Change of Plans
A tan Toyota 4Runner speeds around tight bends through thick trees. Three friends- Andy, Nico, and Harper, sing loudly and off-key to the new Beyonce album. Right in the middle of their mini concert, the music cuts out. Andy, the driver, picks up the Bluetooth connected phone.
“What the hell? Oh shit, I don’t have any service”, she says.
“Me either, dammit” adds Harper.
“Well, I guess we truly are in the middle of nowhere then” Nico announces.
Just then, the car sputters and begins to slow. All three girls exclaim and cuss as the vehicle stalls and comes to a complete stop.
Harper sighs. “Great. Just great. It’s about to storm and we’re stuck in the woods, with no service, and no gas! Did you not fill up before we left Andy?”
“I guess I was just caught up trying to make sure we had all the camping equipment we needed,” she replied.
“Guys, guys, it’s fine! I saw a big old house just back a bit that way, maybe we could ask for help or at least take cover until this blows over,” suggests Nico.
“Or, we can put all that camping equipment I just mentioned to use and set up shop somewhere in these woods for the night,” suggests Andy.
“Or, before the storm hits, we can hike up to the nearest town and get gas or call a tow truck. Be sensible!” exclaims Harper
All three girls look at each other, then begin pounding their fists on their hands.
"[[Rock]], [[Paper]], [[Scissors]], Shoot!" They all yell. I can't help but smirk a little as I see the other two have conveniently both chosen scissors. I, on the other hand, have chosen rock. Well, that definitely makes things easier.
"Alright you two, let's unload the car and get the camp set up before the rain starts," I issue commands, "We'll be able to find help with the car first thing in the morning, hopefully the storm will have passed by then."
Harper and Nico both groan in unison and begrudgingly begin helping unload our camping gear from the car.
"Is it really wise for us to just camp out on the side of the road like this? Couldn't we just sleep in the car?" Harper presses.
"The car's way too cramped for us to be able to sleep in it." I respond, handing Nico a pack to carry. "And it beats getting caught walking in the rain."
Harper has a point though. I regard the rumbling clouds as they roll in closer and the denseness of the trees just a little deeper into the woods. The branches would give us more protection from the rain when it comes.
However, staying closer to the car would mean that we could easily bunker down inside if we needed to suddenly be inside something with studier walls.
Where do you wanna set up camp?
[[Close To The Car]]
or
[[Deeper Into The Woods]]
“Haha! Wait, I was paper, right?” Nico remarked, dazed.
Andy sighs.
“Great. Yes, Nico, you were paper unfortunately. I guess we’re going to the mansion. I don’t have a good feeling about this. What if there’s some psycho in there?” She shuddered.
Harper chimed in, “Or some weird paranormal shit happens?”
“Nonsense!” Nico exclaimed. “It definitely looks empty in there. We’ll just sneak in, use the phone and get outta there, it’ll be fine guys. Besides, if anything spooky happens, I can handle it.”
Andy: “Maybe you think you can handle it, but I’m pretty sure Harper and I are going to get the hell out of there if anything weird happens.
Harper stammers, “Y-yeah I think I’m with Andy on this one, sorry Nico.”
Nico: “Fine, if you guys don’t think you can handle it then I’ll just go alone.”
Harper: “Well, I don’t think that’s what we meant…” she trailed off.
Andy: “Nico don’t talk like that, of course we’re coming with you. We’re just freaked out, sorry.”
Nico: “Forget about it, let’s just go.”
The three friends crept up to the house, sneaking through the shadows. They found a window that was unlocked towards the back that they quickly slipped through.
[[Caught]]
or
[[The Medium]]
We slam our weapons of choice onto our open palms. Two sheets of paper smack down in front of me as I place my imitation scissors on display. I unsuccessfully bury my smug smile.
“You know the rules bitches, scissors beats rock. Or, in my own terms, reason beats nonsense. C’mon stop pouting you two, let’s get going before it lets down out there.
. . .
“Are we almost there?” Nico wines. God, is she twelve? I’m thinking the same thing though. It’s been 30 minutes and my feet are killing me.
“We should be nearly there, that sign back a way said one mile,” replies Andy patiently. Just then, a small gas station comes into view. We sprint as raindrops begin to pick up tempo and make it inside just before the downpour unleashes.
I walk to the back and pick the ancient cord phone up, cradling it in my shoulder as I type the number for a tow truck from the dusty, stained yellow pages on the table next to it. Ringing, ringing, then suddenly dead silence emphasized by a loud snip.
