Chilling Images

It's not the darkness that bothers me. It's being in a dark place with a doorway full of light within reach. The first step is nothing, but as I draw closer, I can feel it reaching out. My pace quickens, so does my heartbeat and my rational mind drops away. My instinct is telling me to run, and sometimes I do, a mad dash to the sliver of light of a half-closed door. It's silly and childish, but I can still feel its breath everytime I scramble into the light, closing the door behind me. I'll press my face against the door, knowing that I'm safe and I imagine its face is pressed on the other side, waiting.

You weren't sure you wanted to make a deal with this demon. He was always smiling, and looked like Bob, the Enzite guy on tv in a smoking jacket, pajama bottoms, and in place of where you almost expected fuzzy bunny slippers, were two human faces in twisted grimances of agony, their eyes still rolling between being lost in pain, and emploring you for help. His pipe smelled faintly like your grandfathers old pipe, and mild brimstone. Does he ever quit smiling? He seems so nice... his voice smooth. Its really bothered you when you first started talking to him, his face seemed to only go through the motions of extreme happiness, but the more you talk to him, the more you realise he's really here to help you. you dont even notice the near silent utterances from the mouths of those horrible shoes of his in each step he takes.... When you finally commited to the deal, he reached over to a near by book, tore out a page, and shook it. It was facinating the way the letters just fell off the page, like they no longer belonged there. There is a pattern as they hit the floor at your feet. A warning perhaps? You dont remember, but it seemed important at the time. But as you looked up to the faustian bargain before you it seemed to slip away as you prick your finger on the bone colored pen... That smile reassures you that everything is as it should be...

The living room is the normal hang out spot for your friends, not because it has that brand new HD television propped up on the wall, or a cooler full of beer, but because it has that atmosphere. Everyone is having a good time so far, some drinks are getting passed around, the girls are laughing and your best friend Blake is trying to coherse you into a sip from his beer. You kindly begin to decline when the lights go dark. But its not just the lights that go out.

Light has been eaten away it seems, and the noise of the party has been cut off. You flail your arms, nauseated by the open space around you until you rest you hands against what you believe to be your sofa. As you start to call out for Blake and your friends, your couch starts to breath. It has fur. A glow suddenly sparks to life in front of you, revealing the face of something you cannot describe. It smiles knowingly. NOISE.

Blake is pulling you up. Your head stings and you suddenly realize the music is pumping once more and the party is back and people are screaming. Your house is back, but you quickly notice that the room isn't as crowded as it once was. People are missing.

It's late, you're tired, and there's a nasty wind-storm outside. As you stare at the wind chime, you come to an odd conclusion: It's not moving at all.

My entry is less "chilling images" and more "freaky-deaky details to throw my player off when he asks for Perception checks when I haven't anything planned for this area." :

*A doll lays abandoned on the sidewalk. It has no eyes.

*All of the houses for three blocks on this side of the street have a religious symbol hanging in the window, except for one.

*A half-eaten corndog rests on top of a newspaper in the corner garbage can. The newspaper is one you've never heard of, and it's dated for a week from today. Condiments have blurred the headline.

*Did that license plate just say BLD DOL?

*It's starting to hail, but there are no clouds.

*A line of squirrels sits on the telephone wire. As you pass, their heads all turn away from you.

*There's an unmarked envelope taped to your door. (Alternatively, "There's an unmarked envelope in  your mailbox." )

*In a front yard is a large cardboard fortress, probably the work of some kid. In front of the cardboard castle is a line of Barbie doll heads, staked on sharpened popsicle sticks.

*The air here feels heavier than it did two steps back.

*That streetcorner you just passed smelled like poo.

It's early morning and your neck and back are aching. Thats the last time you fall asleep at the train station after partying till dawn. At least the train ride is peacefull except for the the ocasional grind of wheels on tracks that catches your attention. The only thing that bothers you is that guy just across from you. Pale, greasy hair, looks like he hasn't eaten in months. He's giving you one of those toothy grins that wouldn't be so bad if his teeth wern't so freaking yellow.
Hes probally just another freak on a train you think to yourself. As long as he doesn't pull a knife on you or some shit like that, you should be fine.
But then you look down and felt your heart skip a beat. His shadow is all wrong. It looks like it has...Spider legs? No. Thats not right. Not right at all.
Now hes up and walking towards you. His grey eyes are almost black now....

Malhimweaver:

Everynight your radio or computer or television turns on, at the same time.  It begins to get so annoying that you unplug everything at night.

Then they start turning on even when they aren't connected to the outlet, so you throw everything out.  Eventully the dreams begin, and you cannot stop them.

True Story.

I live out in the country, and we can get some pretty nasty snowfalls during the winter. Nasty enough to take down trees that wipe out powerlines that leave the town without power for three days or so. This happens at least once every winter, and I've gotten used to it.

So, during one of those power outages, I wake up to a flashing red light. My clock/radio, on the other side of the room, was flashing "12:00...12:00....12:00". I thought the power had come back on, so I flicked on the overhead light.

Nothing happened.

I got a flashlight (kept by my bed during power outages), flipped the switch a few more times, then walked over to the clock, which was still flashing "12:00...12:00....12:00".

