good meal for Karloff -" Pat said, leaving her calm and happy tone away and putting on her cold and monotonous attitude, "So I'll give you a choice.
Either you take a white flag and wave it high, and never EVER bother those kids again... Or... Maybe, you'll be just like Slappy again..."
She leaned down, her red goggles beaming boldly with Kanduu's reflection appearing shocked, "But I'll make it special. I'll carve out your insides, hollowing you out. Then I'll re-organize your bones so that it'll be a good mechanism to move your umoving, separated jaw and cut limbs. The worst thing is - You'll be ALIVE when I do it to you... Just like the rest of my victims...
So Kanduu.... Do you want to test me to see if I'll do it?"
-----
"I really mean it..." Lizzy smiled, looking at Jean-Louis, "You guys deserved more than pain. Life shouldn't make you live in it."
Suddenly, the screen in front of them glitched out, then it opened up a circular portal which revealed....
"LIZZY!"
"CRANIUM! KEITH! GUYS!"
Lizzy ran towards Inspector Cranium and hugged him, then the rest of her friends rushed in to hug her as well. Tears swelled on her cheeks as she continued holding onto her family close.
"What's with the rope?" Lizzy asked the inspector, looking at the rope around his waist. He sighed, "I was worried this dimensional trip will leave us lost so I have a secured rope just in case."
Michael smiled at her, then he turned his attention to the group, "Oh uh - Hi! I'm Michael Munroe, and you guys are - MADISON?!" His eyes glanced at each one until it landed on Madison.
"Karloff!" Pat cried, avoiding the melted dolls while rushing to her dear beloved. She went over to him and gently rose his upper body up, "Are you okay, love?"
She tipped over his hat to look at his beaming eyes slowly opening up, confused and in pain. When he looked at her, Pat noticed something wrong, with the way he stared at her as if he had never seen -
"Pat-sephone?" The Karloff in their dimension called out from the opposite side, "That's not me! I know I look handsome, but the confusion is almost too perfect... Ugh." He then fall back, a bit injured.
"Oh." Pat casually responded, then awkwardly turned to the other version, Harbinger Karloff, with a small smile, "My apologies." She gently set him down and rushed over to the real Karloff, "I'm glad you're alright!"
Karloff smiled and they shared a small kiss.
Luke, on the other hand, watched as the protection circle closed and he turned to Sebastian, "That's so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" His eyes beamed with joy, sparkling as if he had ignored the dead doll bodies around him.
Karl Knave: *too busy bemoaning the destruction of his creations to do anything else* MY DOLLS! MY PRECIOUS DOLLS!
Sebastian Jones: *waking back up* Ugh...what did I miss... *upon noticing Pat patching Karloff back up*
Sebastian Jones: *more sheepishly* Sorry! My powers act out like that sometimes! I hope you're not too hurt...
*now comes his confusion as Luke rushes up to him to declare how awesome that was, how did he do that, and if he could do it again at a rapid fire pace faster than Sebastian can keep up with*
Kanduu: *not sure how to react at first* ...Well...didn't see that one coming...
Kanduu: *regaining his ominous composure* And I would recommend licking your wounds quickly, for we aren't done-
*as if he had to be interrupted one too many times today, Kanduu begins to feel the very earth beneath his feet shake, eliciting a rare, concerned look from him, followed by what appeared to be faint cracking*
*and it seemed like his opponents and Karl noticed too, concern etched across their faces*
Kanduu, thinking to himself: This better not be Madison's, or heaven forbid, The Author's, doing...
*back in the tunnel*
The Author: Four minutes, thirty seconds remaining...
While The Author stood by, The Archivist gleefully cackled, crawling after the runaway members as they tried to run and hide. Lizzy grabbed Jean-Louis by the hand and pulled him away from an incoming lightning bolt, hinted to be The Archivist's power based on the direction.
"Awww~ Why save the alien, Morris?" The Archivist mocked, "He's not really him, you know? His original body WAS EATEN ALIVE by a bunch of CHEESE PUFFS!" He roared and climbed onto the green walls, crawling over the screens as he caught up to the two.
Lizzy quickly jumped away, grabbing Jean-Louis' hand as they both fall down in some kind of big dip, only to land in on a floating rock. The ground trembled, and cracks began to appear as if the dimensions cannot hold onto much longer.
The Author: Oh my, you two seem to be in a heap of trouble. At least you're not like the others
*back on the main platform Billy is struggling to figure out a way to rescue Lizzy and Jean, while Norman is running around from screen to screen like a headless chicken trying to figure something out, and Madison, upon being presented a panel of multicolored buttons, smashes each and everyone in hopes of there being a kill switch for the arcane bombs, all while evading the Archivist's hunting spree*
The Author: Running around frantically, trying to gain some sort of control over the scenario I presented before them, thinking they can evade a fate their alternate counterparts have suffered oh so many times, even if its only to delay the inevitable
*looking up to the timer, the Author finds its 3 minutes left*
The Author: And just enough time to talk about you, me, the Archivist, and what all of this means. And I don't even know where to start...
The Author: I know, how about the Archivist isn't too wrong about you saving the scrappy, Morris. I mean, REALLY? His original self died to a sentient species of snack food for crying out loud! Not like his other selves I made for my stories are better off, always hunted by more vicious, hostile beings that want nothing more than to kill him to satisfy their genocidal urges. Greg and Bonnie, the Xenotronians, the list can go on and on and on...All for the simple task of ensuring my readers can have a good story to tell, and to rant and rave about I redeemed the least favorite character of their fandom, even if I did it the worst possible way. Besides, not like there's anybody out there who actually CARES for him as a character anyway...
The Author: As for Norman, well...somebody's gotta learn that a god complex will always end in failure, even if it literally eats him alive
*the screens representing the other dimensions begin to crack, as if they couldn't hold the pressure any longer, while the timer shows one minute remaining*
The Author: Aww, but I'm having too much fun with these turn of events for Horroland to go "KABOOM!" I know, how about I add...three more minutes, and what the hell, an extra thirty seconds on top of that? Not because I'm feeling charitable, but because it prolongs the suffering and entertainment value of it all. And just enough time for the Archivist to give us a much needed expodump about the significance of the blue screen of flames to a certain Morris, and perhaps take our minds off our incoming demise if only for a little longer...
The Archivist grinned ear to ear, then he jumped forward, blocking of the runaway kids and standing between them and the blue flaming screen.
"You want to know what this is, Lizzy?" The Archivist, hand gesturing to the screen, "This is the original you.... But this is special~"
He crawled backwards, looming over the screen as he tapped it, hearing the faint cries and screams, "The Lizzy Morris everyone knows is just a smart girl who went through trouble at a monster-filled amusement park - But this screen... Ohohoho~ This isn't like any other!
It could've shown you the alternate end of your trip, where you and your family fall off a cliff. Or it could've shown you a bad ending where you failed the Horrorland series:.."
The Archivist tapped the screen gently, "But this... Get this people - This screen -
is from the same length as YOUR universe!"
Lizzy's eyes turned to dots, watching the Archivist cackled and unveiled his hands to show the continuous flames growing. The reflection emitted a blue hue bouncing off of the group.
"Shut up..." Lizzy muttered.
"Is this the past?... The present?... Or more sensible... The future?" The Archivist teased.
"Shut. Up." Lizzy's eyes darkened and she lowered her head down.
"Who knows? Maybe you're not a hero at all, but a villain meant to -"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Lizzy screamed, eyes jerking up with tears pouring out. At that moment, not only did the blue screen paused, but so did every other scene. They all shut down instantly, causing confusion, even to the two masterminds.
Suddenly, Lizzy's spoke up in the silence.
"Do you think it's a joke to you?! We're just characters meant to follow your stupid rules and games so that you can torture us?! You think it's good to remind us WHAT KIND OF VERSIONS WE ARE?!"
The Archivist stared, then responded casually, "Well, yeah -"
"I DON'T CARE!" Lizzy interrupted, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO I WAS WRITTEN BY - AND I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO BE OBSESSED OVER THESE STUPID ALTERNATE WORLDS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS. IT'S NOT MY BUSINESS OR YOURS TO MIND AND CONTROL OTHER VERSIONS OF ME AND WHAT-IFS SITUATIONS! I AM LIZZY MORRIS AND I CHOOSE TO THINK FOR MY OWN LIFE!
AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE JEAN-LOUIS AND NORMAN - THEY'RE LIKE ME TOO! THEY'D BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND THEY DESERVE A SPOT WHERE THEY GET TO LIVE PEACEFULLY, EVEN IF THEIR VERSIONS DIED MANY TIMES."
While Lizzy continued, the screens began to flicker. The Archivist, shocked unexpectedly, looked at the Author as if he suspected it was her doing.
"I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL A WORLD WHERE THEY GET TO BE AT PEACE - AND IF NOT, THEN MY WORLD WOULD BE FAIR FOR THEM ALL! FOR PEOPLE LIKE THEM! BECAUSE - THEY ARE MORE THAN CHARACTERS - THEY ARE PEOPLE!"
