#jekyll town nightmare

[leonenjoyer69]

Invades your inbox

Hihihihi!!! I wanna ask, what are some songs that remind you of J+H :33??? ((/nf))

HELLO!! :33 THANK YOU FOR THIS ASK! THERE ARE SO MANY KVKSKVKSLC

OKAY, SO! First of all, *casually drops my J&H inspired playlist* all the songs I mention are on here, (WHICH ARE ALL SONGS THAT REMIND ME OF JEKYLL AND HYDE (all songs I've been recently obsessed with, someday ill go back in my liked songs lmao) AND SOME REASONS FOR SONGS ARE SUPER SPECIFIC, PLZ DON'T BULLY ME PEOPLE 🙏) so if you mayhaps wanna listen to any of the mentioned songs, they're there :3

BUT, ONTO THE SONGS AND REASONS!

Of course there's all the Will Wood songs from this list I did forever ago, but there are some other Will Wood songs I didn't put on there, like -Ish (which reminds me of Jekyll) and Cicada Days (which is literally University Lanyon and Jekyll)

Onto the various artists!

Pray To God For Your Mother by Dance Gavin Dance- BIG Jekyll song to me. "Dependent on the medicine to keep my colors vivid", " part of me wants to believe that I will not come apart at the seams, that I will learn from the cut when I bleed", "blame it all on the lamest dude, blame it all on the payments due", " didn't think id have to answer for the lies I told myself, at least not so soon" I MEAN CMON

Lights Out by Mindless Self Indulgence- for Hyde, the little adrenaline junkie.

Mr. Doctor Man by Palaye Royale- Jekyll energy, ofc. "Mr doctor man questions his hands, lost his mind, clinically fine, but he found a way to cope, needle in his throat"

Necromancin Dancin by Bear Ghost- Hyde, but instead of it being, ya know, the dead, it's him unleashing the nightmares on Jekyll. "Now we've found it, I'm astounded, every town will be surrounded by a throng of marchin' death, delicious the riches that glisten ahead!" Plus all the dancing references work bc he unleashed them at that party :3

Ghost Town -Revisited- by Trickle- Jekyll, once more. "So sick of this city's disguise, it glowing on the surface but it's drowning in lies", "Is there a reason that I'm wanting to hide when I look into the mirror just to see empty eyes?", "ghost that tried living a tired life, I'm haunted by the memories I buried inside"

Evelyn Evelyn by Evelyn Evelyn- Jekyll and Hyde, another one where basically all the lyrics are spot on lmao, but I will say I see the feminine voice as Jekyll and the Masculine one as Hyde :3

Turn The Lights Off by Tally Hall- Jekyll and Hyde

There's also a lot of Chonny Jash ones! Obviously The Ballad of Dr Jekyll and The Mr Hyde Jive, but also:

A Devil's Tricks- this one is literally just Jekyll and Hyde, idek what else to say lmao. Like, this dude sitting in lowkey self loathing while his mind tells him bad things? Not to mention the accuracy of the lyrics in general. Id list them, but then id just be pasting the whole song 💀

End the Dance- Lanyon and Rachel being the ones caring, and then switches to Jekyll. Once again don't really know what lyrics to throw in lmao

Banana Man- Jekyll and Hyde, with the whole banana thing being Jekyll becoming Hyde. "Forget all your morals and go with the flow, forget about the bad the good is all you know, and forget about the voice that's lying deep inside, the one that's screaming and screeching proclaiming wrong from right" "tomorrow morning on the plane, no banana makes you go insane. Floating back to busy town, no banana makes you want to frown"

Don't Take It Personally- EOUGHKEKOGKD another angsty Jekyll and Lanyon song.. "You can surrender your heart, but it won't be enough, don't take it personally I'm afraid of love" "if the drugs aren't in my system, then what the hell has blurred my vision?" "My wrist and my heart where you kissed pulled apart" "so just keep playing your part, and ill keep calling your bluff, don't take it personally when push comes to shove"

Push- Jekyll, ofc pushing all his friends away. "I see you trying to slowly turn your back on them, the shadow of who you were when back when you felt condemned"

I also have a bunch of other CCCC songs but idk how to explain why my mind thinks they fit, so I'm just gonna list them and idk, some might get brief explanations

Ruler of Everything- Jekyll trying to stop Hyde from going out, then Hyde literally ruining his life.

Dream (Outro to Calamity)- kinda specific to my little "Whole Jekyll" AU (as most of these are to some slight degree)

The Mind Electric- Hyde

Be Born- also Hyde

Light- Jekyll and Hyde

Good Day- Jekyll

Just Apathy- Jekyll, with Hyde as mind

Two Wuv- Jekyll

Greener- once again, Jekyll

Mucka Blucka- Jekyll and Hyde, (and my "Whole" Jekyll)

We're gonna Win- Jekyll and Hyde (except eventually getting along)

There's some on my playlist ik I didn't mention, but I think this should be good for now, LMAO, AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ASK GJSKKVKD ILY GUYS 🗣️🗣️🗣️

[bells-of-black-sunday]

𝑺𝒑𝒖𝒌'𝒔 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒔

Comfort food(s): Poptarts, hearty soups, seafood, bread. Probably the entirety of "Hometown Buffet" it was a place in town I'd always go to with my Grandparents after church on Sunday even though modernly I don't care for buffet places.

Comfort drink(s): Earl grey tea, green tea, strawberry Boba tea. The boba is because me and my friends always get it every time we hang out in person and it's always a nice time even if it's getting rarer.

Comfort movie(s): The Nightmare Before Christmas, Halloween, Sharkansas Women's Prison Masscare. Look... hear me out. I enjoy a really bad shark movie as long as they have charm, Sharkansas is so fucking funny and it never goes the way you'd expect it to. How'd the sharks end up in a women's prison? Well that'd be a spoiler—

Comfort show(s): My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic, Gravity Falls, Midnight Mass. Quite a strange combination, but yeah I could talk for hours about any of them.

Comfort clothing: Big oversized sweaters, nice fitting button-ups, over sized t-shirts. I still dress like an edgy teenager, so it's all black and like band or horror tees.

Comfort song(s): Too many to list, but I listen to a lot of Red Vox in general, since they've been a favorite of mine since I really started for form an opinion on music beyond what my parents listened to.

Comfort book(s): Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, uhhh... I don't read as often as I should. Blame bad highschool teachers and a bad depression during that period.

Comfort game(s): I play a lot of "cozy games" for comfort, mostly because I can put a podcast or something on in the bg. I've been playing a lot of Ranch of Rivershine, Dreamlight Valley, and Paleo Pines, but RoR is all I can really recommend out of those 3. Dreamlight's devs do not keep their promises and you basically have to pay 70$ for a full game and Paleo does not feel finished at all and needs a lot of work, it's not worth 40$ I got it on sale and still felt like I bought an early access game. I've been enjoying a lot of Darkest Dungeon 2 recently though, but four people go into that dungeon and five come out mad, so it's hit or miss for comfort.

Tagged by: @mxlevolence (thank you!!)

