two years ago i cracked the code for writing a formula for a mystery novel and i can not find my notes on it nor can i find the articles that i read that helped me figure it out. it was like a circle that went OUTWARDS from key aspects that a plot needs but i keep getting "hero's journey" or a circle that is really just a wheel with a regular plot and i know what i mean but i can't FIND my notes about it??? i had multiple pages talking about mystery plots and i can only find the one and i am cursing past Erin for not keeping better track of them
The eerie silence settled over the town square like a thick fog as the crowd stood frozen, eyes locked on the scene unfolding before them. They watched with bated breath, hearts pounding in their chests, afraid to even blink for fear of missing a crucial moment.
"YOU'RE A KILLER, A MURDERER! YOU'RE CRAZY!!" The words echoed through the still air, cutting through the tension like a knife. The man's voice trembled with anger, his façade of confidence crumbling in the face of the woman's calm demeanor.
"Darling, if you kill a killer, it's still murder," she responded coolly, her voice a stark contrast to his outburst. Her words hung in the air, leaving him at a loss for a rebuttal.
Caught in the spotlight of the onlookers, he glanced around nervously, searching for some sign of support or guidance. But the faces staring back at him were filled with apprehension, offering no solace or reassurance.
"Bet you a gold piece she escapes?" a hushed voice whispered from the outskirts of the crowd, breaking the tense silence. Another voice chimed in, setting the terms of the wager.
"50 bronze ones, or nothing."
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd as the bet was struck, adding an undercurrent of anticipation to the already charged atmosphere.
The woman's laughter cut through the tension like a bolt of lightning, sending shivers down the man's spine. It was a sound tinged with madness, a glimpse into the depths of her unpredictable nature.
As the echoes of her laughter faded away, a chill settled over the square, leaving the spectators on edge and uncertain of what was to come. The man's fear grew with each passing moment, a gnawing sensation in the pit of his stomach telling him that this was far from over.
And he knew, deep down, that he had reason to be afraid.
For in that moment, he realized that he was not the hunter, but the hunted.
Join us for the latest installment in our audio series, where the storyline takes a thrilling twist!
The newest episode of "Slowly Unspooling," titled "The Messages" follows closely as we delve into Kai's captivating journey within the enigmatic confines of their workplace. Through the aid of a reliable recorder, Kai candidly opens up about their innermost thoughts and feelings. Brace yourself for even more unexpected revelations to come!
Prepare yourself for a thought-provoking encounter as our main character receives enigmatic messages and undergoes an eerie sensation of being watched.
Please be aware that this episode addresses intense themes, including emotional turmoil, work-related pressure, existential unease, sleeplessness, mental health challenges, self-doubt, isolation, work-related demands, perplexity, ear strain, and audio distortions. We kindly advise you to approach this content with sensitivity.
Featuring the exceptional talents of Aspen Rayne as the voice of Kai, this episode guarantees an unforgettable auditory escapade.
For those intrigued by the complete script, fret not! You can access the transcript for your perusal through the following link: Transcript Link
We would like to express our gratitude to zapsplat.com for providing captivating sound effects, and to pixabay.com, whose enchanting music sets the tone throughout the episode.
Don't let this electrifying episode slip through your fingers! Tune in on your preferred platform by following this amazing link: Listen Here. Your auditory journey awaits!
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/?
Fandom: Team Fortress 2
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Characters: Medic (Team Fortress 2), Spy (Team Fortress 2), Sniper (Team Fortress 2), Scout (Team Fortress 2), Heavy (Team Fortress 2), Demoman (Team Fortress 2), Engineer (Team Fortress 2), Pyro (Team Fortress 2), Soldier (Team Fortress 2), Miss Pauling (Team Fortress 2), Administrator (Team Fortress 2), Tf2 OC - Character
Additional Tags: Mystery, Alternate Universe, Original Character(s)
Summary:
A new Merc joins a Battle worn team in the middle of the desert, hoping to get away from memories that don't seem to be his anymore.
But after a few months of endless fighting, he realizes that the go-lucky team he's joined isn't really that innocent after all, and his attempts to dig deeper might uncover things that should have been left buried.
