Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2015 8:34:23 GMT -8
The night in the Mushroom Ruins was pitch black but for the highlights of pale blue and flickering orange on the trees and stones. The moon sat full and low, occasionally seeing a cloud cross through its light, and a crackling bonfire burned brightly on the ground. The wind gently pushed at branches, causing a rustling and whispering that only added to the eerie feeling of a night outside of the safety of the Life Sphere.
Ludwig Koopa had grown bored with his routines there, and wanted to shake things up a little. Surely others would’ve wanted a small reprieve from the tense air of the times, so maybe a group expedition was in order. He put up a sign in a cross way in the Sphere, inviting anyone interested to join him on a recreational trip to the ruins. Just some R&R in nature, the relative safety of the Ruins and being in a group making it the perfect way to unwind. A little exploring, tales of the Kingdom and the land’s history, S’mores, and (Ludwig’s favorite): Ghost stories.
---
With a flashlight under his beak, the koopa leered menacingly at the listeners around the flame.
”The night has fallen, darkness surrounds us, but the flame burns bright. Do you hear that? The wind? No, it’s the spirits come to join us here, listening to what tales we have to tell. I guess we’ll just have to appease their curiosity.” He climbed onto a stump, the stage for the speaker during this event. He knew what story he wanted to tell, a classic from when he was just a hatchling. Again he aimed the light under his face.
”One night, deep within a forest, there was a young Toad on a trail. With him, he had a trusty little lamp with a flame that would never ever go out. He skipped, carefree, relishing in the safety of his light in this darkness.
“And then the lamp flickered.
“So startled he was at this moment, he couldn’t help but glance around himself to see if there was someone playing a trick. But there was no one around, and the lamp was back to its normal, strong flame. One thing back behind him did indeed catch his attention. It was a familiar shape, but it was darker than the night itself. And as the Toad neared the thing, the lamp seemed to do nothing to that deep darkness. Though he did come to realize just what it is.
“A pipe, made of the blackest material the Toad had ever seen.
“He stood on his toes, wanting to look inside, but he reasoned to himself that it wasn’t quite the safest idea to have right now. Maybe he would come back when he had friends, during the day light, but not alone when only shadows surrounded him. The smart little Toad kept on his way.
“And again he skipped down the trail, though he was more watchful now. But once again, his lamp flickered. He looked down at the lamp with worry, then slowly turned to look behind him. There it was, the pipe, and… was it a little closer than before?
“The little Toad started running, frightened to his bones. He kept looking back, but the pipe didn’t follow. Still, he ran and ran and ran- ‘OOF!’ he fell to the ground, having tripped over something. When he looked, there was nothing but flat road that he’d been running on. What could have caught his foot? He looked up just a little to see that black hole behind him, closer than ever. He was fixed, staring at the opening with horror.
“Something was there, writhing, with lots of tendrils of that devouring darkness reaching out and curling towards the little Toad. He swiped up his lamp and for the last time he took off, his little feet going ‘put-put-put-put’ with an echo in the night. He never looked behind himself, not until he had to stop to breathe.
“There was nothing.
“Relieved, the little Toad walked down the path, calm once again. He hummed, he started to grow happy again, and once again, he was skipping. But ahead, something was in his path. His heart sat in his chest, his blood ran cold.
“There is was, again. That horrible black pipe.
“But rather than stay frightened, the little Toad resolved to go and see what was inside, and to tell it to go away. It worked on the monsters under his bed. Why not this one?
“So he went and hopped up to its opening and peered in. But there was nothing there. He moved his lamp over the hole, and there was absolutely nothing to make out inside that pipe. He frowned, mad that he had let himself get all worked up over nothing. He turned to leave, wishing to once again go on his way.
“Then his lamp flickered again.
“And whoosh, it was out.
“Limbs frozen with the deepest horror known to any being, the young Toad turned around and looked down into the pipe once more. And there, deep within that darkness…
…was a single, red eye. Unblinking. It only looked deeply into his.
“A cold chill touched the Toad’s toes, doubtless it was more effects of fear. Doubtless, until his feet were swept from underneath him, and he was pulled screaming into the abyss.
“Gone, forever.” He ended it quietly, letting the whispers of the wind settle the darkness of the story.
A very real monster watched them from the shadows of the trees, too far away from the fire to be lit up by flame, too covered by the foliage to be bathed in moon light. Its tongue trailed along the twisted teeth of its massive maw, tasting the burning wood in the air. The sound of the people, that sweet taste of food in the air, drew the beast from where it lay. It watched them, analyzing them, one-by-one, sneaking in the shadows as if the thing itself were just another shade. Metal hooks sank into the dirt with silence, any noise the thing made was masked by the wind’s murmur. No one could've known it was there, not even if they were looking for it.
The beast licked its teeth again, but out of hunger now, for its belly ached for feeling of food. It found a place among the trees, and loomed there, still as death itself. It would wait for its chance patiently, and take what it wanted mercilessly. A hunter waiting for its prey.