Tagging: Uhhh idk who hasn't been tagged, just steal it from me

[elenavr13]

Darkiplier Playlist

194 songs

—

Evermore- Dan Stevens

Control x Pity Party (slowed)- Halsey x Melanie Martinez

Twisted- MISSIO

Ophelia (slowed)- The Lumineers

Everybody Wants To Tule the World- Lorde

House of Memories (slowed)- Panic! at the Disco

Control- Halsey

Gasoline- Halsey

You’re So Creepy- Ghost Town

Dynasty- MIIA

Judas (slowed)- Lady Gaga

Take Me To Church (slowed)- Hozier

Castle (slowed)- Halsey

Sing To Me- MISSIO

Kamikazee- MISSIO

Panic Room- Au/Ra

Isolate- Sub Urban

Elastic Heart (Rock Cover)- Written by Wolves

Crossfire (slowed)- Stephen

Dead!- My Chemical Romance

Life Sux- Silent Child

Stressed Out- Twenty One Pilots

Look What You Made Me Do (slowed)- Taylor Swift

Smooth Criminal- Michael Jackson

The Voice of Darkiplier- Markiplier

I’ll Be Good- Jaymes Young

I Wanna Be Yours (slowed)- Arctic Monkeys

Do I Wanna Know (slowed)- Arctic Monkeys

Baby You’re a Haunted House- Gerard Way

In His Eyes- Jekyll & Hyde (musical)

Queen of the Freaks- AViVA

Fairytale (slowed)- Alexander Rybak

Can You Feel My Heart- Bring Me to the Horizon

Feeling Good (slowed)- Michael Buble

Can You Feel My Heart x Favorite Dress (slowed)- Miro remix

My Demons- Starset

Achilles Come Down- Gang of Youth

Monster- Skillet

What’s the Use of Feeling Blue- Caleb Hyles

505- Arctic Monkeys

Where I Want to Be- Chess in Concert

Can’t Help Falling In Love- Ice Nine Kills

The American Nightmare- Ice Nine Kills

On My Own- Les Miserable

A Grave Mistake- Ice Nine Kills

Left Behind- DAGames

Farewell II Flesh- Ice Nine Kills

Below the Surface- Griffinilla

The Wrecked and the Worried- NateWantsToBattle

You Can’t Take Me Anywhere- NateWantsToBattle

Goner- Twenty One Pilots

The Other Side of Paradise- Glass Animals

You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid- The Offspring

Fake You Out- Twenty One Pilots

Miss You- Corpse

Ashes (slowed)- Stellar

Epoch- The Living Tombstone

My Ordinary Life (slowed)- The Living Tombstone

In the End- Linkin Park

Me, Myself & Hyde- Ice Nine Kills

The World In My Hands- Ice Nine Kills

Popular Monster- Falling In Reverse

Monster- Imagine Dragons

What I Could Have Been- Sting

Hushh- AViVA

Phantom of the Opera

Darkside- NEONI

Broken- DNMO & Sub Urban

Killer In the Mirror- Set It Off

Doubt- Twenty One Pilots

I’m Not Okay- My Chemical Romance

Friends on the Other Side- Princess and the Frog

Poison- WE ARE THE FURY

Apologize- One Republic

Stomp Me Out- Bryce Fox

My Lullaby (metal cover)- Jonathan Young

I See Red (slowed)- Everybody Loves an Outlaw

Tear In My Heart- Twenty One Pilots

I Hate Everything About You- Three Days Grace

F.L.Y- Ice Nine Kills

Migraine- Twenty One Pilots

Car Radio- Twenty One Pilots

Demons- MISSIO

Snakes- PVRIS & MIYAVI

Villain- KDA

Redemption- Besomorph & Coopex

Royalty (slowed)- Egzod & Maestro Chives ft. Neoni

The Red Means I Love You- Madds Buckley

Loser (slowed)- Neoni

Not Ready To Die- Avenged Sevenfold

I Want You- Mitski

Haunted House- Neoni

Poltergeist- Corpse

Life Waster- Corpse

Funhouse- Pink

All Of Me (slowed)- John Legend

Young And Beautiful- Lana Del Rey *Y/N x Damien*

Dark Paradise (slowed)- Lana Del Rey

How Villains Are Made- Madalen Duke

Love and War- Fluerie

Dark Things- Adona

Wicked Game- Ursine Vulpine

Neptune- Sleeping At Last

Enemy- Tommee Profitt

Far From Home (The Raven)- Sam Tinnesz

City Of The Dead- Eurielle

Throne- Saint Mesa

Paint it, Black- Ciara cover

Man Or A Monster- Sam Tinnesz

Dark On Me- Starset

Boo Hoo- Neoni & Riell

Hell’s Comin’ With Me- Poor Mans Poison

Wires- The Neighbourhood

Liquid Smooth- Mitski

Little Dark Age- MGMT

Devil In Disguise- Elvis (LLusion)

Toxic- 2WEI

Dark Room- Foreign Figures & EJ Michels

Lullaby of Woe- Ashley Serena

I’m Not Afraid- Tommee Profitt ft. Wondra

Heathens- Twenty One Pilots

Dance With The Devil- Breaking Benjamin

Afraid- The Neighbourhood

Black Confetti- DREAMERS

Black Out Days- Phantogram

Somewhere Only We Know- Keane *Damien*

Monsters- Ruelle

Whispers In The Dark- Skillet

Salvaged- NateWantsToBattle

Saint Bernard- Lincoln

Fuck You- Silent Child

I Know Those Eyes/This Man Is Dead- Thomas Borchert, Brandi Burkhardt

Broken Inside- Broken Iris

Sweet Dreams- Besomorph

EVIL- AViVA

The Hanging Tree- James Newton Howard, Jennifer Lawrence

Feel Invincible- Skillet

Saints- Echos

Screaming Bloody Murder- Sum 41

Sweater Weather (slowed)- The Neighbourhood

Dandelions (slowed)- Ruth B

Death Bed (slowed)- Powfu

Master Mirror- Ashley Serena

I’M NOT SORRY- NEONI

Born Again- Black Veil Brides

Everyday A Little Death- The Count of Monte Cristo

FREAK- Jordan Friction

Broken (slowed)- lovelytheband

Michelle- Sir Chloe

Like A Villain- BAD OMENS

If It’s Vengeance You Want- Unlike Pluto

Monster- Fight The Fade

Slow Dancing In The Dark (slowed)- Joji

Listen Before I Go (male cover)- Billie Eilish

Mary On a Cross (slowed)- Ghost

Trouble (slowed)- Cage The Elephant

R.I.F.P.- MOTHICA

Nervous- Lola Blanc

Unravel- Johnathan Young

Lost In Paradise- Evanescence

Lies- Evanescence

Haunted (slowed)- Laura Les

Dread- Unlike Pluto

Monsters- Shinedown

Black Soul- Shinedown

Sorrow- Sleeping At Last

Seeing Red- Saint Chaos

Villain- Bella Poarch

Lithium- Nirvana

Smells Like Teen Spirit- Nirvana

Down With The Sickness- Disturbed

Animal I Have Become- Three Day Grace

Greed- Godsmack

One of Us is the Killer- The Dillinger Escape Plan

All The King’s Horses- Karmina

Gilded Lily- Cults

Haunted & Unwanted- NateWantsToBattle

Symbol of My Regret- NateWantsToBattle

In My Head- NateWantsToBattle

Vendetta (slowed)- Unsecret & Krigare

Nothing To Me- NateWantsToBattle

Chasing Cars- Sleeping At Last

Villain- MISSIO

Used to the Darkness- Des Rocs

Unforgiven- Ghost Nation

Monster- Starset

Eight- Sleeping At Last

Already Gone- Sleeping At Last

Devilish- The Phantoms

Motherland- Reach

Falling Away From Me- Korn

Just a Man- Jorge Rivera-Herrans & EPIC Ensemble

[brainrottingg]

Campaigns

Wonderland

Fifty years ago Simba raged across the lands and united all of the kingdoms into one: Auradon. He rules now, having put every “villain” into the Land of the Lost - a place without magic where he claims they’ll never hurt anyone again. But his daughter changed things when she vouched for the “villain kids” to get a new chance to rise above the squalor their parents had landed them in. Secrets were revealed and Simba was dethroned as it came out that he was the true villain. Everyone who was originally captured is too old to be of harm now, even if they really were evil, and their children are free to make their own lives.

Except those from Wonderland.

Previously safe in an anti-magic bubble that has now popped, all the original Wonderlandians were immediately pulled back to Wonderland - leaving their kids behind. Now son of Alice, chosen one Alister and his sister Ivory are teaming up with Queenie and her friends Clif and Moni to go back to Wonderland and save it from the darkness that had consumed it in the last fifty years. In Wonderland they meet the mysterious Jekyll, who is smiles and helpfulness and team player and self sacrificing. How lucky for them.

The three heroes will have to band together to take down the Dark King - newly dubbed the Nightmare King - in order to bring Wonderland to its previous glory. And that’s what they all want.

Right?