*The Author looks to the Archivist in return, as if she expected HIM to know what to do as the screens now began to distort and glitch out, the timer, which formerly left on one minute and thirty seconds, now flipping back and forth between numbers as the tunnel began to shake more violently, whether from the bomb or the fact Lizzy's "reason you suck" speech about fate and control was fucking up what bits of the current story left the Author had control of*
*all while everyone continues to panic even further, and upon realizing the situation, and how the Author's demeanor is now souring to the point of no return, for her and the rest of them, Madison gets an idea...*
The Author: *her once strange blue eyes now catching a blue kind of fire like the flames on the screen* No...NO! This is MY story, told on MY terms, and YOU, Ms. Morris, regardless of which version, are nothing more than a puppet under my-
*cue her getting cut off, and getting caught off guard, by a sudden surge of purple lightning bolts knocking her off what remained of the main platform, knocking her down into the cracking green void below*
*everyone looks, or looks up in Lizzy and Jean's case, to a Madison Storm engulfed by purple volts of electricity, his veins and eyes glowing with a bright purple before dying down*
Madison Storm: What? Even I have my standards. And I did tire of the way she was running things anyway...
*the Archivist, shocked at what Madison had just done, looks down to the void, then to the others, then to the scenery around them becoming more and more broken and chaotic and plain fucked up now that this reality's precious Author was gone, and for good from the looks of it*
MEANWHILE
*Samuel had just finally broken down the door to the Horrorland Theatre, only for instinct to force him into immediately get the hell out of there upon seeing the strange, cosmic cracks leaving the strange, green portal*
Mia: *panting* Finally, boss, I found you-
*Samuel immediately passes right by her, Mia questioning what the hell is happening when she sees the green arcs following right after him, and targeting HER too*
Mia: NOPE!
*but before either could flee, the arcs quickly catch up to them, the two of them turning into strange, green clouds of dust that immediately dissipates into the air, the same thing to the shadow creatures that once followed after Samuel*
*as for the other three Harbingers, and Pat, Karloff, Luke, and Sebastian, they all worry as the shaking gets more violent, the world around them breaking apart into these large, green cracks*
Karl Knave: Screw this shit, you're on your own!
*Karl gives two peace signs as his body, as well as the remnant of his dolls, fades into a cloud of dark mist, leaving behind no trace of him or his army of doll zombies*
Kanduu: As much as I would like to gloat further, I'm certainly not dying today!
Sebastian Jones: That makes for the both of us-
*all of a sudden, strange tendrils begin to surround our main four*
Kanduu: Not dying without YOU!
The world shook, reality started to break. Everything is going to end...
Lizzy gasped as she watched the Archivist fell, his green glow fading weakly. She looked around, scared that everything is breaking so fast, without any control to stop it.
"I-I'm sorry..." She cried, then she held onto Jean-Louis' arm for support as pieces began to fall down.
Outside, the trees glitched in and out, and the sky began to emit large cracks above - Karloff rushed over and held Pat and Luke close, pulling Sebastian along in his hold so that they don't get the first hit.
As much as they're panicking and bracing, Pat remained holding a determined and hopeful face. She looked at the sky, as if she expecting a miracle.. Or someone.
Back at the tunnels, while everyone braced for the end of everything, the screens suddenly began to flicker once more, and the screen that showed the blue flames turned to reveal something strange, without anyone noticing.
As the video played out, the rumbling slowed down, stopping to a halt. Then...
When it finally stopped, the screen turned back to black.
Everyone then looked up, seeing the world that was about to break.... Turning back to normal.
The cracks began to close up, and the glitching trees returned...
"What.... What happened?" Luke asked, staring up at what seemed to be the weirdest transition ever.
"Karloff!" Pat cried, avoiding the melted dolls while rushing to her dear beloved. She went over to him and gently rose his upper body up, "Are you okay, love?"
She tipped over his hat to look at his beaming eyes slowly opening up, confused and in pain. When he looked at her, Pat noticed something wrong, with the way he stared at her as if he had never seen -
"Pat-sephone?" The Karloff in their dimension called out from the opposite side, "That's not me! I know I look handsome, but the confusion is almost too perfect... Ugh." He then fall back, a bit injured.
"Oh." Pat casually responded, then awkwardly turned to the other version, Harbinger Karloff, with a small smile, "My apologies." She gently set him down and rushed over to the real Karloff, "I'm glad you're alright!"
Karloff smiled and they shared a small kiss.
Luke, on the other hand, watched as the protection circle closed and he turned to Sebastian, "That's so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" His eyes beamed with joy, sparkling as if he had ignored the dead doll bodies around him.
Karl Knave: *too busy bemoaning the destruction of his creations to do anything else* MY DOLLS! MY PRECIOUS DOLLS!
Sebastian Jones: *waking back up* Ugh...what did I miss... *upon noticing Pat patching Karloff back up*
Sebastian Jones: *more sheepishly* Sorry! My powers act out like that sometimes! I hope you're not too hurt...
*now comes his confusion as Luke rushes up to him to declare how awesome that was, how did he do that, and if he could do it again at a rapid fire pace faster than Sebastian can keep up with*
Kanduu: *not sure how to react at first* ...Well...didn't see that one coming...
Kanduu: *regaining his ominous composure* And I would recommend licking your wounds quickly, for we aren't done-
*as if he had to be interrupted one too many times today, Kanduu begins to feel the very earth beneath his feet shake, eliciting a rare, concerned look from him, followed by what appeared to be faint cracking*
*and it seemed like his opponents and Karl noticed too, concern etched across their faces*
Kanduu, thinking to himself: This better not be Madison's, or heaven forbid, The Author's, doing...
*back in the tunnel*
The Author: Four minutes, thirty seconds remaining...
While The Author stood by, The Archivist gleefully cackled, crawling after the runaway members as they tried to run and hide. Lizzy grabbed Jean-Louis by the hand and pulled him away from an incoming lightning bolt, hinted to be The Archivist's power based on the direction.
"Awww~ Why save the alien, Morris?" The Archivist mocked, "He's not really him, you know? His original body WAS EATEN ALIVE by a bunch of CHEESE PUFFS!" He roared and climbed onto the green walls, crawling over the screens as he caught up to the two.
Lizzy quickly jumped away, grabbing Jean-Louis' hand as they both fall down in some kind of big dip, only to land in on a floating rock. The ground trembled, and cracks began to appear as if the dimensions cannot hold onto much longer.
The Author: Oh my, you two seem to be in a heap of trouble. At least you're not like the others
*back on the main platform Billy is struggling to figure out a way to rescue Lizzy and Jean, while Norman is running around from screen to screen like a headless chicken trying to figure something out, and Madison, upon being presented a panel of multicolored buttons, smashes each and everyone in hopes of there being a kill switch for the arcane bombs, all while evading the Archivist's hunting spree*
The Author: Running around frantically, trying to gain some sort of control over the scenario I presented before them, thinking they can evade a fate their alternate counterparts have suffered oh so many times, even if its only to delay the inevitable
*looking up to the timer, the Author finds its 3 minutes left*
The Author: And just enough time to talk about you, me, the Archivist, and what all of this means. And I don't even know where to start...
The Author: I know, how about the Archivist isn't too wrong about you saving the scrappy, Morris. I mean, REALLY? His original self died to a sentient species of snack food for crying out loud! Not like his other selves I made for my stories are better off, always hunted by more vicious, hostile beings that want nothing more than to kill him to satisfy their genocidal urges. Greg and Bonnie, the Xenotronians, the list can go on and on and on...All for the simple task of ensuring my readers can have a good story to tell, and to rant and rave about I redeemed the least favorite character of their fandom, even if I did it the worst possible way. Besides, not like there's anybody out there who actually CARES for him as a character anyway...
The Author: As for Norman, well...somebody's gotta learn that a god complex will always end in failure, even if it literally eats him alive
*the screens representing the other dimensions begin to crack, as if they couldn't hold the pressure any longer, while the timer shows one minute remaining*
The Author: Aww, but I'm having too much fun with these turn of events for Horroland to go "KABOOM!" I know, how about I add...three more minutes, and what the hell, an extra thirty seconds on top of that? Not because I'm feeling charitable, but because it prolongs the suffering and entertainment value of it all. And just enough time for the Archivist to give us a much needed expodump about the significance of the blue screen of flames to a certain Morris, and perhaps take our minds off our incoming demise if only for a little longer...
The Archivist grinned ear to ear, then he jumped forward, blocking of the runaway kids and standing between them and the blue flaming screen.
"You want to know what this is, Lizzy?" The Archivist, hand gesturing to the screen, "This is the original you.... But this is special~"
He crawled backwards, looming over the screen as he tapped it, hearing the faint cries and screams, "The Lizzy Morris everyone knows is just a smart girl who went through trouble at a monster-filled amusement park - But this screen... Ohohoho~ This isn't like any other!
It could've shown you the alternate end of your trip, where you and your family fall off a cliff. Or it could've shown you a bad ending where you failed the Horrorland series:.."
The Archivist tapped the screen gently, "But this... Get this people - This screen -
is from the same length as YOUR universe!"
Lizzy's eyes turned to dots, watching the Archivist cackled and unveiled his hands to show the continuous flames growing. The reflection emitted a blue hue bouncing off of the group.
"Shut up..." Lizzy muttered.
"Is this the past?... The present?... Or more sensible... The future?" The Archivist teased.
"Shut. Up." Lizzy's eyes darkened and she lowered her head down.
"Who knows? Maybe you're not a hero at all, but a villain meant to -"
"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
Lizzy screamed, eyes jerking up with tears pouring out. At that moment, not only did the blue screen paused, but so did every other scene. They all shut down instantly, causing confusion, even to the two masterminds.
Suddenly, Lizzy's spoke up in the silence.
"Do you think it's a joke to you?! We're just characters meant to follow your stupid rules and games so that you can torture us?! You think it's good to remind us WHAT KIND OF VERSIONS WE ARE?!"