A horror lurking in the shadows.
Ludwig smiled evilly and aimed the flashlight towards the ground, signaling the end of his tale.
”So… who’s next?”
Ludwig Koopa had grown bored with his routines there, and wanted to shake things up a little. Surely others would’ve wanted a small reprieve from the tense air of the times, so maybe a group expedition was in order. He put up a sign in a cross way in the Sphere, inviting anyone interested to join him on a recreational trip to the ruins. Just some R&R in nature, the relative safety of the Ruins and being in a group making it the perfect way to unwind. A little exploring, tales of the Kingdom and the land’s history, S’mores, and (Ludwig’s favorite): Ghost stories.
---
With a flashlight under his beak, the koopa leered menacingly at the listeners around the flame.
”The night has fallen, darkness surrounds us, but the flame burns bright. Do you hear that? The wind? No, it’s the spirits come to join us here, listening to what tales we have to tell. I guess we’ll just have to appease their curiosity.” He climbed onto a stump, the stage for the speaker during this event. He knew what story he wanted to tell, a classic from when he was just a hatchling. Again he aimed the light under his face.
”One night, deep within a forest, there was a young Toad on a trail. With him, he had a trusty little lamp with a flame that would never ever go out. He skipped, carefree, relishing in the safety of his light in this darkness.
“And then the lamp flickered.
“So startled he was at this moment, he couldn’t help but glance around himself to see if there was someone playing a trick. But there was no one around, and the lamp was back to its normal, strong flame. One thing back behind him did indeed catch his attention. It was a familiar shape, but it was darker than the night itself. And as the Toad neared the thing, the lamp seemed to do nothing to that deep darkness. Though he did come to realize just what it is.
“A pipe, made of the blackest material the Toad had ever seen.
“He stood on his toes, wanting to look inside, but he reasoned to himself that it wasn’t quite the safest idea to have right now. Maybe he would come back when he had friends, during the day light, but not alone when only shadows surrounded him. The smart little Toad kept on his way.
“And again he skipped down the trail, though he was more watchful now. But once again, his lamp flickered. He looked down at the lamp with worry, then slowly turned to look behind him. There it was, the pipe, and… was it a little closer than before?
“The little Toad started running, frightened to his bones. He kept looking back, but the pipe didn’t follow. Still, he ran and ran and ran- ‘OOF!’ he fell to the ground, having tripped over something. When he looked, there was nothing but flat road that he’d been running on. What could have caught his foot? He looked up just a little to see that black hole behind him, closer than ever. He was fixed, staring at the opening with horror.
“Something was there, writhing, with lots of tendrils of that devouring darkness reaching out and curling towards the little Toad. He swiped up his lamp and for the last time he took off, his little feet going ‘put-put-put-put’ with an echo in the night. He never looked behind himself, not until he had to stop to breathe.
“There was nothing.
“Relieved, the little Toad walked down the path, calm once again. He hummed, he started to grow happy again, and once again, he was skipping. But ahead, something was in his path. His heart sat in his chest, his blood ran cold.
“There is was, again. That horrible black pipe.
“But rather than stay frightened, the little Toad resolved to go and see what was inside, and to tell it to go away. It worked on the monsters under his bed. Why not this one?
“So he went and hopped up to its opening and peered in. But there was nothing there. He moved his lamp over the hole, and there was absolutely nothing to make out inside that pipe. He frowned, mad that he had let himself get all worked up over nothing. He turned to leave, wishing to once again go on his way.
“Then his lamp flickered again.
“And whoosh, it was out.
“Limbs frozen with the deepest horror known to any being, the young Toad turned around and looked down into the pipe once more. And there, deep within that darkness…
…was a single, red eye. Unblinking. It only looked deeply into his.
“A cold chill touched the Toad’s toes, doubtless it was more effects of fear. Doubtless, until his feet were swept from underneath him, and he was pulled screaming into the abyss.
“Gone, forever.” He ended it quietly, letting the whispers of the wind settle the darkness of the story.
A very real monster watched them from the shadows of the trees, too far away from the fire to be lit up by flame, too covered by the foliage to be bathed in moon light. Its tongue trailed along the twisted teeth of its massive maw, tasting the burning wood in the air. The sound of the people, that sweet taste of food in the air, drew the beast from where it lay. It watched them, analyzing them, one-by-one, sneaking in the shadows as if the thing itself were just another shade. Metal hooks sank into the dirt with silence, any noise the thing made was masked by the wind’s murmur. No one could've known it was there, not even if they were looking for it.
The beast licked its teeth again, but out of hunger now, for its belly ached for feeling of food. It found a place among the trees, and loomed there, still as death itself. It would wait for its chance patiently, and take what it wanted mercilessly. A hunter waiting for its prey.
A horror lurking in the shadows.
Ludwig smiled evilly and aimed the flashlight towards the ground, signaling the end of his tale.
”So… who’s next?”
