Book Five, Chapter 16: Looting

I lay still in the cornfield as I waited for my wounds to disappear.

I didn’t even notice when it actually happened. My head was laying on my arm, and at some point, I noticed that the fabric of my loud 1970s business suit had turned back into the soft fabric of my hoodie.

I got up off the ground as fast as I could.

It was daytime, and I hadn’t received my rewards, but I still felt like I needed to hurry. We weren’t here just to get a couple of tickets or a few coins; we were here to shop for groceries.

I started to run back toward the road, but I stopped short and turned in the direction of the farmhouse. Patchers, or at least parts of them, were strewn about to and fro, but I did my best to ignore them.

I was looking for something else—a wagon, perhaps. I checked around the shed that we had investigated but found nothing. Luckily, it didn’t take too long for me to find the Harless woodpile that stood protected under a small overhang of the roof.

Next to it was a thing of beauty: a wheelbarrow.

I grabbed it, yanked it from its location, and started wheeling it across the yard. It moved like a dream. It was heavy, solid, and perfect; the painted orange metal hadn’t even begun to rust.

For a moment, I was tempted to continue searching the sheds and garage for tools that we might need, but at that point, I couldn’t afford to waste time window-shopping.

I didn’t know of anything specific to look for, and I didn’t know what time limits we had before the story started to reset.

I took the wheelbarrow, aimed it at the road, and, with great effort, built up enough speed to get it to the asphalt and continue running with it down the street all the way back to the general store.

As I went, I started to see some of the action that the others had gone through after leaving me. There were car wrecks and at least a few fatal accidents where Patchers had tested their Grit against the little blue motor vehicle the others were riding in.

As I walked, I found more Patchers and, regrettably, they were moving. Even some of them that shouldn’t have been moving were twitch. I heard a moan. I didn’t know if that was old country ancestor magic or the storyline resetting in some gruesome way.

I didn’t stop to check.

As I ran, I couldn’t help but watch the sequence of my friends trying to escape Eastern Carousel.

It was utterly dark outside of the car as they drove. Patchers would suddenly pop out of the darkness, shooting at the car or screaming at them, and Dina had little trouble either “helping them off” the road or rolling over them altogether.

In the final cut of the movie, the revelation explaining everything that had happened was moved to the scene with Kimberly explaining everything to the camera as they drove out of Eastern Carousel. It was a tense sequence filled with flashbacks and a few close calls.

I nearly ran the wheelbarrow off the road, trying to watch it while running.

I didn’t have time to watch it closely because I was afraid that if I was too slow, I wouldn’t make it in time. I ran that wheelbarrow as fast as I could down the network of gravel and asphalt roads.

It would seem I had nothing to worry about because as I pulled the wheelbarrow into the Eastern Carousel General Store, the others were just arriving there, too.

As soon as he saw me, Antoine started to smile.

“Brought your own wheelbarrow,” he said.

“This is what they had to do in the frontier days,” I said. “There were no shopping carts back then.”

I stared up at the old country store and grinned ear to ear. That wasn’t the type of place I would usually step foot in on a road trip, but to us, it was an oasis.

“So, do we have to worry about Corduroy Patcher showing up?” Kimberly asked.

“No,” I said. “I cut him down to size.”

I tried to make it sound funny, but it still felt weird talking about killing a human, even if it was an evil human. It even felt different than killing one of the body-swapping sorcerers from the Strings Attached storyline.

Kimberly quickly changed the subject.

“All I hope,” she said, “is that they still have the fresh produce. I was worried that because of the crop problems, they might not have it.”

Dina was messing with the locked door. It took her a few minutes. The funny part was, she wasn’t picking the lock, per se, she was just wiggling a bobby pin in the keyhole. After a while, the door swung open.

It looked smooth, though, if you didn’t know what was going on.

“The gun’s missing,” she said immediately.

I pulled it from my hoodie pocket and said, “I’ve got it right here. Dude tried to kill me with it.”

She grabbed it from my hand and examined it.

“We’re going to need ammo,” she said.

She walked around to the other side of the register, following some keen instincts. She shuffled through a cabinet back there and pulled out a handful of loose cartridges.

