((Open RP)) Rosies RP Prompts

This is a weekly article, delivered to you every Wednesday. These articles are intended to be a fun exercise as well as a good resource for role-players to explore Character Development so please feel free to post your own characters reaction to the weekly prompt. So be sure to stay tuned to this blog for future installments!

Your character is faced with a new sort of Boogie Man, a new and unknown enemy. What is it and what does your character do?

{Note to the reader: Its almost Halloween, my favorite time of year and to get into the spirit a little I’ve been reading a lot of Lovecraft, and reading probably to much Poe and Hawthorn while at work. So here is my contribution in true Lovecraftian and Poe styling to be sure. I hope everyone enjoys a little scare, I know I do }

:Jake and Serena have entered the dark morning woods in pursuit of the strange creature whom had attempted to kidnap Serena. However they soon lose sight of each other and become separated and lost. This tale is told from Jakes' perspective from this point on.:

Darkness falls and trees stand like silent specters in this wild and wooded glen
October has come at last, fall has begun its victory march and winter like death knocks upon our doors
Sharp winds through brazen leaves whispering things better left unheard
Life comes to perish in primal forests such as this
Losing yourself among its branches
Returning to the earth among the mud and sticks
I could not venture further into the dense and shadowy fog
Without taking our respite on a hallow moss covered log
The brambles thick scratch about my knees and the mire pulls me down
Taking with it my last good boot and making my cold toes wriggle inside woolen socks
I lay me down to sleep under a heart evergreen
Pulling earth and leaves about me, body cradled by the soft green needles and flowering mosses smelling sweet
Something was terribly wrong at the hour of midnight;

I awoke with a start, at an owl’s sudden screech,
Hallow morning gowns of leaves rustle under foot as deer move swiftly by
My eyes open though I could see naught, eyes wide like jack o’ lanterns brightly shining
Only the devil could see you, or so I thought.
Shadows part like veils of mourning haggard women showing glimpses of tall lithe creatures gliding in between dark oaken trees,
In the heart of this deep forest with heart rate nearly ceasing, I see them,
Not men surely for they moved not like men ought
Deep in the forest even angels can die
Why should I wonder where my feet have taken me?
Why does my skin crawl?
How could I have been so foolish?
How could I ignore the crows caw?
Their eyes do not see me yet, cold fingers touch will pierce me if I let them, claw at my hide, and steal my breath,
The creatures stood over me in cold observation, black limbs reaching out as I began to scream.

Then they parted and held amongst them wrapped in ebon tentacles was shown,
The woman who had led him here, the one who he had sworn to one day know.
Blue eyes like sapphires, hair as black as night, skin like porcelain, lips ruby red and a voice like tupelo honey or whiskey aged just right.
I would not let her see me cowering in fear, and then through my ragged breather I could just barely hear.

“They are insubstantial beings, made of darkness; a weakness to light makes them as brittle as glass. My strength can not harm them and these bindings hold me fast. Do not let them touch you; you have a power and a task only that which is inside you can save me, only your light can save us at last.”

She was bound and gagged afresh when those words where spoke, though be they only a few.
It took several of them to restrain her, arms and legs flailing her mouth gagged too.
She shone like a beacon, like a pale candle light and my hope sprang anew, though still out of my wits did I inwardly tremble both from excitement well as fright.
They gathered around her seeming to talk amongst themselves,
Chittering and making other odd gestures while those around me began to yip and yelp.

They worked in packs like intelligent dogs, those subservient where smaller to.
Some where struck and bit with long claws and grotesquely gaping maws,
while others stood nearly three feet taller and where more elegant of self.
They where fairly tall creature, and black as pitch, seemingly iridescent
But from what light source the stars or the moon I can not say which.
Their arms and legs where without joint, and at the end of each where a mass of dark tendrils, tentacles ending in spikes.

Each creature had eyes, but not for seeing I found. For when some of the smaller ones came to me their eyes twitched opening and closing sniffing me like a hound.
Each creature had a mouth, which nearly took up the whole portion I had assumed would be a face. Tongues as long and thick as my fore arm would flicker in and out,
While row after row of venom tipped fanged teeth gaped hideously in my face.
Their movement was most unique,, like a serpent slithering over the earth, these where cave dwelling creatures who found solace in deep places in cavers under water and in the rich cavernous earth

Suddenly they had surrounded me, moving to quickly for me to see
One small one whom I perceived to be a guard reached out to touch me and falling back began to scream.
The air around them smelled of cinders, they gnash sharpened teeth ready to devour
A heavy chill crept upon me, though my captors made not a sound and then with pointed obsidian edged sticks they drove me to their lair the tainted holy ground.
Just as we had expected in the heart of this dark wood, lay the remnants of the old church tower and the burial grounds in the midst of which dark horrors stood.

