#also i need to stop looking at the 911 subreddit

[fiona-fififi]

Call me homophobic, but I don't actually think it's great representation to stick a complex, dynamic, newly-realized bisexual character permanently with a flat, boring, underdeveloped love interest just because that was the first guy who showed interest.

[scary-stories-and-creepypas-blog]

This was fairly recent and the encounter I had reminded me of the BEK, and this subreddit that I explored a few years ago when I first read about this phenomenon.

So right now I am on spring break meaning I went to my dad's for the week, and have almost nothing to do. So late at night I like to troll the town, walking alone, even if that does seem dangerous. But I only have one friend here. Anyway, Sunday night I was out on the town alone, and leaving a little pub I had found on Main Street that sold the apple ale I liked, it was around 1 in the morning.

So yeah I was buzzed (two glasses) and I wore a large black sweatshirt with dark jeans to fend off creepers. It works. But I was walking back home in the dark with my phone out as a flashlight, on my street. There are limited street lights on this street. Though it is a relatively safe neighborhood, strictly middle class. I figured no one else would be out.

I was about three houses away from mine when I looked over, and saw two figures on the porch talking to a man who was shaking his head and refusing to open the screen door. I stopped cautiously at the end of the driveway, holding my phone out ready to either help or call 911, something, because I had no idea what was happening. I could only think that maybe these two people were harassing the man, who looked startled and angry.

Now I by no means would have been able to help, I am 5'6 and roughly 130 lbs, and have no fighting skills. But I felt like maybe my large hoodie made me look bigger, rougher, so I stood there watching with caution. Then I heard the voices, two kids it sounded like, and I stepped forward again, curiosity at this point pumping in my veins as I involuntarily moved forward. I kept walking, I was half way up his driveway and illuminated by the porch light so he could see me and I could see him, and I just stood there watching.

"Please let us in, we need to call our mom, please you have to let us in," that is what the voice said. The voice showed no sense of fear, just confidence mingled with urgency. I stood there with chills running down my spine and unable to move as I tried to make sense of the situation. From a normal point of view it would look as if a grown man was refusing two children the help they needed, late at night. Heartless man, helpless children.

But the sense of dread at that moment that filled my senses, it just didn't make sense. Why would this man look so afraid? Why? I finally cleared my throat, figuring maybe, just maybe if this man wouldn't help the kids, or the man needed help, I could still do something. The man looked up and the kids turned around.

The man looked even more afraid. He at that point let out a yelp and slammed his door making me jump. The kids looked at me, and I looked straight at them, every instinct telling me to make a run for it, I was almost home and I knew for a fact my dad left the door unlocked for me.

The kids came closer, becoming more seeable in the light. That's when I realized they had like white in their eyes, it looked just black. They slowly came toward me, not asking me anything about help, but looking slightly confused, as I felt.

I feel so stupid saying this, but I didn't run. I wanted too, but I was compelled to stay until the taller child was right in front of me. He was only a few inches shorter than me and I glanced down at him in a startled moment and he stared back up at me.

"We have to use a phone," he said finally. His voice was eloquent, if I can describe it like that. He knew what he wanted, and for being alone with a stranger at 1am he did not sound afraid.

"I don't have one," I said back, this time I backed up, not wanting him to be that close, still unable to run.

"Please can we come in and use the phone, we need to get ahold of our mother," he said.

Lie, my instincts told me to lie, because it wasn't as if I could outrun them when they were in front of me now, and I stupidly hadn't ran when I had the chance. So I lied.

I shrugged, "I don't have a phone, and I don't live on this street, or anywhere near here, I'm sorry," I knew my voice was shaking but I couldn't help it as I slowly started backing up, "I'm in the same boat as you guys, my ride ditched me and I'm just walking until I find a phone too," Maybe they would leave me alone if they figured I had nothing.

Around this time my brain reminded me of the BEK, and I still refused to believe it, but then, I also refused to help children standing staring at me in the flesh.

"Please help us, we need to be let in," the boy repeated.

I shook my head, "Try another house man, or a pay phone, I have change you can have," I offered.

"No, forget it," this time the other one spoke up.

"I'm sorry," I said finally, "I wish I could help more,"

I know that I look younger than I appear, especially with a large hoodie on and large eyes. So maybe they figured I was only a teenager, and they both simply nodded, and then stared more.

"I have to go," I said, "Good luck," with that I turned and walked in the direction I came, not running. I just kept thinking they can smell fear, they can smell fear, they can. I walked. I didn't reach for my phone, I just kept walking.