The Archivist stared, then responded casually, "Well, yeah -"
"I DON'T CARE!" Lizzy interrupted, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT WHO I WAS WRITTEN BY - AND I DON'T CARE IF I HAVE TO BE OBSESSED OVER THESE STUPID ALTERNATE WORLDS WHERE WE DON'T HAVE HAPPY ENDINGS. IT'S NOT MY BUSINESS OR YOURS TO MIND AND CONTROL OTHER VERSIONS OF ME AND WHAT-IFS SITUATIONS! I AM LIZZY MORRIS AND I CHOOSE TO THINK FOR MY OWN LIFE!
AND FOR PEOPLE LIKE JEAN-LOUIS AND NORMAN - THEY'RE LIKE ME TOO! THEY'D BEEN THROUGH A LOT AND THEY DESERVE A SPOT WHERE THEY GET TO LIVE PEACEFULLY, EVEN IF THEIR VERSIONS DIED MANY TIMES."
While Lizzy continued, the screens began to flicker. The Archivist, shocked unexpectedly, looked at the Author as if he suspected it was her doing.
"I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL A WORLD WHERE THEY GET TO BE AT PEACE - AND IF NOT, THEN MY WORLD WOULD BE FAIR FOR THEM ALL! FOR PEOPLE LIKE THEM! BECAUSE - THEY ARE MORE THAN CHARACTERS - THEY ARE PEOPLE!"
"Karloff!" Pat cried, avoiding the melted dolls while rushing to her dear beloved. She went over to him and gently rose his upper body up, "Are you okay, love?"
She tipped over his hat to look at his beaming eyes slowly opening up, confused and in pain. When he looked at her, Pat noticed something wrong, with the way he stared at her as if he had never seen -
"Pat-sephone?" The Karloff in their dimension called out from the opposite side, "That's not me! I know I look handsome, but the confusion is almost too perfect... Ugh." He then fall back, a bit injured.
"Oh." Pat casually responded, then awkwardly turned to the other version, Harbinger Karloff, with a small smile, "My apologies." She gently set him down and rushed over to the real Karloff, "I'm glad you're alright!"
Karloff smiled and they shared a small kiss.
Luke, on the other hand, watched as the protection circle closed and he turned to Sebastian, "That's so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" His eyes beamed with joy, sparkling as if he had ignored the dead doll bodies around him.
Karl Knave: *too busy bemoaning the destruction of his creations to do anything else* MY DOLLS! MY PRECIOUS DOLLS!
Sebastian Jones: *waking back up* Ugh...what did I miss... *upon noticing Pat patching Karloff back up*
Sebastian Jones: *more sheepishly* Sorry! My powers act out like that sometimes! I hope you're not too hurt...
*now comes his confusion as Luke rushes up to him to declare how awesome that was, how did he do that, and if he could do it again at a rapid fire pace faster than Sebastian can keep up with*
Kanduu: *not sure how to react at first* ...Well...didn't see that one coming...
Kanduu: *regaining his ominous composure* And I would recommend licking your wounds quickly, for we aren't done-
*as if he had to be interrupted one too many times today, Kanduu begins to feel the very earth beneath his feet shake, eliciting a rare, concerned look from him, followed by what appeared to be faint cracking*
*and it seemed like his opponents and Karl noticed too, concern etched across their faces*
Kanduu, thinking to himself: This better not be Madison's, or heaven forbid, The Author's, doing...
*back in the tunnel*
The Author: Four minutes, thirty seconds remaining...
While The Author stood by, The Archivist gleefully cackled, crawling after the runaway members as they tried to run and hide. Lizzy grabbed Jean-Louis by the hand and pulled him away from an incoming lightning bolt, hinted to be The Archivist's power based on the direction.
"Awww~ Why save the alien, Morris?" The Archivist mocked, "He's not really him, you know? His original body WAS EATEN ALIVE by a bunch of CHEESE PUFFS!" He roared and climbed onto the green walls, crawling over the screens as he caught up to the two.
Lizzy quickly jumped away, grabbing Jean-Louis' hand as they both fall down in some kind of big dip, only to land in on a floating rock. The ground trembled, and cracks began to appear as if the dimensions cannot hold onto much longer.
"Karloff!" Pat cried, avoiding the melted dolls while rushing to her dear beloved. She went over to him and gently rose his upper body up, "Are you okay, love?"
She tipped over his hat to look at his beaming eyes slowly opening up, confused and in pain. When he looked at her, Pat noticed something wrong, with the way he stared at her as if he had never seen -
"Pat-sephone?" The Karloff in their dimension called out from the opposite side, "That's not me! I know I look handsome, but the confusion is almost too perfect... Ugh." He then fall back, a bit injured.
"Oh." Pat casually responded, then awkwardly turned to the other version, Harbinger Karloff, with a small smile, "My apologies." She gently set him down and rushed over to the real Karloff, "I'm glad you're alright!"
Karloff smiled and they shared a small kiss.
Luke, on the other hand, watched as the protection circle closed and he turned to Sebastian, "That's so cool! I didn't know you could do that!" His eyes beamed with joy, sparkling as if he had ignored the dead doll bodies around him.
"And so, after we survived Karavan's crazy games, we managed to get Karlville back and our families can go back to us." Lizzy finished explaining to the group, walking in the middle. She was telling them all about her crazy adventures. From encountering Karloff again to the one with the Lords of Black, to the time she and her friends went to save their family from Karavan.
Lot to unpack.
"Yeah. I'm surprised too. There's probably still more mystery around, but I actually really like my home over there. I spend time with my friends and family, learn more mysteries and histories, and I get to... You know, be myself."
Lizzy pulled out her phone and gazed at the pictures she kept. Even though there are no cell service and she couldn't call her friends, the girl could at least show pictures. She then gestured to Norman and Billy Harlan series of pictures.
Some involved her with the other VSG.
Others involved landscape pictures of Horrorland and such.
One particular picture has Keith stealing her phone while she sleeps, smiling widely with a blank stare.
Then the last photo is a selfie of Lizzy with Abby, and in the background, Karloff and Pat are sitting next to each other, with Karloff laying his head next to Pat.
Norman: *chuckling* Reminds me of when Keith-our Keith-stole Chloe's phone just so he could figure out what a selfie was
Billy Harlan: At least until he opened the wrong app and accidentally ordered $200 worth of pizza off DoorDash, best pizza night ever...
*but when Lizzie shows them the happy scene between Karloff and Pat...*
Billy Harlan: *with nothing but pure shock* Oh, I...he actually...loves someone...
Norman: I hope she's nice as this other Karloff is...
Jean-Louis: Well, there's Sebastian and Madison, if that counts...
"Pat is a lovely woman, I'll tell you that. She's understanding, caring, and even though things are scary, she's always there to give us guidance."
"Wait, Madison actually find someone in this universe? I thought he's, like, the last guy anyone expected to have a partner."
Lizzy laughed, feeling her heart beat calmly at the memories she has made. She's about to show them more when suddenly...
Something loud caught their attention.
An alarm. Or rather... Music?
"Do you guys hear that?" Lizzy looked up, staring at the crows leaving the trees in fear. She nervously rubbed her arm, and her heart began to pound loud and fast again.
*in the distance they hear a hurried set of footsteps, eliciting a shocked shout of*
Madison Storm: BOYS?!
All Three of the Boys: MADISON?!
Madison Storm: AND LIZZIE MORRIS?! Oh my god, first your spying, insolent brother, and NOW YOU?!
*but before anyone can say anything, not even a shout or argument, a strange, dark fog envelops the set, sending a scared shiver down their spines*
Madison Storm: Oh no...
Billy Harlan: "Oh no" what, Madison?
Norman: Um, yeah, should we be worried?
*cue the visceral roar in the distance*
Madison Storm: VERY...
MEANWHILE
*Sebastian and Luke are trying to navigate the park without getting noticed when the entire park descends into panic, followed by the strange, dark fog crawling past their feet*
Luke paused, holding onto Sebastian close as he stared at the crawling fog, "Moppy, what's going on?!"
The fog reminded him of Panic Park, along with the dreaded feeling looming upon everyone. Great - Now he's going to face THIS world's version of Karloff.
Immediately, the boy looked up and shouted, "LIZZY?! LIZ - ARE YOU THERE?!" His eyes bounced everywhere, feeling as though he's seeing something but it isn't there.
*all around them strange, wisp-like entities weave in and out of the fog, snatching up several unfortunate victims screaming in their final moments*
*and in the midst of it all emerges a tall, finely dressed figure*
*and it wasn't this universe's version of Karloff*
Kanduu: *with a sinister glint in his eyes* Why, we meet again, Sebastian. And not with the other four, I see... *glances over to the now terrified Luke* And you must be that boy who gave two of my "brothers" trouble...
....
....
...
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh.... Whooo are you? Question mark?" Fear turned to confusion briefly for Luke, narrowing his eyes to try to figure out who this old-ass
wrinkly-bony,
privilege-looking,
outdated-wise,
cliche-boring-ass,
no-rizzing-capturin',
1000-year old dried cake man... Thing? He's too normal and old-fashioned to be a regular man.
Kanduu: *rolls his eyes and sighs* I guess some introductions are in order. I already know who you two are, especially you, Luke Morris. As for me...well, I go by many names. The Great Kanduu, the Man in Black, the Carnie, the Ring Master, and because of a back stabbing idiot apprentice of mine trapping my soul in a puppet for some centuries...*more reluctantly* Slappy...
Kanduu: But enough of that, as I know why you're here, why you're both here. And a certain lady isn't too happy at your interference of her story...
"..... Wait, you're this world's Slappy??" Luke asked again, even more confused that he missed that last part, "Man - You really... Really look very different than the Slappy I have in my universe."