The crypt stood open, tomb stones cracked and white like broken bones
Littering the ground where the bodies of the evil undead, some moving some did moan
Animated and feasting on the flesh of a child without a home.
In the center of it all where the old chapel had once stood, the holy alter had been desecrated its tattered cloth now stained in blood and loam.
Upon it lay Serena, bound and battered with broken bones, powerless and far from the Row.

They shoved me down before their dark Master, his great limbs like tentacles waving in hypnotic oceans, thrilling cold night air.
Blasphemy penetrates the walls of this one time sanctuary, the presence of the worm god and his bride pestilence show in the ravaged sacrifices which have been pushed off of the alter and to one side where my soul shrivels with despair.
Worshiping the Lord has never been so grotesque, my bit part in this play so blighted
The thick odor of the carcasses is enough for faith to sour, even as the putrid, noiseless praises proclaim Satan's conquest even the most noble of hearts would cower.
Rotten flesh fills the pews, as the little ones, and the dead ones begin to shout, and howl at their devilish masters’ bequest, all come forward circling the bower.

Her blue eyes open and close as the black tendril feed upon her blood like leeches dragging her down into never ending exhaustion while I look on just out of reach.
Is the sand is almost on the other side; her hour glass is nearly filled?
Her time stands still the sand nearly gone and the bells of hell ring out, in a discordant little thrill. On this most unholy day, if I do naught to save her the doors to our great blue heaven will forever be sealed

I did not know what awaited me when I set out that morning oh so long ago
No idea if fate would deliver me, if I would fall into charity or find my end in this beast’s hungry and slavering maw
It seemed to me that I had been in this dark and desperate wilderness for hours, if not days
But she would be dying here before me and as a deeper darkness fell I could only pray

“Please gods and all things holy, guide me your gentle son somewhere far away.
Let me find myself in the arms of my loved ones, let us both live to see another day”

No sooner had these words left my lips and I lifted my green eyes to hers, did I see a smile curl her lips and then it dawned upon me the meaning of her words.

“Do not let them touch you; you have a power and a task only that which is inside you can save me, only your light can save us at last.”

Deep within my very being I had always known it to be true, the power, that rose within me bubbled forth and with it my righteous anger too.
My skin began to glow as if brightly lit from somewhere deep inside, and then a great heat consumed me as the creatures screeched and cried.
I let my power flow out of me in bright rays as my inner fire consumed me and brought an artificial daylight.
It was her turn now to come forward into the fight, now that which had bound her could no longer hold her might.
Breaking her ebon chains, Serena’s eyes flashing with delight, curled fists pummeling every creature that came near her, crushing all that came with in her sight.

((Wow, that was very well done. I cannot even hope to copy that style of writing, so I will not embarrass myself by trying. However, creepy I think I can do. After all, tis the season. Also, I love Halloween as well, also my favorite time of the year.))

Quote:

Your character is faced with a new sort of Boogie Man, a new and unknown enemy. What is it and what does your character do?

The doors opened slowly, creaking on hinges long unused. The glass pain along its upper part was shattered, glass crunched underneath her sneakers. The once sterile walls were gray, some smears of rusty brown, the color of dried blood. She stepped over the broken remains of a wheelchair, a tangled mess of metal and cloth. An overturned cart of molding towels stretched across the floor, the flickering light from above gave testament tot he fact that the abandon facility had power.
The red head stopped and took off her sunglasses, the lighting in the hallway was so scarce it barely effected her light sensitive eyes. She jumped at the flash of lightning and the following clap of thunder.
“Get a hold of yourself CJ” she murmured. “You're jumping at shadows.”
The red head was dressed casually, faded jeans, a baseball shirt of some team she'd never heard of and her ever present sunglasses. Not exactly what one should wear when exploring an abandon hospital, let alone this abandon hospital.
She stopped, her head cocked at an angel, why was she hear?
Another clap of thunder cauased her to bump into a door that fell off its hinges into one of the rooms. She peered inside and saw what appeared to have once been an operating table. It was covered by a faded white sheet, with the rusty brown stain of dried blood, and an overpowering smell of decay. She felt drawn to the table, a trembling hand reaching for the stained sheet.
A low throaty growl echoed in the stained walls of the abandon hospital. The red head jumped away from the sheet a yelp of surprise escaped her throat. She spun around looking for the source of the sound, her heart hammering away in her chest, her breath coming in short gasps. She stepped towards the door, a soft thudding sound, steady was just outside the door. Another crash of thunder stopped her cold in her tracks.
Unseen by her the sheet behind her started to rise off of the table, a gnarled clawed limb reached up and slowly pulled the sheet from before its mangled visage. The young red head had reached the doorway, she looked out into the hospital corridor and saw at the end an open window, the wind from the storm was blowing a open door against its partially broken jam. She slowed her breathing and calmed her mind. Then she glanced at the ground, and saw an large shadow eclipsing her own diminutive one.
Her bottom lip began to quiver, as her eyes widen in fear and she slowly turned her head to see a huge figure behind her. Its lump like flesh was covered in tubes and wires, its left eye was larger then its fight, the sapphire blue of them burning into the terrified woman before her. It had a mop of red greasy hair atop its head and hands that ended in sharp claws. It was dressed in a white torn jump suit, with red strips, the color of dried blood. Its mouth was filled with razor sharp teeth. The young woman realized in the last terrible second it was her own twisted visage that stared back at her, she noticed the bands of the ghouls on its neck, wrists and ankles as it lunged at her.
A scream of pure terror tore from her throat.

