A Twisted Fairy Tale

[superkamiguy1]

Don't. Leave. The Trail.

[superkamiguy1]

Deep within the heart of The Majestic Mockingbird Forest, where ancient trees stretched towards the sky and their leaves rustled in the gentle breeze, there existed a symphony of sound that few had ever heard. The forest was alive with whispers, each one a unique note in a grand composition that changed with the seasons. In the springtime, the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects filled the air, creating a lively melody that danced among the trees. Summer brought the hum of crickets and the distant rumble of waterfalls, while autumn saw the rustling of leaves and the hooting of owls. But it was in winter, when the forest lay blanketed in snow, that the true magic of the woods revealed itself. Then, the only sounds were the soft crunch of snow underfoot and the eerie howling of wind through bare branches, casting a spell of silence over all.

Minerva Sadie slowly shuffled her feet down the Majestic Mockingbird Forest Trail. Slowly, carefully, deliberately, every step cautious. Every step measured. Every oh so carefully placed down on the trail. Do not deviate from the trail, do not step away from the trail, do not fall away from the trail, always stay on the trail. Always stay on the trail. The Mockingbird Forest was their forest. The forest of horror. The forest of death. Oh so much death. But the trail was safe. The trail was the only safe place in the forest. So long as you stayed on the trail you were safe. They wouldn't come after you if you stayed on the trail. They had their own twisted rules for the forest but they left the trail alone as a safe zone for visitors. So long as you stayed on the trail and did not harm the forest you were safe. Minerva could only hope that the fools coming to their town would be smart enough to heed that warning. To be perfectly honest, Minerva knew that she shouldn't be here either. Coming this far out was dangerous and stupid but she felt she owed it to Tawnie. Minerva never truly understood why she'd been spared that day, the day they over half the town, so she had spent the time sense warning everyone and anyone that would listen to stay far away from the forest. They could settle into their town if they wanted but they had to stay away from the Majestic Mockingbird Forest. That was Tawnie's territory. This was Tawnie's world. Anyone who ventured here, who ventured off the trail, was lost to the forest forever.

So Minerva carefully shuffled her feet until she figured she was deep enough that Tawnie would hear her. 



"Tawnie? Tawnie? Are out there? Can you hear me? I-it's Minerva."

She called out nervously. There was no response. As usual. Tawnie didn't reveal herself unless you stepped off of the trail or harmed the forest. Everybody knew the legends. Everybody knew the stories. Everybody who'd survived that fateful day knew they were true. They knew to stay away from the forest. Minerva thought that she'd seen her on occasion, just for a moment, in a flicker in her peripheral vision, but Tawnie never responded back. Still, Minerva tried to talk to her just like she was doing now, in hopes that she would at least hear her.

"It's Minerva." She repeated. "I've called out to you before? Y-you spared me that day? I-I've been trying to keep them away from here, all the visitors, all the travelers, the investigators, I've tried. They didn't always listen, but, you know, I tried. I-I just figured that was....was wh-why you spared me that day...but, uhm, I'm leaving the town. There's just...there's just nothing there for me anymore. I'm sorry. I have to leave."

She sighed. "People are coming to the town, Tawnie, they're coming, quote, renovate it. It's been a Ghost Town since that day anyway and it's time for new blood to bring it back." She gulped before she continued. "They've made me a good offer for my home. I can't refuse it. I have to leave, Tawnie, I have to get up and go...I'll warn them. I'll warn them thoroughly. I'll warn them to stay on the trail. I'll let them know not to come here....but...I-I can't promise anything. If they make the foolhardy decision to come in here anyway, that's on them, it won't be my fault, you know? S-so...this is...goodbye Tawnie. I wish you the best. May the forest live in peace forever more."

She signed herself with the sign of the cross and then she turned around and slowly and carefully made her way back down the trail back to town.

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 8, 2023 2:59:34 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Deep within the heart of The Majestic Mockingbird Forest, where ancient trees stretched towards the sky and their leaves rustled in the gentle breeze, there existed a symphony of sound that few had ever heard. The forest was alive with whispers, each one a unique note in a grand composition that changed with the seasons. In the springtime, the chirping of birds and buzzing of insects filled the air, creating a lively melody that danced among the trees. Summer brought the hum of crickets and the distant rumble of waterfalls, while autumn saw the rustling of leaves and the hooting of owls. But it was in winter, when the forest lay blanketed in snow, that the true magic of the woods revealed itself. Then, the only sounds were the soft crunch of snow underfoot and the eerie howling of wind through bare branches, casting a spell of silence over all.

Minerva Sadie slowly shuffled her feet down the Majestic Mockingbird Forest Trail. Slowly, carefully, deliberately, every step cautious. Every step measured. Every oh so carefully placed down on the trail. Do not deviate from the trail, do not step away from the trail, do not fall away from the trail, always stay on the trail. Always stay on the trail. The Mockingbird Forest was their forest. The forest of horror. The forest of death. Oh so much death. But the trail was safe. The trail was the only safe place in the forest. So long as you stayed on the trail you were safe. They wouldn't come after you if you stayed on the trail. They had their own twisted rules for the forest but they left the trail alone as a safe zone for visitors. So long as you stayed on the trail and did not harm the forest you were safe. Minerva could only hope that the fools coming to their town would be smart enough to heed that warning. To be perfectly honest, Minerva knew that she shouldn't be here either. Coming this far out was dangerous and stupid but she felt she owed it to Tawnie. Minerva never truly understood why she'd been spared that day, the day they over half the town, so she had spent the time sense warning everyone and anyone that would listen to stay far away from the forest. They could settle into their town if they wanted but they had to stay away from the Majestic Mockingbird Forest. That was Tawnie's territory. This was Tawnie's world. Anyone who ventured here, who ventured off the trail, was lost to the forest forever.

So Minerva carefully shuffled her feet until she figured she was deep enough that Tawnie would hear her. 



"Tawnie? Tawnie? Are out there? Can you hear me? I-it's Minerva."

She called out nervously. There was no response. As usual. Tawnie didn't reveal herself unless you stepped off of the trail or harmed the forest. Everybody knew the legends. Everybody knew the stories. Everybody who'd survived that fateful day knew they were true. They knew to stay away from the forest. Minerva thought that she'd seen her on occasion, just for a moment, in a flicker in her peripheral vision, but Tawnie never responded back. Still, Minerva tried to talk to her just like she was doing now, in hopes that she would at least hear her.

"It's Minerva." She repeated. "I've called out to you before? Y-you spared me that day? I-I've been trying to keep them away from here, all the visitors, all the travelers, the investigators, I've tried. They didn't always listen, but, you know, I tried. I-I just figured that was....was wh-why you spared me that day...but, uhm, I'm leaving the town. There's just...there's just nothing there for me anymore. I'm sorry. I have to leave."

She sighed. "People are coming to the town, Tawnie, they're coming, quote, renovate it. It's been a Ghost Town since that day anyway and it's time for new blood to bring it back." She gulped before she continued. "They've made me a good offer for my home. I can't refuse it. I have to leave, Tawnie, I have to get up and go...I'll warn them. I'll warn them thoroughly. I'll warn them to stay on the trail. I'll let them know not to come here....but...I-I can't promise anything. If they make the foolhardy decision to come in here anyway, that's on them, it won't be my fault, you know? S-so...this is...goodbye Tawnie. I wish you the best. May the forest live in peace forever more."

She signed herself with the sign of the cross and then she turned around and slowly and carefully made her way back down the trail back to town.

Cooper Ellis and Oscar Riley were waiting at the entrance behind the line in the ground that separated the town from the forest. There wasn't a whole lot of people left in Fallenthorne so they had to stick together and look after one another. Even if Minerva had elected to go in there alone the two of them knew they could still stay here and show moral support to her and be here to greet her when she came back. Until then they waited for her holding in their breath. The fear and tension were palpable. They knew that Minerva knew how to traverse the forest. That she knew to stay on the trail but they also knew to fear the forest. One wrong step, one wrong move, would spell disaster for everyone. So they waited while wringing their hands until she finally returned.

"There she is!" Cooper called out. "Minerva! Minerva! Over here! You're close! Just be careful!"

Minerva smiled and nodded and continued to slowly and carefully make her way over to them until she passed the line back to safety and breathed a sigh of relief as she hugged them.

"Minerva! Minerva! Are you alright? Are you okay? How'd it go in there?" Oscar asked her.

"Fine. I made it back alive after all. I didn't see her...but I'm sure she heard me." Minerva responded.

"An awfully big risk just to speak with a ghost...or whatever the heck she is."

"True, but, for how long we've lived here, I owed it to her." Minerva responded and walked away with them. "So. How exactly are we going to explain things to those kids?"

"A bunch of rich yahoos from the big city who want to rebuild this town of all places? They won't last a week." Oscar joked.

"We should still tell them about the forest. Even if they don't want listen, even if they don't heed our warnings, we should tell them anyway. Because it's the right thing to do." Minerva replied firmly.

"Yeah, you're right. We'll make sure to tell them about the forest. And maybe we can convince them to stay away from it. Or at least respect it." Cooper added. As they walked towards town, the three of them could feel the tension slowly dissipating. Minerva had made it back safely and they knew that this would be the last time they would have to face the forest. Now all that was left was to prepare their speech, advice the stupid rich kids, sign some papers and get out of the town. 

Whether the kids believed them or not, it sure as hell wouldn't be their problem anymore after tomorrow. 

[superkamiguy1]

Ah, the thrill of the open road! There was nothing quite like it for Laurence Ashburnum. The wind whipped through his hair as he raced down Sunshine Fortune Route. True to its name, the Sun shone down on his beautiful beloved Mirage AutoGlow Car and his even more precious Evelynne Holloway who was seated next to him. She was a rich young woman in a fancy suit, the very picture of beauty and class and grace, and everyone knew it. Her designer clothes and perfectly coiffed hair commanded attention, but it was her confidence that truly set her apart. She had built a successful business empire from scratch, and she wasn't afraid to show it off. Now she'd teamed up with the young heartthrob of TempestTechnologies for their big collaborative project on reviving and restoring the dead town and brining it into the future.

He's wearing a clean shirt and buttoned it up fully to support the elegant tie he's wearing. On top of the shirt he's wearing a sleek vest with 6 buttons, it has a very narrow v-line, which allows for a large portion of the top to remain visible, even if the suit's jacket is buttoned up. The jacket is a perfectly tailored fit for him. It has an elaborate checked plaid pattern which gives the suit a fancy affluent look. The 4 buttons of his single breasted jacket are all buttoned up with the exception of one, a subtle but very effective touch of informality. The jacket is the same length all around, it has a vent at the back, there's a pocket on either side and there's a breast pocket which contains a pocket watch. He's wearing pants which have the same pattern as the jacket, but a different, complementary color and they perfectly complement his shoes. He's wearing a fancy pair of plain toe oxfords.

It really didn't get much better than this. Laurence felt like The King Of The World! The engine purred smoothly beneath them and the leather seats hugged them tightly as he took each curve with precision and grace. As he sped along he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. This was what life was all about. Living in the moment, experience the rush of excitement and freedom that only comes from being behind the wheel of a high-performance vehicle with the love of his life. As he passed by other cars, their drivers looked on enviously at his sleek machine as he zipped past them. He couldn't help but stare as he showed off his skills, expertly navigating the twists and turns of the road. But it's not just about the speed; it's about the journey itself. The scenery flies by in a blur of green trees, blue skies, and golden fields. The sun casts long shadows across the landscape, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that heightened his senses even more. This is pure joy, pure exhilaration. There's no worry or stress here, just the thrill of the ride and the sound of the engine roaring beneath them. Life doesn't get any better than this. So he kept driving, savoring every second of this glorious afternoon, knowing that memories like these will stay with them forever. The wind whipped through their hair as they floored it, the engine roaring beneath them. The sun beat down on their faces, warming their skin and making them feel alive. He took a sharp curve, feeling the G-Forces push him into his seat as the tires gripped the pavement. The sound of the engine and the rush of the air made him feel invincible! This was what driving was all about: The trill, the adrenaline, the pure exhilaration! This was his happy place, where worries and stress melted away and all that mattered was the joy of driving. It was fleeting, but oh so sweet, and he savored every moment of it.





"Okay, so, I know this has been a long trip but we're almost there." Laurence assured her. "Fallenthorne is just around the corner. We'll finish the deals, get it all in writing, and then we'll bring in our Renovator friends and get to work."

"I'm well prepared, Laurence, and honestly I've been looking forward to this. I already built a corporation up from scratch. Bringing a dead town into the future and turning it into a Company Town will be fantastic P.R. for both of us."

"For all of us. It's going to be a lot of work but when we're done? We'll have transformed Fallenthorne from an Old West Ghost Town into a thriving bustling futuristic town, use it as proof of concept, get more people invested, and start doing the same to other towns. We'll be creating new homes, Evelynne, new places to live, new jobs, the works. Now, ideally, we'll also inspire others to do the same."

"We're going to be trailblazers, Laurence, the likes of which the world has never seen!"

"Indeed we are, Evelynne. And this is just the beginning. Once we get the ball rolling, there's no telling how far we'll go or what we'll achieve. But one thing's for sure, we're in this together, and there's nothing we can't overcome if we put our minds to it."

"Absolutely, Laurence. I couldn't agree more. Now let's get back on the road and make some magic happen!"

As they sped down the road once again, Laurence couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within him. They had already made significant progress with their plan, and he knew that Fallenthorne was just the beginning. The town was ripe for transformation, and with Evelynne by his side, he knew they could make it happen.

The sun began to set over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The road wound its way through hills and valleys, each turn revealing a new vista. As they approached Fallenthorne, Laurence could feel the excitement building within him. This was it, the moment they had been working towards for so long.

As they pulled into the town, Laurence couldn't help but marvel at its potential. The old-fashioned buildings looked out of place in the modern world, but he could see beyond their dated facades. With a little TLC and some cutting-edge technology, they could transform this place into a thriving hub of innovation and progress.

Evelynne shared his excitement, her eyes lighting up as they stepped out of the car. "This place has so much potential," she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I can't wait to get started."

Together, they walked towards the town meeting hall, their minds already racing with ideas and plans. The future was bright, and they were just getting started.

[superkamiguy1]

Dan Foran, better known by his stage name the Ghostface Casanova Hannibal Styx, relaxed in a swanky Hollywood Studio as the makeup crew worked their magic while prepped for his next big episode. was preparing for his next big gig. He was about to shoot a spooky commercial for the next episode of his hit ghost-hunting TV show, Specter Busters.

In this episode, the team would be venturing out to the long-abandoned ghost town of Fallenthorne to investigate the mysterious goings-on surrounding the town and the enigmatic Majestic Mockingbird Forest that lay on the far end of it. The forest, which had once been a source of both beauty and wonder, had now become a place of fear and superstition. No one dared to enter its eerie depths, and those who did rarely returned unchanged.

Dan took a sip from his coffee as he studied his lines for the commercial. He knew that this episode promised to be the scariest yet, and he wanted to make sure he delivered his lines with just the right amount of gravitas and suspense. He recited the lines over and over again in his mind until he knew he nailed it and the makeup crew finished up. He set the script aside, stretched, did some warm-up stretches, and then he grabbed his costume and put the Eye Contacts in for effect. It was showtime. Dan, now in the persona of Hannibal Styx, and clad in a creepy tuxedo that looked like something out of a Tim Burton Movie, walked out to the set. His crew were already taking their positions. Hannibal snapped his fingers and the lights dimmed and then a red one slowly lit up overhead while the fog machine was turned on to give the scene a mysterious spooky effect.

He walked forward, out of the darkness, into the misty red light, and smiled at the camera."Hello, my fellow ghost hunters!" he began, his voice low and ominous, "It's your old pal, Hannibal Styx, back again with another spooky tale. This time, we're venturing into the depths of Fallenthorne, a town so eerie and foreboding that its residents can't wait to escape. And at the heart of it all, we have the Majestic Mockingbird Forest, a place of unspeakable terror and ancient secrets. But fear not, my friends, for the Specter Busters are here to uncover the truth and bring those dark secrets into the light!"

As he spoke, the camera panned out to reveal a set that looked like something straight out of a classic horror movie. A dilapidated old house sat at the edge of a deserted street, surrounded by overgrown weeds and twisted trees. The air was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the distant cry of a mockingbird.

"This week, we'll be exploring the history of Fallenthorne, uncovering the mysteries of the forest, and facing our fears head-on. So join us, won't you? Because you won't want to miss a moment of the action, as the Specter Busters confront their greatest challenge yet!"

With a dramatic flourish, Dan ended his speech, bowing slightly to the camera. The makeup artist gave him a thumbs up, signaling that he was perfect. The director yelled "Cut!" and the crew burst into applause. As they began to dismantle the set, Dan couldn't help but feel a shiver of anticipation run down his spine. The ghost town of Fallenthorne was calling, and the Specter Busters were ready to answer.



(Theme: Specter Busters by Lunar Eclispe)

Ghostly whispers in the dead of night,
Shadows dance across the floor,
When things go bump and creak, we'll be there,
Specter Busters, opening every door.

We're the ones who chase the things that go bump,
In haunted halls and spooky rooms,
We've got the tools to send them packing,
Specter Busters, ready to move.

With our infrared cameras, we'll reveal the truth,
And our electromagnetic field will make them squeal,
We'll document every finding, for the world to see,
Specter Busters, we're here to believe.

So if you're feeling frightened, don't you dare hesitate,
Call the number on your screen,
We'll come running, we'll never leave you alone,
Specter Busters, we'll set you free.

We'll explore the abandoned asylum,
And the old mansion by the sea,
Wherever ghosts and specters lurk, we'll find them,
Specter Busters, that's where we shine.

Our mission's clear, we'll send the spirits back where they belong,
And prove that there's no mystery,
That all those things that go bump in the night,
Are just the Specter Busters, doing what's right.

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 11, 2023 5:56:50 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Dan Foran, better known by his stage name the Ghostface Casanova Hannibal Styx, relaxed in a swanky Hollywood Studio as the makeup crew worked their magic while prepped for his next big episode. was preparing for his next big gig. He was about to shoot a spooky commercial for the next episode of his hit ghost-hunting TV show, Specter Busters.

In this episode, the team would be venturing out to the long-abandoned ghost town of Fallenthorne to investigate the mysterious goings-on surrounding the town and the enigmatic Majestic Mockingbird Forest that lay on the far end of it. The forest, which had once been a source of both beauty and wonder, had now become a place of fear and superstition. No one dared to enter its eerie depths, and those who did rarely returned unchanged.

Dan took a sip from his coffee as he studied his lines for the commercial. He knew that this episode promised to be the scariest yet, and he wanted to make sure he delivered his lines with just the right amount of gravitas and suspense. He recited the lines over and over again in his mind until he knew he nailed it and the makeup crew finished up. He set the script aside, stretched, did some warm-up stretches, and then he grabbed his costume and put the Eye Contacts in for effect. It was showtime. Dan, now in the persona of Hannibal Styx, and clad in a creepy tuxedo that looked like something out of a Tim Burton Movie, walked out to the set. His crew were already taking their positions. Hannibal snapped his fingers and the lights dimmed and then a red one slowly lit up overhead while the fog machine was turned on to give the scene a mysterious spooky effect.