"I mean, no offense, dude - But you're tall, and he's like a punt-able football, according to my World's Michael, and you clearly have an outdated sense of fashion. To be fair, Karloff does in my universe, but he loves being experimental with leather pants and different coat styles. I think he's trying out a more fall-themed for his looks, matching with his girlfriend, Pat and -"
BOOM!
Luke immediately jumped, gasping at the sound of thunder before he stopped, "Ok ok - I'm sorry again. What was that you're saying?"
Kanduu: Kids these days don't listen, do they? I can fix that...
*his eyes go pitch black as more of the darkness surrounds him, consumes him even, all while the colors of the world start to saturate, then darken into a strange, and kind of bland, monochrome*
Kanduu: I'm sure you remember Karloff, don't you? Just too bad Karl and Samuel can't join the fun, as they're currently dealing with the others
Sebastian Jones: *with worry on his face* Oh no...
***
*from the other side of the park Madison and the others find themselves surrounded by the fog, followed by the growl*
Billy Harlan: That's not Mia, is it?
Samuel Joseph: *chuckles sadistically* You WISHED. And shame on you, Storm. Then again, I suspected there was something different about you compared to me and the other Harbingers...
*before anyone can react, and Madison could beg Samuel to stay back, a horrifying mish-mash of man, wolf, and some kind of mass of inky black tentacles leap from the fog, the majority of his human face taken up by a giant jaw lined with row after row of needle-like teeth*
"Guys, who's that?!" Lizzy screamed, eyes widening and sweat dripping off her face. She backed away, holding onto Jean-Louis sleeve tightly. This person didn't appear in her universe, but something about him screams "DANGER!" all over.
Especially when THERE'S A GIANT TERRIFYING MONSTER.
She gazed at Madison after hearing what that man said, "What does he mean by that?? Comparing yourself to them??"
Madison Storm: As much as I'd like to explain, even to my worst enemy to end all worst enemies, DUCK!
*they all leap out of the way, Lizzy never letting her grip of Jean's sweater sleeve go as the beast of a man misses his target with an angered howl*
Norman: LOOK!
*they all look in the direction Norman is pointing, finding a path the fog hasn't surrounded yet*
*and right in time for the strange creatures to make their appearance from the fog, many of them standing by the beast, as if waiting for its command to attack them*
The Beast: Grrr...
*before her eyes Lizzy gazed in terror as the creature that was once a man begins to shift and reshape himself, finishing with a mass of tentacles bursting from under his skin to reveal the blobby, inky monster beneath, letting loose a roar loud enough to shake the ground*
Jean-Louis: *grabbing Lizzy's hand tightly* We need to go! NOW!
*with Madison in the lead, letting out one final curse of "Samuel!" at the beast, they all follow the path carved in the fog, the beast and his army of shadow creatures not too far behind them*
Lizzy followed the group down to the fogless path, panting rapidly. She squinted her eyes and began thinking to herself, "Please let us go home safely - PLEASE let us go back home safely!"
The howls and roars of the monsters still emitted from behind, very faint but getting closer to them. Lizzy looked around, hoping Luke's just as safe with whatever companion he has.
---
Back to Luke, he's screaming for his life while he and Sebastian try to run away from Kanduu. Luke looks back at the frightening old man before turning to Sebastian, "FLY FASTER!"
His eyes couldn't take the world shifting more and more grey, reminding him of the scenarios the kids had to face. But to be honest, this guy is actually really scarier than Slappy in their universe.
That doesn't matter now as they kept running away.
*as the world becomes grayer and grayer, Kanduu can't help but shake his head at Sebastian flying upwards with Luke in tow*
Kanduu: You really think you can escape us so easily?
*from the fog emerges an tall and towering figure made entirely of a dark smoke, what features can be seen being the horrifying mishmash of Karloff's human and monster faces*
Kanduu: I'm sure you know what to do
*the figure nods, unleashing a spindly arm towards the duo as they try to hide among the greying storm clouds, Sebastian just about to pass through one such cloud when he felt the tight grip around his ankle, and the sudden force quickly dragging him down no matter how hard he flapped*
Karloff Mennis, or what once was him: *shrieking with a garbled and distorted laugh* Don't run. We've just got started!
*Sebastian and Luke descend faster and faster, Sebastian unable to flap hard enough to flee from Karloff's grasp, the hand's claws digging deep enough to bleed out his ankle the more he struggled*
*elsewhere, Madison is trying to lead the kids-and his number one enemy turned temporary ally-out of the fog, eyes desperately darting around for somewhere they could hide, and somewhere he could call off Lockdown 22*
*which reminded him? WHY would she, of all people, initiate Lockdown 22 without as much as informing him? And why did Samuel say he suspected something out of him? It's not like he knows what Madison knows about the rest of the Harbinger's plans to give him the boot? Does he?*
*but there's no time to dwell, or wonder if Samuel was just using the opportunity to finally be rid of him, as he had to run as fast as his middle aged legs, or the immortal equivalent of such, could carry him*
*and before he knows it, he finds someplace they could hide*
THE OLD HORRORLAND THEATRE! CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR DISREPAIRS
Madison Storm: In there! Quickly!
Samuel Joseph: *a distorted semblance of a mocking laugh* Don't worry, Storm. I'll kill you quickly! I'll kill you ALL quickly!
Luke held onto dear life, cannot figure out what to do while the crazier Karloff had him and his friend in a deadly grip. As the two began to sink down, though, a sharp claw swung at the Harbringer, nearly killing him by dashing his neck. This caused the Harbringer to stumble back in surprise, letting go of Sebastian.
The two screamed until that same claw grabbed them and safely put them on the ground, in the area away from the two Harbringers. Luke looked and..
And he smiled widely, "KARLOFF!"
Karloff snarled, using his Idreer form while his size grew as large as the other version. He opened his monstrous mouth as he roars, and the shadow surrounded him like he's a magical demon out of the Underworld.
"You must be the annoying alternate - And I see you didn't get rid of that nasty red smug on your face!" Karloff spat at his version, readying his claws again.
----
Lizzy shoved forward with Jean-Louis, pushing the doors open and gesturing the others to enter quickly.
Once they did, Lizzy pulled the doors to a close and shoved a nearby shelf against it like a barrier. She panted, but her worries grew worse when a green glow caught her attention.
Everyone looked at the front, seeing what seemed to be an opening cavern with green cracks around. From the looks on the group's faces, Lizzy pinned that they didn't expect or have seen this either.
She observed the entrance, seeing an endless tunnel ahead. Faint rumbling echoed within, as if it's expecting them to enter or mocking them if they're too chicken.
"This..." Lizzy gasped, "What is this?"
Norman: Should we...like, enter?
*before Lizzy can make an answer, the tunnel glows brightly, as if beckoning her and the others to do so*
Madison Storm: Yeah, let's enter the strange green tunnel leading to who the hell knows where. What can possibly go-
*behind them, they can hear the wood of the door splinter apart from the full force of Samuel body slamming his way inside*
Madison Storm: INTO THE SPOOKY GREEN TUNNEL IT IS!
*they all rush inside, never looking back as Samuel roars violently behind them*
*but as they run farther and farther into the seemingly endless, green landscape, things start to...change*
*before them lied what seemed to be images, screens even, displaying the lives and deaths of different kinds of people, creatures, and things*
*people including themselves*
Billy Harlan: *pointing to a screen showing a boy that looks just like him cowering at the shadow of something cornering him inside some sort of cabin, then another showing him triumphing over the battle against a creature that almost looked like Sabre, if he were a real animal and not an animatronic* Is that...me?
*Norman is too busy looking at another one of the screens to reply, his eyes glued onto his horrified face screaming as a swarm of bugs and insects devour him alive*
*same thing with Jean-Louis, watching in terror at his other self, covered in a mess of his own, inky black blood, pleading for mercy as the other version of Greg and Bonnie, who have shed their human disguises to show their monstrous alien true selves, have him cornered in the perfect spot to finish him, and by extension the rest of his alien species, off*
*and when Norman and Jean-Louis look around to see if there was another version of themselves not dying to a horrific fate, they find...*
*...nothing...*
Madison Storm: *noting the screen showing him getting trapped within his how Universal Monster Attractor* Aw, come on! Even that other me, if that's who I think it is, can't catch a break!
Billy Harlan: But...what is this place? And why are there so many of us on these...screen things?
*back outside, the two-faced Karloff snarls at the beast form of his alternate self, Luke cheering on his universe's Karloff to kick some ass, while Sebastian watches on with a look of pure "WTF" at the confrontation*
Kanduu: Well, this just got more interesting... *points to the Idreer version of Karloff* Kill him
Karloff braced himself as the other version fought him, the two going head-to-head with impeccable strength. They fought with claw, fist, and shadow power. Karloff made sure to keep the fight away from tumbling over Luke and that weird bird guy.
However, he wasn't alone to save the two.
Pat immediately rushed over, "Luke!" Luke turned and gasped, rushing forward to embrace the woman with a big hug, "PAT!"
Pat cried in relief, holding the boy with joy and worry as she made sure he's alright. She then eyed up at Sebastian, before Luke immediately caught her and gestured to the two, "Sebastian - This is Pat, from my world! Pat, that's Sebastian - he saved me!"
"Nice to meet you, Sebastian. Thanks for saving Luke." Pat responded with a smile, then her eyes turned to the two Karloffs, "I should've expected this world had its own counterpart of Karly... And -"
She paused, catching a glimpse of a dark Kanduu. Pat gestured the two to stand behind her, her eyes narrowing at the strange man.
"Oh - That's supposed to be Slappy." Luke added.