Flicked on the flashlight, found out something interesting: the cat had knocked the plug for the clock out of the wall socket. The cord sat there, dangling off the edge of the shelf, while the clock merrily blinked "12:00" at me. I opened the back of the clock, just to confirm I hadn't stuck a battery in there. Battery compartment was indeed empty. I plugged the clock in.

It stopped blinking. Thing never worked again, had to replace it after the power outage was over.

To this day, I have absolutely no clue exactly what happened. I'm really curious what would have happened if I just set the time and had gone back to bed.

There is what looks to be an 8 year old boy that sits on the sidewalk on your way home from work. all he does is stare at the wall. you never payed any attention to him, Figuring him to be a kid who parent's haven't called into their house yet. but as the days begin to pass, you noticed that he has never move at all. continuing to stare at the same spot at the wall like if he was trying to solve puzzle from it. you think about calling the police to pick him up but yet decide against it (after all, he isn't harming anyone just sitting there). you begin to check on him (rerouting your path so you can see him when your going to work, even though the path is longer and more and more you find your self getting later to your job).

one night, your boss has had enough of you being late and threaten to fired you if it continues. at this point, you decide enough is enough, you are going to talk to this kid, find out who he is, what he is staring at, and why does he have such a hold on your life.

you call a friend to drop you off a block from where the kid sits and you begin to approach him. as you do, the street lights begin slightly flicker and fade. you pause for a moment and then rationalize it (they city hasn't replaced the blubs in a while you say to your self). you continue towards the boy.

as you put your hand on his shoulder and says that it's all right, a chill runs down your spine. this boy feels cold.. dead cold. as quick as a cobra, he grabs your wrist and begin to slowly turn his head.

your rational thinking goes out the window as your scream and yell. you look behind you only see that the streetlights have all gone out. you turn and twist your arm, like a fox that has it's arm stuck in a bear trap but hand that has you is locked firmly to your wrist, unwilling to let it's prey go.

as the boy slowly stands up, you fight will all your might, kicking, screaming, even biting your own arm in a effort to get away.

for a brief second, you glimpse the face of the creature that has you. whirling cogs have replaced the boy's eyes and drops of oil drip down his tea ducts. half of his right cheek is nothing but smooth metal interweaving with flesh of the rest of his face.

he opens his mouth, revealing what looks to be shards of jagged shattered glass that have all been stained red.

for a single second, hung in time. he looks at you and then smiles, the shards piercing the gums of his jaws and letting blood follow freely out of his maw. a wretched parody of the boy that you thought was him.

you pass out.


you wake up in your bed the next morning, the answering machine fill with messages from your friends and your work both wondering where you have been. you shake off the experience as a dream (try to anyways, but it seemed so real. you continue your morning routine (brush your teeth, groom your hair, take a shower, etc) but as your head on your way out the door, you notice the dates on your calender.

it's five days later from the date that you can last remember.

---Clear---
Bump

Sheer_Immortal:

My entry is less "chilling images" and more "freaky-deaky details to throw my player off when he asks for Perception checks when I haven't anything planned for this area." :

I find stuff like this very useful. It´s great to have a library of random and pointless stuff to fill in between the real story clues. And of course it adds suspense.

*Every once in a while, when a patient in the new top notch hospital is rolled away for surgery, the orderly presses "-2" on the elevator button display. That patient is never sedated, only strapped down. 

*Planning to listen to the latest hit bands new album in the music store you put on the earphones. Good quality stuff, the whole stores background noise disappears. You press Play. "We will get you!" is endlessly repeated in an escalating madness of sound. Shaken you return the disc to the store owner who comments "In a week." You snap and rail at him. The whole store turns silent and stares at you.

It's late at night. Nothing new to you. You're a night owl, and a bit of a party goer. Tonights not an exception. You just gotta take a shit and you're out the door to that night's activities.

All in all tonight was fun. Little dancing a little beer. Speaking of which, you need to pee.

When you walk into the bathroom the first thing you notice is that the faucet is running. You were preety sure you turned that off, but it's easier just to attribute it to simple carelessness on your part. That's when you notice the water coming out of the faucet is scalding hot. if it'd been on this whole time, there shouldn't be any hot water in the water heater.

CLEAR!!!!

You feel the cold metal hit your chest and then the electricity fly through your body then you feel it.

Bump

Dolls
While investigating an apartment (for some reason) during the daytime you come across the master (or only) bedroom. There is no furniture. The carpet (if the rest of the apartment is carpeted) has been replaced by expensive-looking cherrywood which has been marred by dozens of shallow scratch marks. The walls are lined with floating wooden shelves upon which sit many porcelain dolls. They are remarkably well kept. Polished, dusted, clean. Except for one which looks like it's been through a fire. The window(s) in this room has been covered in red tape and there are no curtains.

Either by way of note or NPC you are told that it's not a good idea to stay in that room after sunset. "You wouldn't like it."

Refrigerator
Also while investigating an apartment should you take a look in the refrigerator you'll find it's stocked full of meat. Only meat. No vegetables, no condiments, not even shelves. Just packages of beef, chicken, pork, turkey, ostrich, bison, rabbit, et cetera. The drawer nearest the refrigerator contains dozens of syringes still in their packages. In the cupboard above the counter adjacent to the drawer there are label-less, clean and empty bottles.

bump

its strange how routine your life has become, right down to you knowing what car is going to be at what corner at what time of day.
and everyone always seems to be smiling at you.