Gal Quest (discontinued)

Witchlight

In a world of “witches” with natural magic living in the woods that surround a single town of humans, you do what you have to in order to survive the monsters that are hunting you. You’ll learn to hunt, to kill, and you’ll gather every single foot up you can. Witchhunters are an elevated position, and their fellow Mages (those with body modifications to allow them to generate mana and cast magic) have their back when they need it.

Except maybe the monsters in the woods aren’t so much boogey as they are just men. And women. And children. And all the things that the humans are too. There’s less difference than our party of adventurers realized. Especially when it’s very quickly revealed that several members of the group are Witches themselves. Born with natural magic; of the Bracken. And they’d done horrible things to survive. As things come to a crux, Avas, Jackal, Alyzter, Vesper, Fae, Twyla, Ian and Bassil must either come together to make it better or fall apart and face each other first.

And that battle won’t even be their hardest.

X-Men: New World Order

Five years after the X-Men and the Brotherhood go on a mission and go missing, the world is a bit on its head. New heroes scramble to fill in the gaps the champions of old have left behind. Our most hopeful candidates are former X-Men Nightcrawler protege who got left behind, Nightwatcher, new hero of the people, Recoil, and criminal with an attitude Wythe (he doesn’t have an Alia’s that’s just his name). But behind the masks that are, Nightwatcher is Wally just Quais - a man with pointy ears and black fur and a gift with finding list things; and Recoil is a guy named Charlie with some powers and follow through. And with the X-Men gone mutants are more exposed than ever. Despite how unlikely their little team up is, what are they supposed to do other than see it through? After all, when the going gets though, the tough get going. And there are only so many tough one can depend on these days.

[monmuses]

demondads asked: ♪♪♪♪♪ ((go nuts fam!!!)) ; For every ♪ in my inbox I'll post a song I listen to for character inspiration.

I wanna taste love and pain Wanna feel pride and shame I don't wanna take my time Don't wanna waste one line I wanna live better days Never look back and say It could have been me It could have been me, yeah!

I FUCKING LOVE THIS SONG! first hearing it with watching it for movie night, i became so attached to it for Braelynn because she wants to feel what life is like! she wants to feel every emotion and what it's like to succeed and fail. and i also want to link the scene of the movie here because it serves as importance for her story in her AU of S2 TWAU. she's a performer and sharing her feelings of what life was like is so important to her and showing that she won't ever be held down just being herself.

Exorcists can't save me now I swear to you that I'm fine Please let me die to be found He speaks for me, nerves that I grind Speaking louder in my own voice Blocked by the voice of a demon inside I act coy and I play nice Only to die on the inside

this song is... really heavy. so, regarding Harriet & Elizabeth, this song paints a serious situation in which where they were in an abusive relationship with a man in their years of college. however, this also applies to her relationship to her family; specifically her step-father. she is constantly controlled, held down, and unable to speak. they both are victims of abuse in the most horrific of ways, and Elizabeth was how they broke out.

i also find this song very important because the overlaying of both parts fit how they both speak during the song - they have voices and their own thoughts that overlay with one another. this is what i consider their Jekyll & Hyde song, and it's their attempted cries of needing an escape.

Why don't you get it? Can't you get it? Understand They're gonna execute the mother to elevate the man They're gonna propagate the killer, eliminate the youth They're gonna blind date everyone until you love them too They're gonna blind date everyone until you love them too They're gonna blind date everyone until you love them too They're gonna blind date everyone until you love them

Fran's story is also full of trauma and the sense of isolation from her own community & town. a lot of her story is based on how much the South Park kids treated her during the first AND second game - constantly speaking for her, the anger, the fighting, unable to speak for herself, family trauma; having no identity. her story is full of anger and it's what makes her so dangerous and monstrous. she doesn't know this yet, but it will end up becoming truth later on in her life. this song perfectly describes how angry she is towards her own friends and how they don't know anything but she does.

Watch out, don't look She's your nightmare of a dream Go home, run fast If you don't, she'll eat your heart out of your chest Got your insides on her dress Blood's her favorite shade of red Say your prayers and go to bed

i love this song and for two reasons; it tells a story and it describes Yuri in Act 2-3. she becomes so obsessed and almost demonic in a way with how she shares her love and obsession towards the Player and how attached she gets. in truth, she is much like this with those she loves, and becomes attached in a very close way. however, the mutilating ways in how she shares that love are to a minimum and almost never shown unless the other doesn't reciprocate those feelings.

she would kill for her lovers, and will kill, but in a very fucked up and defacing way where she loses her own identity and only finds solace in her partners.

[aqp799]

Segawatober 2022 Day 8 - Jealous

Finally time to return to writing my boy Jekyll. Missed writing from his perspective, desperately need to replay Farethere(it's been like 6 months?) so the characterization might be offbeat but it's nice to write personally. Teared up a bit writing this actually, and for the life of me can't figure out why. A part of me calls to this character I guess. Nonetheless enjoy!

TW: Discussion of death and forgetting

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jekyll is not often seized by emotion. Especially in death his days are boring, simple. Get up, do repairs, talk with the others, go to bed. The little ones coming to the city added a bit of life, even on his worst days they bring a bit of a smile to his face. But nonetheless, he’s fallen into a routine now and feels. Settled.

But being settled lets those damn thoughts back, and reflection has never fared well for Jekyll. 

He’s always been straightforward, preferring to be blunt over coy, and show emotion over hiding them. So damn it's hard not to let what lies under the surface come up when he sees people like Yarkov, or Hiro, or Jamiga existing so easily. He can name it, it’s jealousy. Being aware has few benefits, the main one being able to help the kids reckon with their own awakenings. But beyond that, it's not a great existence. He knows some in the town are happy to be aware, saying ignorance was hurtful. But Jeykll can’t help but feel even in awareness he’s missing something. Someone perhaps. It feels off.

Even still, awareness comes with risk. Insanity means either banishment, death, or rebirth. Jekyll can’t do that shit again, so Farethere is his best bet. And yet he can’t help but wish he didn’t remember. Didn’t remember how he died, his shit life, anything. Stayed in the bliss where he believed his whole life was spent in Farethere. Now he’s saddled with nightmares and pain where there wasn’t any before. Old aches that he left in life coming back to haunt him in death. In the moments he dwells on it with the whole crowd, Gilbert usually catches his eye and drags him for tea later on, offering help. One of these days Jekyll will give in, let him in, but it sure ain’t yet. So for now he sits in jealousy, wishing to return to ignorance, as violet eyes and simpering smiles see right through him. At least Gilbert is nice enough to not press. It’s an alright afterlife.

It'd still be better if he could have those memories erased again…

[needstobenerfed-blog]

So I prevented a TPK by being an asshole.

I’m playing a classless campaign (Homebrew ofc) with some friends. Each of our characters had a regular profession instead of a class and weapons based off it. My character is a sort of Doctor Jekyl and Mr. Hyde case where I have to flip a coin to see which personality is in charge before each encounter/scene. We had just gone to a murder trial and went to go speak with the town’s religious figure (BBEG in disguise). Our party’s artist rolled a high perception roll and discovered the BBEG’s disguise and disclosed it to me (second highest roll). We deduced that it’d be best to just follow along with this guy ,as he invited us to dinner, to avoid rousing suspicion.

We go and have dinner with the BBEG and conversations start going around the table. Eventually, he insults one of the party members, a young slave PC we had just saved from a ship a few sessions prior. My character, being the calmer, more educated type, returns a wise crack at him and berates him for insulting a literal child. The argument consumes the table and ,eventually, leads to my character looking the BBEG (a priest) in the eyes and going:

“Least I’m not a child molester”

TO THE ABJECT HORROR OF THE PARTY. The priest (BBEG) was flabbergasted at the slight and proceeded to Holy Smite Doctor Jekyl into next Wednesday. Unfortunately for him, when one personality sleeps, the others awakens. So Mr. Hyde wakes up deepfried on the floor in front of a priest. The BBEG, still baffled, tries to question my character and gets hit with a complete accent change (Jekyl personality has an English accent while Hyde has a Southern accent) and a complete change in demeanor. The BBEG berates Hyde who’s just analyzing the situation. Hyde hadn’t even met the young slave PC yet ,so he was just delighted:

“Oh! We gotta new kid on board. Ain’t that great! Aye, Father, you ain’t gonna touch’em are ya?”