"I can tell by the outdated, overrated image of his face." Pat replied.
---------
In each screen showed a variety of characters, but most of them weren't familiar or in the same vicinity as Norman and Jean-Louis.
There's a screen showing Michael Munroe ruling the world with his enemies, as the purple lizard aliens.
Another showed Carly Beth without a face, stumbling awkwardly yet threatening while a masked man hid behind a counter, possibly hiding from her presence.
But... Those weren't the screens Lizzy Morris focused on.
Instead of the screens of her escaping Horrorland, or gripping her seat as her family's car tipped down the edge of a cliff - Lizzy stared at a particular set of screens, showing nothing.
But blue flames.
She froze in front of them, staring at the flames grow higher and higher with that particular color. Faint screams emitted from them, but they all sounded both familiar and unfamiliar to her.
This isn't what her story is.
This isn't what she had remembered.
But why does THIS exist then?
*the rest of the group watch with jaws dropped, even Madison, surprisingly, all of them rendered silent by the scenes playing before them, especially the screen with nothing but blue flames and the agonized screams*
Madison Storm: That...that's not you, is it?
The Author: *chuckling* I'm so glad you could join us, including you, Mr. Storm
*they all spin around, eyes widening at the tall and imposing woman standing before them, her otherwise normal appearance, and academic sense of clothing, doing nothing to quell the dread swelling among them*
The Author: And just in time for the big, exciting plot twist to this tragic tale...
*back outside, Kanduu isn't taking so kindly to Pat's words*
Kanduu: Outdated? OVERRATED!?!?
Karl Knave: Finally, I found you! What did I miss-
*Karl stops as he finds his universe's Karloff already in his true form fighting against the other Karloff in his own monstrous form, all while some blonde haired woman is standing nearby with Luke and Sebastian*
Karl Knave: Hey, you can't just kill some poor saps without me and my toys!
Sebastian Jones: T-Toys?
*as if on cue, the fog grows even stronger, releasing an army of not shadow creatures, but people*
*people who look too much like dolls, almost to an uncanny degree, their entire bodies glistening in what light remained as if they were made of plastic, all of them moving with these distorted poses like zombies*
Karl Knave: The people of Karlsville give their regards
*he then points to the three, the doll people stopping their erratic walk as if awaiting a command*
Karl Knave: FETCH ME THEIR SOULS!
*if it weren't for how shit was getting real, Sebastian would've quipped at Karl's video game reference, not like he knew they had actual taste in human media*
*but with the doll people charging towards them, and that strange, arcane energy forced upon him by Samuel pulsing through his veins, Sebastian realizes he needs to act, and fast*
*he just hopes this won't kill him like it almost did last time*
Lizzy stared up at the strange woman, eyes cold and frightened, "Who are you?? What plot twist?!" She clenched onto her shirt tightly, glaring daggers before another figure slithered by.
Behind the Author is a tall black and green monster with many human arms and a terrifying face. He almost look like a centipede, but much more disgusting.
"My favorite toy is here~" He purred, "And so are the rest..."
His eyes stared down at Billy Harlan, "The Average character,"
Then at Madison, "The One-Off Game Villain."
And finally, at Norman and Jean-Louis, "And the Haunting Hour kids... I never realized there's a world where you actually survived, but then again...
This is just an AU, and your originals died nothing more than endings."
------
"..After the freakshow I had with your other version's son, Karl - I'm less scared of your people than Karavan - BUT IM STILL SCARED NETHERLESS!" Luke screamed, then Karloff turned and immediately summoned a protection circle around the boy.
Thinking fast, Pat quickly grabbed a fallen metal pole nearby and swung it like a bo-staff. She then charged at the dolls and started hitting them with the pole, tossing them away and jumping swiftly to avoid their attacks.
Karloff glared at his other version and he shouted chanting words, creating multiple monster-like clawa at the harbinger to try and cuff his hands.
"And so, after we survived Karavan's crazy games, we managed to get Karlville back and our families can go back to us." Lizzy finished explaining to the group, walking in the middle. She was telling them all about her crazy adventures. From encountering Karloff again to the one with the Lords of Black, to the time she and her friends went to save their family from Karavan.
Lot to unpack.
"Yeah. I'm surprised too. There's probably still more mystery around, but I actually really like my home over there. I spend time with my friends and family, learn more mysteries and histories, and I get to... You know, be myself."
Lizzy pulled out her phone and gazed at the pictures she kept. Even though there are no cell service and she couldn't call her friends, the girl could at least show pictures. She then gestured to Norman and Billy Harlan series of pictures.
Some involved her with the other VSG.
Others involved landscape pictures of Horrorland and such.
One particular picture has Keith stealing her phone while she sleeps, smiling widely with a blank stare.
Then the last photo is a selfie of Lizzy with Abby, and in the background, Karloff and Pat are sitting next to each other, with Karloff laying his head next to Pat.
Norman: *chuckling* Reminds me of when Keith-our Keith-stole Chloe's phone just so he could figure out what a selfie was
Billy Harlan: At least until he opened the wrong app and accidentally ordered $200 worth of pizza off DoorDash, best pizza night ever...
*but when Lizzie shows them the happy scene between Karloff and Pat...*
Billy Harlan: *with nothing but pure shock* Oh, I...he actually...loves someone...
Norman: I hope she's nice as this other Karloff is...
Jean-Louis: Well, there's Sebastian and Madison, if that counts...
"Pat is a lovely woman, I'll tell you that. She's understanding, caring, and even though things are scary, she's always there to give us guidance."
"Wait, Madison actually find someone in this universe? I thought he's, like, the last guy anyone expected to have a partner."
Lizzy laughed, feeling her heart beat calmly at the memories she has made. She's about to show them more when suddenly...
Something loud caught their attention.
An alarm. Or rather... Music?
"Do you guys hear that?" Lizzy looked up, staring at the crows leaving the trees in fear. She nervously rubbed her arm, and her heart began to pound loud and fast again.
*in the distance they hear a hurried set of footsteps, eliciting a shocked shout of*
Madison Storm: BOYS?!
All Three of the Boys: MADISON?!
Madison Storm: AND LIZZIE MORRIS?! Oh my god, first your spying, insolent brother, and NOW YOU?!
*but before anyone can say anything, not even a shout or argument, a strange, dark fog envelops the set, sending a scared shiver down their spines*
Madison Storm: Oh no...
Billy Harlan: "Oh no" what, Madison?
Norman: Um, yeah, should we be worried?
*cue the visceral roar in the distance*
Madison Storm: VERY...
MEANWHILE
*Sebastian and Luke are trying to navigate the park without getting noticed when the entire park descends into panic, followed by the strange, dark fog crawling past their feet*
Luke paused, holding onto Sebastian close as he stared at the crawling fog, "Moppy, what's going on?!"
The fog reminded him of Panic Park, along with the dreaded feeling looming upon everyone. Great - Now he's going to face THIS world's version of Karloff.
Immediately, the boy looked up and shouted, "LIZZY?! LIZ - ARE YOU THERE?!" His eyes bounced everywhere, feeling as though he's seeing something but it isn't there.
*all around them strange, wisp-like entities weave in and out of the fog, snatching up several unfortunate victims screaming in their final moments*
*and in the midst of it all emerges a tall, finely dressed figure*
*and it wasn't this universe's version of Karloff*
Kanduu: *with a sinister glint in his eyes* Why, we meet again, Sebastian. And not with the other four, I see... *glances over to the now terrified Luke* And you must be that boy who gave two of my "brothers" trouble...
....
....
...
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh.... Whooo are you? Question mark?" Fear turned to confusion briefly for Luke, narrowing his eyes to try to figure out who this old-ass
wrinkly-bony,
privilege-looking,
outdated-wise,
cliche-boring-ass,
no-rizzing-capturin',
1000-year old dried cake man... Thing? He's too normal and old-fashioned to be a regular man.
Kanduu: *rolls his eyes and sighs* I guess some introductions are in order. I already know who you two are, especially you, Luke Morris. As for me...well, I go by many names. The Great Kanduu, the Man in Black, the Carnie, the Ring Master, and because of a back stabbing idiot apprentice of mine trapping my soul in a puppet for some centuries...*more reluctantly* Slappy...
Kanduu: But enough of that, as I know why you're here, why you're both here. And a certain lady isn't too happy at your interference of her story...
"..... Wait, you're this world's Slappy??" Luke asked again, even more confused that he missed that last part, "Man - You really... Really look very different than the Slappy I have in my universe."
"I mean, no offense, dude - But you're tall, and he's like a punt-able football, according to my World's Michael, and you clearly have an outdated sense of fashion. To be fair, Karloff does in my universe, but he loves being experimental with leather pants and different coat styles. I think he's trying out a more fall-themed for his looks, matching with his girlfriend, Pat and -"
BOOM!
Luke immediately jumped, gasping at the sound of thunder before he stopped, "Ok ok - I'm sorry again. What was that you're saying?"
Kanduu: Kids these days don't listen, do they? I can fix that...
*his eyes go pitch black as more of the darkness surrounds him, consumes him even, all while the colors of the world start to saturate, then darken into a strange, and kind of bland, monochrome*
Kanduu: I'm sure you remember Karloff, don't you? Just too bad Karl and Samuel can't join the fun, as they're currently dealing with the others
Sebastian Jones: *with worry on his face* Oh no...
***
*from the other side of the park Madison and the others find themselves surrounded by the fog, followed by the growl*
Billy Harlan: That's not Mia, is it?
Samuel Joseph: *chuckles sadistically* You WISHED. And shame on you, Storm. Then again, I suspected there was something different about you compared to me and the other Harbingers...