He walked forward, out of the darkness, into the misty red light, and smiled at the camera."Hello, my fellow ghost hunters!" he began, his voice low and ominous, "It's your old pal, Hannibal Styx, back again with another spooky tale. This time, we're venturing into the depths of Fallenthorne, a town so eerie and foreboding that its residents can't wait to escape. And at the heart of it all, we have the Majestic Mockingbird Forest, a place of unspeakable terror and ancient secrets. But fear not, my friends, for the Specter Busters are here to uncover the truth and bring those dark secrets into the light!"

As he spoke, the camera panned out to reveal a set that looked like something straight out of a classic horror movie. A dilapidated old house sat at the edge of a deserted street, surrounded by overgrown weeds and twisted trees. The air was thick with an eerie silence, broken only by the distant cry of a mockingbird.

"This week, we'll be exploring the history of Fallenthorne, uncovering the mysteries of the forest, and facing our fears head-on. So join us, won't you? Because you won't want to miss a moment of the action, as the Specter Busters confront their greatest challenge yet!"

With a dramatic flourish, Dan ended his speech, bowing slightly to the camera. The makeup artist gave him a thumbs up, signaling that he was perfect. The director yelled "Cut!" and the crew burst into applause. As they began to dismantle the set, Dan couldn't help but feel a shiver of anticipation run down his spine. The ghost town of Fallenthorne was calling, and the Specter Busters were ready to answer.



(Theme: Specter Busters by Lunar Eclispe)

Ghostly whispers in the dead of night,
Shadows dance across the floor,
When things go bump and creak, we'll be there,
Specter Busters, opening every door.

We're the ones who chase the things that go bump,
In haunted halls and spooky rooms,
We've got the tools to send them packing,
Specter Busters, ready to move.

With our infrared cameras, we'll reveal the truth,
And our electromagnetic field will make them squeal,
We'll document every finding, for the world to see,
Specter Busters, we're here to believe.

So if you're feeling frightened, don't you dare hesitate,
Call the number on your screen,
We'll come running, we'll never leave you alone,
Specter Busters, we'll set you free.

We'll explore the abandoned asylum,
And the old mansion by the sea,
Wherever ghosts and specters lurk, we'll find them,
Specter Busters, that's where we shine.

Our mission's clear, we'll send the spirits back where they belong,
And prove that there's no mystery,
That all those things that go bump in the night,
Are just the Specter Busters, doing what's right.

"That was great Dan!" Jules Christianson told him as they high-fived each other. "Sets the tone perfectly!" This girl reminds you of a noble eagle. She has hooded blue eyes that are like two lagoons. Her thick, curly, amber hair is neck-length and is worn in a dignified, utilitarian style. She is very tall and has a slender sexy build.

"Thanks!" He replied. "We've been hyping this up for a long time now so I'm sure the audience is as hyped up as we are. This is going to be our greatest investigation ever in the biggest most dangerous forest in the world."

"And you really think we'll find anything this time?" Della Fonda, another one of his coworkers and partners asked him. Della Fonda, another one of their partners in crime, is a jaw droppingly sexy gothic and snarky investigator who works to keep the crew grounded.

"Maybe? Maybe not? Who can really tell? The world's a wild and crazy place my friends. If there's even a 1% chance of finding unequivocal evidence of the supernatural than she would take it!" He spun and gestured widely to the room around him. "The sky's the limit with the whole wide world! If not in The Majestic Woods, then in the Shadowed Woods or the bright town of Sunnydale! We will find the truth one day, don't you worry about that, we'll find it and drag it out into the light for the whole world to see!"

"That's why we follow you, bro, your boundless optimism." Lothaire Valerian complimented him. This gentleman has tense, apple green eyes that glow strangely. He has short, plum-colored hair that is styled in a way reminiscent of a crow. His build is very athletic.

"Love you too, brother!"

"Even if your leadership can be questionable at times." Della quipped.

"Hey now, hey now, who was the one who lead us to victory in the illustrious Themepark of Family Kingdom * while filming Flee From Beyond? And exposing their dark secrets to the world? We made our name, our fortune, off of that adventure!"

"Blew next Semesters Film Class's minds. Got us all A's right off the bat." Jules added fondly.

"And FamilyCorp's been gunning for us ever since." Joshua Reginald reminded them. Physically, Joshua is a large and burly man and stronger than he looks if you can believe it. He is very tall with light skin, black hair and brown eyes. He is one of the team's primary technicians along with their muscle.

"It's been over ten years since then and they still haven't brought us down. Look at us! We're living our dreams! Globetrotting and hunting the supernatural to the roar of applause from fans the world over!" Dan exclaimed. "We're the best showmen in the world and we're going to put another show with this next hunt!" He ran over to the others and draped his arms around his friends. "Just picture it: An off the map Ghost Town. A mysterious forest. Inexplicable disappearances. A history of horrors. A ragtag group of straggling hanger-ons who will act as the harbingers of doom...." He let go and stepped forward and raised his hands. "In come the Specter Busters! The only Ghost Hunters badass enough to venture into the Forest Of Fear to brave its horrors, expose its secrets and drag them out into the light for the world to see! This is going to be amazing guys, I can tell you right now, we are going to find something out there that is going to be blow people's minds. NOW WHO'S WITH ME?!"

"DAN! THE! MAN! DAN! THE! MAN! DAN! THE! MAN!" The cast and crew cheered with him as he waved his hands up repeatedly to get everyone further hyped up for the big road trip.

"THAT'S WHAT LIKE TO HEAR, LADIES AND GENTS, SO FOLLOW ME INTO THE GREAT DARKNESS AND LETS BRING OUT THE TRUTH TOGETHER!"

"YYYYEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

He dropped his hands back down. "That's what I like to hear, Boys and Ghouls, now lets get packing. We have a long trip ahead of us." He turned and walked away while reciting Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening By Robert Frost.  "Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near between the woods and frozen lake the darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep..."

And boy did they have a lot to carry!

Camping equipment and supplies, drinks, bags, cameras, recording equipment, radios, radio watches, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, wilderness survival notes...the works!

Say what you want about Dan's shows but the man knew how to prep for their trips. 

*Tooootaly not Disneyland!

As the crew loaded up the vans, Dan made sure everyone knew their roles and responsibilities. Status Quo as always but he would also make sure that their camera crew would be well compensated for their time and whatever they would find in the forest.

The drive to the town was long and arduous, but they made it through the night and arrived at the outskirts of Fallenthorne just as the sun was rising. The town looked even more desolate and eerie in the morning light, with its boarded-up houses and overgrown streets. It was creepy, it was eerie, it was foreboding, it was perfect.

They could already feel the tension in the air. The forest loomed large, its dark canopy blocking out most of the sunlight. Dan couldn't help but feel a sense of awe mixed with fear as he gazed upon it. This was the real deal, the stuff of legends. He knew that whatever they were about to face, it wouldThe be unlike anything they air was thick with anticipation and had encountered before. excitement as the Specter Busters stepped out of their vans, ready to begin their investigation. They had spent the past few days preparing for this moment, researching the history of Fallenthorne and the Majestic Mockingbird Forest, and stocking up on the latest ghost-hunting gadgets. Now, finally, they were here.

"Hey guys? Did someone beat us here?"

Dan looked out the window and saw the fancy car and it was beyond fancy. Definitely a high class rich kid's car. Someone not from around here.

"Ladies And Gentlemen: The Mystery Begins." 

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 11, 2023 3:38:51 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Ah, the thrill of the open road! There was nothing quite like it for Laurence Ashburnum. The wind whipped through his hair as he raced down Sunshine Fortune Route. True to its name, the Sun shone down on his beautiful beloved Mirage AutoGlow Car and his even more precious Evelynne Holloway who was seated next to him. She was a rich young woman in a fancy suit, the very picture of beauty and class and grace, and everyone knew it. Her designer clothes and perfectly coiffed hair commanded attention, but it was her confidence that truly set her apart. She had built a successful business empire from scratch, and she wasn't afraid to show it off. Now she'd teamed up with the young heartthrob of TempestTechnologies for their big collaborative project on reviving and restoring the dead town and brining it into the future.

He's wearing a clean shirt and buttoned it up fully to support the elegant tie he's wearing. On top of the shirt he's wearing a sleek vest with 6 buttons, it has a very narrow v-line, which allows for a large portion of the top to remain visible, even if the suit's jacket is buttoned up. The jacket is a perfectly tailored fit for him. It has an elaborate checked plaid pattern which gives the suit a fancy affluent look. The 4 buttons of his single breasted jacket are all buttoned up with the exception of one, a subtle but very effective touch of informality. The jacket is the same length all around, it has a vent at the back, there's a pocket on either side and there's a breast pocket which contains a pocket watch. He's wearing pants which have the same pattern as the jacket, but a different, complementary color and they perfectly complement his shoes. He's wearing a fancy pair of plain toe oxfords.

It really didn't get much better than this. Laurence felt like The King Of The World! The engine purred smoothly beneath them and the leather seats hugged them tightly as he took each curve with precision and grace. As he sped along he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. This was what life was all about. Living in the moment, experience the rush of excitement and freedom that only comes from being behind the wheel of a high-performance vehicle with the love of his life. As he passed by other cars, their drivers looked on enviously at his sleek machine as he zipped past them. He couldn't help but stare as he showed off his skills, expertly navigating the twists and turns of the road. But it's not just about the speed; it's about the journey itself. The scenery flies by in a blur of green trees, blue skies, and golden fields. The sun casts long shadows across the landscape, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that heightened his senses even more. This is pure joy, pure exhilaration. There's no worry or stress here, just the thrill of the ride and the sound of the engine roaring beneath them. Life doesn't get any better than this. So he kept driving, savoring every second of this glorious afternoon, knowing that memories like these will stay with them forever. The wind whipped through their hair as they floored it, the engine roaring beneath them. The sun beat down on their faces, warming their skin and making them feel alive. He took a sharp curve, feeling the G-Forces push him into his seat as the tires gripped the pavement. The sound of the engine and the rush of the air made him feel invincible! This was what driving was all about: The trill, the adrenaline, the pure exhilaration! This was his happy place, where worries and stress melted away and all that mattered was the joy of driving. It was fleeting, but oh so sweet, and he savored every moment of it.





"Okay, so, I know this has been a long trip but we're almost there." Laurence assured her. "Fallenthorne is just around the corner. We'll finish the deals, get it all in writing, and then we'll bring in our Renovator friends and get to work."

"I'm well prepared, Laurence, and honestly I've been looking forward to this. I already built a corporation up from scratch. Bringing a dead town into the future and turning it into a Company Town will be fantastic P.R. for both of us."

"For all of us. It's going to be a lot of work but when we're done? We'll have transformed Fallenthorne from an Old West Ghost Town into a thriving bustling futuristic town, use it as proof of concept, get more people invested, and start doing the same to other towns. We'll be creating new homes, Evelynne, new places to live, new jobs, the works. Now, ideally, we'll also inspire others to do the same."

"We're going to be trailblazers, Laurence, the likes of which the world has never seen!"

"Indeed we are, Evelynne. And this is just the beginning. Once we get the ball rolling, there's no telling how far we'll go or what we'll achieve. But one thing's for sure, we're in this together, and there's nothing we can't overcome if we put our minds to it."

"Absolutely, Laurence. I couldn't agree more. Now let's get back on the road and make some magic happen!"

As they sped down the road once again, Laurence couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within him. They had already made significant progress with their plan, and he knew that Fallenthorne was just the beginning. The town was ripe for transformation, and with Evelynne by his side, he knew they could make it happen.

The sun began to set over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The road wound its way through hills and valleys, each turn revealing a new vista. As they approached Fallenthorne, Laurence could feel the excitement building within him. This was it, the moment they had been working towards for so long.

As they pulled into the town, Laurence couldn't help but marvel at its potential. The old-fashioned buildings looked out of place in the modern world, but he could see beyond their dated facades. With a little TLC and some cutting-edge technology, they could transform this place into a thriving hub of innovation and progress.

Evelynne shared his excitement, her eyes lighting up as they stepped out of the car. "This place has so much potential," she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I can't wait to get started."

Together, they walked towards the town meeting hall, their minds already racing with ideas and plans. The future was bright, and they were just getting started.

"That was great Dan!" Jules Christianson told him as they high-fived each other. "Sets the tone perfectly!" This girl reminds you of a noble eagle. She has hooded blue eyes that are like two lagoons. Her thick, curly, amber hair is neck-length and is worn in a dignified, utilitarian style. She is very tall and has a slender sexy build.

"Thanks!" He replied. "We've been hyping this up for a long time now so I'm sure the audience is as hyped up as we are. This is going to be our greatest investigation ever in the biggest most dangerous forest in the world."

"And you really think we'll find anything this time?" Della Fonda, another one of his coworkers and partners asked him. Della Fonda, another one of their partners in crime, is a jaw droppingly sexy gothic and snarky investigator who works to keep the crew grounded.

"Maybe? Maybe not? Who can really tell? The world's a wild and crazy place my friends. If there's even a 1% chance of finding unequivocal evidence of the supernatural than she would take it!" He spun and gestured widely to the room around him. "The sky's the limit with the whole wide world! If not in The Majestic Woods, then in the Shadowed Woods or the bright town of Sunnydale! We will find the truth one day, don't you worry about that, we'll find it and drag it out into the light for the whole world to see!"

"That's why we follow you, bro, your boundless optimism." Lothaire Valerian complimented him. This gentleman has tense, apple green eyes that glow strangely. He has short, plum-colored hair that is styled in a way reminiscent of a crow. His build is very athletic.

"Love you too, brother!"

"Even if your leadership can be questionable at times." Della quipped.

"Hey now, hey now, who was the one who lead us to victory in the illustrious Themepark of Family Kingdom * while filming Flee From Beyond? And exposing their dark secrets to the world? We made our name, our fortune, off of that adventure!"

"Blew next Semesters Film Class's minds. Got us all A's right off the bat." Jules added fondly.

"And FamilyCorp's been gunning for us ever since." Joshua Reginald reminded them. Physically, Joshua is a large and burly man and stronger than he looks if you can believe it. He is very tall with light skin, black hair and brown eyes. He is one of the team's primary technicians along with their muscle.

"It's been over ten years since then and they still haven't brought us down. Look at us! We're living our dreams! Globetrotting and hunting the supernatural to the roar of applause from fans the world over!" Dan exclaimed. "We're the best showmen in the world and we're going to put another show with this next hunt!" He ran over to the others and draped his arms around his friends. "Just picture it: An off the map Ghost Town. A mysterious forest. Inexplicable disappearances. A history of horrors. A ragtag group of straggling hanger-ons who will act as the harbingers of doom...." He let go and stepped forward and raised his hands. "In come the Specter Busters! The only Ghost Hunters badass enough to venture into the Forest Of Fear to brave its horrors, expose its secrets and drag them out into the light for the world to see! This is going to be amazing guys, I can tell you right now, we are going to find something out there that is going to be blow people's minds. NOW WHO'S WITH ME?!"

"DAN! THE! MAN! DAN! THE! MAN! DAN! THE! MAN!" The cast and crew cheered with him as he waved his hands up repeatedly to get everyone further hyped up for the big road trip.

"THAT'S WHAT LIKE TO HEAR, LADIES AND GENTS, SO FOLLOW ME INTO THE GREAT DARKNESS AND LETS BRING OUT THE TRUTH TOGETHER!"

"YYYYEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

He dropped his hands back down. "That's what I like to hear, Boys and Ghouls, now lets get packing. We have a long trip ahead of us." He turned and walked away while reciting Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening By Robert Frost. "Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near between the woods and frozen lake the darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep..."

And boy did they have a lot to carry!

Camping equipment and supplies, drinks, bags, cameras, recording equipment, radios, radio watches, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, wilderness survival notes...the works!

Say what you want about Dan's shows but the man knew how to prep for their trips.

*Tooootaly not Disneyland!

As the crew loaded up the vans, Dan made sure everyone knew their roles and responsibilities. Status Quo as always but he would also make sure that their camera crew would be well compensated for their time and whatever they would find in the forest.

The drive to the town was long and arduous, but they made it through the night and arrived at the outskirts of Fallenthorne just as the sun was rising. The town looked even more desolate and eerie in the morning light, with its boarded-up houses and overgrown streets. It was creepy, it was eerie, it was foreboding, it was perfect.

They could already feel the tension in the air. The forest loomed large, its dark canopy blocking out most of the sunlight. Dan couldn't help but feel a sense of awe mixed with fear as he gazed upon it. This was the real deal, the stuff of legends. He knew that whatever they were about to face, it wouldThe be unlike anything they air was thick with anticipation and had encountered before. excitement as the Specter Busters stepped out of their vans, ready to begin their investigation. They had spent the past few days preparing for this moment, researching the history of Fallenthorne and the Majestic Mockingbird Forest, and stocking up on the latest ghost-hunting gadgets. Now, finally, they were here.

"Hey guys? Did someone beat us here?"

Dan looked out the window and saw the fancy car and it was beyond fancy. Definitely a high class rich kid's car. Someone not from around here.

"Ladies And Gentlemen: The Mystery Begins."

The town was dark. As dark as it gets. As the Rich Kids and the Ghost Hunters traversed the nearly abandoned town they couldn't help but feel the same sense of foreboding bearing down on them. The moon cast long eerie shadows onto the cracked pavement and the chilling wind whispered through the abandoned buildings, echoing its secrets from a forgotten past. The town stood frozen in time like a haunting monument to a bygone era. Broken window panes stared back at them, their jagged edges reflecting the decay that had befallen this place, like the ghosts of the past were watching them, their eyes filled with sorrow and longing. Every creaking floorboard, every rustling leaf, seemed to be a whisper in their ears. The once-jam packed roads that crossed through this town were barely detectible beneath the layers of dust, sand, shrubs and leaves. Random pieces of long forgotten possessions litter the roads and wild, overgrown gardens within this town. Doors were boarded up tightly and some showed signs of painted symbols with meanings known only to those who put them there, but whoever put them there's long gone too. Some doorways seemed in relative decent condition while others were destroyed and were indistinguishable from other collapsed walls and piles of rubble. Many walls and balconies had collapsed. Without proper maintenance and cleaning it was easy for rot and water to do their damage. Broken cars and rusty pieces of metal littered some of the larger driveways, stripped from all but their most useless parts. The occasional animal can be heard rustling in the tall grasses of the unkempt gardens or hiding in the wild overgrown bushes.  Silence had taken hold and would've been deafening were it not for the many animals that had made this place their home. Bird songs, rustling bushes and the occasional howl filled the air. The once-bustling streets were now overgrown with weeds and littered with the decay of time. The only sound was the distant howl of a coyote, echoing through the empty buildings and abandoned houses. As they made their way through the dilapidated town, their flashlights illuminating the way, they couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. This place, once teeming with life, was now nothing more than a forgotten relic of the past. The more time would pass the more the traces of those who lived here will disappear. Even now there were only remnants left, it'd be only a short while until there was nothing left. But even though everything may seem like it was lost forever there was still a silver lining. While this town was no longer home to the families that lived here, Laurence and Evelynne would be spearheading Operation Restoration to revive and restore this broken town and welcome it into the modern world with new life and a fresh coat of paint. 

Besides, the mystery was what drew them there. Neither group could resist the allure of this old town. Rumors had been swirling for so long about its hidden secrets and the foreboding forest on the edge of town and while The Ghost Hunters were determined to uncover them, the Rich Kids were just interested in wiping away the decay and bringing it back to life. While Laurence and Evelynne advanced forward and talked among themselves, Dan began eagerly narrating their adventure to the cameras as the night vision cameras caught everything around them. 