I must have walked three or four blocks from my street when I turned around and headed back, heart pounding. I walked up my street hesitantly, looking for those damn kids, and not seeing anything until I reached that house again. The porch light was on and the man was standing there with the door open, screen door closed, holding a baseball bat, and shaking.

Our eyes met and he jumped again. I looked at him confused until I realized what I looked like, one of those kids, given my height and from a distance blurry figure.

"Did the kids leave?" I called out, hoping my voice would help him relax into knowing I was just another person.

"The ones you were with earlier?" He shouted back.

I stepped closer and he jumped back again, "No the ones who were outside that talked to me for a few minutes, they wanted to call their mom, did they leave? Do you know if they left?" I could hear my own voice trembling and I think this is what broke his trance of hatred on me.

"I watched them walk away earlier," he pointed in another direction from which I had walked, "I just, I feel uneasy, I won't let you in,"

"I have to go home," I said.

I don't go to my dad's often so it makes sense that he wouldn't recognize me, even in the dark. But I walked home, determined to make it. I got there safe, no freaky things.

I locked the door. I sat in the kitchen for a long time, afraid to go to my room where there is a huge window, and afraid to see what might be looking at me.

The scary part is, last night there was a knock at the door. It was 11 or so. I didn't answer because my father asked me not too, said this late it was no one we wanted too talk with. But I can't help but feel uneasy about it.

beckysue93

My strange encounter with BEK

[ecotone99]

[FN] Magical Dispatch: The Night Paladin

(This story is set in a world where Emergency Services respond to magic related emergencies with the same procedures as current day 911, told from the perspective of the 911 operators, this is installment 2 of 2.)

_____

The comm center had buzzed like a busy hive all day. All available units out on every call, and every call was a disaster. Denla was frazzled. Maybe more than frazzled, but who wasn’t? She keyed up to her comm crystal again.

“Checking for an available unit for a code 3 response at 44 Fraternity Drive, Unit 954 is requesting a second for an Oracle Disturbance.” It took effort to not finish the transmission with a grumble of “damn kids!”, but she managed not to. 44 Fraternity Drive was the Divinity Fraternity house for the undergrad mage academy, and one that should have been shut down years ago if police visits were any indication.

With every unit on a call, she was going to have to pull from somewhere, even though every event on her console scroll was a priority 1… After a moment she decided to pull from one of the events that should be close to clearing by now…

The comm crystal sparkled and twirled as the sounds of shuffling and running amplified in her ear. “Central from 928, requesting one more!” Another?!

For Pete’s sake! That was the unit she was going to reassign! Denla bit back a curse and checked her scroll to confirm his location. “928 requesting one more for his Wand Offense at Sorcerer’s Grove, 9986 Grove Lane. 954 requesting a second for an oracle disturbance at 44 Castle Drive, requesting code 3 response. 944, are you direct?”

The last part was for the field supervisor, who today was her least favorite sergeant. He liked to keep his radio turned down at inopportune times. Are you direct? was less a polite question of ‘did you hear all that?’ and more of a HEY, ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?!

“Direct. Enroute to 954. Check for an available unit from Thoroughfare Patrol, please.” Came the curt response.

She shot back a little sassy retort in her head. Yeah, I bet you were. But it was too busy to waste time being sassy. She had calls to make.

Just as her comm crystal started to swirl with numbers she dialed, though, a voice made her stop.

“912 enroute to 928’s call.” A bit of feedback from a spare radio screeched feedback from someone’s office down the hall.

Out of pure habit Denla replied ‘Copy!’ and repeated the unit’s traffic over the comm, but it took a moment for her to realize… she had no idea who 912 was. She hopped up in her seat.

“Hey, uhh, Gnash?”

“WHAT?” Her supervisor’s voice sent the room physically trembling. The ogre was in rare form with his grumbling this evening. Denla snatched her comm crystal out of the air before it nearly careened into the next console’s. Gnash was clearly not having a good day either. He was filling in on phones for the evening since Luna called in sick.

“Hey, uhh… who’s 912?”

“I am.” It wasn’t Gnash who answered, though. A rumbling voice that didn’t shake the whole room continued. “You’d best remember, dispatch. 912 is your Paladin Knight Captain for Silver Precinct 7.” The words were stern but carried a tone of amusement as the captain emerged from his office. He towered in the hallway, holding his badge in the air for her to see.