The party just stared at me in shock alongside the BBEG as the BBEG proceeded to hit me with like 4 more Smites before leaving the room fully insulted. After knocking the Hyde personality, Jekyl came back up. The party looked flabbergasted as they carried me out but my character just looked at the artist and went:

“Now we know he can’t control his temper”

OOC The entire table was losing their minds out of how stupid I was and how, although I remained in character, I almost got us all killed. It was the DM that broke that up by telling us that I prevented the boss battle. He had apparently planned it that one of the party members would get mad and provoke an attack on the BBEG and trigger the encounter. Unfortunately, he hadn’t planned for this argument to take this route thanks to me and the fight was avoided. Considering it took this priest less than a turn to subjugate any party member; That boss battle would’ve been a nightmare.

[sideshow-tornado]

I’ve done as much hard physical labor in the past two weeks as I have at any other point in my life. Kept reminding myself that destruction or rather deconstruction is an act of creation. I was the first person to sign the walls in the green room: 8/7/2010 after “Little Shop of Horrors” and the last person to sign the wall after the 133rd and final production, “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” (singed after opening night 2/3/2024).

There were so many different types of shows and so many talented people to come and go over the years. Lifelong friendships forged, romances ignited, hearts broken, hearts mended.

Multiple Shakespeare and Molière plays; classic comedies like A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum, Harvey, Arsenic & Old Lace, Blithe Spirit. Stirring dramas like 12 Angry Men, Inherit the Wind, Of Mice & Men, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Legendary musicals from Rocky Horror Show to Hello Dolly! and Sweeney Todd, Young Frankenstein, Threepenny Opera, A Nightmare Before Christmas.

I was lucky enough to direct the popular farce Noises Off! as well as write several original plays that I directed, including oringal stage adaptations of George Orwell’s “1984” and Dumas’ “The Three Musketeers”.

I got to play Mr. Darcy in another original stage adaptation of a literary classic, “Pride & Prejudice”. We also staged original adaptations of Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, Cinderella, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Dracula, Frankenstein, Night of the Living Dead, Snow White & the Seven Dwarves and so many more.

There were Christmas plays, summer reading program shows produced for the local library, family shows performed in the park, a series of cabaret shows with music and skits covering an array of topics from Cole Porter, The Beatles, 90s country music, 1940s/50s USO shows, and so on.

Over a half dozen playwrights premiered new plays, and dozens more original plays were produced. We hosted weddings, concerts, birthday parties, special screenings of films including a local film festival that celebrated films shot locally including Hope Floats, Tree of Life, and many smaller independent films and web series. We were a venue for a photography festival for several years. We hosted a recent HBO Production “Life & Death” when they filmed in town.

All that and more. But most importantly we’ve been a theatre and a family. And we will continue to be so. Just somewhere else now.

[therecordchanger62279]

THE HALLOWEEN MASTER PLAYLIST

Halloween is my favorite holiday, and listening to some spooky music and watching horror films is mandatory if you’re really going to get into the spirit of the thing. (I eat candy, and dress like a hobo year-round, so that part of it was a given.) So I thought I’d post a master playlist of seasonal music a few weeks early in case any of you wanted to put something together for your own enjoyment, or maybe a Halloween party you might be planning.

Thinking outside the box (or coffin, if you prefer) I managed to do it without using Monster Mash or The Purple People Eater. But, there are roughly a hundred titles here, and I promise you if you turn down the lights, and close your eyes when you begin listening to it, you’ll have turned every light in the house back on, and double-locked every door.

Happy haunting.

Halloween Theme (Main Title) – John Carpenter

Alison Gross – Steeleye Span

Black Magic Woman – Santana

Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

Bloodletting (The Vampire Song) – Concrete Blonde

Black Night – Deep Purple

Dancing With Mr. D. – Rolling Stones

(Don’t Fear) The Reaper – Blue Oyster Cult

The Ghost – Fleetwood Mac

Jekyll and Hyde – Renaissance

Knife Edge – Emerson, Lake & Palmer

L’America – The Doors

Rainbow Demon – Uriah Heep

Runnin’ With The Devil – Van Halen

Witchy Woman – The Eagles

Welcome To My Nightmare – Alice Cooper

Witch’s Promise – Jethro Tull

Tubular Bells (Opening Theme) – Mike Oldfield

Bad Moon Rising – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Burn – Deep Purple

The Creature From The Black Lagoon – Dave Edmunds

Frankenstein – Edgar Winter Group

Ghost Town – The Specials

Headless Cross – Black Sabbath

Hungry Wolf – X

Marquee Moon – Television

Moon Over Bourbon Street – Sting

Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac

Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) – David Bowie

The Super-Natural – John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers

Voodoo Child (Slight Return) – Jimi Hendrix Experience

Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon

The Wizard – Black Sabbath

The Witch Queen of New Orleans – Redbone

Dark Shadows Theme/Collinwood - Robert Cobert Orchestra

The Shadow Knows – Link Wray & His Wraymen

Billy The Monster – The Deviants

I Want Candy – The Strangeloves

Spooky – Classics IV

Crimson Witch – The Moving Sidewalks

Psychotic Reaction – Count Five

She Lives (In A Time of Her Own) – 13th Floor Elevators

Fire Poem – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Fire – The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

The Witch – The Sonics

Tombstone Shadow – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Sympathy For The Devil – Rolling Stones

Children of the Grave - Black Sabbath

Jack The Ripper / The Black Widow - Link Wray

Mr. Crowley / Bark At The Moon - Ozzy Osbourne

Riders On The Storm - The Doors

Lock Up The Wolves - Dio

Distant Ghost - Del Shannon

Might Just Take Your Life - Deep Purple

There's No Way Out of Here / Murder - David Gilmour

I'd Swear There Was Somebody Here - David Crosby

We Are The Dead - David Bowie

I Scare Myself - Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks

Run Through The Jungle - Creedence Clearwater Revival

Prelude-Nightmare - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Don't Put No Headstone On My Grave - Charlie Rich

I'm Your Witchdoctor - Chants R&B

Sway - Carla Olson & Mick Taylor

Evil - Cactus

The Jezebel Spirit - Brian Eno & David Byrne

Black Night - Bob Seger

Man In The Long Black Coat / The Wicked Messenger - Bob Dylan

I Love The Night / Hot Rails To Hell - Blue Oyster Cult

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Electric Funeral / Lady Evil / The Devil Cried / Devil and Daughter / Evil Eye - Black Sabbath

Black Cat Moan - Beck, Bogert & Appice

Red Temple Prayer (Two Headed Dog) - The Barracudas

Devil In My Car - The B 52's

Devil's Answer - Atomic Rooster

Sign of the Gypsy Queen - April Wine

The Four Horsemen - Aphrodite's Child

Black Hearted Woman - Allman Brothers Band

I Put A Spell On You / Little Demon - Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Evil Ways - Santana

Evil Hearted You - The Yardbirds

Evil Woman - Doobie Brothers

Evil Woman - Spooky Tooth

Evil - Edgar Broughton Band

Black Cadillac - Joyce Green

Black Angel's Death Song - Velvet Underground

Angel of Death / Raining Blood / Silent Scream / Spill The Blood / Hell Awaits / Death's Head - Slayer

[cathygeha]

REVIEW

The Nightmare Man by J.H. Markert

 Dark, twisted, gripping horror story that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go…even after finishing the last page.