I look down at the phone cradle in confusion and notice blunt, rusty scissors lying open on the table and the freshly cut cord dangling from the handset.
Should I confront
[[Nico & Andy]]
or
[[The Gas Station Attendant]]It was pitch black when they entered the mansion- no one seemed to be there, but it didn’t feel like they were alone either. They tried to move their way to the walls, looking for any type of light switch or fixture. Andy finally found a light switch, but it did nothing once she flipped it.
Andy “Shit! I think the power’s out.”
Harper: “Great. Just great. We’re never gonna get out of here.”
Nico: “This place looks ancient, there has to be a match or candle lying around- something…..”
Nico loudly bumped into what seemed like a table. Things rattled all around them. She quickly started rifling through the contents of the mysterious surface, only to touch a hand- it was freezing. She started screaming before she saw a massive flame emerge from a fireplace at the other end of the room.
“What the hell are you doing in here?” The stranger barked at the girls.
[[Flee]]
or
[[The Cellar]]
There were no cars parked anywhere on the lot, and it didn’t seem like there was anyone there. From the outside it looked like there were no lights on at all, but there was a subtle glow to the living room when they entered the house. They could just barely make out their surroundings before the light grew much brighter in the middle of the room. Nico could hear high pitched murmuring, but couldn’t make out the words.
Harper: “What the hell is happening here?”
Nico: “Shhh, don’t you guys hear that?”
Andy: “Nico stop fucking with us, what are you talking about..?”
Nico: “The voices...something is trying to speak with us.”
Harper: “You’re so full of it. I don’t know what’s going on in here but we need to focus. Let’s split up and look for a phone.”
[[Possessed]]
or
[[Friends]]
Harper: “We’re sorry sir, we didn’t think anyone lived here- our car broke down and we’re just trying to find a phone to get us a tow. Please, we didn’t mean to cause a fuss.”
“Didn’t mean to cause a fuss, huh?” The stranger replied. “Seems like an awful foolish thing to say after breaking into someone’s home…”
Nico: “How can we make it up to you? We’ll really be out of your hair if we could just use a phone.”
Stranger: “Sure, I’ll let you use something alright…”
The man lunged towards Harper first, grabbing her wrists. Nico manages to kick him in the groin, stunning him long enough for them to escape.
Nico’s first reaction was to run, and run as fast as she could. The flames that were the only light source in the room died down almost immediately- like it was being controlled by someone. Though it was dark, she narrowly escaped, but her friends were nowhere in sight. She started to hear banging below her.
Nico (talking softly to herself): “No no no this was a bad idea, this is all my fault. I gotta fix this. He must’ve taken them to the basement…”
After a few minutes, she finally found the obscurely located door to the basement. She could hear soft crying growing louder as she crept down the stairs. What she found was worse than she could’ve ever believed: there were girls in rows of cages in the narrow cellar. I saw Harper and Andy in the same cage with disheveled fabric tied around their mouths. She turned around to see the strange man smiling at her.
Stranger: “You made a bad choice coming back for your friends,” he smirked through his words. “Nighty night sweetheart.”
He lifted a tshirt soaked in chloroform to Nico’s mouth.
Nico knew she wasn’t crazy. Maybe if she just tried speaking back to them, they could help get the girls out of this mess. She pretended to look for a phone like the others, but she was following the voices. They brought her to a small bedroom that looked like a young girl’s. There were dolls everywhere, but two of them caught her eye immediately; they looked just like Andy and Harper. Her eyes darted away. When she looked back, the dolls had their hands playing rock paper scissors.
Voices: “Listen to us, Nicole. Your friends are holding you back; they think you’re insane, but we know you. We know you can hear us. We believe in you. Do you believe in us?”
Nico: “Well yes of course I believe in you, but what are you implying? Just because they don’t believe me doesn’t mean they’re not my friends.”
Voices: “You need to let go, let us take over.”
Nico: “Huh?”
Nico lost all control of her muscle movement. The spirits had possessed her body.
Voice: “There, now we can take care of them for you since you’re too weak to do it.”
Nico knew she wasn’t crazy. Maybe if she just tried speaking back to them, they could help get the girls out of this mess. She pretended to look for a phone like the others, but she was following the voices. Though they were leading her away from the others, she trusted it for some reason.
Voices: “Nicole... we have heard about your name from travelling spirits for some time now. What do you want with us here?”
Nico: “Well really, I wasn’t trying to break through to the immortal side tonight. Our car broke down and we were just looking for a phone or someone to help us.”
Voices: “I unfortunately don’t think we can help with that matter. But there is a telephone in the kitchen that may be of use to you.”