A hand shook her awake, a concerned man's face stared down at her, she lay in bed next to him. Her body was covered in sweat, she was shaking, and her breathing was labored It was dark in the room, the crescent moon visible outside of the window.
“Courtney?” he said in a voice filled with worry.
“R-Ren..” she answered a little shakily and grabbed him in a fierce hug.
Could there really be a Ghoul of her out there somewhere? She shook again just thinking about it.


((Okay figured I go the nightmare route, and honestly aren't we all a little monster inside? ))

((I'm not much one for poems if that's the theme so my apologies. I was told I was good in school back when I did them for homework and classwork but I still hated doing them.))

"You've heard of it, haven't you? The Wendigo haunts these lands, devouring the flesh of the unsuspected, consuming their flesh. The creature moves with ungodly speeds, capable of traversing large distances in a single heart beat. Forever growing hungry for the desire of flesh, it will never stop. Not until the curse moves on or it's spirit is forever erased from existence."

The old woman's words were taken to face-value by this particular male individual. 'That's a mouth full for a blind hag. You'd think she never heard of the wind or something, heh'eh.' Thought the man, trudging through two feet of snow. The environment wouldn't stand in his way, every obstruction was easily over come and beneath the white animal fur that masked his image by simply blending in. Occasionally his head would drop to simply stare at the ground but he didn't step, his pace was sustained in a constant flow.

Hours later, the wind howled as it weaved through frozen trees and in the distance trees could be heard exploding; sounding like far off gun shots. The air was frigid, well enough to beg any normal person to set up camp hours ago. But this man was no normal human being, there was no sign of the environment even effecting him in any way. The winds continued to howl, there was always that hint of foot stops following one as large pine-cones fell and planted into the ground bellow them. Despite the howling noise, the wind played another trick on this particular hero, he thought he could hear a sinister laugh or something to that effect; like heavy breathing. In turn this would cause him to stop and pause for a moment before looking back over his shoulder. Through the blackness of the hood that hung over his head, a pair of luminous silver pearls peered out into the dark scenery, devoid of expression as the pupiless pair scanned his surroundings. He panned his peripheral view and from one side to the next and on his third exhale he would turn about and continued. His breath remained controlled and there was even the hint of an unsettling calm about this individual, he wasn't afraid. And what was worse, his stalker knew it.

Large puffs of vapor exited his lungs and escaped into the open air, deep within the pit of the shadow that masked his face. The snow floor continued to crunch and crackle to the man's weight and little did his notice that the floating vapor behind him would swirl before dissipating over and behind his head.

A soft hiss caused the stranger to stop and slowly turn only to find in front of his sights a large and tall mass standing before him.

((Really great post Stryph, usually action sequences can become muddled and lose the reader in all the extraneous details, but this was clear cut (pun intended!) I only wish there had been more background And Phobia again with those dreams, that poor girls going to be afraid to sleep ever again at this rate Thanks to you both for posting, keep up the good work!))

I'll try to post something hopefully before the weekend's out. Took awhile for me to figure out how to plot for this.

((totally fine take your time. I was rushed myself and have alot of editing to do on this one. ))

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Ren laid awake in bed staring blankly at the ceiling, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end as he felt a malevolent presence battering the wards protecting his home. He could almost feel the presence’s gnawing, sinister hunger, which set it apart from the typical Salamancan paranormals. Ren had been content to ignore it, but the mysterious visitor persisted every night for the past week. The Filipino grimly noted that it was about the same time Courtney began spending her nights in his bed. Ren’s arms curled protectively around the slumbering red-haired angel, (self)-described as “adorably cute.” He found that difficult to argue against.

Ren slipped out of bed, deciding to investigate further. After rummaging through the apothecary table’s compartments, he fished a yellow sapphire amulet out, cut in the shape of a Filipino sun pattern and a fresh blue candle. eschewed a robe or jacket, but donned the amulet and a pair of Nikes before exiting to balcony and up the stairwell to the rooftop patio.