 What I liked:

* The plotting, pacing, writing, setting, and story

* That the shift between past and present when telling the story worked seamlessly

* The link between mythology and dreams…and new stories created for children to help deal with nightmares – even have done it in the past

* The historical aspect of the story

* Being able to truly dislike and despise some of the characters in the story

* Thinking about the ‘what ifs’

* That even the good guys were fallible

* Finding out the five W’s any story should supply: who, what, when, where, and why

* Wondering if this is a one and done book or if this might be the beginning of a series

* Being creeped out and given enough information about the crimes without all the no doubt horrific details

* More than what is listed above BUT don’t want to put in any spoilers

 What I didn’t like:

* Who and what I was meant not to like

* How manipulative, cruel and creepy some of the characters were – thought that was also something that really added to the story

 Did I like this book? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

 Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

 5 Stars

     BLURB

 T. Kingfisher meets Cassandra Khaw in a chilling horror novel that illustrates the fine line between humanity and monstrosity. Blackwood mansion looms, surrounded by nightmare pines, atop the hill over the small town of New Haven. Ben Bookman, bestselling novelist and heir to the Blackwood estate, spent a weekend at the ancestral home to finish writing his latest horror novel, The Scarecrow. Now, on the eve of the book’s release, the terrible story within begins to unfold in real life. Detective Mills arrives at the scene of a gruesome murder: a family butchered and bundled inside cocoons stitched from corn husks, and hung from the rafters of a barn, eerily mirroring the opening of Bookman’s latest novel. When another family is killed in a similar manner, Mills, along with his daughter, rookie detective Samantha Blue, is determined to find the link to the book—and the killer—before the story reaches its chilling climax. As the series of “Scarecrow crimes” continues to mirror the book, Ben quickly becomes the prime suspect. He can’t remember much from the night he finished writing the novel, but he knows he wrote it in The Atrium, his grandfather’s forbidden room full of numbered books. Thousands of books. Books without words. As Ben digs deep into Blackwood’s history he learns he may have triggered a release of something trapped long ago—and it won’t stop with the horrors buried within the pages of his book.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James was raised in a household where creativity thrived, paintings and stained-glass windows beautified the walls, and the arts were as regular as the seasons.  This upbringing will forever be his muse.  James has a history degree from the University of Louisville, where, in his senior year, he was awarded a scholarship as the school’s most outstanding history major.  He won an IPPY Award for The Requiem Rose, which was later published by Sourcebooks as A White Wind Blew.  James has ideas for future novels that run the gamut of history from time periods and topics like Charles Dickens, Jekyll and Hyde, Prohibition, the Dust Bowl, the Sixties, both World Wars, the Golden Age of Magicians, and a series on Medieval Cathedral building.

James is the writer and co-producer of the feature film/tennis comedy 2nd Serve, starring several actors from popular television shows like Scandal, The Big Bang Theory, Gotham, Cougar Town, Shameless, and Ray Donovan.   James is also a USPTA tennis pro, and has coached dozens of kids who’ve gone on to play college tennis in top conferences like the Big 10, the Big East, and the ACC. He lives with his wife and two children in Louisville, KY.

Favorite Authors: Stephen King, John Irving, Ken Follett, Pat Conroy, Wally Lamb, George R.R. Martin, Elizabeth Strout, Dennis Lehane, Greg Iles, Anne Rice, Hillary Mantel, Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Favorite Books: The Stand, The Cider House Rules, The Alienist, Pillars of the Earth, Beach Music, I know This Much is True, The Burgess Boys, The Shadow of the Wind, A Song of Ice and Fire Series.

Favorite Music: U2, Pearl Jam, Cold Play, REM, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Killers, Mozart, Muse, Dave Matthews.

Favorite Shows: Game of Thrones, Justified, Deadwood, Rome, Peaky Blinders, Boardwalk Empire, Breaking Bad, Band of Brothers, The Tudors.

Favorite Movies: Shawshank Redemption, Good Will Hunting, Dead Poets Society, Signs, A Very Long Engagement, Amadeus, Gangs of New York, Sleepers, Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, Seven.

https://jamesmarkert.com/

https://www.instagram.com/jamesmarkert74/

https://www.facebook.com/James-Markert-454204204627577/

https://twitter.com/jamesmarkert/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-markert-3108b4b2/

[ashupinthismother]

I cant find the original post but here’s a “draw your OC in 20 different ways” or something like that.

[ava-of-shenanigans]

Gothic lit characters as John Mulaney Quotes

Utterson: Do my friends hate me or do I just need to go to sleep?

Griffin: I’m new in town, and it gets worse.

Victor: I didn’t drink water the entire time!

Lanyon: And I said: “Why? Why do you do this?”

Hyde: I am very small. And I have no money. So you can see the kind of stress that I am under.

Adam (the creature): Whoa! That tall child looks terrible!

Lord Henry: Just because you’re accurate does not mean you’re interesting.

Van Helsing: He looked like he should be the conductor on a train powered by confetti! But instead he chose to make his living in murder.

Kemp: I think eventually everything’s to be okay, but I have no idea what’s going to happen next! And neither do you. And neither do your parents. Because there’s a horse loose in a hospita!

Erik (The phantom): 🎶Life is a fucking nightmare🎶

Jekyll: Because when I was a kid, I was raised that you should be nice to everyone in every situation, because you never know their story. But now, at the end of my life,

[mommyymunson]

The Freak's Superhero//Chapter one: Escaping His Grasp (An Eddie Munson Fanfic)

There was a lot the town of Hawkins didn't know 

about their reality. From the other dimension right  

underneath them that seemed to bleed into their 

own, to the shaven head girl with 

telepathic powers that did all she could to stop this 

other dimension's monsters from 

killing all of their precious town. This nightmare, 

that those who knew of it called the 

"Upside down", had been lasting for over three 

years now, and now a new threat was upon

our heroes. His name was Vecna. Or at least, that's 

how they knew him. See, I knew him as

Henry. 

As stated though, there's a lot that the town 

of Hawkins isn't aware of, not even my 

sister 011, nor her friends. and that was Me. 

Hi, I'm Dr. Brennar's little experiment that 

he kept to himself, telling mostly no one of 

my existence. 

His special project, the one he had the most

faith in as a weapon against the Commies. 

Against the whole world. 

My name is 000 or Zero. But there was 

something that no one could've known, not 

even myself. 

It was that I was about to fall hopelessly in 

love with Hawkins own favorite Pariah, the 

town misfit, 

and the biggest freak: Eddie Goddamn Munson.

The screeches of the Hellish bats that swirled through the air outside and the searing, throbbing pain on my wrists were the only things that kept me grounded at the moment. My vision was blurred from the fog that seemed to be in a constant state around here. All I could smell was the overwhelming stench of rotting blood.  I've been trapped in my own personal prison for the past three years. Or at least that was my best guess, being in the past of Hawkins present didn't allow me to keep great track of time. My arms and legs bound by the flesh-like vines that He had full control of, never straying from my tired limps. My body covered by the Earth's dirt and grime that seemed to make my physique its new home. Knees and calves growing new bruises and cuts by the hour from being dragged around to where they're needed. My head hung low from the lack of energy my anatomy could barely be able to produce. But, not low enough to where I was bowing before him, resolve holding enough to be able to maintain that at least. 

For the past three agonizing years of my captivity, there wasn't a whole lot I could do but sleep whenever my mind eventually gave out and slip into the subconscious where my powers lied. The true monster known as Dr. Brennar had found many different ways my mind could produce unfathomable, scientific reactions and outcomes to any wimp or thought I had. Magic is what most would call it. He made much of use of me before I had finally snuck out of his controlling grasp. 

One of the telepathic powers I had been born with was basically, eavesdropping. I could walk among, converse, and listen to anybody I chose. It was almost as if I was there with them, like my soul was wandering around like some useless ghost. Majority of the time it was used for information, but in my early teens I was able to start manipulating the area around those I had come to "haunt;" opening a door, lifting a cup into thin air, those kinds of things. The only downside was that if I went to that extend, my powers were rendered useless for several hours. It knocked me practically unconscious from how much energy it had used. To the despicable mind of Hawkins labs very own Doctor Jekyll, although he loved to act like he was Mr.Hyde, he wanted to use me as some sort of an assassin. There would be no evidence, no fingerprints, no cops coming to poke their noses in his affairs. 

I was only fourteen when I had managed to flee the unforgiving, white walls of the blood stained laboratory of Hawkins. Surviving by pick-pocketing from strangers wallets, stealing whatever food I managed to slip out of grocery stores, and sleeping in unoccupied or abandoned houses. I had met another girl like me during that time, she taught me everything about the outside world that I had failed to learn in the tiny space of the Lab. Was on my own for two years before a certain ruthless, blonde haired man opened a gate to hell and entrapped me close inside. At least, he used to be blonde and a man for that fact. 