*before anyone can react, and Madison could beg Samuel to stay back, a horrifying mish-mash of man, wolf, and some kind of mass of inky black tentacles leap from the fog, the majority of his human face taken up by a giant jaw lined with row after row of needle-like teeth*
"Guys, who's that?!" Lizzy screamed, eyes widening and sweat dripping off her face. She backed away, holding onto Jean-Louis sleeve tightly. This person didn't appear in her universe, but something about him screams "DANGER!" all over.
Especially when THERE'S A GIANT TERRIFYING MONSTER.
She gazed at Madison after hearing what that man said, "What does he mean by that?? Comparing yourself to them??"
Madison Storm: As much as I'd like to explain, even to my worst enemy to end all worst enemies, DUCK!
*they all leap out of the way, Lizzy never letting her grip of Jean's sweater sleeve go as the beast of a man misses his target with an angered howl*
Norman: LOOK!
*they all look in the direction Norman is pointing, finding a path the fog hasn't surrounded yet*
*and right in time for the strange creatures to make their appearance from the fog, many of them standing by the beast, as if waiting for its command to attack them*
The Beast: Grrr...
*before her eyes Lizzy gazed in terror as the creature that was once a man begins to shift and reshape himself, finishing with a mass of tentacles bursting from under his skin to reveal the blobby, inky monster beneath, letting loose a roar loud enough to shake the ground*
Jean-Louis: *grabbing Lizzy's hand tightly* We need to go! NOW!
*with Madison in the lead, letting out one final curse of "Samuel!" at the beast, they all follow the path carved in the fog, the beast and his army of shadow creatures not too far behind them*
Lizzy followed the group down to the fogless path, panting rapidly. She squinted her eyes and began thinking to herself, "Please let us go home safely - PLEASE let us go back home safely!"
The howls and roars of the monsters still emitted from behind, very faint but getting closer to them. Lizzy looked around, hoping Luke's just as safe with whatever companion he has.
---
Back to Luke, he's screaming for his life while he and Sebastian try to run away from Kanduu. Luke looks back at the frightening old man before turning to Sebastian, "FLY FASTER!"
His eyes couldn't take the world shifting more and more grey, reminding him of the scenarios the kids had to face. But to be honest, this guy is actually really scarier than Slappy in their universe.
That doesn't matter now as they kept running away.
*as the world becomes grayer and grayer, Kanduu can't help but shake his head at Sebastian flying upwards with Luke in tow*
Kanduu: You really think you can escape us so easily?
*from the fog emerges an tall and towering figure made entirely of a dark smoke, what features can be seen being the horrifying mishmash of Karloff's human and monster faces*
Kanduu: I'm sure you know what to do
*the figure nods, unleashing a spindly arm towards the duo as they try to hide among the greying storm clouds, Sebastian just about to pass through one such cloud when he felt the tight grip around his ankle, and the sudden force quickly dragging him down no matter how hard he flapped*
Karloff Mennis, or what once was him: *shrieking with a garbled and distorted laugh* Don't run. We've just got started!
*Sebastian and Luke descend faster and faster, Sebastian unable to flap hard enough to flee from Karloff's grasp, the hand's claws digging deep enough to bleed out his ankle the more he struggled*
*elsewhere, Madison is trying to lead the kids-and his number one enemy turned temporary ally-out of the fog, eyes desperately darting around for somewhere they could hide, and somewhere he could call off Lockdown 22*
*which reminded him? WHY would she, of all people, initiate Lockdown 22 without as much as informing him? And why did Samuel say he suspected something out of him? It's not like he knows what Madison knows about the rest of the Harbinger's plans to give him the boot? Does he?*
*but there's no time to dwell, or wonder if Samuel was just using the opportunity to finally be rid of him, as he had to run as fast as his middle aged legs, or the immortal equivalent of such, could carry him*
*and before he knows it, he finds someplace they could hide*
THE OLD HORRORLAND THEATRE! CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR DISREPAIRS
Madison Storm: In there! Quickly!
Samuel Joseph: *a distorted semblance of a mocking laugh* Don't worry, Storm. I'll kill you quickly! I'll kill you ALL quickly!
Luke held onto dear life, cannot figure out what to do while the crazier Karloff had him and his friend in a deadly grip. As the two began to sink down, though, a sharp claw swung at the Harbringer, nearly killing him by dashing his neck. This caused the Harbringer to stumble back in surprise, letting go of Sebastian.
The two screamed until that same claw grabbed them and safely put them on the ground, in the area away from the two Harbringers. Luke looked and..
And he smiled widely, "KARLOFF!"
Karloff snarled, using his Idreer form while his size grew as large as the other version. He opened his monstrous mouth as he roars, and the shadow surrounded him like he's a magical demon out of the Underworld.
"You must be the annoying alternate - And I see you didn't get rid of that nasty red smug on your face!" Karloff spat at his version, readying his claws again.
----
Lizzy shoved forward with Jean-Louis, pushing the doors open and gesturing the others to enter quickly.
Once they did, Lizzy pulled the doors to a close and shoved a nearby shelf against it like a barrier. She panted, but her worries grew worse when a green glow caught her attention.
Everyone looked at the front, seeing what seemed to be an opening cavern with green cracks around. From the looks on the group's faces, Lizzy pinned that they didn't expect or have seen this either.
She observed the entrance, seeing an endless tunnel ahead. Faint rumbling echoed within, as if it's expecting them to enter or mocking them if they're too chicken.
"This..." Lizzy gasped, "What is this?"
Norman: Should we...like, enter?
*before Lizzy can make an answer, the tunnel glows brightly, as if beckoning her and the others to do so*
Madison Storm: Yeah, let's enter the strange green tunnel leading to who the hell knows where. What can possibly go-
*behind them, they can hear the wood of the door splinter apart from the full force of Samuel body slamming his way inside*
Madison Storm: INTO THE SPOOKY GREEN TUNNEL IT IS!
*they all rush inside, never looking back as Samuel roars violently behind them*
*but as they run farther and farther into the seemingly endless, green landscape, things start to...change*
*before them lied what seemed to be images, screens even, displaying the lives and deaths of different kinds of people, creatures, and things*
*people including themselves*
Billy Harlan: *pointing to a screen showing a boy that looks just like him cowering at the shadow of something cornering him inside some sort of cabin, then another showing him triumphing over the battle against a creature that almost looked like Sabre, if he were a real animal and not an animatronic* Is that...me?
*Norman is too busy looking at another one of the screens to reply, his eyes glued onto his horrified face screaming as a swarm of bugs and insects devour him alive*
*same thing with Jean-Louis, watching in terror at his other self, covered in a mess of his own, inky black blood, pleading for mercy as the other version of Greg and Bonnie, who have shed their human disguises to show their monstrous alien true selves, have him cornered in the perfect spot to finish him, and by extension the rest of his alien species, off*
*and when Norman and Jean-Louis look around to see if there was another version of themselves not dying to a horrific fate, they find...*
*...nothing...*
Madison Storm: *noting the screen showing him getting trapped within his how Universal Monster Attractor* Aw, come on! Even that other me, if that's who I think it is, can't catch a break!
Billy Harlan: But...what is this place? And why are there so many of us on these...screen things?
*back outside, the two-faced Karloff snarls at the beast form of his alternate self, Luke cheering on his universe's Karloff to kick some ass, while Sebastian watches on with a look of pure "WTF" at the confrontation*
Kanduu: Well, this just got more interesting... *points to the Idreer version of Karloff* Kill him
Karloff braced himself as the other version fought him, the two going head-to-head with impeccable strength. They fought with claw, fist, and shadow power. Karloff made sure to keep the fight away from tumbling over Luke and that weird bird guy.
However, he wasn't alone to save the two.
Pat immediately rushed over, "Luke!" Luke turned and gasped, rushing forward to embrace the woman with a big hug, "PAT!"
Pat cried in relief, holding the boy with joy and worry as she made sure he's alright. She then eyed up at Sebastian, before Luke immediately caught her and gestured to the two, "Sebastian - This is Pat, from my world! Pat, that's Sebastian - he saved me!"
"Nice to meet you, Sebastian. Thanks for saving Luke." Pat responded with a smile, then her eyes turned to the two Karloffs, "I should've expected this world had its own counterpart of Karly... And -"
She paused, catching a glimpse of a dark Kanduu. Pat gestured the two to stand behind her, her eyes narrowing at the strange man.
"Oh - That's supposed to be Slappy." Luke added.
"I can tell by the outdated, overrated image of his face." Pat replied.
---------
In each screen showed a variety of characters, but most of them weren't familiar or in the same vicinity as Norman and Jean-Louis.
There's a screen showing Michael Munroe ruling the world with his enemies, as the purple lizard aliens.
Another showed Carly Beth without a face, stumbling awkwardly yet threatening while a masked man hid behind a counter, possibly hiding from her presence.
But... Those weren't the screens Lizzy Morris focused on.
Instead of the screens of her escaping Horrorland, or gripping her seat as her family's car tipped down the edge of a cliff - Lizzy stared at a particular set of screens, showing nothing.
But blue flames.
She froze in front of them, staring at the flames grow higher and higher with that particular color. Faint screams emitted from them, but they all sounded both familiar and unfamiliar to her.
This isn't what her story is.
This isn't what she had remembered.
But why does THIS exist then?
"And so, after we survived Karavan's crazy games, we managed to get Karlville back and our families can go back to us." Lizzy finished explaining to the group, walking in the middle. She was telling them all about her crazy adventures. From encountering Karloff again to the one with the Lords of Black, to the time she and her friends went to save their family from Karavan.