Leaves stirred in the autumn wind as he glanced across the patio cautiously for signs of danger. Ren normally enjoyed crisp fall nights, but the sense of impending conflict kept him on edge. The garden and iron-wrought furniture were undisturbed, so he hopped onto the roof and navigated across the wooden deck, steering clear of vents, furniture and potted plants. Upon closer inspection, Ren found nothing and scratched his head in confusion.

As if on cue, a numinous wave of cold dread washed over his skin. Ren shivered involuntarily, feeling it continue to slither across his bare chest like monstrous tendrils. The tendrils gave way to claws as the dread attempted to tear into his heart. In response, Ren breathed out slowly, then stretched languidly. The blue candle he carried self-ignited and cast a vibrant azure glow that expelled the invisible appendages with extreme prejudice. The invasive presence hissed viciously as it retreated several yards away.

“So, did you want to try that again, or will you just come out and tell me why you’re here?” Ren asked aloud.

The shadows swirled seductively before his eyes before coalescing into a ghostly image of a haggard Filipino crone. Her long, black nails curled wretchedly. Her matted hair was a writhing nest of wispy locks. Her sunken bloodshot eyes bore into Ren, sizing him up as a potential meal. Her snake-like tongue, black as oil, flickered out at the hero, tasting the air. Ren grimaced, realizing that those claws and tongue were responsible for the vile sensations he felt moments before.

“Little Pinoy, what a pleasant surprise to find you so far from our ancestral home,” she crooned. Her sly smile revealed serrated, broken teeth.

“I can’t say the same about you, aswang. I thought my parents destroyed all of your kind during the Manila ghost purges,” Ren frowned.

“My poor sisters, such few in number we are now…” The crone’s eyes glinted as Ren circled carefully. "But wars have led to a resurgence in what few of us are left."

“That’s a shame, but I suppose even the undead need their vultures and hyenas that prey on the sick, elderly, and pregnant,” he replied dismissively.

“Then you know I’ve come for the tasty morsel you protect behind those wards,” she grinned sickeningly, tongue coiling and uncoiling as she savored the idea. Ren’s eyes widened, and the aswang cackled gleefully. “For the record, she is sick, not pregnant.”

“Irregardless, she will not be your next snack so if it’s all the same, I’ll just return to bed now.”

“Oh little Pinoy, so cowardly and unlike his father. Will you turn and run instead of facing me?”

Ren's eyes narrowed dangerously, his chi rising as his patience gave way to defiant fury.

“Ah, so you are a member of the Order. I sense your spirits rising, boy, but I see no apoy,” she continued, licking her lips in anticipation.

“I don’t need Fire to banish the likes of you.”

“Prove it then, little Pinoy,” she hissed. “Greater warriors of the Order than you have challenged me and failed.”

“Very well,” Ren replied as he blew out the candle and used his amulet to lower the ward protecting the rooftop.

Sensing vulnerability, the aswang sprouted wings and screeched a terrible warcry. Her impressive wingspan blotted out the moon as she harnessed her dark powers and cast a shadow over Ren, enveloped him in complete darkness. The aswang then glided toward her prey with silent precision, claws extended to shred him with horrible violence. Though blind in the ordeal, Ren countered her advance by springing his trap. The vent at Ren’s feet snapped open and unleashed searingly bright light through the openings. The monstrous creature shrieked in agony as the light ensnared her mid-flight and sucked her spirit towards the light source in a merciless downward spiral. The aswang continued to wail with fear, her claws carving deep grooves into the rooftop deck before the vent snapped shut and sealed her in.

The Salamancan night reverted back to peaceful tranquility, but nevertheless, Ren raised the ward again and Ren hurried to the vent. After some careful manipulation, he managed to remove the vent and to his surprise, drew out a replica of a Ghostbusters ghost trap.

Hm, I guess Bysshe has a sense of humor after all, Ren mused to himself. A green light on the device signaled that everything was functioning in working order, so Ren tapped on the device door, to catch the inhabitant’s attention.

“Told you so.”

((didn't really get a chance to proofread this...I'll have to read it over again later but I wanted to post something before the next prompt.))

((I know what you mean I didn't read mine until after and I have yet to edit it. /le sigh. But that was great, I dont know squat about Filipino Mythos magical practice and the like but I do have a fair bit of knowledge in many cultures and the occult so it was most assuredly a treat for me to see someone not only playing a magic character (that's not all "I got my powers from circle or Azura's lost trinket!") but also understanding the importance of color in candle magic. I have a few magic origin characters but have not had a chance to do much with them lately so this was a real treat. Anywho I hope everyone is ready for tomorrows installment we'll see what PandoRosie can pull out of the box this week ))

((Awesome story Bayani, I enjoyed it very much. The beastie seemed really chilling. ))