"Ladies And Gentlemen, this town is unlike anything we have ever seen before. The air is thick with tension, a sense of foreboding, a feeling of dread, a fear that's corroding. This feeling is bearing down on us, has been bearing down on us, ever since we started to draw close to this town, this labyrinth, this maze of despair, where nightmares come to share. Our hearts are racing with anticipations, our senses are on high alert, and we are ready for whatever nightmarish horror is waiting around the corner to jump out at us!" He paused for effect before continuing. "My team and I have been researching this town for months, poring over old newspapers and city records, combing through countless hours of archived footage from past paranormal investigations. The stories that have emerged are as chilling as they are fascinating. There's the legend of The Graveyard, where guests have reported hearing disembodied laughter and seeing apparitions walking among the tombstones, of course, but our goal, our target, is out there. The Majestic Mockingbird Forest. Legend has it that The Forest is cursed, cursed by an evil so ancient that none know the origin of the curse or the malevolent force that resides within, but one thing is certain: Nobody who has investigated the forest in the past have ever returned, their souls forever condemned to walk the forest forever more, and Ladies And Gentlemen, Boys And Ghouls, we are going in there tomorrow for sure. After we have all our facts ready. After we have questioned all of the towns remaining inhabitants, we are going inside and we are going to expose the truth."
 
"You know? It really looks like there was some kind of battle here." Jules noted. "I can't say for sure what it must have been but something really bad went down here. Reading about it is one thing but seeing it...it's like the town went to war with someone....or something!" She added for the cameras. 

"I think you're right. The air, which would normally be soft and carry a gentle breeze, is thick with the scent of death and decay, the mere sense of it will make you want to run. An otherworldly presence looms over us all, a tangible evil hangs over this town like a suffocating fog!" Della exclaimed in shock, playing up her 'psychic powers' for the audience. "It's like seeing a tidal wave at a distance but being trapped at low ground! It's that kind of intensity flushing across my body like iron filaments drawn to a magnet and...holy..." She paused and her eyes widened in surprise as she grabbed her chest. "..O-okay I-I don't know if you guys are feeling this but I'm feeling a sense of heavy pressure right now...it's like....my mind is reeling at the possibilities of survival but I just cant find any....and yet there's also this feeling of...almost sadness. Sadness and despair and decay dance through the air and death walks among us." 


"Della are you alright? Do you want to sit down or turn back?" Lothaire asked her out of genuine concern. Dan and Jules also turned to look at her in surprise. 

"I...n-no. No I'm good. I'm good. I just needed a minute there. I'm still here guys. I'm still in the game." She reassured them and then she turned and pointed at the cameras. "Don't you worry viewers! It'll take more than a town full of negative energy to scare off The Specter Busters!"

"You tell them Della! We won't leave until we expose the town's secrets and drag them out into the light for all to see!" Dan exclaimed. "Lets keep moving forward everyone! Perhaps we can find more clues as to the cause of this Great War!" 

The group continued forward but Lothaire looked down at Della. "Are you sure you're alright?" He asked. There was something off about her performance back there. He couldn't put his finger on it but he knew that something had just gone wrong.

"I'm fine, really, it's cool." She assured him with a smile. "Thanks Lothaire." 

"Anytime." He replied back and they moved forward while Della rubbed her chest. (Seriously....the Hell just happened to me?) She shook her head and focused. The show must go on after all.

-

"Soooo....who the hell are these guys?" Evelynne asked as they watched the Ghost Hunters and their Camera Crew from the shadows of an alley between two houses. 

"I...thiiink that's The Specter Busters." Laurence noted.

"Who?"

"Ghost Hunting TV Show. They wonder around in circles in empty houses jumping at nothing." He summarized.

"Ohhhh....wanna mess with them?"

"Nah, they aren't worth it. Lets just get to the town hall while they're still clowning around and meet with Minerva and the Sellers to finalize the deals and then we can get started on everything in The Morning when The Renovators get here." 

"And the clowns?"

"Who cares? They'll probably just get lost in the forest which we won't be held legally responsible for anyway. 'Sides, they can give us some good laughs until then. Now follow me. I know a shortcut through here."

"Rodger that." She lifted up her suitcase and followed Laurence through the town. "On a more pressing note, do you have any idea what happened here?"

"I can't say for sure. All I know is that something hit this town hard a long time ago and that they don't like to talk about it. The most I've been able to get out of them was that decades ago, the town had been abandoned after a series of tragic events left the residents scarred and fleeing for their lives. Now, it stood as a testament to the transience of human existence, a reminder that even the strongest civilizations can fall prey to the ravages of time and circumstances."

"That's deep."

"I'm a man of many talents, Evie." 

The two continued to walk through the town, their shadows stretching out behind them like elongated shadowy skeletal fingers, the gravel and plants crunching beneath their feet as the old buildings creaked in the wind. Every now and then, a loose shutter would rattle or a door would creak ominously, sending chills down their spines. They could still hear the Ghost Hunters chatting and mugging to the cameras from here as well though which added a sense of amusement to the whole proceedings. Truly, this was going to be a night to remember. 

Despite the eerie atmosphere, Evie felt a sense of peace here, as if the town was holding its breath, waiting for them to uncover its secrets. The air was heavy with the scent of decay and rot, but also with a hint of something else - a faint trace of hope, perhaps, or the promise of redemption.



As they continued deeper into the heart of the ghost town, the darkness seemed to close in around them like a shroud but still they pressed on until they arrived at the remains of the Town Hall. What had once been the towering beating heart of Fallenthorne was now a blackened broken down shell of itself. Rubble covered the area around the building. Plants grew up the stairs and the pillars of the building, even covering the front of it and hanging down from the windows. The broken windows were boarded up to prevent entry but the night's cold wind still blew through them causing the torn tattered curtains within to blow in the breeze. Just like the others it was very blatant that something big and bad went down here. 



Evie looked at the broken doors they'd basically put back together with scotch tape and then looked back at him. "You're not leading me into a Slasher Movie are you?"

"Oh please. If that was the case I never would've made it back here from the first time." He quipped and walked up the door and knocked on it. "Yo Minerva! It's Lauence! How's it going in there? We're here!" 

The Little Old poked her head out and smiled as she saw him. "Ahhh Laurence! Welcome back! Ahhh this must be Miss Holloway! It's so nice to meet you. I'm Minerva. Please, come in, come in." She ducked back inside and opened the broken doors for them. 

"Ladies First."

Evie shrugged and walked inside. 

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 17, 2023 22:43:10 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Nov 11, 2023 3:38:51 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Ah, the thrill of the open road! There was nothing quite like it for Laurence Ashburnum. The wind whipped through his hair as he raced down Sunshine Fortune Route. True to its name, the Sun shone down on his beautiful beloved Mirage AutoGlow Car and his even more precious Evelynne Holloway who was seated next to him. She was a rich young woman in a fancy suit, the very picture of beauty and class and grace, and everyone knew it. Her designer clothes and perfectly coiffed hair commanded attention, but it was her confidence that truly set her apart. She had built a successful business empire from scratch, and she wasn't afraid to show it off. Now she'd teamed up with the young heartthrob of TempestTechnologies for their big collaborative project on reviving and restoring the dead town and brining it into the future.

He's wearing a clean shirt and buttoned it up fully to support the elegant tie he's wearing. On top of the shirt he's wearing a sleek vest with 6 buttons, it has a very narrow v-line, which allows for a large portion of the top to remain visible, even if the suit's jacket is buttoned up. The jacket is a perfectly tailored fit for him. It has an elaborate checked plaid pattern which gives the suit a fancy affluent look. The 4 buttons of his single breasted jacket are all buttoned up with the exception of one, a subtle but very effective touch of informality. The jacket is the same length all around, it has a vent at the back, there's a pocket on either side and there's a breast pocket which contains a pocket watch. He's wearing pants which have the same pattern as the jacket, but a different, complementary color and they perfectly complement his shoes. He's wearing a fancy pair of plain toe oxfords.

It really didn't get much better than this. Laurence felt like The King Of The World! The engine purred smoothly beneath them and the leather seats hugged them tightly as he took each curve with precision and grace. As he sped along he could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. This was what life was all about. Living in the moment, experience the rush of excitement and freedom that only comes from being behind the wheel of a high-performance vehicle with the love of his life. As he passed by other cars, their drivers looked on enviously at his sleek machine as he zipped past them. He couldn't help but stare as he showed off his skills, expertly navigating the twists and turns of the road. But it's not just about the speed; it's about the journey itself. The scenery flies by in a blur of green trees, blue skies, and golden fields. The sun casts long shadows across the landscape, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that heightened his senses even more. This is pure joy, pure exhilaration. There's no worry or stress here, just the thrill of the ride and the sound of the engine roaring beneath them. Life doesn't get any better than this. So he kept driving, savoring every second of this glorious afternoon, knowing that memories like these will stay with them forever. The wind whipped through their hair as they floored it, the engine roaring beneath them. The sun beat down on their faces, warming their skin and making them feel alive. He took a sharp curve, feeling the G-Forces push him into his seat as the tires gripped the pavement. The sound of the engine and the rush of the air made him feel invincible! This was what driving was all about: The trill, the adrenaline, the pure exhilaration! This was his happy place, where worries and stress melted away and all that mattered was the joy of driving. It was fleeting, but oh so sweet, and he savored every moment of it.





"Okay, so, I know this has been a long trip but we're almost there." Laurence assured her. "Fallenthorne is just around the corner. We'll finish the deals, get it all in writing, and then we'll bring in our Renovator friends and get to work."

"I'm well prepared, Laurence, and honestly I've been looking forward to this. I already built a corporation up from scratch. Bringing a dead town into the future and turning it into a Company Town will be fantastic P.R. for both of us."

"For all of us. It's going to be a lot of work but when we're done? We'll have transformed Fallenthorne from an Old West Ghost Town into a thriving bustling futuristic town, use it as proof of concept, get more people invested, and start doing the same to other towns. We'll be creating new homes, Evelynne, new places to live, new jobs, the works. Now, ideally, we'll also inspire others to do the same."

"We're going to be trailblazers, Laurence, the likes of which the world has never seen!"

"Indeed we are, Evelynne. And this is just the beginning. Once we get the ball rolling, there's no telling how far we'll go or what we'll achieve. But one thing's for sure, we're in this together, and there's nothing we can't overcome if we put our minds to it."

"Absolutely, Laurence. I couldn't agree more. Now let's get back on the road and make some magic happen!"

As they sped down the road once again, Laurence couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within him. They had already made significant progress with their plan, and he knew that Fallenthorne was just the beginning. The town was ripe for transformation, and with Evelynne by his side, he knew they could make it happen.

The sun began to set over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the landscape. The road wound its way through hills and valleys, each turn revealing a new vista. As they approached Fallenthorne, Laurence could feel the excitement building within him. This was it, the moment they had been working towards for so long.

As they pulled into the town, Laurence couldn't help but marvel at its potential. The old-fashioned buildings looked out of place in the modern world, but he could see beyond their dated facades. With a little TLC and some cutting-edge technology, they could transform this place into a thriving hub of innovation and progress.

Evelynne shared his excitement, her eyes lighting up as they stepped out of the car. "This place has so much potential," she said, her voice filled with enthusiasm. "I can't wait to get started."

Together, they walked towards the town meeting hall, their minds already racing with ideas and plans. The future was bright, and they were just getting started.

"That was great Dan!" Jules Christianson told him as they high-fived each other. "Sets the tone perfectly!" This girl reminds you of a noble eagle. She has hooded blue eyes that are like two lagoons. Her thick, curly, amber hair is neck-length and is worn in a dignified, utilitarian style. She is very tall and has a slender sexy build.

"Thanks!" He replied. "We've been hyping this up for a long time now so I'm sure the audience is as hyped up as we are. This is going to be our greatest investigation ever in the biggest most dangerous forest in the world."

"And you really think we'll find anything this time?" Della Fonda, another one of his coworkers and partners asked him. Della Fonda, another one of their partners in crime, is a jaw droppingly sexy gothic and snarky investigator who works to keep the crew grounded.

"Maybe? Maybe not? Who can really tell? The world's a wild and crazy place my friends. If there's even a 1% chance of finding unequivocal evidence of the supernatural than she would take it!" He spun and gestured widely to the room around him. "The sky's the limit with the whole wide world! If not in The Majestic Woods, then in the Shadowed Woods or the bright town of Sunnydale! We will find the truth one day, don't you worry about that, we'll find it and drag it out into the light for the whole world to see!"

"That's why we follow you, bro, your boundless optimism." Lothaire Valerian complimented him. This gentleman has tense, apple green eyes that glow strangely. He has short, plum-colored hair that is styled in a way reminiscent of a crow. His build is very athletic.

"Love you too, brother!"

"Even if your leadership can be questionable at times." Della quipped.

"Hey now, hey now, who was the one who lead us to victory in the illustrious Themepark of Family Kingdom * while filming Flee From Beyond? And exposing their dark secrets to the world? We made our name, our fortune, off of that adventure!"

"Blew next Semesters Film Class's minds. Got us all A's right off the bat." Jules added fondly.

"And FamilyCorp's been gunning for us ever since." Joshua Reginald reminded them. Physically, Joshua is a large and burly man and stronger than he looks if you can believe it. He is very tall with light skin, black hair and brown eyes. He is one of the team's primary technicians along with their muscle.

"It's been over ten years since then and they still haven't brought us down. Look at us! We're living our dreams! Globetrotting and hunting the supernatural to the roar of applause from fans the world over!" Dan exclaimed. "We're the best showmen in the world and we're going to put another show with this next hunt!" He ran over to the others and draped his arms around his friends. "Just picture it: An off the map Ghost Town. A mysterious forest. Inexplicable disappearances. A history of horrors. A ragtag group of straggling hanger-ons who will act as the harbingers of doom...." He let go and stepped forward and raised his hands. "In come the Specter Busters! The only Ghost Hunters badass enough to venture into the Forest Of Fear to brave its horrors, expose its secrets and drag them out into the light for the world to see! This is going to be amazing guys, I can tell you right now, we are going to find something out there that is going to be blow people's minds. NOW WHO'S WITH ME?!"

"DAN! THE! MAN! DAN! THE! MAN! DAN! THE! MAN!" The cast and crew cheered with him as he waved his hands up repeatedly to get everyone further hyped up for the big road trip.

"THAT'S WHAT LIKE TO HEAR, LADIES AND GENTS, SO FOLLOW ME INTO THE GREAT DARKNESS AND LETS BRING OUT THE TRUTH TOGETHER!"

"YYYYEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

He dropped his hands back down. "That's what I like to hear, Boys and Ghouls, now lets get packing. We have a long trip ahead of us." He turned and walked away while reciting Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening By Robert Frost. "Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here to watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer to stop without a farmhouse near between the woods and frozen lake the darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake to ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep..."

And boy did they have a lot to carry!

Camping equipment and supplies, drinks, bags, cameras, recording equipment, radios, radio watches, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, wilderness survival notes...the works!

Say what you want about Dan's shows but the man knew how to prep for their trips.

*Tooootaly not Disneyland!

As the crew loaded up the vans, Dan made sure everyone knew their roles and responsibilities. Status Quo as always but he would also make sure that their camera crew would be well compensated for their time and whatever they would find in the forest.

The drive to the town was long and arduous, but they made it through the night and arrived at the outskirts of Fallenthorne just as the sun was rising. The town looked even more desolate and eerie in the morning light, with its boarded-up houses and overgrown streets. It was creepy, it was eerie, it was foreboding, it was perfect.

They could already feel the tension in the air. The forest loomed large, its dark canopy blocking out most of the sunlight. Dan couldn't help but feel a sense of awe mixed with fear as he gazed upon it. This was the real deal, the stuff of legends. He knew that whatever they were about to face, it wouldThe be unlike anything they air was thick with anticipation and had encountered before. excitement as the Specter Busters stepped out of their vans, ready to begin their investigation. They had spent the past few days preparing for this moment, researching the history of Fallenthorne and the Majestic Mockingbird Forest, and stocking up on the latest ghost-hunting gadgets. Now, finally, they were here.

"Hey guys? Did someone beat us here?"

Dan looked out the window and saw the fancy car and it was beyond fancy. Definitely a high class rich kid's car. Someone not from around here.

"Ladies And Gentlemen: The Mystery Begins."

The town was dark. As dark as it gets. As the Rich Kids and the Ghost Hunters traversed the nearly abandoned town they couldn't help but feel the same sense of foreboding bearing down on them. The moon cast long eerie shadows onto the cracked pavement and the chilling wind whispered through the abandoned buildings, echoing its secrets from a forgotten past. The town stood frozen in time like a haunting monument to a bygone era. Broken window panes stared back at them, their jagged edges reflecting the decay that had befallen this place, like the ghosts of the past were watching them, their eyes filled with sorrow and longing. Every creaking floorboard, every rustling leaf, seemed to be a whisper in their ears. The once-jam packed roads that crossed through this town were barely detectible beneath the layers of dust, sand, shrubs and leaves. Random pieces of long forgotten possessions litter the roads and wild, overgrown gardens within this town. Doors were boarded up tightly and some showed signs of painted symbols with meanings known only to those who put them there, but whoever put them there's long gone too. Some doorways seemed in relative decent condition while others were destroyed and were indistinguishable from other collapsed walls and piles of rubble. Many walls and balconies had collapsed. Without proper maintenance and cleaning it was easy for rot and water to do their damage. Broken cars and rusty pieces of metal littered some of the larger driveways, stripped from all but their most useless parts. The occasional animal can be heard rustling in the tall grasses of the unkempt gardens or hiding in the wild overgrown bushes.  Silence had taken hold and would've been deafening were it not for the many animals that had made this place their home. Bird songs, rustling bushes and the occasional howl filled the air. The once-bustling streets were now overgrown with weeds and littered with the decay of time. The only sound was the distant howl of a coyote, echoing through the empty buildings and abandoned houses. As they made their way through the dilapidated town, their flashlights illuminating the way, they couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. This place, once teeming with life, was now nothing more than a forgotten relic of the past. The more time would pass the more the traces of those who lived here will disappear. Even now there were only remnants left, it'd be only a short while until there was nothing left. But even though everything may seem like it was lost forever there was still a silver lining. While this town was no longer home to the families that lived here, Laurence and Evelynne would be spearheading Operation Restoration to revive and restore this broken town and welcome it into the modern world with new life and a fresh coat of paint. 

Besides, the mystery was what drew them there. Neither group could resist the allure of this old town. Rumors had been swirling for so long about its hidden secrets and the foreboding forest on the edge of town and while The Ghost Hunters were determined to uncover them, the Rich Kids were just interested in wiping away the decay and bringing it back to life. While Laurence and Evelynne advanced forward and talked among themselves, Dan began eagerly narrating their adventure to the cameras as the night vision cameras caught everything around them. 

"Ladies And Gentlemen, this town is unlike anything we have ever seen before. The air is thick with tension, a sense of foreboding, a feeling of dread, a fear that's corroding. This feeling is bearing down on us, has been bearing down on us, ever since we started to draw close to this town, this labyrinth, this maze of despair, where nightmares come to share. Our hearts are racing with anticipations, our senses are on high alert, and we are ready for whatever nightmarish horror is waiting around the corner to jump out at us!" He paused for effect before continuing. "My team and I have been researching this town for months, poring over old newspapers and city records, combing through countless hours of archived footage from past paranormal investigations. The stories that have emerged are as chilling as they are fascinating. There's the legend of The Graveyard, where guests have reported hearing disembodied laughter and seeing apparitions walking among the tombstones, of course, but our goal, our target, is out there. The Majestic Mockingbird Forest. Legend has it that The Forest is cursed, cursed by an evil so ancient that none know the origin of the curse or the malevolent force that resides within, but one thing is certain: Nobody who has investigated the forest in the past have ever returned, their souls forever condemned to walk the forest forever more, and Ladies And Gentlemen, Boys And Ghouls, we are going in there tomorrow for sure. After we have all our facts ready. After we have questioned all of the towns remaining inhabitants, we are going inside and we are going to expose the truth."
 