Lot to unpack.
"Yeah. I'm surprised too. There's probably still more mystery around, but I actually really like my home over there. I spend time with my friends and family, learn more mysteries and histories, and I get to... You know, be myself."
Lizzy pulled out her phone and gazed at the pictures she kept. Even though there are no cell service and she couldn't call her friends, the girl could at least show pictures. She then gestured to Norman and Billy Harlan series of pictures.
Some involved her with the other VSG.
Others involved landscape pictures of Horrorland and such.
One particular picture has Keith stealing her phone while she sleeps, smiling widely with a blank stare.
Then the last photo is a selfie of Lizzy with Abby, and in the background, Karloff and Pat are sitting next to each other, with Karloff laying his head next to Pat.
Norman: *chuckling* Reminds me of when Keith-our Keith-stole Chloe's phone just so he could figure out what a selfie was
Billy Harlan: At least until he opened the wrong app and accidentally ordered $200 worth of pizza off DoorDash, best pizza night ever...
*but when Lizzie shows them the happy scene between Karloff and Pat...*
Billy Harlan: *with nothing but pure shock* Oh, I...he actually...loves someone...
Norman: I hope she's nice as this other Karloff is...
Jean-Louis: Well, there's Sebastian and Madison, if that counts...
"Pat is a lovely woman, I'll tell you that. She's understanding, caring, and even though things are scary, she's always there to give us guidance."
"Wait, Madison actually find someone in this universe? I thought he's, like, the last guy anyone expected to have a partner."
Lizzy laughed, feeling her heart beat calmly at the memories she has made. She's about to show them more when suddenly...
Something loud caught their attention.
An alarm. Or rather... Music?
"Do you guys hear that?" Lizzy looked up, staring at the crows leaving the trees in fear. She nervously rubbed her arm, and her heart began to pound loud and fast again.
*in the distance they hear a hurried set of footsteps, eliciting a shocked shout of*
Madison Storm: BOYS?!
All Three of the Boys: MADISON?!
Madison Storm: AND LIZZIE MORRIS?! Oh my god, first your spying, insolent brother, and NOW YOU?!
*but before anyone can say anything, not even a shout or argument, a strange, dark fog envelops the set, sending a scared shiver down their spines*
Madison Storm: Oh no...
Billy Harlan: "Oh no" what, Madison?
Norman: Um, yeah, should we be worried?
*cue the visceral roar in the distance*
Madison Storm: VERY...
MEANWHILE
*Sebastian and Luke are trying to navigate the park without getting noticed when the entire park descends into panic, followed by the strange, dark fog crawling past their feet*
Luke paused, holding onto Sebastian close as he stared at the crawling fog, "Moppy, what's going on?!"
The fog reminded him of Panic Park, along with the dreaded feeling looming upon everyone. Great - Now he's going to face THIS world's version of Karloff.
Immediately, the boy looked up and shouted, "LIZZY?! LIZ - ARE YOU THERE?!" His eyes bounced everywhere, feeling as though he's seeing something but it isn't there.
*all around them strange, wisp-like entities weave in and out of the fog, snatching up several unfortunate victims screaming in their final moments*
*and in the midst of it all emerges a tall, finely dressed figure*
*and it wasn't this universe's version of Karloff*
Kanduu: *with a sinister glint in his eyes* Why, we meet again, Sebastian. And not with the other four, I see... *glances over to the now terrified Luke* And you must be that boy who gave two of my "brothers" trouble...
....
....
...
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh.... Whooo are you? Question mark?" Fear turned to confusion briefly for Luke, narrowing his eyes to try to figure out who this old-ass
wrinkly-bony,
privilege-looking,
outdated-wise,
cliche-boring-ass,
no-rizzing-capturin',
1000-year old dried cake man... Thing? He's too normal and old-fashioned to be a regular man.
Kanduu: *rolls his eyes and sighs* I guess some introductions are in order. I already know who you two are, especially you, Luke Morris. As for me...well, I go by many names. The Great Kanduu, the Man in Black, the Carnie, the Ring Master, and because of a back stabbing idiot apprentice of mine trapping my soul in a puppet for some centuries...*more reluctantly* Slappy...
Kanduu: But enough of that, as I know why you're here, why you're both here. And a certain lady isn't too happy at your interference of her story...
"..... Wait, you're this world's Slappy??" Luke asked again, even more confused that he missed that last part, "Man - You really... Really look very different than the Slappy I have in my universe."
"I mean, no offense, dude - But you're tall, and he's like a punt-able football, according to my World's Michael, and you clearly have an outdated sense of fashion. To be fair, Karloff does in my universe, but he loves being experimental with leather pants and different coat styles. I think he's trying out a more fall-themed for his looks, matching with his girlfriend, Pat and -"
BOOM!
Luke immediately jumped, gasping at the sound of thunder before he stopped, "Ok ok - I'm sorry again. What was that you're saying?"
Kanduu: Kids these days don't listen, do they? I can fix that...
*his eyes go pitch black as more of the darkness surrounds him, consumes him even, all while the colors of the world start to saturate, then darken into a strange, and kind of bland, monochrome*
Kanduu: I'm sure you remember Karloff, don't you? Just too bad Karl and Samuel can't join the fun, as they're currently dealing with the others
Sebastian Jones: *with worry on his face* Oh no...
***
*from the other side of the park Madison and the others find themselves surrounded by the fog, followed by the growl*
Billy Harlan: That's not Mia, is it?
Samuel Joseph: *chuckles sadistically* You WISHED. And shame on you, Storm. Then again, I suspected there was something different about you compared to me and the other Harbingers...
*before anyone can react, and Madison could beg Samuel to stay back, a horrifying mish-mash of man, wolf, and some kind of mass of inky black tentacles leap from the fog, the majority of his human face taken up by a giant jaw lined with row after row of needle-like teeth*
"Guys, who's that?!" Lizzy screamed, eyes widening and sweat dripping off her face. She backed away, holding onto Jean-Louis sleeve tightly. This person didn't appear in her universe, but something about him screams "DANGER!" all over.
Especially when THERE'S A GIANT TERRIFYING MONSTER.
She gazed at Madison after hearing what that man said, "What does he mean by that?? Comparing yourself to them??"
Madison Storm: As much as I'd like to explain, even to my worst enemy to end all worst enemies, DUCK!
*they all leap out of the way, Lizzy never letting her grip of Jean's sweater sleeve go as the beast of a man misses his target with an angered howl*
Norman: LOOK!
*they all look in the direction Norman is pointing, finding a path the fog hasn't surrounded yet*
*and right in time for the strange creatures to make their appearance from the fog, many of them standing by the beast, as if waiting for its command to attack them*
The Beast: Grrr...
*before her eyes Lizzy gazed in terror as the creature that was once a man begins to shift and reshape himself, finishing with a mass of tentacles bursting from under his skin to reveal the blobby, inky monster beneath, letting loose a roar loud enough to shake the ground*
Jean-Louis: *grabbing Lizzy's hand tightly* We need to go! NOW!
*with Madison in the lead, letting out one final curse of "Samuel!" at the beast, they all follow the path carved in the fog, the beast and his army of shadow creatures not too far behind them*
Lizzy followed the group down to the fogless path, panting rapidly. She squinted her eyes and began thinking to herself, "Please let us go home safely - PLEASE let us go back home safely!"
The howls and roars of the monsters still emitted from behind, very faint but getting closer to them. Lizzy looked around, hoping Luke's just as safe with whatever companion he has.
---
Back to Luke, he's screaming for his life while he and Sebastian try to run away from Kanduu. Luke looks back at the frightening old man before turning to Sebastian, "FLY FASTER!"
His eyes couldn't take the world shifting more and more grey, reminding him of the scenarios the kids had to face. But to be honest, this guy is actually really scarier than Slappy in their universe.
That doesn't matter now as they kept running away.
*as the world becomes grayer and grayer, Kanduu can't help but shake his head at Sebastian flying upwards with Luke in tow*
Kanduu: You really think you can escape us so easily?
*from the fog emerges an tall and towering figure made entirely of a dark smoke, what features can be seen being the horrifying mishmash of Karloff's human and monster faces*
Kanduu: I'm sure you know what to do
*the figure nods, unleashing a spindly arm towards the duo as they try to hide among the greying storm clouds, Sebastian just about to pass through one such cloud when he felt the tight grip around his ankle, and the sudden force quickly dragging him down no matter how hard he flapped*
Karloff Mennis, or what once was him: *shrieking with a garbled and distorted laugh* Don't run. We've just got started!
*Sebastian and Luke descend faster and faster, Sebastian unable to flap hard enough to flee from Karloff's grasp, the hand's claws digging deep enough to bleed out his ankle the more he struggled*
*elsewhere, Madison is trying to lead the kids-and his number one enemy turned temporary ally-out of the fog, eyes desperately darting around for somewhere they could hide, and somewhere he could call off Lockdown 22*
*which reminded him? WHY would she, of all people, initiate Lockdown 22 without as much as informing him? And why did Samuel say he suspected something out of him? It's not like he knows what Madison knows about the rest of the Harbinger's plans to give him the boot? Does he?*
*but there's no time to dwell, or wonder if Samuel was just using the opportunity to finally be rid of him, as he had to run as fast as his middle aged legs, or the immortal equivalent of such, could carry him*
*and before he knows it, he finds someplace they could hide*
THE OLD HORRORLAND THEATRE! CURRENTLY CLOSED FOR DISREPAIRS
Madison Storm: In there! Quickly!