He had come to enlighten me that my sister, 011, had trapped him down here when he tried to kill everyone in Hawkins Lab, including my other brothers and sisters, and even Papa. The lightening that was always ablaze, and the countless days he had spent in the Upside Down had turned his body into this creature of hell. But his mind was the same twisted and evil form it had been as you last remembered. He had me bound stiff and unyielding ever since. Keeping me alive by feeding my starving self whatever murky water he could find and forcing me to consume the bats that were flying above my very head now. 

The only thing that kept me going was the memories I had "shared" with the sister I had never met. When 001 had told me about the powerful child that was able to best him, my curiosity of course, was peaked. That was how I had found out about my sister eleven. How she escaped the Lab just like I had did so long ago, how she had become close with her friends that hid her from Papa; especially close to a certain, certified nerd Michael Wheeler; how she defeated a "demogorgon," how she had become like a daughter to the Chief of Police, Jim hopper, how she and her friends defeated the mind flayer twice, and lost her powers. I had seen it all, been with her for every bruise, every tear shed, every smile formed, everything. She had given me a reason to fight without ever even knowing of my existence. 

It was now 1986, three excruciating years I've been imprisoned down here. I had tried many times to get away from this red and black abyss, to escape his grasp, but was always sucked right back in. I had gotten as close as to forming my own gate but not being able to make it in time, his vines wrapping around my torso and dragging my almost lifeless body back to my confinements. Barely being able to feel the sun again or smelling air that wasn't foul. 

001, or Vecna as El's dork group liked to call him, was now becoming active though. Carrying out  the plans he had had for so long. It had started with a girl named Chrissy, then a boy named Fred, and now It was El's precious friend Max. I could feel her presence when she had stumbled into Venca'a firm hold. Feeling absolutely powerless to help her as she just managed to break free from him. Hell, I couldn't even help myself, how could I help her. Still, I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched her go through the portal, back to her own consciousness. It wasn't until I heard the the loud creaks of the stairs being stepped on that the relief had left me. 

"Don't be too excited, my dear. She won't get very far from me and you know that. You haven't even been able to leave me, what makes you think she has a chance?" his deep, bone-chilling voice had rung in my ears like a bad headache. When I didn't make a move to answer or respond to him in any sort of way, one of the vines entangled itself around my neck, forcing my head upwards to look at his body hunched in front of me, his eyes holding a sort of anger and fascination as he gazed down at me, "you'll be staying with me for all eternity, Zero; by my side as I have the last few we need join us."

His figure stood back up and welcomed the many vines that struck his body over and over as they lifted him up again, his brain finding his next helpless victim. Ever since I had the unpleasant occurrence of meeting him, his eyes always held a passion, an obsession with making me his. His to control for whatever fucked up fantasy he had. Which included taking over Hawkins with the Mind Flayer's powers at his beck and call. 

My consciousness began to dissolve over time, more countless hours falling from my fingers. I was so used to the helplessness that seemed to swarm me. Like Henry said, I couldn't even help myself out of this, nor did I barely have the resolve to do so. I was only snapped out of my daze of self-pity when I heard a familiar cry brake the silence. My neck snapped forward once I realized who that scream erupted from. Max. He must've been able to bring her back already so soon. With every victim he took, he grew stronger, fast. But what could I do about it? My eyes could barely keep themselves open and my limps begged to be given any sort of rest. 

The powers that consumed me worked on their own, showing me all of Eleven's and Max's friends surrounding her floating body, now in a different location than the cemetery. Their faces stricken with unimaginable worry and terror. Screaming their lungs out as her body hung right above them, just out of their grasp. Almost as if my own conscience gave me a slight nudge forward, all I could think about was seeing El among them. Her own face painted with tears that streamed down her flushed cheeks, as she tried all she could to stop the inevitable. One emotion that I haven't felt in a long time start to brew inside me. Like a candle that seemed to be completely snuff out start to flicker and come back to life once more. Determination roared through my chest, drowning in it. My physique may have been exhausted but the adrenaline that coursed through my veins gave me the energy to run a marathon. Hissing from the ache on my wrists and ankles, I snapped out of the flesh-like vines that screeched from being torn apart. Standing for the first time in what felt like forever and raising my arm to the wall of the old Creel residence, I wrenched my barricade away, wood crackling from the pressure and falling to the floor. Taking one step at a time with as much urgency I could muster, I had finally made it to the newly formed hole. Max had been suffocating on the vines controlled by Vecna as he stood firm in front of her. He had been prepared for another escape as he kept himself a safe distance away from her face so she couldn't take a bite out of him, foiling his plan a second time. The few precious seconds that we both had were dwindling, I had to act now. 

My abilities surged as I hurled the levitating pieces of scrap from the air and crashed them against his unexpecting body. He flew back until he collided with a near by wall, stunned from the sudden attack. Using what little time I had left before his realization settled in, I leaped from the building and caught up with the terrified red head that had already started sprinting. Her eyes glazed at me for a quick second, her face contorted in an unreadable expression before putting her focus back on the path ahead. 

"You both won't get far." it seemed 001 had realized what had conspired as I heard the garbage I had thrown at him come hurling in our direction. 

"I'll protect you, just focus on getting back to them!" I shouted out as I took a few of the fragments that were coming at us at a rapid pace, and flung them right back at him, winning a bullseye. Using the remaining pieces, I constructed a makeshift wall behind us as a guard; they fell into place like a game of Tetris. This would give me a few more much needed seconds to pull open a gate out of the fabric of the space in front of me. 

"No!" There was shuffling behind me but I didn't take my concentration away from the gate that was almost fully open. This was the closest I've ever gotten and I could feel the hope beating in my chest. Max had just gotten to the portal back to her mind as she turned to me with a worried look, I screamed for her to run and she stepped through. I could feel the tears that began to sting and fall through my lashes. Twirling my body right in front of the gate, I pushed back the vines that were darting at me from behind; and let my body fall backwards through my one way ticket to freedom. 

Instantly feeling the heat from the overpowering sun from above and the clear air that began to fill my lungs, my body tumbled into the rocks and sticks that littered the earth beneath me. I tumbled down the mountain until my instincts kicked into high gear and I used my nails to claw at the ground. Slowing down my fall enough to be able to flip back onto my feet; back onto flat flooring. At long last being able to catch my breath as my lungs felt like they were on the verge of collapse, I took in my surroundings and held in a quiet sob. Feeling the small patches of grass that sprouted underneath me and noticing just how blue the sky was; how full of color and life everything around me was. My lips tugged into a relieved smile before it was quickly wiped off my face by the snapping twigs in back of me. My neck snapped in its direction only to be welcomed by six others staring at me. Looking like they were just waiting for something to happen, although nothing did. I knew exactly who they were from my snooping abilities. Dustin, Robin, Steve, Lucas, Nancy, and finally Max who still had left over tear stains on her freckled face. One of them started to speak to me before quickly snapping their mouth shut as I swiftly stood and began to walk in the opposite direction. It felt wrong to just leave but I couldn't get involved with them when I knew what their plan was. I've been stuck there for three years, I can't risk concerning myself with them and getting dragged right back, I just couldn't. 

"She..She saved me in there, I don't know if I would still be here without her. She stopped him, she has powers just like El used to." Max suddenly spoke up to the group but i just kept walking. Not daring to turn around because the second I did, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop myself from helping. 

"Are you Eleven's sister? Were you in there with her? In the Lab?" The voice which I knew as the ex-toothless boy named Dustin uttered out, I still walked and stayed silent. After not getting a response from me, I heard two sets of footsteps following after me before one tugged on my arm to stop me. Because of the trauma that I had just experienced in the upside down, my head flew back to the one that kept me still; my hand raised in defense as a reflex. It was Dustin that held onto me, flinching back in alarm at the possibility of me hurting him with my mind. I didn't intent to scare him, I was just so used to having the anxiety of expecting pain. After a second of realization, my hand went back to rest at my side; his head perked back up when he noticed no pain or flying back into a nearby tree. His hand that still rested on my wrist gently pulled me to him, his calloused fingers rubbing against the still open wounds that made permanent markings on my flesh. I groaned from the pain as he quickly realized, his palm flying off and he mumbled many apologies. Grabbing my appendage in protection, my tired eyes landed on his sorrowful ones. His eyes were true, pure and completely obvious of honestly. The staring lasted only a second before abruptly turned my body away once again, although this time I didn't start walking. My brain going through an endless cycle of what to do as the boy spoke once again. 