“Oh!” Denla peeked over her scroll console, agape. “Oh! Captain Dragoran!”

Dangit Denla, now you’ve done it!, she thought, coloring in embarrassment.

“You forgot my badge number, Denla.” Despite how annoyed at herself she was, relief flooded to her with his chuckle. “Maybe you forgot I worked here?”

She almost shot back a reply but he was disappearing out the door, holstering his service wand and vest.

Without any time to spare to laugh at herself, Denla refocused on her status icons at the console’s scroll. A couple units had cleared themselves from older calls without advising over the radio. She busied herself with sending their paperwork to the transcribing goblin, anxiously waiting the couple of moments before the captain would arrive on scene.

“Center from 928. Civil issue, 10-8.” Perfect. She checked 928’s call scroll. For a unit that had recently requested another unit, he sure wrapped it up quickly. With a lacquered fingertip she flicked through the notes, chuckling.

Coupla kids with a crone’s stick. Stick returned to crone.

So much for the ‘Wand Offense’ it’d originally been called in as, and the request for backup.

She looked up anxiously as the comm crystal lit up again.

“Center, show 928 enroute to 954’s call.” She confirmed his traffic, and then heard the unit she’d been waiting for.

“912 on scene. Units stable.” Even better. She breathed another sigh of relief, but it wasn’t for long.

“Center, call over to the Academy. Have them get some Campus Aurors over here. We’ve got a full-fledged eldritch… thing... here.” Aaaand there it was. Just the news no one wanted to hear.

The room trembled. “Awww, come on!” Gnash complained. He was half out of his chair, coffee mug in hand.

“Hey, I got this,” Denla laughed. She snatched her comm crystal before it collided with the one across from her and started dialing.

“Mage Academy Public Safety, this is Serena.” She recognized the answerer’s musical voice immediately-- they’d gotten certified together.

“Hey girl,” she started. “Your kiddos are real smart tonight.”

Serena groaned. “What did they do?”

“I’ve got units, including the captain, over at the frat house trying to contain a full-fledged eldritch horror. You think you can send some aurors over?”

“No problem! I’ll get ‘em goin’!” She could hear the scroll of the other dispatcher scratch furiously on the other end of the line.

“Ugh. Undergrads.”

Serena’s voice brimmed with annoyance. “You’re telling me. This is the third time this week. What is it about Spring Break that makes kids want to summon otherworldly beings?”

Denla laughed. “You’re welcome to join the Big Time with us over here when you get sick of drunk under-mages and broom unlocks.” Gnash was returning from the break room with his coffee cup, filtering amazing aromas her direction, but also scowling. She sank back into her seat just a little to avoid the scowl. Her boss was famous for his searing temper. “Gotta go, byeeeee!” She keyed up her comm stone again. “Units out at the Divinity Fraternity, Campus has aurors enroute.”

Despite her always teasing Serena about joining the “Big Time” by getting hired on at the regional dispatch center, Denla couldn’t deny there was an allure to not working with her supervisor. Sure, the work was slower, but at least she wasn’t constantly having to keep her comm crystal from being knocked out of orbit. She considered the application in her console drawer again. It was already filled out, safely underneath some policy binders.

Without warning Gnash appeared over her scroll.

Well, no hiding from that ugly mug scowling now. He wasn’t really that ugly, as far as ogres go, but the scowl ruined any approachability he may have had in regular life. Denla had never seen him without one though, so she wouldn’t know. Until now.

His face split into a huge toothy grin. He suddenly looked… warmer… despite his sallow olive green skin. In his enormous hands he extended a second smaller cup of coffee.

“Captain texted me. Said you might need this.” He sat it on the warming stone on her console.

He started to turn away, but paused. “Oh, and. Good job today. That part is from me.” The ogre ambled away, chuckling.

Denla took a cautious sip. It was strong, like any self respecting ogre made it, like it’d been brewed twice.. It was just what she needed. He told me I did a good job. She closed the drawer, leaving the application untouched.

Maybe Gnash wasn’t so bad after all. Some days weren’t so bad here in the Big Time. Without another thought to the application, she sipped her coffee happily and finished out her notes for the captain’s call and sent off a note to the unit’s broom displays.

“You guys had better take pictures this time, I wanna see this thing before it hits the evening news!”

​

___

See more of Magical Dispatch and hot smoking dumpster fires over on my subreddit: r/aliteraldumpsterfire

submitted by /u/aliteraldumpsterfire [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/2YW68yq