Samuel Joseph: *a distorted semblance of a mocking laugh* Don't worry, Storm. I'll kill you quickly! I'll kill you ALL quickly!
Luke held onto dear life, cannot figure out what to do while the crazier Karloff had him and his friend in a deadly grip. As the two began to sink down, though, a sharp claw swung at the Harbringer, nearly killing him by dashing his neck. This caused the Harbringer to stumble back in surprise, letting go of Sebastian.
The two screamed until that same claw grabbed them and safely put them on the ground, in the area away from the two Harbringers. Luke looked and..
And he smiled widely, "KARLOFF!"
Karloff snarled, using his Idreer form while his size grew as large as the other version. He opened his monstrous mouth as he roars, and the shadow surrounded him like he's a magical demon out of the Underworld.
"You must be the annoying alternate - And I see you didn't get rid of that nasty red smug on your face!" Karloff spat at his version, readying his claws again.
----
Lizzy shoved forward with Jean-Louis, pushing the doors open and gesturing the others to enter quickly.
Once they did, Lizzy pulled the doors to a close and shoved a nearby shelf against it like a barrier. She panted, but her worries grew worse when a green glow caught her attention.
Everyone looked at the front, seeing what seemed to be an opening cavern with green cracks around. From the looks on the group's faces, Lizzy pinned that they didn't expect or have seen this either.
She observed the entrance, seeing an endless tunnel ahead. Faint rumbling echoed within, as if it's expecting them to enter or mocking them if they're too chicken.
"This..." Lizzy gasped, "What is this?"
"And so, after we survived Karavan's crazy games, we managed to get Karlville back and our families can go back to us." Lizzy finished explaining to the group, walking in the middle. She was telling them all about her crazy adventures. From encountering Karloff again to the one with the Lords of Black, to the time she and her friends went to save their family from Karavan.
Lot to unpack.
"Yeah. I'm surprised too. There's probably still more mystery around, but I actually really like my home over there. I spend time with my friends and family, learn more mysteries and histories, and I get to... You know, be myself."
Lizzy pulled out her phone and gazed at the pictures she kept. Even though there are no cell service and she couldn't call her friends, the girl could at least show pictures. She then gestured to Norman and Billy Harlan series of pictures.
Some involved her with the other VSG.
Others involved landscape pictures of Horrorland and such.
One particular picture has Keith stealing her phone while she sleeps, smiling widely with a blank stare.
Then the last photo is a selfie of Lizzy with Abby, and in the background, Karloff and Pat are sitting next to each other, with Karloff laying his head next to Pat.
Norman: *chuckling* Reminds me of when Keith-our Keith-stole Chloe's phone just so he could figure out what a selfie was
Billy Harlan: At least until he opened the wrong app and accidentally ordered $200 worth of pizza off DoorDash, best pizza night ever...
*but when Lizzie shows them the happy scene between Karloff and Pat...*
Billy Harlan: *with nothing but pure shock* Oh, I...he actually...loves someone...
Norman: I hope she's nice as this other Karloff is...
Jean-Louis: Well, there's Sebastian and Madison, if that counts...
"Pat is a lovely woman, I'll tell you that. She's understanding, caring, and even though things are scary, she's always there to give us guidance."
"Wait, Madison actually find someone in this universe? I thought he's, like, the last guy anyone expected to have a partner."
Lizzy laughed, feeling her heart beat calmly at the memories she has made. She's about to show them more when suddenly...
Something loud caught their attention.
An alarm. Or rather... Music?
"Do you guys hear that?" Lizzy looked up, staring at the crows leaving the trees in fear. She nervously rubbed her arm, and her heart began to pound loud and fast again.
*in the distance they hear a hurried set of footsteps, eliciting a shocked shout of*
Madison Storm: BOYS?!
All Three of the Boys: MADISON?!
Madison Storm: AND LIZZIE MORRIS?! Oh my god, first your spying, insolent brother, and NOW YOU?!
*but before anyone can say anything, not even a shout or argument, a strange, dark fog envelops the set, sending a scared shiver down their spines*
Madison Storm: Oh no...
Billy Harlan: "Oh no" what, Madison?
Norman: Um, yeah, should we be worried?
*cue the visceral roar in the distance*
Madison Storm: VERY...
MEANWHILE
*Sebastian and Luke are trying to navigate the park without getting noticed when the entire park descends into panic, followed by the strange, dark fog crawling past their feet*
Luke paused, holding onto Sebastian close as he stared at the crawling fog, "Moppy, what's going on?!"
The fog reminded him of Panic Park, along with the dreaded feeling looming upon everyone. Great - Now he's going to face THIS world's version of Karloff.
Immediately, the boy looked up and shouted, "LIZZY?! LIZ - ARE YOU THERE?!" His eyes bounced everywhere, feeling as though he's seeing something but it isn't there.
*all around them strange, wisp-like entities weave in and out of the fog, snatching up several unfortunate victims screaming in their final moments*
*and in the midst of it all emerges a tall, finely dressed figure*
*and it wasn't this universe's version of Karloff*
Kanduu: *with a sinister glint in his eyes* Why, we meet again, Sebastian. And not with the other four, I see... *glances over to the now terrified Luke* And you must be that boy who gave two of my "brothers" trouble...
....
....
...
"Uhhhhhhhhhhh.... Whooo are you? Question mark?" Fear turned to confusion briefly for Luke, narrowing his eyes to try to figure out who this old-ass
wrinkly-bony,
privilege-looking,
outdated-wise,
cliche-boring-ass,
no-rizzing-capturin',
1000-year old dried cake man... Thing? He's too normal and old-fashioned to be a regular man.
Kanduu: *rolls his eyes and sighs* I guess some introductions are in order. I already know who you two are, especially you, Luke Morris. As for me...well, I go by many names. The Great Kanduu, the Man in Black, the Carnie, the Ring Master, and because of a back stabbing idiot apprentice of mine trapping my soul in a puppet for some centuries...*more reluctantly* Slappy...
Kanduu: But enough of that, as I know why you're here, why you're both here. And a certain lady isn't too happy at your interference of her story...
"..... Wait, you're this world's Slappy??" Luke asked again, even more confused that he missed that last part, "Man - You really... Really look very different than the Slappy I have in my universe."
"I mean, no offense, dude - But you're tall, and he's like a punt-able football, according to my World's Michael, and you clearly have an outdated sense of fashion. To be fair, Karloff does in my universe, but he loves being experimental with leather pants and different coat styles. I think he's trying out a more fall-themed for his looks, matching with his girlfriend, Pat and -"
BOOM!
Luke immediately jumped, gasping at the sound of thunder before he stopped, "Ok ok - I'm sorry again. What was that you're saying?"
Kanduu: Kids these days don't listen, do they? I can fix that...
*his eyes go pitch black as more of the darkness surrounds him, consumes him even, all while the colors of the world start to saturate, then darken into a strange, and kind of bland, monochrome*
Kanduu: I'm sure you remember Karloff, don't you? Just too bad Karl and Samuel can't join the fun, as they're currently dealing with the others
Sebastian Jones: *with worry on his face* Oh no...
***
*from the other side of the park Madison and the others find themselves surrounded by the fog, followed by the growl*
Billy Harlan: That's not Mia, is it?
Samuel Joseph: *chuckles sadistically* You WISHED. And shame on you, Storm. Then again, I suspected there was something different about you compared to me and the other Harbingers...
*before anyone can react, and Madison could beg Samuel to stay back, a horrifying mish-mash of man, wolf, and some kind of mass of inky black tentacles leap from the fog, the majority of his human face taken up by a giant jaw lined with row after row of needle-like teeth*
"Guys, who's that?!" Lizzy screamed, eyes widening and sweat dripping off her face. She backed away, holding onto Jean-Louis sleeve tightly. This person didn't appear in her universe, but something about him screams "DANGER!" all over.
Especially when THERE'S A GIANT TERRIFYING MONSTER.
She gazed at Madison after hearing what that man said, "What does he mean by that?? Comparing yourself to them??"
Madison Storm: As much as I'd like to explain, even to my worst enemy to end all worst enemies, DUCK!
*they all leap out of the way, Lizzy never letting her grip of Jean's sweater sleeve go as the beast of a man misses his target with an angered howl*
Norman: LOOK!
*they all look in the direction Norman is pointing, finding a path the fog hasn't surrounded yet*
*and right in time for the strange creatures to make their appearance from the fog, many of them standing by the beast, as if waiting for its command to attack them*
The Beast: Grrr...
*before her eyes Lizzy gazed in terror as the creature that was once a man begins to shift and reshape himself, finishing with a mass of tentacles bursting from under his skin to reveal the blobby, inky monster beneath, letting loose a roar loud enough to shake the ground*
Jean-Louis: *grabbing Lizzy's hand tightly* We need to go! NOW!
*with Madison in the lead, letting out one final curse of "Samuel!" at the beast, they all follow the path carved in the fog, the beast and his army of shadow creatures not too far behind them*
Lizzy followed the group down to the fogless path, panting rapidly. She squinted her eyes and began thinking to herself, "Please let us go home safely - PLEASE let us go back home safely!"
The howls and roars of the monsters still emitted from behind, very faint but getting closer to them. Lizzy looked around, hoping Luke's just as safe with whatever companion he has.
---
Back to Luke, he's screaming for his life while he and Sebastian try to run away from Kanduu. Luke looks back at the frightening old man before turning to Sebastian, "FLY FASTER!"
His eyes couldn't take the world shifting more and more grey, reminding him of the scenarios the kids had to face. But to be honest, this guy is actually really scarier than Slappy in their universe.
That doesn't matter now as they kept running away.