"Does she speak or..?" he turned over to Max who had been the other that joined me by my side. 

"Of course I speak, you idiot." my attention went right back to him as soon as it had left, crossing my arms in front of my chest at his accusation. My face contorted in a somewhat glare as the person I expected least spoke up. 

"What did he do to you in there?" Nancy Wheeler, the intelligent moralist of the party, questioned me. For some reason, my heart strings were tugged at the worry that plagued her features. A sigh that seemed to be held in for far too long escaped from my lips as I trudged toward her. I can't believe I'm doing this. Everyone immediately went on alert at what could possibly be my next move, but I just continued my journey to her awaiting self. 

Now, a talent that Papa didn't seem as curious about was my transfer of the past. He thought it was useless considering it couldn't be used to gather information nor kill his opponents; but for me, it was useful in saving time like this current moment. Time, as usual, was of the essence. As long as I had some sort of physical connection or touch to the receiver, I could relay old memories of my own with my own choosing, or collect any of theirs. The best way to describe it, is the old saying how when someone dies, their life flashes before their eyes in a matter of seconds. It was exactly like that but I got to choose what details I shared with the class. It also took a bit longer than a few seconds, it depended on how much info I gave them. So when I finally was able to reach the older sister of Mike, I hesitantly raised my hands up to her face and cupped her cheeks with them. Her eyes searching mine with confusion and expectation, everyone else sharing the same looks amongst themselves. Closing my eyes and concentrating on the power that swirled through the veins in my cerebrum, I finally unleashed the energy into her; her eyes going completely white as her head shot back from the overwhelming flow of images that weren't her own. For her, it was almost like watching an entire movie in less than two minutes. When I had opened my lids again, I could see Steve and Robin running over to me panic, probably thinking I was harming her. But the look on my face made them slow. My eyes being completely blown out in black, no grey left within them. Blood vessels popping almost inhumanly around them. To them, I probably looked like I was mutilating her; although their movements stilled completely when Nancy lifted her small forearm, signaling them to stop. 

"Don't..It's okay, I'm okay," Her palms then enveloped my own on her cheekbones, "It actually feels kind of nice, It's warm." 

A small smile formed on her lips as I took her in complete shock. No one had ever told me that they liked my talents. At least not in the way of using them for their own selfish gains. A small tint of pink stained my appearances while the last few flashbacks transported to her. Almost like snapping out of a trance, we both lost the connection when my hands left her. I felt almost exposed as she now knew mostly everything that had transpired from the entirety of my life. Unable to make eye contact, I shifted uncomfortably in my place before her, waiting for whatever answer she was going to have to the strange intel. The last reaction I expected her to have though was to wrap her arms around my shoulders and pull my body to her, coating me into a warm embrace. I completely froze, unable to move from the unfamiliar feeling of affection. The only sort of "love" that I ever experienced in the time I was in that scientific prison was when the guards, nurses, doctors, or Papa held onto my hand as they led me from room to room. Probably for another stupid test or lesson to make us more powerful. It was a form of control on their part though, tricking an innocent mind into thinking they were the good guys because they wore honest smiles and kind auras. 

"I'm so sorry, Zero. I'm so so sorry you had to go through that, alone nonetheless." The pretty, curly haired girl squeezed me even harder as I heard slight sniffles follow her apology. Was she crying for me? That was a concept that I couldn't wrap my head around. I wasn't used to anybody having empathy for me because my hardships, goodness being a foreign concept to me. As I was lost in thought and before I could find the courage to finally join in her hug, she pulled back from me, now holding her hands to my shoulders as another form of comfort. I was right, there were a few stray tears that had fallen from her soft, blue eyes. I couldn't say anything though, my mind was racing endlessly as her confusing actions gave me many questions and very few answers. Why would she cry for me? What exactly was it that made her feel such sadness that wasn't even her own? And especially, why did she care so much for a complete stranger? 

"I understand now why you were so on edge, and I don't blame you for wanting to run away when you first saw us. I can't imagine how messed up everything was for you. Well, I can since you just showed me all of it; but I could never imagine being able to survive all of that myself. The wounds and scars that you had and have, mentally and physically...it must have been so hard for you," Her gentle words did little but baffle me further, but she still continued, "and I don't want to seem like one of those monsters that tried to use you; but we could really use your help. You know the most out of anyone about Vecna, how he acts and how his mind works. Not only that, but without El and her powers, we are all but defenseless against him. From what you showed me, you're incredibly powerful and we could really use that strength. But I want this to be your choice, and I will not fault you at all for whatever you decide. But I ask of you, please help us, in anyway you can." 

Her gentle eyes gave me great pause as I contemplated the words she had just spoke. What was I doing? Why was I actually thinking about my decision, I can't do this. I can't see him again, not ever. I want to help them, I really do but what will the events that unfold cost me? 

"Uh.. so what exactly did she show you?" The coiffed hair boy, who I believe was Steve Harrington, whispered out. 

"I'm moreso curious about these so-called 'incredible powers' wheeler was taking about." An unfamiliar voice said, with a slight chuckle in his throat. 

There was another man there that I hadn't noticed before, but now that I had noticed him, I shamelessly couldn't take my eyes away. His hair was a deep brown, almost black shade that was grown long in soft sets of curls. His outfit was anything less than a punk rock style, sporting a denim vest and leather jacket that was thrown over a white, devil baring T-shirt. His jeans were ripped at the knees and his sneakers dirty from the mud that lay beneath them. Eyes that stared straight at me a dark chocolate brown that held much mischief in them. The damned smile though was what I couldn't stop staring at, an almost shit-eating grin covered nearly his whole face. Before anyone could notice, I quickly snapped my head away from the crowd. Almost not being able to cover the deep crimson that saturated my cheeks and neck. 

I knew I shouldn't be boldly checking out this random guy in the group, but It was entirely involuntary. This wasn't like me in the slightest, I never let men have any sort of effect on me. Well, all but one man. But the second I saw the pleading looks of the children and the breathtaking rockstar, I knew I had no chance. 

Heaving a heavy, almost dramatically long sigh, I pinched the space in between my brows and turned to Dustin. 

"Well, you gonna lead the way or are you gonna make me do that too?" Flashing him a cheeky smirk, his face crinkled into an adorable grin before grabbing my hand once again, guiding me to his destination. God, people around here were really into touching, huh? 

"So are your powers like Eleven's or do you have different ones? Are you more powerful than she is? How come you look so creepy when you do that brain, memory, transfer thing? Do you like eggos as much as El does?" Dustin's questions seemed to ramble out of his mouth faster than he could think them. 

"I'm already starting to regret this." I huffed, shaking my head once again. Although his insistent interrogation was slightly driving me insane, I couldn't help the small smile that seemed to remain on my lips.

(Hi guys! Hopefully you enjoyed my first chapter, obviously this is gonna be a fix-it fic and I’m gonna change some things around in the plot as well; let me know what you guys think of my lil ole story and Ill be posting chapter 2 soon :^)

[acircusfullofdemons]

Storybook City sounds so cool!! I know you're focusing on the Wonderland paras right now, but have you thought about the others yet? Is there anything in particular about the world they're living in?? Sorry, if these seem like weird questions, I'm just enthralled right now by the concept!!

YES OH MY GOD!!!!!

This paracosm actually started a WHILE ago, when I re-entered my Jekyll & Hyde phase. So, the only other "section" SC has rn (with semi-fleshed out paras) is called "Victorian Gothic", which has, well, characters from books that fall into the "Victorian Gothic Era". Characters like Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde, Victor Frankenstein, essentially all the Iconic mad scientists are there! (...and those from Dracula....)