"You know? It really looks like there was some kind of battle here." Jules noted. "I can't say for sure what it must have been but something really bad went down here. Reading about it is one thing but seeing it...it's like the town went to war with someone....or something!" She added for the cameras. 

"I think you're right. The air, which would normally be soft and carry a gentle breeze, is thick with the scent of death and decay, the mere sense of it will make you want to run. An otherworldly presence looms over us all, a tangible evil hangs over this town like a suffocating fog!" Della exclaimed in shock, playing up her 'psychic powers' for the audience. "It's like seeing a tidal wave at a distance but being trapped at low ground! It's that kind of intensity flushing across my body like iron filaments drawn to a magnet and...holy..." She paused and her eyes widened in surprise as she grabbed her chest. "..O-okay I-I don't know if you guys are feeling this but I'm feeling a sense of heavy pressure right now...it's like....my mind is reeling at the possibilities of survival but I just cant find any....and yet there's also this feeling of...almost sadness. Sadness and despair and decay dance through the air and death walks among us." 


"Della are you alright? Do you want to sit down or turn back?" Lothaire asked her out of genuine concern. Dan and Jules also turned to look at her in surprise. 

"I...n-no. No I'm good. I'm good. I just needed a minute there. I'm still here guys. I'm still in the game." She reassured them and then she turned and pointed at the cameras. "Don't you worry viewers! It'll take more than a town full of negative energy to scare off The Specter Busters!"

"You tell them Della! We won't leave until we expose the town's secrets and drag them out into the light for all to see!" Dan exclaimed. "Lets keep moving forward everyone! Perhaps we can find more clues as to the cause of this Great War!" 

The group continued forward but Lothaire looked down at Della. "Are you sure you're alright?" He asked. There was something off about her performance back there. He couldn't put his finger on it but he knew that something had just gone wrong.

"I'm fine, really, it's cool." She assured him with a smile. "Thanks Lothaire." 

"Anytime." He replied back and they moved forward while Della rubbed her chest. (Seriously....the Hell just happened to me?) She shook her head and focused. The show must go on after all.

-

"Soooo....who the hell are these guys?" Evelynne asked as they watched the Ghost Hunters and their Camera Crew from the shadows of an alley between two houses. 

"I...thiiink that's The Specter Busters." Laurence noted.

"Who?"

"Ghost Hunting TV Show. They wonder around in circles in empty houses jumping at nothing." He summarized.

"Ohhhh....wanna mess with them?"

"Nah, they aren't worth it. Lets just get to the town hall while they're still clowning around and meet with Minerva and the Sellers to finalize the deals and then we can get started on everything in The Morning when The Renovators get here." 

"And the clowns?"

"Who cares? They'll probably just get lost in the forest which we won't be held legally responsible for anyway. 'Sides, they can give us some good laughs until then. Now follow me. I know a shortcut through here."

"Rodger that." She lifted up her suitcase and followed Laurence through the town. "On a more pressing note, do you have any idea what happened here?"

"I can't say for sure. All I know is that something hit this town hard a long time ago and that they don't like to talk about it. The most I've been able to get out of them was that decades ago, the town had been abandoned after a series of tragic events left the residents scarred and fleeing for their lives. Now, it stood as a testament to the transience of human existence, a reminder that even the strongest civilizations can fall prey to the ravages of time and circumstances."

"That's deep."

"I'm a man of many talents, Evie." 

The two continued to walk through the town, their shadows stretching out behind them like elongated shadowy skeletal fingers, the gravel and plants crunching beneath their feet as the old buildings creaked in the wind. Every now and then, a loose shutter would rattle or a door would creak ominously, sending chills down their spines. They could still hear the Ghost Hunters chatting and mugging to the cameras from here as well though which added a sense of amusement to the whole proceedings. Truly, this was going to be a night to remember. 

Despite the eerie atmosphere, Evie felt a sense of peace here, as if the town was holding its breath, waiting for them to uncover its secrets. The air was heavy with the scent of decay and rot, but also with a hint of something else - a faint trace of hope, perhaps, or the promise of redemption.



As they continued deeper into the heart of the ghost town, the darkness seemed to close in around them like a shroud but still they pressed on until they arrived at the remains of the Town Hall. What had once been the towering beating heart of Fallenthorne was now a blackened broken down shell of itself. Rubble covered the area around the building. Plants grew up the stairs and the pillars of the building, even covering the front of it and hanging down from the windows. The broken windows were boarded up to prevent entry but the night's cold wind still blew through them causing the torn tattered curtains within to blow in the breeze. Just like the others it was very blatant that something big and bad went down here. 



Evie looked at the broken doors they'd basically put back together with scotch tape and then looked back at him. "You're not leading me into a Slasher Movie are you?"

"Oh please. If that was the case I never would've made it back here from the first time." He quipped and walked up the door and knocked on it. "Yo Minerva! It's Lauence! How's it going in there? We're here!" 

The Little Old poked her head out and smiled as she saw him. "Ahhh Laurence! Welcome back! Ahhh this must be Miss Holloway! It's so nice to meet you. I'm Minerva. Please, come in, come in." She ducked back inside and opened the broken doors for them. 

"Ladies First."

Evie shrugged and walked inside. 

The two followed Minerva inside through the torn up interior of the Town Hall. They'd cleaned up up the best they could but there was still a lot of clear damage. Exactly what kind of disaster hit this town? A Bombing? Gang Violence? A Raid? Did the town just go crazy? Evie's thoughts ran wild as she looked at the damage to the interior of the Town Hall.

After a few more turns they were lead into the meeting room where everybody was waiting for them.

Cooper Ellis, Oscar Riley, Robert Gill, Corey Goff, Ollie Williamson, Tyler Moss and Cheyanne Huber. 

Along with Minerva, they made up the 'The Fallenthorne Eight'. The last remaining people in the town who were finally ready to give up and abandon their town. With a huge payoff of course so they could start over again somewhere else far away from this town. Their eyes were so tired and defeated. The light had left them a long time ago and it was clear that whatever happened back then had broken their spirits.  That's what they were here for. To give these people the way out they'd been looking for.















Laurence cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Hello again everybody. I have returned. This is my friend and business partner Evelynne. We have brought the money. So. Whoever's ready to sell? Raise your hand and we'll get started." 

Needless to say they all raised their hands together. 

"Well alright!" The two Rich Kids placed their suitcases and Duffel Bags of money on the tables and opened them up. Followed by attaching a miniature camera to the wall and turning it on to have video evidence of their deals. "I think you'll find your compensation to be more than fair."

Corey, a man who was clearly younger than the others but still older than them, ran up to the table. "Ho-ly-crap! You weren't lying Rich Boy! This is more than enough to get out of that dump! I'm sold!" He grabbed one of the suitcases, looked it over and then he closed it up. "I'm sold! You can have this town! We're out of here!" He quickly got back to his seat, retrieved his title deed, and handed it back over to them. "All yours!"

"A pleasure doing business with you, Corey." He replied with a chuckle as they shook hands together. 

"Hold on Corey!" Minerva called out dramatically. 

He paused and looked back at her. "Huh? What's wrong Grandma Minerva? Ain't this why we're here?" 

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh...ohhhh...r-right. Right. I'm sorry. It slipped." He looked back at them. "The deal is still on, of course, but I need to go find those other goofballs who came here with you so we can talk to everyone together. I'll be right back." He waved to everyone and walked out waving to everyone. "I'll be right back! Thanks for the reminder Grandma!"

"You don't have to call me that but thank you! Be safe out there!" The Older Woman called out to him.

"Yes Grandma!"

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 18, 2023 22:00:12 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Nov 17, 2023 22:43:10 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

The town was dark. As dark as it gets. As the Rich Kids and the Ghost Hunters traversed the nearly abandoned town they couldn't help but feel the same sense of foreboding bearing down on them. The moon cast long eerie shadows onto the cracked pavement and the chilling wind whispered through the abandoned buildings, echoing its secrets from a forgotten past. The town stood frozen in time like a haunting monument to a bygone era. Broken window panes stared back at them, their jagged edges reflecting the decay that had befallen this place, like the ghosts of the past were watching them, their eyes filled with sorrow and longing. Every creaking floorboard, every rustling leaf, seemed to be a whisper in their ears. The once-jam packed roads that crossed through this town were barely detectible beneath the layers of dust, sand, shrubs and leaves. Random pieces of long forgotten possessions litter the roads and wild, overgrown gardens within this town. Doors were boarded up tightly and some showed signs of painted symbols with meanings known only to those who put them there, but whoever put them there's long gone too. Some doorways seemed in relative decent condition while others were destroyed and were indistinguishable from other collapsed walls and piles of rubble. Many walls and balconies had collapsed. Without proper maintenance and cleaning it was easy for rot and water to do their damage. Broken cars and rusty pieces of metal littered some of the larger driveways, stripped from all but their most useless parts. The occasional animal can be heard rustling in the tall grasses of the unkempt gardens or hiding in the wild overgrown bushes.  Silence had taken hold and would've been deafening were it not for the many animals that had made this place their home. Bird songs, rustling bushes and the occasional howl filled the air. The once-bustling streets were now overgrown with weeds and littered with the decay of time. The only sound was the distant howl of a coyote, echoing through the empty buildings and abandoned houses. As they made their way through the dilapidated town, their flashlights illuminating the way, they couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. This place, once teeming with life, was now nothing more than a forgotten relic of the past. The more time would pass the more the traces of those who lived here will disappear. Even now there were only remnants left, it'd be only a short while until there was nothing left. But even though everything may seem like it was lost forever there was still a silver lining. While this town was no longer home to the families that lived here, Laurence and Evelynne would be spearheading Operation Restoration to revive and restore this broken town and welcome it into the modern world with new life and a fresh coat of paint. 

Besides, the mystery was what drew them there. Neither group could resist the allure of this old town. Rumors had been swirling for so long about its hidden secrets and the foreboding forest on the edge of town and while The Ghost Hunters were determined to uncover them, the Rich Kids were just interested in wiping away the decay and bringing it back to life. While Laurence and Evelynne advanced forward and talked among themselves, Dan began eagerly narrating their adventure to the cameras as the night vision cameras caught everything around them. 

"Ladies And Gentlemen, this town is unlike anything we have ever seen before. The air is thick with tension, a sense of foreboding, a feeling of dread, a fear that's corroding. This feeling is bearing down on us, has been bearing down on us, ever since we started to draw close to this town, this labyrinth, this maze of despair, where nightmares come to share. Our hearts are racing with anticipations, our senses are on high alert, and we are ready for whatever nightmarish horror is waiting around the corner to jump out at us!" He paused for effect before continuing. "My team and I have been researching this town for months, poring over old newspapers and city records, combing through countless hours of archived footage from past paranormal investigations. The stories that have emerged are as chilling as they are fascinating. There's the legend of The Graveyard, where guests have reported hearing disembodied laughter and seeing apparitions walking among the tombstones, of course, but our goal, our target, is out there. The Majestic Mockingbird Forest. Legend has it that The Forest is cursed, cursed by an evil so ancient that none know the origin of the curse or the malevolent force that resides within, but one thing is certain: Nobody who has investigated the forest in the past have ever returned, their souls forever condemned to walk the forest forever more, and Ladies And Gentlemen, Boys And Ghouls, we are going in there tomorrow for sure. After we have all our facts ready. After we have questioned all of the towns remaining inhabitants, we are going inside and we are going to expose the truth."
 
"You know? It really looks like there was some kind of battle here." Jules noted. "I can't say for sure what it must have been but something really bad went down here. Reading about it is one thing but seeing it...it's like the town went to war with someone....or something!" She added for the cameras. 

"I think you're right. The air, which would normally be soft and carry a gentle breeze, is thick with the scent of death and decay, the mere sense of it will make you want to run. An otherworldly presence looms over us all, a tangible evil hangs over this town like a suffocating fog!" Della exclaimed in shock, playing up her 'psychic powers' for the audience. "It's like seeing a tidal wave at a distance but being trapped at low ground! It's that kind of intensity flushing across my body like iron filaments drawn to a magnet and...holy..." She paused and her eyes widened in surprise as she grabbed her chest. "..O-okay I-I don't know if you guys are feeling this but I'm feeling a sense of heavy pressure right now...it's like....my mind is reeling at the possibilities of survival but I just cant find any....and yet there's also this feeling of...almost sadness. Sadness and despair and decay dance through the air and death walks among us." 


"Della are you alright? Do you want to sit down or turn back?" Lothaire asked her out of genuine concern. Dan and Jules also turned to look at her in surprise. 

"I...n-no. No I'm good. I'm good. I just needed a minute there. I'm still here guys. I'm still in the game." She reassured them and then she turned and pointed at the cameras. "Don't you worry viewers! It'll take more than a town full of negative energy to scare off The Specter Busters!"

"You tell them Della! We won't leave until we expose the town's secrets and drag them out into the light for all to see!" Dan exclaimed. "Lets keep moving forward everyone! Perhaps we can find more clues as to the cause of this Great War!" 

The group continued forward but Lothaire looked down at Della. "Are you sure you're alright?" He asked. There was something off about her performance back there. He couldn't put his finger on it but he knew that something had just gone wrong.

"I'm fine, really, it's cool." She assured him with a smile. "Thanks Lothaire." 

"Anytime." He replied back and they moved forward while Della rubbed her chest. (Seriously....the Hell just happened to me?) She shook her head and focused. The show must go on after all.

-

"Soooo....who the hell are these guys?" Evelynne asked as they watched the Ghost Hunters and their Camera Crew from the shadows of an alley between two houses. 

"I...thiiink that's The Specter Busters." Laurence noted.

"Who?"

"Ghost Hunting TV Show. They wonder around in circles in empty houses jumping at nothing." He summarized.

"Ohhhh....wanna mess with them?"

"Nah, they aren't worth it. Lets just get to the town hall while they're still clowning around and meet with Minerva and the Sellers to finalize the deals and then we can get started on everything in The Morning when The Renovators get here." 

"And the clowns?"

"Who cares? They'll probably just get lost in the forest which we won't be held legally responsible for anyway. 'Sides, they can give us some good laughs until then. Now follow me. I know a shortcut through here."

"Rodger that." She lifted up her suitcase and followed Laurence through the town. "On a more pressing note, do you have any idea what happened here?"

"I can't say for sure. All I know is that something hit this town hard a long time ago and that they don't like to talk about it. The most I've been able to get out of them was that decades ago, the town had been abandoned after a series of tragic events left the residents scarred and fleeing for their lives. Now, it stood as a testament to the transience of human existence, a reminder that even the strongest civilizations can fall prey to the ravages of time and circumstances."

"That's deep."

"I'm a man of many talents, Evie." 

The two continued to walk through the town, their shadows stretching out behind them like elongated shadowy skeletal fingers, the gravel and plants crunching beneath their feet as the old buildings creaked in the wind. Every now and then, a loose shutter would rattle or a door would creak ominously, sending chills down their spines. They could still hear the Ghost Hunters chatting and mugging to the cameras from here as well though which added a sense of amusement to the whole proceedings. Truly, this was going to be a night to remember. 

Despite the eerie atmosphere, Evie felt a sense of peace here, as if the town was holding its breath, waiting for them to uncover its secrets. The air was heavy with the scent of decay and rot, but also with a hint of something else - a faint trace of hope, perhaps, or the promise of redemption.



As they continued deeper into the heart of the ghost town, the darkness seemed to close in around them like a shroud but still they pressed on until they arrived at the remains of the Town Hall. What had once been the towering beating heart of Fallenthorne was now a blackened broken down shell of itself. Rubble covered the area around the building. Plants grew up the stairs and the pillars of the building, even covering the front of it and hanging down from the windows. The broken windows were boarded up to prevent entry but the night's cold wind still blew through them causing the torn tattered curtains within to blow in the breeze. Just like the others it was very blatant that something big and bad went down here. 



Evie looked at the broken doors they'd basically put back together with scotch tape and then looked back at him. "You're not leading me into a Slasher Movie are you?"

"Oh please. If that was the case I never would've made it back here from the first time." He quipped and walked up the door and knocked on it. "Yo Minerva! It's Lauence! How's it going in there? We're here!" 

The Little Old poked her head out and smiled as she saw him. "Ahhh Laurence! Welcome back! Ahhh this must be Miss Holloway! It's so nice to meet you. I'm Minerva. Please, come in, come in." She ducked back inside and opened the broken doors for them. 

"Ladies First."

Evie shrugged and walked inside. 

The two followed Minerva inside through the torn up interior of the Town Hall. They'd cleaned up up the best they could but there was still a lot of clear damage. Exactly what kind of disaster hit this town? A Bombing? Gang Violence? A Raid? Did the town just go crazy? Evie's thoughts ran wild as she looked at the damage to the interior of the Town Hall.

After a few more turns they were lead into the meeting room where everybody was waiting for them.

Cooper Ellis, Oscar Riley, Robert Gill, Corey Goff, Ollie Williamson, Tyler Moss and Cheyanne Huber. 

Along with Minerva, they made up the 'The Fallenthorne Eight'. The last remaining people in the town who were finally ready to give up and abandon their town. With a huge payoff of course so they could start over again somewhere else far away from this town. Their eyes were so tired and defeated. The light had left them a long time ago and it was clear that whatever happened back then had broken their spirits.  That's what they were here for. To give these people the way out they'd been looking for.















Laurence cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Hello again everybody. I have returned. This is my friend and business partner Evelynne. We have brought the money. So. Whoever's ready to sell? Raise your hand and we'll get started." 

Needless to say they all raised their hands together. 

"Well alright!" The two Rich Kids placed their suitcases and Duffel Bags of money on the tables and opened them up. Followed by attaching a miniature camera to the wall and turning it on to have video evidence of their deals. "I think you'll find your compensation to be more than fair."

Corey, a man who was clearly younger than the others but still older than them, ran up to the table. "Ho-ly-crap! You weren't lying Rich Boy! This is more than enough to get out of that dump! I'm sold!" He grabbed one of the suitcases, looked it over and then he closed it up. "I'm sold! You can have this town! We're out of here!" He quickly got back to his seat, retrieved his title deed, and handed it back over to them. "All yours!"

"A pleasure doing business with you, Corey." He replied with a chuckle as they shook hands together. 

"Hold on Corey!" Minerva called out dramatically. 

He paused and looked back at her. "Huh? What's wrong Grandma Minerva? Ain't this why we're here?" 

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh...ohhhh...r-right. Right. I'm sorry. It slipped." He looked back at them. "The deal is still on, of course, but I need to go find those other goofballs who came here with you so we can talk to everyone together. I'll be right back." He waved to everyone and walked out waving to everyone. "I'll be right back! Thanks for the reminder Grandma!"

"You don't have to call me that but thank you! Be safe out there!" The Older Woman called out to him.

"Yes Grandma!"