Slowly, I return the handset to the receiver, which is a pointless action now. I stomp back to the front of the store where I left the two class clowns to wait. I walk right up to Nico and point my finger in her face.
“You think this is funny? Huh? I know you wanted to go see that spooky old house Nico, but for Christ's sake! Or maybe it was you, Andy? Typical. I know you want to live off the grid or whatever, but don’t drag the rest of us down with you!”
“Wh-what are you talking about?” Nico stammers, tears prematurely pooling in her lower lid.
“Harper, what the fuck are you on about now?” Andy adds flatly.
“One of you assholes cut the phone cord while I was calling a tow truck, as what, a practical joke?”
They stare blankly back at me. Idiots.
“Harp,” Andy whispers, “we’ve been right here the whole time.”
[[Interrogate]]
or
[[Run...]]
I take deep breaths and clench my fists, fighting to keep calm as I approach the station attendant behind the counter. He continues reading his book and does not look up. I clear my throat, and still nothing.
“Excuse me sir,” I say with a polite, borderline sarcastic, smile. He flicks his eyes up for a second, then snaps them quickly back down to his book.
“Sup,” he mumbles.
“I’m so sorry to bother you, but would you mind telling me why you decided to cut the cord while I was on the phone?” I counter.
He finally fully looks up at me with fire in his eyes. My smile is entirely sarcastic now.
“You’re telling me, that I cut the phone cord, while you were on the phone. Then came all the way back up here. Why?” he levels.
“Well. Is there someone else in the store then? Someone had to do it!” I pound my fist on the counter. He continues glaring intensely.
“There’s no one else in here but you brats,” he spits, looking back down at the book, ending the conversation.
[[Investigate]]
or
[[Bail]]
“But... who was it then?” I look back and forth between Nico and Andy in confusion. I turn slowly to face the counter and approach with a forced smile.
“Excuse me sir. I’m sorry to inform you, but your phone has been damaged. Not by me, I’m not sure who,” I try and fail to take the edge out of my tone. He glances up from the book he is reading, then immediately looks back down.
“Please sir, I just want to call a tow truck for me and my friends. I’m not blaming you, but...” I swallow the rest of my sentence as he shoots up from his stool and leans over the counter.
“Sure sounds like you are, girly. Look, I don’t like random city folk poking around here. If you know what’s good for you, get outta here,” he spits at me.
“Harp, just leave it, let’s get out of here!” whispers Nico. I cross my arms defensively.
“We are not leaving here until we get help-” I start.
The attendant swings his arm around, and I see a silvery glint before the dull phone scissors pierce through the crown of my skull.
[[Try Again|Scissors]] "Run!" I shout, tearing off into the trees opposite the creature. I can hear my friends running behind me and the sound of much heavier footsteps behind them.
I look over my shoulder and see its twisted form coming in and out of the shadows of the trees, getting closer and closer.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spot the gnarled roots of a tree.
"This way, quick!" I shout, changing directions towards the tree.
We barely manage to slip between the roots before the creature comes up over them. We hold our hands over our mouths to keep from making a sound.
By some luck, it moves on.
Nico climbs out of the roots before Harper and I have the chance to stop her.
"Guys, I think I see the house," she says, shakily, "Maybe someone there can help us."
[[Try Again|Rock]]
or
[[Go to the House|Paper]] “Ugh. Whatever, old man,” I toss over my shoulder as I turn and walk to Nico and Andy, their eyes filled with questions.
“Alright guys, I was back there calling the truck and the phone cord got cut. That douchebag insists it wasn’t him, was he there at the counter the whole time I was back there?” I ask.
“Um... funny story. We got distracted by some fruit snacks over here. I’m not sure,” answers Nico sheepishly as Andy shrugs.
“Whelp, I guess we’re gonna have to investigate ourselves,” I declare loudly, already making a beeline for the door marked ‘Employees Only’.
“Hey, bitch! Don’t you dare go back there,” shouts the attendant, his heavy footsteps picking up behind me. I bust through the door and immediately wish I had just minded my own damn business. Three young women lay limp on the floor in their own blood, one staring up blankly at me. The attendant busts through the door gripping the scissors.
I duck quickly under his legs, sprinting back to the others already at the door.
“RUN!” I screech, and we all do, all the way back to the car. We are safe- for now.
[[Start Over|Change of Plans]]“Ugh. Whatever, old man,” I toss over my shoulder as I turn and walk to Nico and Andy, their eyes filled with questions.