Everything feels slowed down. People are running at half speed, voices sound far deeper than normal, and there’s the sound of a baby crying somewhere in the back of his mind. He can’t decide if this is something out of a horror movie or a comedy. Maybe it’s a mix of both.
He continues to sit there, staring down at his hands. For a brief second, he sees blood. His blood? Someone else’s?
Who did he hurt?
“Henrik!”
This voice is not slowed down or deeper pitched. It sounds like Jackie, normal, ordinary Jackie, and he’s standing right in front of the doctor, dressed in full uniform. Jackie looks utterly wiped, and Henrik can’t blame him.
It’d been a false alarm.
“Henrik, you’re not at fault for this,” Jackie’s voice is far too gentle for his liking, and Henrik scoffs, watching the slowed run of nurses trying to do damage control. He’s far too numb to bring himself to care about angry new mothers complaining about this disturbance.
“Are you listening?”
He mutters something in German, shifting his whole body to the side. The translation Jackie manages to catch is ‘mystery man’, because Jackie puts his hands on Henrik’s shoulders and spins him back around. “Who called you?”
“I don’t know.” Henrik mutters. Jackie snaps his fingers by Henrik’s ear, trying to snap him out of his delirium.
“Focus, who called you?”
“I don’t know! He would not say.”
“What did he sound like?” Jackie’s eyes are narrowed, staring angrily at Henrik. Henrik logically knows Jackie’s not actually mad at him, he’s mad at the situation, but in his panicked delirium, he can imagine Jackie dropping him out of a top story window for the trouble he’s caused.
“...he...” Henrik shrugs weakly. “He sounded like us.”
“That’s not a whole lot, we have a whole list of Forgotten Jerkbags who sound like us. Give me more.”
“...I don’t know!” Henrik protests, shrinking back. “What else do you want? He sounded like...like you. With your Irish...accent? Yes. Like you.”
Jackie’s raises an eyebrow. There’s a fleeting expression on his face that tells Henrik he knows something, and Henrik isn’t sure if he likes that or if he’d prefer Jackie to go back to being angry at him instead.
“I’m taking you home,” Jackie says finally. “You need rest.”
How many times has he seen people use human shields now? People do bizarre things when they’re panicked and defensive, using their own friends as a bargaining chip. Today is no exception, and as Jackie holds his sword out in front of him, he’s trying to decide if it’s worth running the shield through to get to his target, or if he’s better off waiting.
The worst part, is that Jackie knows why these thoughts are entering his head. He tries not to be a killer of innocent people, but it’s not like the shields are exactly innocent either. It’s a horrific standoff, with him staring down the human shield rather than his intended mark.
“Jackieboy, please,” the shield whispers. “Please don’t kill me. Please don’t hurt me.” The man’s sweating, eyeing the sword just inches from his face. “You’re the hero, I know you are. I’ll submit, I’ll go to jail, I’ll help you, just please...help me...”
Jackie lets out a frustrated cry as he turns suddenly, ramming his sword into the wall, kicking his leg out at the same time to trip the pair and knock them over. “Get out of my head!” He snarls to no one.
Oh, but Jackie, you know you want to.
“I’m not a killer,” he whispers, waving his hand to let the police rush in. “I’m a hero, and you have no power over me.”
Oh, so you do know me. Very good. I suspect we’ll meet again soon.
“Of course I know you,” Jackie snarls, craning his neck back to stare at the sky. “I know about all of you.”
…So, I legally have to keep transmitting while I’m on case unless something confidential happens, and flight time is going to be a big ol’ chunk of nothing, so. Anyone got any questions I’m allowed to answer? Wake’s great but he’s hardly conversational.
Sir.
Oh, right. Also, for the sake of understanding what’s been going on, we still need to determine how Ms. Abdullah got offplanet, and what happened to her to begin with. So if anyone out there’s already trawling scans of the local nebula, please keep doing that. Wake needs to keep a full record, because even if she’s fine, a future Admin going MIA isn’t something that makes anyone happy. And given what she left behind, I can’t imagine it’s a nice story.