Corey whistled to himself while he traversed the town with a flashlight. It was another starry night in the town. There was so little light in this town and the surrounding area that you could clearly see the beautiful stars above them. He couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and awe whenever he looked up at them. The stars twinkled like diamonds scattered across the vast endless velvet expanse above him, their lights dancing and flickering in the gentle breeze. The air was crisp and cool, filled with the scent of blooming wildflowers and the distant sound of crickets chirping their evening song. He had always loved the night sky, but tonight it seemed especially magical. Maybe it was the way the moon hung low and full, casting a silver glow over everything below. Or maybe it was the way the stars seemed to pulse and shimmer, as if they were trying to communicate some secret message only he could hear. Whatever it was, he felt transported to another world, one where anything was possible and magic really did exist....because of course it did. Those things in the forest were perfect evidence of that....and Corey's mood dropped back down. "It's okay, it's okay, it'll be alright, just get through tonight and you'll never have to look at the forest again. You can kiss this place goodbye." He whispered quietly to reassure himself and calm back down. After a few quick and quiet repetitions of this he sighed and blew it out and then he resumed walking down the broken rubble filled plant covered streets. 


Thankfully he quickly located the investigators and stepped out of the shadows while shining his flashlight on them. "Hi there! Welcome to Fallenthorne! The most broken down town in the world!" 

Dan signaled for the cameramen to catch him and then waved. "Hello there my good man! I hope you don't mind us filming here!"

"Not at all!" Corey responded and he dimmed his flashlight as he watched over to them. "In fact you're probably the most interesting people we've had here in a long while. Besides, we'll be out of town after tomorrow so you'll be free to do...well...almost anything you want. Except for one thing."

"Ohhh this is getting good. Okay and what would that be? Is there something dangerous in this town? Something....supernatural perhaps?"

"You'd be surprised. Listen, we can explain everything at Town Hall, but for right now? I'm going to have to ask you, for your own safety, and that of your entire crew, to stay out of the forest. Don't mess with it, don't throw things in it, don't go inside, just ignore it. Just pretend that it isn't there. Don't go messing around in that forest." 

"Good advice. May I ask why? Are there any dangerous wild animals in there?"

"Oh, you have no idea. There's an evil in that forest, you all probably felt it reaching out to you when you stepped into the town, it knows you're here, it knows they're here, it knows. Don't ask me how. But it's well aware of everything going on the town. Now, we don't bother it, so it doesn't bother us. But I warn you know, and everyone else will give you the same warning, if you, for whatever insane reason, decide to go into that forest? Do not, under any circumstances, for any reason whatsoever, do you ever step off the trail. Do not step off the trail. Don't step away from the trail. Don't go messing around with that forest either. Heed these warnings my friends. Or Tawnie will come for your heads."

"Tawnie? She's The Forest Child, right? We discovered some old legends about her while researching the town."

"That's her. She's The Town Boogeyman. The Specter Of The Forest. But she is not a legend. She's more than that. I can assure you, one and all, that she is in fact very real. And she'll come for everyone who messes with her home." 

Dan was a little taken aback. This guy sounded dead serious! He wasn't playing it up for the cameras, Dan had seen enough goofballs and mistaken people over the seasons of their show to know the difference, one of their team was even a phone psychic after all, this guy sounded like he genuinely believed what he was telling them! "Now that is very good advice. Could you tell us some more? Please, I'm serious, this is seriously interesting." He told him in a genuinely interested tone of voice.

"I can explain more at the Town Hall. Come on then everybody. Lets mosey." 

"Lead the way." 

Corey turned around and whistled to himself as he lead them through the town. The flashlight illuminating their way. 

Dan immediately turned around to the cameramen. Silently asking them if they got that. Clancy smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "You're the man, Clancy. Seriously. The best." He assured him with a big smile and resumed following after Corey.

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 20, 2023 3:11:07 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Nov 18, 2023 22:00:12 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

The two followed Minerva inside through the torn up interior of the Town Hall. They'd cleaned up up the best they could but there was still a lot of clear damage. Exactly what kind of disaster hit this town? A Bombing? Gang Violence? A Raid? Did the town just go crazy? Evie's thoughts ran wild as she looked at the damage to the interior of the Town Hall.

After a few more turns they were lead into the meeting room where everybody was waiting for them.

Cooper Ellis, Oscar Riley, Robert Gill, Corey Goff, Ollie Williamson, Tyler Moss and Cheyanne Huber. 

Along with Minerva, they made up the 'The Fallenthorne Eight'. The last remaining people in the town who were finally ready to give up and abandon their town. With a huge payoff of course so they could start over again somewhere else far away from this town. Their eyes were so tired and defeated. The light had left them a long time ago and it was clear that whatever happened back then had broken their spirits.  That's what they were here for. To give these people the way out they'd been looking for.















Laurence cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Hello again everybody. I have returned. This is my friend and business partner Evelynne. We have brought the money. So. Whoever's ready to sell? Raise your hand and we'll get started." 

Needless to say they all raised their hands together. 

"Well alright!" The two Rich Kids placed their suitcases and Duffel Bags of money on the tables and opened them up. Followed by attaching a miniature camera to the wall and turning it on to have video evidence of their deals. "I think you'll find your compensation to be more than fair."

Corey, a man who was clearly younger than the others but still older than them, ran up to the table. "Ho-ly-crap! You weren't lying Rich Boy! This is more than enough to get out of that dump! I'm sold!" He grabbed one of the suitcases, looked it over and then he closed it up. "I'm sold! You can have this town! We're out of here!" He quickly got back to his seat, retrieved his title deed, and handed it back over to them. "All yours!"

"A pleasure doing business with you, Corey." He replied with a chuckle as they shook hands together. 

"Hold on Corey!" Minerva called out dramatically. 

He paused and looked back at her. "Huh? What's wrong Grandma Minerva? Ain't this why we're here?" 

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Oh...ohhhh...r-right. Right. I'm sorry. It slipped." He looked back at them. "The deal is still on, of course, but I need to go find those other goofballs who came here with you so we can talk to everyone together. I'll be right back." He waved to everyone and walked out waving to everyone. "I'll be right back! Thanks for the reminder Grandma!"

"You don't have to call me that but thank you! Be safe out there!" The Older Woman called out to him.

"Yes Grandma!"

Corey whistled to himself while he traversed the town with a flashlight. It was another starry night in the town. There was so little light in this town and the surrounding area that you could clearly see the beautiful stars above them. He couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and awe whenever he looked up at them. The stars twinkled like diamonds scattered across the vast endless velvet expanse above him, their lights dancing and flickering in the gentle breeze. The air was crisp and cool, filled with the scent of blooming wildflowers and the distant sound of crickets chirping their evening song. He had always loved the night sky, but tonight it seemed especially magical. Maybe it was the way the moon hung low and full, casting a silver glow over everything below. Or maybe it was the way the stars seemed to pulse and shimmer, as if they were trying to communicate some secret message only he could hear. Whatever it was, he felt transported to another world, one where anything was possible and magic really did exist....because of course it did. Those things in the forest were perfect evidence of that....and Corey's mood dropped back down. "It's okay, it's okay, it'll be alright, just get through tonight and you'll never have to look at the forest again. You can kiss this place goodbye." He whispered quietly to reassure himself and calm back down. After a few quick and quiet repetitions of this he sighed and blew it out and then he resumed walking down the broken rubble filled plant covered streets. 


Thankfully he quickly located the investigators and stepped out of the shadows while shining his flashlight on them. "Hi there! Welcome to Fallenthorne! The most broken down town in the world!" 

Dan signaled for the cameramen to catch him and then waved. "Hello there my good man! I hope you don't mind us filming here!"

"Not at all!" Corey responded and he dimmed his flashlight as he watched over to them. "In fact you're probably the most interesting people we've had here in a long while. Besides, we'll be out of town after tomorrow so you'll be free to do...well...almost anything you want. Except for one thing."

"Ohhh this is getting good. Okay and what would that be? Is there something dangerous in this town? Something....supernatural perhaps?"

"You'd be surprised. Listen, we can explain everything at Town Hall, but for right now? I'm going to have to ask you, for your own safety, and that of your entire crew, to stay out of the forest. Don't mess with it, don't throw things in it, don't go inside, just ignore it. Just pretend that it isn't there. Don't go messing around in that forest." 

"Good advice. May I ask why? Are there any dangerous wild animals in there?"

"Oh, you have no idea. There's an evil in that forest, you all probably felt it reaching out to you when you stepped into the town, it knows you're here, it knows they're here, it knows. Don't ask me how. But it's well aware of everything going on the town. Now, we don't bother it, so it doesn't bother us. But I warn you know, and everyone else will give you the same warning, if you, for whatever insane reason, decide to go into that forest? Do not, under any circumstances, for any reason whatsoever, do you ever step off the trail. Do not step off the trail. Don't step away from the trail. Don't go messing around with that forest either. Heed these warnings my friends. Or Tawnie will come for your heads."

"Tawnie? She's The Forest Child, right? We discovered some old legends about her while researching the town."

"That's her. She's The Town Boogeyman. The Specter Of The Forest. But she is not a legend. She's more than that. I can assure you, one and all, that she is in fact very real. And she'll come for everyone who messes with her home." 

Dan was a little taken aback. This guy sounded dead serious! He wasn't playing it up for the cameras, Dan had seen enough goofballs and mistaken people over the seasons of their show to know the difference, one of their team was even a phone psychic after all, this guy sounded like he genuinely believed what he was telling them! "Now that is very good advice. Could you tell us some more? Please, I'm serious, this is seriously interesting." He told him in a genuinely interested tone of voice.

"I can explain more at the Town Hall. Come on then everybody. Lets mosey." 

"Lead the way." 

Corey turned around and whistled to himself as he lead them through the town. The flashlight illuminating their way. 

Dan immediately turned around to the cameramen. Silently asking them if they got that. Clancy smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "You're the man, Clancy. Seriously. The best." He assured him with a big smile and resumed following after Corey.

The Specter Busters Ghost Hunting Crew followed Corey through the dark, shady, cracked, plant covered, rubble strewn streets of Fallenthorne until he lead them up to the Town Hall.

Dan stared up at it in shock. "Oh my God..." He muttered quietly. His voice barely above a terrified whisper. "What happened here?"

"Tawnie happened, stranger, Tawnie happened. Tawnie and her forest friends." Corey told him in what would normally be a blatant matter of fact tone but just came out tired. In a way that made the crew suspect that he'd explained the horrors of that fateful day so many times before to all who'd asked and the pain never went away. He just sounded so utterly defeated, so done with Fallenthorne's horrific past, that he just wanted to end it tonight and then get the hell out of dodge. "Come on inside now. Chop-chop. You'll hear everything when we get inside." 

"Right...yeah...lead the way. We'll be...we'll be right behind you." Dan told him and let Corey walk inside as Dan calmed himself down and signaled for them to cut it.

"Yo Dan! Dan! You good?" Joshua asked him sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah...I....uhmmm...yeah. Yeah I'm good. I'm good. This is just blowing my mind is all. This building, this place, this town....this is big. This is bigger than anything we've done before. This town looks like a warzone. What the hell could've happened here?" 

"Do you wanna go?"

"I...no. No. We can't leave. We can't quit. Look." He turned around to face the crew. "We built Specter Busters on the idea that we are not scared of anything. That we'll investigate anything, anywhere, anytime, and take the world on if it means we'll be able to deliver the truth to the people. That we'll stare down any horrors, no matter how gruesome a past it has, and we'll do it with a smile. Together. As a team. As a united front. We stayed the night in Stillwater Prison and came out the other side. We investigated the Dark Mire Swamp when everyone else was scared to approach it. Not even The Cereulean Hotel could scare us off. They have made horror movies inspired by our adventures. Why? Because we are the baddest Ghost Hunters around. Because we don't fear anything. Because we have each other. This isn't going to scare us off because nothing does. Now lets get in there and learn the truth of Fallenthorne. Are you with me?!"

"HOO-RAH!"

"Then lets get rolling. Because nothing's going to scare us off. Specter Busters for life!"

"Specter Busters for life!"

Dan smiled and nodded and turned to walk inside....only to turn right back around and raise his hand. "...We should still edit that whisper out later though...we'll fix it in post." Then he turned back around and walked inside while the others laughed and followed him inside and the cameras started rolling again.

Corey just sighed and waited for them to catch up. Another bunch of big city yuppies who had no idea what they were up against. 

-

Corey lead the crew to the meeting room where Laurence and Evie had been making small talk with the locals. Laurence looked up at them as they walked inside. 

"Welcome back, Corey. Everything good out there?"

"As good as this place can get I suppose. I brought the Ghost Hunters!"

"Good. Welcome everybody, welcome one and all, welcome to Fallenthorne. My name is Minerva. Minerva Sadie. I'd offer you some coffee but....we don't have much here." 

"That's alright, Miss Sadie, you're sweet. Honestly, we should be treating you. We have food and drink back in our car. We can have it brought out here if you'd like." Dan offered.

"It would certainly beat the canned food and perishables." Cooper admitted out loud.

"That it would. I'll tell you what. You can have it brought out after we're done with our meeting." Minerva decided. 

"Sounds good." Dan agreed. "It's nice to meet you by the way. I'm Dan 'The Man' Foran, call me Hannibal Styx, the Specter Busters Ghostface Casanova, and this is my crew: Jules, Della, Lothaire and Joshua and our amazing cameramen: Clancy, Johnson and Lilibeth. Say hi everyone!"

"Hello!" The crew greeted them.

"Now, then, the others here are....hoooo-leee! Laurence Ashburnm and Evelynne Holloway?! For real? What are you two doing here?"

"Spearheading the town's resurrection and bringing it into the modern world!" Laurence responded. "We're one step away from finalizing the selling of the last few homes in the town and then our friends will come in tomorrow and we'll get right to work."

"So you're The Ghost Hunter, huh?" Evelynne asked politely. "Find anything yet?"

"We have seen and experienced things that would traumatize the average person, Miss Holloway, fortunately my crew and I are made of sterner stuff." 

Evelynne considered teasing him further over how that wasn't exactly an answer but then she looked at Della who was resting one hand on the desk and rubbing her head. "Is she okay?"

"I'm fine...it's just...I don't know I think there's something in the air. Maybe it's pollen or an evil presence. Just give me a minute and I'll be fine."

Evelynne hopped off of the desk rolled a chair over to her so she could sit down.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Take it easy. Hay Fever's a bitch."

Dan would edit the profanity out in post but for now he just walked over to Della and rubbed her back. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Thanks bro."

"Anytime." 

Minerva stood up and cleared her throat. "Everyone? If I may have your attention? Please, everybody take your seats. We have something to tell you. The reason we gathered you all here."

Della wheeled herself over to the desks they'd set up while the others took their seats and the cameramen got set up in the back and townies stood in front of them. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen....if you believe anything we tell you, anything at all, then please let it be this: There is indeed an evil presence in this town and it lives within the forest." She informed them. "Nobody knows how old she is or how long she's been there, but as long as the people of Fallenthrone leave the forest alone, she leaves us alone. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement that has lasted for generations, and most of the townspeople are content to respect this unspoken agreement. If you ever break this agreement however, if you mess with the forest, if you pollute it, if you defile it, if you step off of the trail within, then Tawnie Redsummer will come for your heads and she will bring her friends. They will not stop, not for anything, until they have taken the heads of everyone who has wronged her beloved forest. Some say that she used to be a normal girl who lived in the village long ago. She had a family and friends, just like us. But one day, she wandered too far into the forest and got lost. Nobody ever found her body, but everyone knew she was gone. Others say that she was cursed by an evil sorcerer who lived in the forest before it was protected. He put her spirit in the body of that little girl as punishment for some crime she didn't commit. Others think that she made a deal with the forest itself. Maybe she was some kind of witch or something, and she traded her soul to become its guardian. Or that she used to be a little girl who lived in Fallenthorne. She loved the forest more than anything else, and when she died, her spirit became bound to it, protecting it for all eternity. That she's been watching over the forest since the beginning of time. That she made a deal with the forest spirits to keep them safe, and in return, she became their guardian. And if you ever cross her path, she'll put a curse on you that's worse than death." Outside, the wind picks up, rustling the leaves of the forest, as if Tawnie herself were listening in on their whispers. The townies nervously glanced at the windows before they returned their attention to the meeting. "But whatever legend you choose to believe one thing is very true: Tawnie Redsummer exists. She is very real. Her animal friends are real. They are not a mere ghost story. They exist and they are more horrifying anything anything can imagine." 

Corey reached into the desk and took out pieces of paper and he began walking around the room while handing the pictures to the Rich Kids and The Crew that consisted of images of....an adorable little girl in a dress with white gloves and ruby shoes. She didn't look anything like the horrific monstrosity they'd been hyping up. Instead she looked like something out of a Fairy Tale! However, Laurence and Dan couldn't help but notice the way his hands trembled as carried the papers, the apprehension from the others just from looking at the pictures, the fear in Minerva's voice...could this Tawnie really be the horrifying ghost they were talking about? Regardless, they passed the papers around, some of them even taking photos with their phones, and Dan made sure that their cameramen got clear and visible looks at them.



















Afterword, Laurence raised his hand. "Excuse me? If you don't mind me asking, how can you be so certain that she exists? Did one girl and some animals really do all of this?"

"Oh, she exists young man. She exists. They all exist and they're still out there in the forest. Watching, waiting, protecting the forest from all who would dare step inside."

Cooper stepped forward next to Minerva. "We know she exists because we faced her in the past. Because everyone remembers the day they came for the town."

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 23, 2023 3:55:25 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Nov 20, 2023 3:11:07 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Corey whistled to himself while he traversed the town with a flashlight. It was another starry night in the town. There was so little light in this town and the surrounding area that you could clearly see the beautiful stars above them. He couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and awe whenever he looked up at them. The stars twinkled like diamonds scattered across the vast endless velvet expanse above him, their lights dancing and flickering in the gentle breeze. The air was crisp and cool, filled with the scent of blooming wildflowers and the distant sound of crickets chirping their evening song. He had always loved the night sky, but tonight it seemed especially magical. Maybe it was the way the moon hung low and full, casting a silver glow over everything below. Or maybe it was the way the stars seemed to pulse and shimmer, as if they were trying to communicate some secret message only he could hear. Whatever it was, he felt transported to another world, one where anything was possible and magic really did exist....because of course it did. Those things in the forest were perfect evidence of that....and Corey's mood dropped back down. "It's okay, it's okay, it'll be alright, just get through tonight and you'll never have to look at the forest again. You can kiss this place goodbye." He whispered quietly to reassure himself and calm back down. After a few quick and quiet repetitions of this he sighed and blew it out and then he resumed walking down the broken rubble filled plant covered streets. 


Thankfully he quickly located the investigators and stepped out of the shadows while shining his flashlight on them. "Hi there! Welcome to Fallenthorne! The most broken down town in the world!" 

Dan signaled for the cameramen to catch him and then waved. "Hello there my good man! I hope you don't mind us filming here!"

"Not at all!" Corey responded and he dimmed his flashlight as he watched over to them. "In fact you're probably the most interesting people we've had here in a long while. Besides, we'll be out of town after tomorrow so you'll be free to do...well...almost anything you want. Except for one thing."

"Ohhh this is getting good. Okay and what would that be? Is there something dangerous in this town? Something....supernatural perhaps?"

"You'd be surprised. Listen, we can explain everything at Town Hall, but for right now? I'm going to have to ask you, for your own safety, and that of your entire crew, to stay out of the forest. Don't mess with it, don't throw things in it, don't go inside, just ignore it. Just pretend that it isn't there. Don't go messing around in that forest." 