“Alright guys, I was back there calling the truck and the phone cord got cut. That douchebag insists it wasn’t him, was he there at the counter the whole time I was back there?” I ask.
“I'm not sure, we got distracted. But frankly, I don’t care. I’m getting sketchy vibes from this place and I’m not in the mood to be murdered,” answers Andy, Nico nodding along enthusiastically to her right.
“Okay, but what about the tow truck? What are we gonna do?” I reply.
“I guess we’ll just have to go with my plan then. We can camp in the woods close to the car,” Andy offers.
“Fine. But first thing in the morning, we’re looking for help. I’m not gonna die out here,” I retort.
We exit the store, the attendant glaring holes in the backs of our heads.
[[Try Again|Scissors]]
or
[[Go Camping|Rock]]
"Let's set up camp here," I announce with certainty.
We set up camp just before the rain starts to fall and bunker down into our tents. For a while, we don't hear any cars go by and probably no one will come this way until tomorrow anyways. With the soft pattering of rain on the tent's roof, we one by one fall asleep.
I'm woken up by the sound of something coming up out of the woods. Its heavy breath and footsteps circling the tent wake the others. I press my finger to my lips and mouth the words, Stay quiet.
Thankfully, they listen.
I can't tell what the creature is, it doesn't sound like a bear. But we're definitely not safe just staying in the tent. I could light off a flare to try scare it off or we could try to make a break for the car for protection.
[[Set Off A Flare]]
or
[[Bunker Down In The Car]]
"Let's go a little deeper in, I think I see a good spot to set up camp," I announce.
We set up our tent nestled beneath the branches of the trees just as the rain begins. After climbing inside, we all settle in for the night. The treecover does its job of keeping most of the rain off the tent. In time, we all drift off to sleep to the sound of the rain falling in the leaves.
I slowly wake to the sensation of raindrops falling onto my face. The tent is gone. I turn to see my friends waking up beside me on the forest floor. None of us have the chance to speak before hearing something moving amongst the trees.
There's a ridge above us, if we move quickly we could get over it to safety, but it might be hard to climb over it in the rain.
We could instead make a break for it and try to find the car. I can't see it, but it can't be too far away.
[[Climb]]
or
[[Run]]
I gesture to my friends to stay put before I quietly slip out of the tent. Holding the flare, I move away from the tent. I can see the shadow of its twisted form turn in my direction beneath the faint light.
I ignite the flare. It's monstrous form is cast in red light from the flare as it rears backward away from the light into the shelter of the woods.
My friends run from the tent to my side.
"We. Leave. Now," Harper says stiffly.
Without sharing any more words, we make a run for the nearest town. All of us hoping that we can make it out of the woods.
[[Try Again|Rock]]
or
[[Go to the Gas Station|Scissors]]
I gesture to my friends to go break a break for the car on my signal.
Go!
We tear out of the tent towards the car. The car lights up as it unlocks and illuminates its twisted form as it chases after us.
"Quick! Get inside!"
We all clamber inside, pulling shut the doors in behind us. Desperately, I try to start the car, the engine only sputters. We're all shouting over each other when its monstrous form begins attacking the car.
The creature flips the car over. I hear the sound of glass shattering and the crunching of metal, then everything goes dark.
[[Try Again|Rock]]"Over the ridge!" I shout, jumping to my feet. Harper and Nico move to follow.
The creature tears out from the trees towards us as we begin to climb. The rocks are slick and my blood is pounding in my ears.
I make it to the top first. I can see its monstrous form reaching for us in the dark as my friends climb over the top of the ridge.
There's no time for thought. There's a boulder up here.
"Guys! Help!" I shout as I dash towards the boulder. With all of us pushing, we dislodge the boulder from the ridge and it falls over the ledge.
When we look over, the creature is gone. We're safe for now.
[[Start Over|Change of Plans]]“But... who was it then?” I look back and forth between Nico and Andy in confusion. I turn slowly to face the counter. I take a purposeful step towards the counter, but a hand catches my shoulder.
“Harp just leave it. This place is giving me the creeps. Let’s just go to back to the car and think of something else, please,” pleads Andy. I let out a big sigh, but nod because I feel the same. As we shuffle out of the door, I turn to say thanks to the attendant, and see him glaring intensely at us. I turn back around quickly. What a weirdo. We make our way back down the dirt road towards the 4runner.
“You know, since we’re heading back in that direction anyway and it’s so wet out, maybe... we could...” Nico stammers.
“Sure Nico, we can check out the big house,” Andy answers before I can protest.
Whatever.
[[Try Again|Scissors]]
or
[[Go to the House|Paper]]