The VG Characters, when I first made them, lived in this college dorm/large school? Because, well, most of them are scientists (or, trying to be, anyway).

NOW, however, with the addition of Wonderland, I'm thinking of having a sort of "hub" all the characters can visit, mainly because Wonderland is....another dimension, or something. Idk.

There's also Sleepy Hollow (from The Legend of Sleepy Hollow), which is just Halloween Town from The Nightmare Before Christmas ngl. They love Ghost Stories. The only one from there thats appeared is Ichabod Crane (who might be a ghost idk yet) & Katrina's descendant, who doesn't have a name atm. But! Ichabod is a salty old man & doesn't like her.

And the most recent location/section is "Ever After", which is where all the Disney Princess live. So, so many kingdoms like WHAT.

This is also lowkey ripping off Ever After High (rip 😔) BUT instead of the descendants having to follow their parents/ancestors paths, they sort of have to....make new fairytales/stories. Like, keeping the cycle going, in a sense?? After they graduate, they have to choose which dimension they wish to live in, be approved, and then HOPEFULLY take part in a new Story. Fun!

OH!!! I'm sorry this is already long BUT! Each dimension/section has a "spokesperson", someone who makes the overall decisions for their dimension. The way its determined is sort of funky, but its usually who's the most "popular"/who gets the most recognition from readers. So, Snow White is Ever Afters spokesperson since she was the first Disney princess to get a movie. Phineas/Mad Hatter is Wonderland's spokesperson & Rosa/Queen of Hearts is SO SALTY about it lmao. The Brothers Grimm (Alder & Beltop) are the....I'm not sure how to say it. They're the spokespeople for SC as a whole? Like. They're the leaders of everyone else, keeping track of which dimensions do what, that sort of thing. Its like if they were the principals & the spokespeople were....assistant principals??

(The Brothers also knew some characters before they became, well, characters. Phineas & Beltop were actually best friends. I think Cinderella & Phineas knew each other before their respective stories, too).

Anyway, I will leave you off with an explanation of how their adventures get turned into Stories. I'll use LIW as an example bc yeah. So. When Alice came back from her first two adventures in both Wonderland & LookingGlassland, she told lots of people (who...didn't believe her, because she was an 8yo Victorian Child who had a very active imagination, probably wrote it off as some vivid dream). But!! One person did believe her, that being Lewis Carroll. Everything she told him, he wrote down into a book, which of course became the one we're all familiar with today. Essentially, A Protagonist must find a Narrator to write down their story for them. Characters have varying opinions on the book events vs irl events (Phineas claims that the tea party scene went on much longer than in the book), but overall they agree that their books/original adaptations are the best adaptations provided.

I hope that satisfies some of your curiosity!! I really didn't know what to write so....I kinda jumped everywhere lmao 😅

[horsesarecreatures]

Book review - The Mafia Hitman’s Daughter by Linda Scarpa

The Mafia Hitman’s Daughter is a book that I liked a lot more than I thought I was going to. Around here, everyone is obsessed with the mafia. The town where I’m from is one of the the main ones where The Sopranos was filmed, and most people genuinely do have family that was in the Italian mob at one point or another.  My mom’s boyfriend’s last name is Fischetti and he is a descendent of the Fischetti Brothers. One of the first times we went to his parent’s house his mother was gleefully pointing at photos of old relatives on the wall and saying, “This one was a made man, oh and this one too, and this one was a capo, and that one was a capo as well!” So that’s why I thought I wasn’t going to like the book; people tend to glorify the mob and it gets annoying. But the book wasn’t like that.

The book is the memoir of Linda Scarpa, Greg Scarpa’s daughter. Greg Scarpa was a hitman suspected of killing up to 120 people for the Colombo crime family and his nickname was “The Grim Reaper.” He was also an FBI informant for years. One might think that he’d be a violent man towards his family because he was so violent on the streets, but he was quite the opposite. This guy genuinely loved his kids to death. But, that is not to say that they did not suffer because of him. Linda talks about how many family friends/associates of her father went missing over the years, and when she started piecing together that he was probably the one killing them it was devastating. Someone also shot into her car with her infant son in it while aiming at her father’s car ahead of hers. Then after her father died years later no one was left to protect them anymore, so her brother Joey was  murdered even though he wanted nothing to do with the mob. Linda talks about how she felt that she was never able to express grief over his death because she knew that her father inflicted the same type of pain on many people. I felt bad for her because it’s clear that she carries around a lot of guilt and trauma. 

The overall impression that I got was that although Linda still loves her father and can forgive the pain he caused herself and his family, she knows it’s not her place to forgive him for the crimes he committed against others. In her own words,

“I love my father, and I always will, but I have anger and resentment towards ‘The Life.’ It’s a life of horror - filled with nothing but misery, death, and nightmares. The life destroys everything around you.

When you marry someone in the mob or are conceived by someone in the mob, there is really no way out of it. You lose people you love. There is so much pain you can’t get over it. I live with the pain everyday, as do the family’s of my father’s victims. But I don’t expect tears, nor do I want sympathy.

When I was a child, the man I knew was very loving, affectionate, caring, and protective. As I got older, I knew what he was. I knew he was in the Mafia, and I knew what he did. But I still loved him. I didn’t agree with the things that he did, but he was always there for me when I needed him.

He was like Jekyll and Hyde. One minute, in the house, he would be this big teddy bear that would sit there and watch Wheel of Fortune with us - we’d all guess the letters - and Family Feud. I mean he would play video games with us, laugh and joke around. He was so sensitive when it came to us. 

But when he left the house to be the person that he was in the streets, he was completely different. He could walk out of the house and go shoot someone. I could hardly believe some of the stories i heard. I told myself he couldn’t have done those things. But he did…

It still boggles my mind. I can’t figure out to this day how he was able to be two different people - if not more. I haven’t been able to make sense of any of it. I’m still tormented by it, because there’s the person I love and want to remember. Then I hear all these things, and I get angry…”

The writing in this book isn’t beautiful but it is extremely honest. And aside from her own accounts and recollections, Linda also includes passages from her mother, relatives, friends, and children of other made men. I found all of their stories to be fascinating and I would recommend this book. Another interesting aspect was how the FBI used Scarpa not just for information but also to do dirty work for them. For example, they sent him to torture some Klu Klux Klan members because they couldn’t locate the bodies of these civil rights activists, and Scarpa did and found the location of the bodies. 

[tfc2211]

(Weird-O-Matic Wax)

Also Can Be Played Here ▶ Halloween Spookshow Vol 11

☠ Introduction to “Alfred Hitchcock’s Ghost Stories for Young People” ☠ The Emersons - Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde ☠ Baron Daemon & The Vampires - Ghost Guitars ☠ Jack Rivers - Haunted House Boogie ☠ “Monsters a Go-Go” spookshow promo ☠ The Deadly Ones - There’s a Creature in the Surfer’s Lagoon ☠ John Harrison, “Creepshow” OST - Prologue/The Creepshow Welcomes You ☠ Benae Carol - The Werewolf ☠ Scotty Macgregor & His Spooks - I’m a Monster ☠ Henry Hall & His Orchestra - Hush, Hush, Hush, Here Comes the Bogey Man ☠ “Don’t Look in the Basement” radio spot ☠ Goblin, “Patrick” OST - Metamorphosi ☠ The Blenders - Graveyard ☠ Carl Stalling - Music from Disney’s “Haunted House” ☠ The Monstrosities - Igor’s Party ☠ Dickie Goodman - Frankenstein Meets the Beatles ☠ The Beach-Niks - It Was a Nightmare ☠ Philippe d’Aram, “La morte vivante” OST - Le Suicide ☠ “The Bird With Crystal Plumage” radio spot ☠ The Three Ds - Graveyard Cha Cha ☠ The Five Jones Boys - Mr. Ghost Goes to Town ☠ Excerpt from “William Castle’s Ghost Story: Thrilling, Chilling Sounds of Fright & the Supernatural” ☠ Ennio Morricone, “La corta notte delle bambole di vetro” OST - Valzer