"Good advice. May I ask why? Are there any dangerous wild animals in there?"

"Oh, you have no idea. There's an evil in that forest, you all probably felt it reaching out to you when you stepped into the town, it knows you're here, it knows they're here, it knows. Don't ask me how. But it's well aware of everything going on the town. Now, we don't bother it, so it doesn't bother us. But I warn you know, and everyone else will give you the same warning, if you, for whatever insane reason, decide to go into that forest? Do not, under any circumstances, for any reason whatsoever, do you ever step off the trail. Do not step off the trail. Don't step away from the trail. Don't go messing around with that forest either. Heed these warnings my friends. Or Tawnie will come for your heads."

"Tawnie? She's The Forest Child, right? We discovered some old legends about her while researching the town."

"That's her. She's The Town Boogeyman. The Specter Of The Forest. But she is not a legend. She's more than that. I can assure you, one and all, that she is in fact very real. And she'll come for everyone who messes with her home." 

Dan was a little taken aback. This guy sounded dead serious! He wasn't playing it up for the cameras, Dan had seen enough goofballs and mistaken people over the seasons of their show to know the difference, one of their team was even a phone psychic after all, this guy sounded like he genuinely believed what he was telling them! "Now that is very good advice. Could you tell us some more? Please, I'm serious, this is seriously interesting." He told him in a genuinely interested tone of voice.

"I can explain more at the Town Hall. Come on then everybody. Lets mosey." 

"Lead the way." 

Corey turned around and whistled to himself as he lead them through the town. The flashlight illuminating their way. 

Dan immediately turned around to the cameramen. Silently asking them if they got that. Clancy smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "You're the man, Clancy. Seriously. The best." He assured him with a big smile and resumed following after Corey.

The Specter Busters Ghost Hunting Crew followed Corey through the dark, shady, cracked, plant covered, rubble strewn streets of Fallenthorne until he lead them up to the Town Hall.

Dan stared up at it in shock. "Oh my God..." He muttered quietly. His voice barely above a terrified whisper. "What happened here?"

"Tawnie happened, stranger, Tawnie happened. Tawnie and her forest friends." Corey told him in what would normally be a blatant matter of fact tone but just came out tired. In a way that made the crew suspect that he'd explained the horrors of that fateful day so many times before to all who'd asked and the pain never went away. He just sounded so utterly defeated, so done with Fallenthorne's horrific past, that he just wanted to end it tonight and then get the hell out of dodge. "Come on inside now. Chop-chop. You'll hear everything when we get inside." 

"Right...yeah...lead the way. We'll be...we'll be right behind you." Dan told him and let Corey walk inside as Dan calmed himself down and signaled for them to cut it.

"Yo Dan! Dan! You good?" Joshua asked him sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah...I....uhmmm...yeah. Yeah I'm good. I'm good. This is just blowing my mind is all. This building, this place, this town....this is big. This is bigger than anything we've done before. This town looks like a warzone. What the hell could've happened here?" 

"Do you wanna go?"

"I...no. No. We can't leave. We can't quit. Look." He turned around to face the crew. "We built Specter Busters on the idea that we are not scared of anything. That we'll investigate anything, anywhere, anytime, and take the world on if it means we'll be able to deliver the truth to the people. That we'll stare down any horrors, no matter how gruesome a past it has, and we'll do it with a smile. Together. As a team. As a united front. We stayed the night in Stillwater Prison and came out the other side. We investigated the Dark Mire Swamp when everyone else was scared to approach it. Not even The Cereulean Hotel could scare us off. They have made horror movies inspired by our adventures. Why? Because we are the baddest Ghost Hunters around. Because we don't fear anything. Because we have each other. This isn't going to scare us off because nothing does. Now lets get in there and learn the truth of Fallenthorne. Are you with me?!"

"HOO-RAH!"

"Then lets get rolling. Because nothing's going to scare us off. Specter Busters for life!"

"Specter Busters for life!"

Dan smiled and nodded and turned to walk inside....only to turn right back around and raise his hand. "...We should still edit that whisper out later though...we'll fix it in post." Then he turned back around and walked inside while the others laughed and followed him inside and the cameras started rolling again.

Corey just sighed and waited for them to catch up. Another bunch of big city yuppies who had no idea what they were up against. 

-

Corey lead the crew to the meeting room where Laurence and Evie had been making small talk with the locals. Laurence looked up at them as they walked inside. 

"Welcome back, Corey. Everything good out there?"

"As good as this place can get I suppose. I brought the Ghost Hunters!"

"Good. Welcome everybody, welcome one and all, welcome to Fallenthorne. My name is Minerva. Minerva Sadie. I'd offer you some coffee but....we don't have much here." 

"That's alright, Miss Sadie, you're sweet. Honestly, we should be treating you. We have food and drink back in our car. We can have it brought out here if you'd like." Dan offered.

"It would certainly beat the canned food and perishables." Cooper admitted out loud.

"That it would. I'll tell you what. You can have it brought out after we're done with our meeting." Minerva decided. 

"Sounds good." Dan agreed. "It's nice to meet you by the way. I'm Dan 'The Man' Foran, call me Hannibal Styx, the Specter Busters Ghostface Casanova, and this is my crew: Jules, Della, Lothaire and Joshua and our amazing cameramen: Clancy, Johnson and Lilibeth. Say hi everyone!"

"Hello!" The crew greeted them.

"Now, then, the others here are....hoooo-leee! Laurence Ashburnm and Evelynne Holloway?! For real? What are you two doing here?"

"Spearheading the town's resurrection and bringing it into the modern world!" Laurence responded. "We're one step away from finalizing the selling of the last few homes in the town and then our friends will come in tomorrow and we'll get right to work."

"So you're The Ghost Hunter, huh?" Evelynne asked politely. "Find anything yet?"

"We have seen and experienced things that would traumatize the average person, Miss Holloway, fortunately my crew and I are made of sterner stuff." 

Evelynne considered teasing him further over how that wasn't exactly an answer but then she looked at Della who was resting one hand on the desk and rubbing her head. "Is she okay?"

"I'm fine...it's just...I don't know I think there's something in the air. Maybe it's pollen or an evil presence. Just give me a minute and I'll be fine."

Evelynne hopped off of the desk rolled a chair over to her so she could sit down.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Take it easy. Hay Fever's a bitch."

Dan would edit the profanity out in post but for now he just walked over to Della and rubbed her back. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Thanks bro."

"Anytime." 

Minerva stood up and cleared her throat. "Everyone? If I may have your attention? Please, everybody take your seats. We have something to tell you. The reason we gathered you all here."

Della wheeled herself over to the desks they'd set up while the others took their seats and the cameramen got set up in the back and townies stood in front of them. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen....if you believe anything we tell you, anything at all, then please let it be this: There is indeed an evil presence in this town and it lives within the forest." She informed them. "Nobody knows how old she is or how long she's been there, but as long as the people of Fallenthrone leave the forest alone, she leaves us alone. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement that has lasted for generations, and most of the townspeople are content to respect this unspoken agreement. If you ever break this agreement however, if you mess with the forest, if you pollute it, if you defile it, if you step off of the trail within, then Tawnie Redsummer will come for your heads and she will bring her friends. They will not stop, not for anything, until they have taken the heads of everyone who has wronged her beloved forest. Some say that she used to be a normal girl who lived in the village long ago. She had a family and friends, just like us. But one day, she wandered too far into the forest and got lost. Nobody ever found her body, but everyone knew she was gone. Others say that she was cursed by an evil sorcerer who lived in the forest before it was protected. He put her spirit in the body of that little girl as punishment for some crime she didn't commit. Others think that she made a deal with the forest itself. Maybe she was some kind of witch or something, and she traded her soul to become its guardian. Or that she used to be a little girl who lived in Fallenthorne. She loved the forest more than anything else, and when she died, her spirit became bound to it, protecting it for all eternity. That she's been watching over the forest since the beginning of time. That she made a deal with the forest spirits to keep them safe, and in return, she became their guardian. And if you ever cross her path, she'll put a curse on you that's worse than death." Outside, the wind picks up, rustling the leaves of the forest, as if Tawnie herself were listening in on their whispers. The townies nervously glanced at the windows before they returned their attention to the meeting. "But whatever legend you choose to believe one thing is very true: Tawnie Redsummer exists. She is very real. Her animal friends are real. They are not a mere ghost story. They exist and they are more horrifying anything anything can imagine." 

Corey reached into the desk and took out pieces of paper and he began walking around the room while handing the pictures to the Rich Kids and The Crew that consisted of images of....an adorable little girl in a dress with white gloves and ruby shoes. She didn't look anything like the horrific monstrosity they'd been hyping up. Instead she looked like something out of a Fairy Tale! However, Laurence and Dan couldn't help but notice the way his hands trembled as carried the papers, the apprehension from the others just from looking at the pictures, the fear in Minerva's voice...could this Tawnie really be the horrifying ghost they were talking about? Regardless, they passed the papers around, some of them even taking photos with their phones, and Dan made sure that their cameramen got clear and visible looks at them.



















Afterword, Laurence raised his hand. "Excuse me? If you don't mind me asking, how can you be so certain that she exists? Did one girl and some animals really do all of this?"

"Oh, she exists young man. She exists. They all exist and they're still out there in the forest. Watching, waiting, protecting the forest from all who would dare step inside."

Cooper stepped forward next to Minerva. "We know she exists because we faced her in the past. Because everyone remembers the day they came for the town."

"It was a long time ago, oh so long ago, years, decades, but we still remember it. This town used to be a thriving place back then if you can believe it. Children laughed and played while their parents shopped for fresh produce and handmade crafts at the weekly market. The smell of roasting meats and freshly baked bread wafted through the streets, enticing passersby to stop and sample the local cuisine. Fallenthorne was a thriving community back then, filled with people from all walks of life, artisans plied their trades in workshops tucked away down narrow alleys, creating beautiful works of art that were sought after by visitors from far and wide. Musicians and performers gathered on street corners, entertaining the crowd with lively tunes and acrobatic feats, our home was filled with activity, day and night, and the streets were paved with cobblestone and lined with colorful flowers and trees, giving the entire town a warm and welcoming feel. The townsfolk were some of the friendliest and most welcoming folks you'd ever meet, always eager to share a smile or a kind word with strangers. They took pride in their community and worked hard to keep it thriving, making Willowdale a place where everyone felt at home. Children played games and ran through the sprinklers, while adults chatted and laughed over glasses of lemonade and ice cream cones. It was just another typical summer evening in this idyllic little town, one that would leave you feeling grateful for the simple pleasures in life and the joy of being part of such a special community. When night fell, we'd gather together to watch the sunset paint the sky with shimmering hues of gold and orange. We didn't cower in the ruins of our homes back then. Back then...you could go outside and laugh and play and just enjoy the quiet life of living in one of the most beautiful towns in the country. Yeah, sure, The Forest still loomed over us all but...but it wasn't as oppressive as it is now. It wasn't as horrifying. We knew about Tawnie, everyone knew the legends, but they were just bedtime stories back then. Stories to tell your kids so they stayed out of the forest and behaved. We didn't bother them, they didn't bother us, we had an unspoken treaty. One that held for generations. That is, until Irwin and his band of idiots made them mad."

It was Robert who took over next. "We still remember their names. The names of the absolute dumbasses who doomed us all: Irwin Pickle, Dale Chase, Jones Stroud, Thomas Greenwood, Finn Tran and Copper Penny. We're not entirely sure what was going through their heads back then, they grew up hearing all of the same stories we did. The same legends. The same folktales. They knew the rules: Don't mess with The Forest and it won't mess with us. That was the arrangement. I guess they just didn't like being told they couldn't do something. That they couldn't go where they wanted. Or hunt in the forest. They didn't like it. I don't think they believed the stories either. It was that or they wanted to prove that an old forest didn't control them. Whatever the reason, they did the absolutely stupidest thing you could imagine: They tried to set fires in the forest."

Evelynne stared at them in disbelief. "How stupid were they? Forest Fires are a serious problem! They're catastrophic even with our advances in technology!"

"Quite right. But what came for us was much worse than a forest fire. A couple of them went into the forest to spread gasoline while Irwin and Dale stood on the outside of it and poured more of it. By the time we gathered together and try and stop them, the damage had been done. Their boys threw the matches and ran back out of the forest, hauling ass down the trail. Once they made it back, Irwin and Dale set their own fires. We tried to stop them, we told them not to do it, to not anger The Forest....but it was too late. Irwin and his friends yelled and whooped and cheered. Then, Irwin made it worse. He called to her. He called out Tawnie. Calling her every dirty name in the book and challenging her, daring her to come face him, if she was, indeed, even real. Dumbasses."

Cheyanne stepped up next, her lips quivering as she remembered that fateful day. After a moment of tension she found her courage to speak. "They got their wish. The fires suddenly died down on their own, far too quickly to be realistic, and then...she came. She walked through the embers and smoke and stared down the entire town, mad as hell. Furious that Irwin and his friends had desecrated her home. She spoke to us all. Her booming voice roared like thunder and echoed over the town. She roared at us for trying to burn down her home, demanded that the arsonists surrender and for the mayor to grovel at her feet and beg for mercy for himself and the rest of the town. We all knew the legends but never had we ever seen her so angry, so enraged, so wrathful. For so many of us it was our first time even seeing Tawnie in person. The Mayor Of Fallenthorne, Maximiliano Myrlie, sheepishly approached her and tried to smooth things over, tried to make excuses, even as he stumbled over his words. Tawnie was patient, surprisingly, but she clearly wanted him to hurry up."

"That was when Irwin struck. We don't know what was going through his head, but, I assume, he thought that, since she was out of the forest and here, in the town, in person, in, what he assumed, was flesh, that he could finally kill her. He lunged forward, drew his revolver, and fired on Tawnie. Bang! Bang! Bang! A quick draw and three quick shots right through her head. Now, what do you think happened?" She paused and looked them in the eyes. "The bullets passed right through her. Like she wasn't even there. Tawnie took this as our answer and accepted the challenge."

"Then the beasts came. They came from the forest and swarmed over this town like a flood. Cross-breed abominations birthed by The Forest itself to guard and protect it and execute all those who wronged it. Tawnie killed Irwin and Maximiliano herself while the rest of the beasts rampaged throughout the town with her. It wasn't just Irwin and his cronies they came for either. They came for the entire town. From the sky and the Earth. They roared, they rampaged, they tore us apart. Anybody not killed by them was butchered by Tawnie. It was a slaughter. A massacre. The streets ran red with the blood of Fallenthorne. It didn't matter to them who they slaughtered. It was a festival of carnage and brutality the likes of which none of us had ever seen or even dreamed of before. When it was over, when the dust settled, over half of the town had been massacred in the most horrifically brutal ways imaginable, Tawnie gave us one final warning never to threaten her forest again and retreated with the heads of Irwin and his friends. Leaving us here. Surrounded by death and carnage where a torrent of blood and corpses abound."

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 23, 2023 17:06:20 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Nov 23, 2023 3:55:25 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

The Specter Busters Ghost Hunting Crew followed Corey through the dark, shady, cracked, plant covered, rubble strewn streets of Fallenthorne until he lead them up to the Town Hall.

Dan stared up at it in shock. "Oh my God..." He muttered quietly. His voice barely above a terrified whisper. "What happened here?"

"Tawnie happened, stranger, Tawnie happened. Tawnie and her forest friends." Corey told him in what would normally be a blatant matter of fact tone but just came out tired. In a way that made the crew suspect that he'd explained the horrors of that fateful day so many times before to all who'd asked and the pain never went away. He just sounded so utterly defeated, so done with Fallenthorne's horrific past, that he just wanted to end it tonight and then get the hell out of dodge. "Come on inside now. Chop-chop. You'll hear everything when we get inside." 

"Right...yeah...lead the way. We'll be...we'll be right behind you." Dan told him and let Corey walk inside as Dan calmed himself down and signaled for them to cut it.

"Yo Dan! Dan! You good?" Joshua asked him sounding genuinely concerned.

"Yeah...I....uhmmm...yeah. Yeah I'm good. I'm good. This is just blowing my mind is all. This building, this place, this town....this is big. This is bigger than anything we've done before. This town looks like a warzone. What the hell could've happened here?" 

"Do you wanna go?"

"I...no. No. We can't leave. We can't quit. Look." He turned around to face the crew. "We built Specter Busters on the idea that we are not scared of anything. That we'll investigate anything, anywhere, anytime, and take the world on if it means we'll be able to deliver the truth to the people. That we'll stare down any horrors, no matter how gruesome a past it has, and we'll do it with a smile. Together. As a team. As a united front. We stayed the night in Stillwater Prison and came out the other side. We investigated the Dark Mire Swamp when everyone else was scared to approach it. Not even The Cereulean Hotel could scare us off. They have made horror movies inspired by our adventures. Why? Because we are the baddest Ghost Hunters around. Because we don't fear anything. Because we have each other. This isn't going to scare us off because nothing does. Now lets get in there and learn the truth of Fallenthorne. Are you with me?!"

"HOO-RAH!"

"Then lets get rolling. Because nothing's going to scare us off. Specter Busters for life!"

"Specter Busters for life!"

Dan smiled and nodded and turned to walk inside....only to turn right back around and raise his hand. "...We should still edit that whisper out later though...we'll fix it in post." Then he turned back around and walked inside while the others laughed and followed him inside and the cameras started rolling again.

Corey just sighed and waited for them to catch up. Another bunch of big city yuppies who had no idea what they were up against. 

-

Corey lead the crew to the meeting room where Laurence and Evie had been making small talk with the locals. Laurence looked up at them as they walked inside. 

"Welcome back, Corey. Everything good out there?"

"As good as this place can get I suppose. I brought the Ghost Hunters!"

"Good. Welcome everybody, welcome one and all, welcome to Fallenthorne. My name is Minerva. Minerva Sadie. I'd offer you some coffee but....we don't have much here." 

"That's alright, Miss Sadie, you're sweet. Honestly, we should be treating you. We have food and drink back in our car. We can have it brought out here if you'd like." Dan offered.

"It would certainly beat the canned food and perishables." Cooper admitted out loud.

"That it would. I'll tell you what. You can have it brought out after we're done with our meeting." Minerva decided. 

"Sounds good." Dan agreed. "It's nice to meet you by the way. I'm Dan 'The Man' Foran, call me Hannibal Styx, the Specter Busters Ghostface Casanova, and this is my crew: Jules, Della, Lothaire and Joshua and our amazing cameramen: Clancy, Johnson and Lilibeth. Say hi everyone!"

"Hello!" The crew greeted them.

"Now, then, the others here are....hoooo-leee! Laurence Ashburnm and Evelynne Holloway?! For real? What are you two doing here?"

"Spearheading the town's resurrection and bringing it into the modern world!" Laurence responded. "We're one step away from finalizing the selling of the last few homes in the town and then our friends will come in tomorrow and we'll get right to work."

"So you're The Ghost Hunter, huh?" Evelynne asked politely. "Find anything yet?"

"We have seen and experienced things that would traumatize the average person, Miss Holloway, fortunately my crew and I are made of sterner stuff." 

Evelynne considered teasing him further over how that wasn't exactly an answer but then she looked at Della who was resting one hand on the desk and rubbing her head. "Is she okay?"

"I'm fine...it's just...I don't know I think there's something in the air. Maybe it's pollen or an evil presence. Just give me a minute and I'll be fine."

Evelynne hopped off of the desk rolled a chair over to her so she could sit down.

"Thank you."

"No problem. Take it easy. Hay Fever's a bitch."

Dan would edit the profanity out in post but for now he just walked over to Della and rubbed her back. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Thanks bro."

"Anytime." 

Minerva stood up and cleared her throat. "Everyone? If I may have your attention? Please, everybody take your seats. We have something to tell you. The reason we gathered you all here."

Della wheeled herself over to the desks they'd set up while the others took their seats and the cameramen got set up in the back and townies stood in front of them. 

"Ladies and Gentlemen....if you believe anything we tell you, anything at all, then please let it be this: There is indeed an evil presence in this town and it lives within the forest." She informed them. "Nobody knows how old she is or how long she's been there, but as long as the people of Fallenthrone leave the forest alone, she leaves us alone. It is a mutually beneficial arrangement that has lasted for generations, and most of the townspeople are content to respect this unspoken agreement. If you ever break this agreement however, if you mess with the forest, if you pollute it, if you defile it, if you step off of the trail within, then Tawnie Redsummer will come for your heads and she will bring her friends. They will not stop, not for anything, until they have taken the heads of everyone who has wronged her beloved forest. Some say that she used to be a normal girl who lived in the village long ago. She had a family and friends, just like us. But one day, she wandered too far into the forest and got lost. Nobody ever found her body, but everyone knew she was gone. Others say that she was cursed by an evil sorcerer who lived in the forest before it was protected. He put her spirit in the body of that little girl as punishment for some crime she didn't commit. Others think that she made a deal with the forest itself. Maybe she was some kind of witch or something, and she traded her soul to become its guardian. Or that she used to be a little girl who lived in Fallenthorne. She loved the forest more than anything else, and when she died, her spirit became bound to it, protecting it for all eternity. That she's been watching over the forest since the beginning of time. That she made a deal with the forest spirits to keep them safe, and in return, she became their guardian. And if you ever cross her path, she'll put a curse on you that's worse than death." Outside, the wind picks up, rustling the leaves of the forest, as if Tawnie herself were listening in on their whispers. The townies nervously glanced at the windows before they returned their attention to the meeting. "But whatever legend you choose to believe one thing is very true: Tawnie Redsummer exists. She is very real. Her animal friends are real. They are not a mere ghost story. They exist and they are more horrifying anything anything can imagine." 

Corey reached into the desk and took out pieces of paper and he began walking around the room while handing the pictures to the Rich Kids and The Crew that consisted of images of....an adorable little girl in a dress with white gloves and ruby shoes. She didn't look anything like the horrific monstrosity they'd been hyping up. Instead she looked like something out of a Fairy Tale! However, Laurence and Dan couldn't help but notice the way his hands trembled as carried the papers, the apprehension from the others just from looking at the pictures, the fear in Minerva's voice...could this Tawnie really be the horrifying ghost they were talking about? Regardless, they passed the papers around, some of them even taking photos with their phones, and Dan made sure that their cameramen got clear and visible looks at them.



















Afterword, Laurence raised his hand. "Excuse me? If you don't mind me asking, how can you be so certain that she exists? Did one girl and some animals really do all of this?"

"Oh, she exists young man. She exists. They all exist and they're still out there in the forest. Watching, waiting, protecting the forest from all who would dare step inside."

Cooper stepped forward next to Minerva. "We know she exists because we faced her in the past. Because everyone remembers the day they came for the town."

"It was a long time ago, oh so long ago, years, decades, but we still remember it. This town used to be a thriving place back then if you can believe it. Children laughed and played while their parents shopped for fresh produce and handmade crafts at the weekly market. The smell of roasting meats and freshly baked bread wafted through the streets, enticing passersby to stop and sample the local cuisine. Fallenthorne was a thriving community back then, filled with people from all walks of life, artisans plied their trades in workshops tucked away down narrow alleys, creating beautiful works of art that were sought after by visitors from far and wide. Musicians and performers gathered on street corners, entertaining the crowd with lively tunes and acrobatic feats, our home was filled with activity, day and night, and the streets were paved with cobblestone and lined with colorful flowers and trees, giving the entire town a warm and welcoming feel. The townsfolk were some of the friendliest and most welcoming folks you'd ever meet, always eager to share a smile or a kind word with strangers. They took pride in their community and worked hard to keep it thriving, making Willowdale a place where everyone felt at home. Children played games and ran through the sprinklers, while adults chatted and laughed over glasses of lemonade and ice cream cones. It was just another typical summer evening in this idyllic little town, one that would leave you feeling grateful for the simple pleasures in life and the joy of being part of such a special community. When night fell, we'd gather together to watch the sunset paint the sky with shimmering hues of gold and orange. We didn't cower in the ruins of our homes back then. Back then...you could go outside and laugh and play and just enjoy the quiet life of living in one of the most beautiful towns in the country. Yeah, sure, The Forest still loomed over us all but...but it wasn't as oppressive as it is now. It wasn't as horrifying. We knew about Tawnie, everyone knew the legends, but they were just bedtime stories back then. Stories to tell your kids so they stayed out of the forest and behaved. We didn't bother them, they didn't bother us, we had an unspoken treaty. One that held for generations. That is, until Irwin and his band of idiots made them mad."

It was Robert who took over next. "We still remember their names. The names of the absolute dumbasses who doomed us all: Irwin Pickle, Dale Chase, Jones Stroud, Thomas Greenwood, Finn Tran and Copper Penny. We're not entirely sure what was going through their heads back then, they grew up hearing all of the same stories we did. The same legends. The same folktales. They knew the rules: Don't mess with The Forest and it won't mess with us. That was the arrangement. I guess they just didn't like being told they couldn't do something. That they couldn't go where they wanted. Or hunt in the forest. They didn't like it. I don't think they believed the stories either. It was that or they wanted to prove that an old forest didn't control them. Whatever the reason, they did the absolutely stupidest thing you could imagine: They tried to set fires in the forest."

Evelynne stared at them in disbelief. "How stupid were they? Forest Fires are a serious problem! They're catastrophic even with our advances in technology!"

"Quite right. But what came for us was much worse than a forest fire. A couple of them went into the forest to spread gasoline while Irwin and Dale stood on the outside of it and poured more of it. By the time we gathered together and try and stop them, the damage had been done. Their boys threw the matches and ran back out of the forest, hauling ass down the trail. Once they made it back, Irwin and Dale set their own fires. We tried to stop them, we told them not to do it, to not anger The Forest....but it was too late. Irwin and his friends yelled and whooped and cheered. Then, Irwin made it worse. He called to her. He called out Tawnie. Calling her every dirty name in the book and challenging her, daring her to come face him, if she was, indeed, even real. Dumbasses."

Cheyanne stepped up next, her lips quivering as she remembered that fateful day. After a moment of tension she found her courage to speak. "They got their wish. The fires suddenly died down on their own, far too quickly to be realistic, and then...she came. She walked through the embers and smoke and stared down the entire town, mad as hell. Furious that Irwin and his friends had desecrated her home. She spoke to us all. Her booming voice roared like thunder and echoed over the town. She roared at us for trying to burn down her home, demanded that the arsonists surrender and for the mayor to grovel at her feet and beg for mercy for himself and the rest of the town. We all knew the legends but never had we ever seen her so angry, so enraged, so wrathful. For so many of us it was our first time even seeing Tawnie in person. The Mayor Of Fallenthorne, Maximiliano Myrlie, sheepishly approached her and tried to smooth things over, tried to make excuses, even as he stumbled over his words. Tawnie was patient, surprisingly, but she clearly wanted him to hurry up."

"That was when Irwin struck. We don't know what was going through his head, but, I assume, he thought that, since she was out of the forest and here, in the town, in person, in, what he assumed, was flesh, that he could finally kill her. He lunged forward, drew his revolver, and fired on Tawnie. Bang! Bang! Bang! A quick draw and three quick shots right through her head. Now, what do you think happened?" She paused and looked them in the eyes. "The bullets passed right through her. Like she wasn't even there. Tawnie took this as our answer and accepted the challenge."

"Then the beasts came. They came from the forest and swarmed over this town like a flood. Cross-breed abominations birthed by The Forest itself to guard and protect it and execute all those who wronged it. Tawnie killed Irwin and Maximiliano herself while the rest of the beasts rampaged throughout the town with her. It wasn't just Irwin and his cronies they came for either. They came for the entire town. From the sky and the Earth. They roared, they rampaged, they tore us apart. Anybody not killed by them was butchered by Tawnie. It was a slaughter. A massacre. The streets ran red with the blood of Fallenthorne. It didn't matter to them who they slaughtered. It was a festival of carnage and brutality the likes of which none of us had ever seen or even dreamed of before. When it was over, when the dust settled, over half of the town had been massacred in the most horrifically brutal ways imaginable, Tawnie gave us one final warning never to threaten her forest again and retreated with the heads of Irwin and his friends. Leaving us here. Surrounded by death and carnage where a torrent of blood and corpses abound."

The entire room was silent in horror as they took all of this in. Even if they didn't believe they still had to admit that the townies clearly did and the evidence of the massacre was all around the remains of the town. Whatever happened that night, whatever it was they thought happened, they clearly pointed to this Entity, this Tawnie, as the culprit behind it and they definitely believed it, her, to be real. So much so that they'd spent decades here warning anyone they could of the horrors waiting inside of the forest long after the survivors had given up and fled from the dead town. However, there were still a few things that didn't fit to Laurence. 

"Okay, so, if all that happened, then what about the police? Wouldn't there have been a massive investigation into the massacre? What about reporters? Even if this was decades ago there still would've been someone who came looking, right? Why didn't word about any of this get out?"

Minerva shook her head. "They came. They came. They investigated. They took our statements. They heard our warnings. Then they dismissed them. They couldn't, wouldn't, accept the existence of a supernatural devil child. They ignored our warnings, they went into the forest and they never came back. The police, the reporters, the investigators, they all went into the forest and they disappeared. Taken by Tawnie. It's the forest, you understand, the forest...has a way of making people forget. Those who would have investigated it...they forgot about it....it slowly drifted out of their minds and the town was left to linger in obscurity for so long barring the occasional visitors who made the mistake of journeying into the forest. Time and time again and again we warned them and watched them leave into the forest and disappear." She sighed. "I'm tired, young man, I'm just ever so tired at this point. I'm so tired. I've tried for decades and I can't do this anymore. We're leaving tomorrow. We're taking our money and leaving. Listen, listen, if any of you still want to investigate the forest, after all of this, after all we told you? Then...look, we can't stop you from doing anything you don't want to do. But please, I beg of you, heed our warnings. Leave the forest be. Let it be. Stay out of the forest. Do not go in there for any reason whatsoever. I beg of you. Please, for your own safety, stay away from the forest and don't do anything to enrage Tawnie again or nothing will be able to save you. You cannot fight her, you cannot escape her, you will not survive her wrath. Your only hope is to stay out of the forest and avoid incurring her wrath at all costs." 

"You hear that, Hannibal?" Evelynne teased Dan. 

"Loud and clear." He replied quietly while he began to seriously wander what he was going to do for the show regarding this new information. 

"Uhm, Minerva?" Laurence asked gently. "May I ask a question? What about the police? I know you have, had, a station here. Didn't they fight back?"

"They tried, Laurence, they tried, but...you must understand, Fallenthorne is such a small town, such an out of the way town, so off the beaten path, that nothing really happened here until that day." Robert began to explain to him. "It was a peaceful, quiet town filled with fun and love and laughter. We were just one small tight knit community. The worst that ever happened here was just a bit of public drunkeness or some rowdy kids. At worst you'd just spend a night in a cell, sleep it off, get released and everyone would have a good laugh the next day." He continued. "We did have a police force but they were not prepared for what happened. They'd spent their lives in peace. When the attack came...it was sudden, it was ruthless, it was overwhelming, it was like an Act Of God unleashed upon our town. They never stood a chance."

"Ain't like bullets would've done anything to those monsters anyway."  Cheyanne added with a huff. "Bullets are made for killing mortal beings. Not whatever those things are. Not whatever Tawnie is..."

"I...I...see. Okay. I'm sorry I asked. I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories."

"It's alright, young man, we understand. If explaining this, revisiting that day, helps nail it into your heads not to go into that forest? Then it's worth it in my book." Minerva told him with a kind, sad, smile. 

[superkamiguy1]

Nov 24, 2023 1:05:51 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Nov 23, 2023 17:06:20 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

"It was a long time ago, oh so long ago, years, decades, but we still remember it. This town used to be a thriving place back then if you can believe it. Children laughed and played while their parents shopped for fresh produce and handmade crafts at the weekly market. The smell of roasting meats and freshly baked bread wafted through the streets, enticing passersby to stop and sample the local cuisine. Fallenthorne was a thriving community back then, filled with people from all walks of life, artisans plied their trades in workshops tucked away down narrow alleys, creating beautiful works of art that were sought after by visitors from far and wide. Musicians and performers gathered on street corners, entertaining the crowd with lively tunes and acrobatic feats, our home was filled with activity, day and night, and the streets were paved with cobblestone and lined with colorful flowers and trees, giving the entire town a warm and welcoming feel. The townsfolk were some of the friendliest and most welcoming folks you'd ever meet, always eager to share a smile or a kind word with strangers. They took pride in their community and worked hard to keep it thriving, making Willowdale a place where everyone felt at home. Children played games and ran through the sprinklers, while adults chatted and laughed over glasses of lemonade and ice cream cones. It was just another typical summer evening in this idyllic little town, one that would leave you feeling grateful for the simple pleasures in life and the joy of being part of such a special community. When night fell, we'd gather together to watch the sunset paint the sky with shimmering hues of gold and orange. We didn't cower in the ruins of our homes back then. Back then...you could go outside and laugh and play and just enjoy the quiet life of living in one of the most beautiful towns in the country. Yeah, sure, The Forest still loomed over us all but...but it wasn't as oppressive as it is now. It wasn't as horrifying. We knew about Tawnie, everyone knew the legends, but they were just bedtime stories back then. Stories to tell your kids so they stayed out of the forest and behaved. We didn't bother them, they didn't bother us, we had an unspoken treaty. One that held for generations. That is, until Irwin and his band of idiots made them mad."

It was Robert who took over next. "We still remember their names. The names of the absolute dumbasses who doomed us all: Irwin Pickle, Dale Chase, Jones Stroud, Thomas Greenwood, Finn Tran and Copper Penny. We're not entirely sure what was going through their heads back then, they grew up hearing all of the same stories we did. The same legends. The same folktales. They knew the rules: Don't mess with The Forest and it won't mess with us. That was the arrangement. I guess they just didn't like being told they couldn't do something. That they couldn't go where they wanted. Or hunt in the forest. They didn't like it. I don't think they believed the stories either. It was that or they wanted to prove that an old forest didn't control them. Whatever the reason, they did the absolutely stupidest thing you could imagine: They tried to set fires in the forest."

Evelynne stared at them in disbelief. "How stupid were they? Forest Fires are a serious problem! They're catastrophic even with our advances in technology!"

"Quite right. But what came for us was much worse than a forest fire. A couple of them went into the forest to spread gasoline while Irwin and Dale stood on the outside of it and poured more of it. By the time we gathered together and try and stop them, the damage had been done. Their boys threw the matches and ran back out of the forest, hauling ass down the trail. Once they made it back, Irwin and Dale set their own fires. We tried to stop them, we told them not to do it, to not anger The Forest....but it was too late. Irwin and his friends yelled and whooped and cheered. Then, Irwin made it worse. He called to her. He called out Tawnie. Calling her every dirty name in the book and challenging her, daring her to come face him, if she was, indeed, even real. Dumbasses."

Cheyanne stepped up next, her lips quivering as she remembered that fateful day. After a moment of tension she found her courage to speak. "They got their wish. The fires suddenly died down on their own, far too quickly to be realistic, and then...she came. She walked through the embers and smoke and stared down the entire town, mad as hell. Furious that Irwin and his friends had desecrated her home. She spoke to us all. Her booming voice roared like thunder and echoed over the town. She roared at us for trying to burn down her home, demanded that the arsonists surrender and for the mayor to grovel at her feet and beg for mercy for himself and the rest of the town. We all knew the legends but never had we ever seen her so angry, so enraged, so wrathful. For so many of us it was our first time even seeing Tawnie in person. The Mayor Of Fallenthorne, Maximiliano Myrlie, sheepishly approached her and tried to smooth things over, tried to make excuses, even as he stumbled over his words. Tawnie was patient, surprisingly, but she clearly wanted him to hurry up."

"That was when Irwin struck. We don't know what was going through his head, but, I assume, he thought that, since she was out of the forest and here, in the town, in person, in, what he assumed, was flesh, that he could finally kill her. He lunged forward, drew his revolver, and fired on Tawnie. Bang! Bang! Bang! A quick draw and three quick shots right through her head. Now, what do you think happened?" She paused and looked them in the eyes. "The bullets passed right through her. Like she wasn't even there. Tawnie took this as our answer and accepted the challenge."

"Then the beasts came. They came from the forest and swarmed over this town like a flood. Cross-breed abominations birthed by The Forest itself to guard and protect it and execute all those who wronged it. Tawnie killed Irwin and Maximiliano herself while the rest of the beasts rampaged throughout the town with her. It wasn't just Irwin and his cronies they came for either. They came for the entire town. From the sky and the Earth. They roared, they rampaged, they tore us apart. Anybody not killed by them was butchered by Tawnie. It was a slaughter. A massacre. The streets ran red with the blood of Fallenthorne. It didn't matter to them who they slaughtered. It was a festival of carnage and brutality the likes of which none of us had ever seen or even dreamed of before. When it was over, when the dust settled, over half of the town had been massacred in the most horrifically brutal ways imaginable, Tawnie gave us one final warning never to threaten her forest again and retreated with the heads of Irwin and his friends. Leaving us here. Surrounded by death and carnage where a torrent of blood and corpses abound."

The entire room was silent in horror as they took all of this in. Even if they didn't believe they still had to admit that the townies clearly did and the evidence of the massacre was all around the remains of the town. Whatever happened that night, whatever it was they thought happened, they clearly pointed to this Entity, this Tawnie, as the culprit behind it and they definitely believed it, her, to be real. So much so that they'd spent decades here warning anyone they could of the horrors waiting inside of the forest long after the survivors had given up and fled from the dead town. However, there were still a few things that didn't fit to Laurence. 

"Okay, so, if all that happened, then what about the police? Wouldn't there have been a massive investigation into the massacre? What about reporters? Even if this was decades ago there still would've been someone who came looking, right? Why didn't word about any of this get out?"

Minerva shook her head. "They came. They came. They investigated. They took our statements. They heard our warnings. Then they dismissed them. They couldn't, wouldn't, accept the existence of a supernatural devil child. They ignored our warnings, they went into the forest and they never came back. The police, the reporters, the investigators, they all went into the forest and they disappeared. Taken by Tawnie. It's the forest, you understand, the forest...has a way of making people forget. Those who would have investigated it...they forgot about it....it slowly drifted out of their minds and the town was left to linger in obscurity for so long barring the occasional visitors who made the mistake of journeying into the forest. Time and time again and again we warned them and watched them leave into the forest and disappear." She sighed. "I'm tired, young man, I'm just ever so tired at this point. I'm so tired. I've tried for decades and I can't do this anymore. We're leaving tomorrow. We're taking our money and leaving. Listen, listen, if any of you still want to investigate the forest, after all of this, after all we told you? Then...look, we can't stop you from doing anything you don't want to do. But please, I beg of you, heed our warnings. Leave the forest be. Let it be. Stay out of the forest. Do not go in there for any reason whatsoever. I beg of you. Please, for your own safety, stay away from the forest and don't do anything to enrage Tawnie again or nothing will be able to save you. You cannot fight her, you cannot escape her, you will not survive her wrath. Your only hope is to stay out of the forest and avoid incurring her wrath at all costs." 

"You hear that, Hannibal?" Evelynne teased Dan. 

"Loud and clear." He replied quietly while he began to seriously wander what he was going to do for the show regarding this new information. 

"Uhm, Minerva?" Laurence asked gently. "May I ask a question? What about the police? I know you have, had, a station here. Didn't they fight back?"

"They tried, Laurence, they tried, but...you must understand, Fallenthorne is such a small town, such an out of the way town, so off the beaten path, that nothing really happened here until that day." Robert began to explain to him. "It was a peaceful, quiet town filled with fun and love and laughter. We were just one small tight knit community. The worst that ever happened here was just a bit of public drunkeness or some rowdy kids. At worst you'd just spend a night in a cell, sleep it off, get released and everyone would have a good laugh the next day." He continued. "We did have a police force but they were not prepared for what happened. They'd spent their lives in peace. When the attack came...it was sudden, it was ruthless, it was overwhelming, it was like an Act Of God unleashed upon our town. They never stood a chance."

"Ain't like bullets would've done anything to those monsters anyway."  Cheyanne added with a huff. "Bullets are made for killing mortal beings. Not whatever those things are. Not whatever Tawnie is..."

"I...I...see. Okay. I'm sorry I asked. I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories."

"It's alright, young man, we understand. If explaining this, revisiting that day, helps nail it into your heads not to go into that forest? Then it's worth it in my book." Minerva told him with a kind, sad, smile. 

At this point, Dan found himself caught on the horns of a dilemma. He didn't show it on his face but he was officially getting scared now for the first time. That was not easy. He'd kicked up his feet and relaxed in some of the supposedly scariest most haunted places in the world and came out of them with a smile on his face. He made out with a chick on Bloodcurdling Road! He threw a party at Devil’s Dance Dungeon! He explored The Grand Palace Opera House!  He did a video walkthrough of Blood Moon Acres! There were Horror Movies based on the adventures of him and his crew! He was a Guest Star on Paranormal!* Nothing had ever scared Dan before. But this place? This place was getting to him. Whether it was real or not, the folks here certainly believed it. Whether it was real or not, it was evident that something horrible happened here. Something that broke these people. Something that tore this town apart. And he couldn't explain it. 

Suddenly, Dan really didn't want to go into that forest. But at the same time? He had to go. They had to go. The show depended on it. If they didn't do this? After all the hype they built up? The show would be dead in the water. They'd be a laugh riot. They'd lose viewers, ratings would plummet and...and...his friends would lose their jobs. This was their brand! Their identity! Their dream! They'd been through so much together! He couldn't just wimp out now and leave them hanging! They'd be screwed! How would they even find work again? He couldn't risk it. He couldn't let them down. He had to do this. He had to go explore the forest with them. 

Besides, in all of their explorations they'd never seen one instance of an actual supernatural being. What were the odds of them actually finding something big and scary this time? Statistically speaking? They were way more likely to come up with nothing than meet something horribly evil. The odds were pretty good that he, they, would be fine. Of course...even if something did happen...people from all over the world knew about their trip here. They'd investigate. They'd come looking. The brat would get exposed one way or the other. 

Dan made up his mind. They would collect as much information as possible regarding the town and its history, as much evidence as possible of Tawnie's existence, get all of it recorded, and make sure their guys had that information, both in the videos and their phones, and if anything happened to the main exploration team, their friends would still have it. Hell, the Trust Fund Kids would still have their intel as well. Word would get out. Word would spread. People would investigate and the truth would come out one way or another. Because that was what The Specter Busters were all about! (Welcome to the 21st Century, Tawnie. Bring it the fuck on.)

*This Earth's equivalent of Supernatural! 

[superkamiguy1]

Feb 7, 2024 3:23:18 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Nov 24, 2023 1:05:51 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

The entire room was silent in horror as they took all of this in. Even if they didn't believe they still had to admit that the townies clearly did and the evidence of the massacre was all around the remains of the town. Whatever happened that night, whatever it was they thought happened, they clearly pointed to this Entity, this Tawnie, as the culprit behind it and they definitely believed it, her, to be real. So much so that they'd spent decades here warning anyone they could of the horrors waiting inside of the forest long after the survivors had given up and fled from the dead town. However, there were still a few things that didn't fit to Laurence. 

"Okay, so, if all that happened, then what about the police? Wouldn't there have been a massive investigation into the massacre? What about reporters? Even if this was decades ago there still would've been someone who came looking, right? Why didn't word about any of this get out?"

Minerva shook her head. "They came. They came. They investigated. They took our statements. They heard our warnings. Then they dismissed them. They couldn't, wouldn't, accept the existence of a supernatural devil child. They ignored our warnings, they went into the forest and they never came back. The police, the reporters, the investigators, they all went into the forest and they disappeared. Taken by Tawnie. It's the forest, you understand, the forest...has a way of making people forget. Those who would have investigated it...they forgot about it....it slowly drifted out of their minds and the town was left to linger in obscurity for so long barring the occasional visitors who made the mistake of journeying into the forest. Time and time again and again we warned them and watched them leave into the forest and disappear." She sighed. "I'm tired, young man, I'm just ever so tired at this point. I'm so tired. I've tried for decades and I can't do this anymore. We're leaving tomorrow. We're taking our money and leaving. Listen, listen, if any of you still want to investigate the forest, after all of this, after all we told you? Then...look, we can't stop you from doing anything you don't want to do. But please, I beg of you, heed our warnings. Leave the forest be. Let it be. Stay out of the forest. Do not go in there for any reason whatsoever. I beg of you. Please, for your own safety, stay away from the forest and don't do anything to enrage Tawnie again or nothing will be able to save you. You cannot fight her, you cannot escape her, you will not survive her wrath. Your only hope is to stay out of the forest and avoid incurring her wrath at all costs." 

"You hear that, Hannibal?" Evelynne teased Dan. 

"Loud and clear." He replied quietly while he began to seriously wander what he was going to do for the show regarding this new information. 

"Uhm, Minerva?" Laurence asked gently. "May I ask a question? What about the police? I know you have, had, a station here. Didn't they fight back?"

"They tried, Laurence, they tried, but...you must understand, Fallenthorne is such a small town, such an out of the way town, so off the beaten path, that nothing really happened here until that day." Robert began to explain to him. "It was a peaceful, quiet town filled with fun and love and laughter. We were just one small tight knit community. The worst that ever happened here was just a bit of public drunkeness or some rowdy kids. At worst you'd just spend a night in a cell, sleep it off, get released and everyone would have a good laugh the next day." He continued. "We did have a police force but they were not prepared for what happened. They'd spent their lives in peace. When the attack came...it was sudden, it was ruthless, it was overwhelming, it was like an Act Of God unleashed upon our town. They never stood a chance."

"Ain't like bullets would've done anything to those monsters anyway."  Cheyanne added with a huff. "Bullets are made for killing mortal beings. Not whatever those things are. Not whatever Tawnie is..."

"I...I...see. Okay. I'm sorry I asked. I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories."

"It's alright, young man, we understand. If explaining this, revisiting that day, helps nail it into your heads not to go into that forest? Then it's worth it in my book." Minerva told him with a kind, sad, smile. 

At this point, Dan found himself caught on the horns of a dilemma. He didn't show it on his face but he was officially getting scared now for the first time. That was not easy. He'd kicked up his feet and relaxed in some of the supposedly scariest most haunted places in the world and came out of them with a smile on his face. He made out with a chick on Bloodcurdling Road! He threw a party at Devil’s Dance Dungeon! He explored The Grand Palace Opera House!  He did a video walkthrough of Blood Moon Acres! There were Horror Movies based on the adventures of him and his crew! He was a Guest Star on Paranormal!* Nothing had ever scared Dan before. But this place? This place was getting to him. Whether it was real or not, the folks here certainly believed it. Whether it was real or not, it was evident that something horrible happened here. Something that broke these people. Something that tore this town apart. And he couldn't explain it. 

Suddenly, Dan really didn't want to go into that forest. But at the same time? He had to go. They had to go. The show depended on it. If they didn't do this? After all the hype they built up? The show would be dead in the water. They'd be a laugh riot. They'd lose viewers, ratings would plummet and...and...his friends would lose their jobs. This was their brand! Their identity! Their dream! They'd been through so much together! He couldn't just wimp out now and leave them hanging! They'd be screwed! How would they even find work again? He couldn't risk it. He couldn't let them down. He had to do this. He had to go explore the forest with them. 

Besides, in all of their explorations they'd never seen one instance of an actual supernatural being. What were the odds of them actually finding something big and scary this time? Statistically speaking? They were way more likely to come up with nothing than meet something horribly evil. The odds were pretty good that he, they, would be fine. Of course...even if something did happen...people from all over the world knew about their trip here. They'd investigate. They'd come looking. The brat would get exposed one way or the other. 

Dan made up his mind. They would collect as much information as possible regarding the town and its history, as much evidence as possible of Tawnie's existence, get all of it recorded, and make sure their guys had that information, both in the videos and their phones, and if anything happened to the main exploration team, their friends would still have it. Hell, the Trust Fund Kids would still have their intel as well. Word would get out. Word would spread. People would investigate and the truth would come out one way or another. Because that was what The Specter Busters were all about! (Welcome to the 21st Century, Tawnie. Bring it the fuck on.)

*This Earth's equivalent of Supernatural 

EDIT IN PROGRESS...

[superkamiguy1]

Feb 7, 2024 3:23:18 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

Nov 24, 2023 1:05:51 GMT superkamiguy1 said:

The entire room was silent in horror as they took all of this in. Even if they didn't believe they still had to admit that the townies clearly did and the evidence of the massacre was all around the remains of the town. Whatever happened that night, whatever it was they thought happened, they clearly pointed to this Entity, this Tawnie, as the culprit behind it and they definitely believed it, her, to be real. So much so that they'd spent decades here warning anyone they could of the horrors waiting inside of the forest long after the survivors had given up and fled from the dead town. However, there were still a few things that didn't fit to Laurence. 

"Okay, so, if all that happened, then what about the police? Wouldn't there have been a massive investigation into the massacre? What about reporters? Even if this was decades ago there still would've been someone who came looking, right? Why didn't word about any of this get out?"

Minerva shook her head. "They came. They came. They investigated. They took our statements. They heard our warnings. Then they dismissed them. They couldn't, wouldn't, accept the existence of a supernatural devil child. They ignored our warnings, they went into the forest and they never came back. The police, the reporters, the investigators, they all went into the forest and they disappeared. Taken by Tawnie. It's the forest, you understand, the forest...has a way of making people forget. Those who would have investigated it...they forgot about it....it slowly drifted out of their minds and the town was left to linger in obscurity for so long barring the occasional visitors who made the mistake of journeying into the forest. Time and time again and again we warned them and watched them leave into the forest and disappear." She sighed. "I'm tired, young man, I'm just ever so tired at this point. I'm so tired. I've tried for decades and I can't do this anymore. We're leaving tomorrow. We're taking our money and leaving. Listen, listen, if any of you still want to investigate the forest, after all of this, after all we told you? Then...look, we can't stop you from doing anything you don't want to do. But please, I beg of you, heed our warnings. Leave the forest be. Let it be. Stay out of the forest. Do not go in there for any reason whatsoever. I beg of you. Please, for your own safety, stay away from the forest and don't do anything to enrage Tawnie again or nothing will be able to save you. You cannot fight her, you cannot escape her, you will not survive her wrath. Your only hope is to stay out of the forest and avoid incurring her wrath at all costs." 

"You hear that, Hannibal?" Evelynne teased Dan. 

"Loud and clear." He replied quietly while he began to seriously wander what he was going to do for the show regarding this new information. 

"Uhm, Minerva?" Laurence asked gently. "May I ask a question? What about the police? I know you have, had, a station here. Didn't they fight back?"

"They tried, Laurence, they tried, but...you must understand, Fallenthorne is such a small town, such an out of the way town, so off the beaten path, that nothing really happened here until that day." Robert began to explain to him. "It was a peaceful, quiet town filled with fun and love and laughter. We were just one small tight knit community. The worst that ever happened here was just a bit of public drunkeness or some rowdy kids. At worst you'd just spend a night in a cell, sleep it off, get released and everyone would have a good laugh the next day." He continued. "We did have a police force but they were not prepared for what happened. They'd spent their lives in peace. When the attack came...it was sudden, it was ruthless, it was overwhelming, it was like an Act Of God unleashed upon our town. They never stood a chance."

"Ain't like bullets would've done anything to those monsters anyway."  Cheyanne added with a huff. "Bullets are made for killing mortal beings. Not whatever those things are. Not whatever Tawnie is..."

"I...I...see. Okay. I'm sorry I asked. I'm sorry if I brought up any bad memories."

"It's alright, young man, we understand. If explaining this, revisiting that day, helps nail it into your heads not to go into that forest? Then it's worth it in my book." Minerva told him with a kind, sad, smile. 

At this point, Dan found himself caught on the horns of a dilemma. He didn't show it on his face but he was officially getting scared now for the first time. That was not easy. He'd kicked up his feet and relaxed in some of the supposedly scariest most haunted places in the world and came out of them with a smile on his face. He made out with a chick on Bloodcurdling Road! He threw a party at Devil’s Dance Dungeon! He explored The Grand Palace Opera House!  He did a video walkthrough of Blood Moon Acres! There were Horror Movies based on the adventures of him and his crew! He was a Guest Star on Paranormal!* Nothing had ever scared Dan before. But this place? This place was getting to him. Whether it was real or not, the folks here certainly believed it. Whether it was real or not, it was evident that something horrible happened here. Something that broke these people. Something that tore this town apart. And he couldn't explain it. 

Suddenly, Dan really didn't want to go into that forest. But at the same time? He had to go. They had to go. The show depended on it. If they didn't do this? After all the hype they built up? The show would be dead in the water. They'd be a laugh riot. They'd lose viewers, ratings would plummet and...and...his friends would lose their jobs. This was their brand! Their identity! Their dream! They'd been through so much together! He couldn't just wimp out now and leave them hanging! They'd be screwed! How would they even find work again? He couldn't risk it. He couldn't let them down. He had to do this. He had to go explore the forest with them. 

Besides, in all of their explorations they'd never seen one instance of an actual supernatural being. What were the odds of them actually finding something big and scary this time? Statistically speaking? They were way more likely to come up with nothing than meet something horribly evil. The odds were pretty good that he, they, would be fine. Of course...even if something did happen...people from all over the world knew about their trip here. They'd investigate. They'd come looking. The brat would get exposed one way or the other. 

Dan made up his mind. They would collect as much information as possible regarding the town and its history, as much evidence as possible of Tawnie's existence, get all of it recorded, and make sure their guys had that information, both in the videos and their phones, and if anything happened to the main exploration team, their friends would still have it. Hell, the Trust Fund Kids would still have their intel as well. Word would get out. Word would spread. People would investigate and the truth would come out one way or another. Because that was what The Specter Busters were all about! (Welcome to the 21st Century, Tawnie. Bring it the fuck on.)

*This Earth's equivalent of Supernatural! 

"Alright, I guess that covers everything. We understand, clearly, we do. We'll stay out of the forest. If you don't mind me asking though, where have you been staying? The town's a wreck."

"The Church. It's one of the least damaged areas after their rampage."

Della rubbed her head as she listened. "So, you're telling me that those things were even able to get into The Church? Like, as in, The House Of God Church? Shouldn't they've been, I don't know, repelled or something?"

My God Is In The Forest

"You'd think so but...no. Not even there." Cheyanne replied with a sad mournful tone.

"...Holy shit."

"Uhm, so, is it okay if we do some filming around the town? For the footage?"

"Young man, you can do whatever makes you happy. All we ask is that you stay out of the forest. Just be careful and watch your step. Some places were more damaged than others."

"I understand. We'll do some shooting tonight around the town but save the majority of exploration until morning so we can search the buildings safely. I would like to see The Church though."

"And we will be happy to show you the way. You might want to brace yourself though. It's a real mess inside."

"Noted. We'll exercise safety and follow your lead."

"Thank you. Well, we've given you our story and told you everything. We can only leave you with the knowledge we've shared and what you will find around the town. We merely ask that you heed our warnings and wish you the best. We'll be gone in the morning so you'll have free run of the town anyway."

Laurence stood up and clapped his hands together. "On that note! Lets get to signing!"

Each of the remaining townsfolk walked up to the table, signed the paperwork, accepted their payments and shook their hands. Minerva was the last one and she held onto Laurence and Evelynne's hands. "Please. Please be careful."

"We will be." Evelynne assured her. "Thank you Minerva. You can rest easy. Your nightmare is over now."

"I wish it were. Just stay safe. You're good kids." She complimented them.

"And you're a sweet lady." They shook her hands and she accepted her payment. "Come along then everyone. We'll lead you to the church."

"By all means: Lead the way." Laurence told her while he took the camera down from the wall and he turned off the recording with a smile on his face. Sure, the story had been scary, but the important thing was that they had all of their paperwork in order, video evidence of the signings, and now these poor, hurt, broken people could leave this dump to go on to better lives while Laurence's people completely revived the town and brought it back to life. It was the start of a brand new dawn for Fallenthorne and Laurence and Evelynne would be the architects of it all. He packed up the paperwork and followed them out with Evelynne and the others.

Also the Ghost Hunters were here too. 


Dan was experiencing an absolute mix of emotions right now. HE was legitimately intimidated by the story and their surroundings, which was absolutely a first for him, and he was worried about the safety of his crew if they did explore the forest, but on the other hand he was also excited! All that searching, all that research, all that exploration, all of those episodes...now, for the first time, as insane as it sounded, they might finally, FINALLY, at long last, have legitimate, real, solid, fantastic evidence of the supernatural! Real, indisputable, solid evidence! Not just whatever they made up for the show with their cheap tricks and editing! Real evidence! If they played their cards right, if they did it right, if they made it out of this, they could blow the lid off of the supernatural world for the entire world! They could revolutionize the world! He was going to make them all famous! 

"Hannibal? Hannibal?"

Della's pleading voice snapped him out of his own thoughts and he turned back around to face his wobbly friend who was walking like she'd had a couple too many. Dan didn't even hesitate to lunge towards her and pull her into a hug. "Della? Della? What's wrong? Are you alright? Do you need anything?" 

"I-I don't know...I'm tired. I just need to lie down, man, I feel weird. Maybe...I didn't get enough sleep, didn't sleep well, but...but I feel tired. I'm exhausted. It's this plan, Dan, it's this place. Something's wrong with it. We shouldn't be here." She mumbled.

"Tell me about it. Can you walk?"

"Not right now....not right." 

That was all Dan needed to hear. He grabbed onto her left and the rest of them grouped up to support her. Dan nodded to the others and then he turned around and let Della wrap her arms around him as the others supported her up onto his back. "Take it easy, Della, I've got you. We'll take it slow. It can't be that far to the church, right?"

Laurence walked over to the group. "Hey. Listen, ah, I know I'm not part of your team and I don't want to mess up your shoot but do you want some help?"

"Hey there, Moneybags! Now that you mention it, could you light the way?"

"I'd be glad to." He replied and turned up his flashlight and he and Evey lit their path as they walked to the church.