“It’s a start,” she said as she put both the gun and the bullets inside of her purse.

Kimberly was looking through the store and said, “Let’s get to it.”

So we did.

Canned foods were first. They were the building block of any survival stash.

I wasn’t sure we were going to need all of the canned fish in mustard sauce, but if we ever did, we would have a ton of it. We also got lots of crackers and staples like flour, sugar, and salt.

Antoine grabbed a few cases of old-fashioned beer and shrugged his shoulders with a smile.

Kimberly said, “No. We aren’t here for that, and that’ll take up too much room.”

Antoine put the cases back sheepishly. “I was just playing,” he said.

Bagging up as much of the fresh produce as we could took a while, and as we did it, I began to reflect on the storyline.

“You know, I was thinking that your veil of silence trope was going to be huge in a storyline like this,” I said. “I couldn’t figure out why people weren’t coming out of the woodworks to tell us we were in danger, and it turns out it was because all of the people that knew we were in danger were bad guys.”

I laughed, and they laughed, and then we continued talking.

We were exhilarated. Not only had we planned out a run and had it gone basically perfectly, but for the most part, we had gotten through it without any pain at all.

How many times had we seen the Vets take on vampires or cultists like it was taking out the trash? That was us now.

Dina recounted her time driving through the dark, dodging Patchers. She explained that the headlights only went about ten feet in front of the car, and then the light just stopped.

“It was like a dark ride at Disneyland,” she said.

There were a surprising number of things here that were. Even the shoot-and-run sequences seemed almost like a ride. As we got used to playing the game, parts of it really did start to feel like a game.

I wished I could show them what I had gone through being possessed by these spirits of the fields and forests, but I was unable to. Maybe a tripe to Carousel Family Video was warranted. What’s the worst that could happen? Death?

We continued pillaging.

Heavy items could be put in the wheelbarrow, and light items could be packed inside paper sacks for us to carry manually. The car they were driving had stopped working as soon as the movie ended, so it wasn’t like we could just load it inside of it, even if we were willing to risk driving through an omen-laden Carousel.

Before long, we had stripped the shelves of everything edible or even close to tasty. Not al of what we wanted was practical. There was just too much.

“If we stretch this, it could last us three weeks,” Kimberly estimated.

“Of course, if we start rescuing people,” I said, “that’s going to shrink down real quick.”

“That’s a problem for another day,” she said.

“We can bring this candy,” Antoine said, pointing to some ancient-looking taffy and strawberry hard candies. “When those start to look appetizing, then we know it’s time to go shopping again.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“I’m pretty sure Carousel has never had to restock those things,” I said.

“That reminds me,” Kimberly said, “We’ll have to buy modern toothpaste. There’s no way I’m using something called Dr. Mandora’s Vita-Paste on my teeth.”

As we finished sorting through our groceries and deciding how we were going to carry them all, Dina said, “There’s someone outside waiting for us. You’ll never guess who.”

Except we didn’t have to guess because he was repeating his ordinary phrase: “Congratulations! You’ve won a ticket.”

“Just a minute,” Antoine screamed through the door.

Silas, the mechanical showman, didn’t take too kindly to that. In the blink of an eye, he appeared inside the store with us.

“Congratulations! You’ve won the ticket,” he said again.

Seeing no reason to put off the inevitable, we each went up, pressed his red button, and received our rewards.

I got one trope, a couple of coins, and an enemy collectible for Corduroy Patcher.

Everyone had taken out a Patcher by the end. Their names weren’t important. We all tucked them away. Some trophies weren’t meant to be shown around.

My trope was an interesting one:

Just Out of Shot

Type: Rule/Insight

Archetype: —

Aspect: —

Stat Used: Hustle

Often, stealth and jump scares are a matter of fancy camera work, not agility or shadows. If the camera can’t see you, neither can the enemy.

When equipped, the player will be able to see where the current active camera is when sneaking near an enemy. If they can stay out of view of that camera, the enemy will not notice them either.

Beware: cameras can move.

Carousel would rather let you waltz past an enemy than let you get killed when it doesn’t have a good shot.

Carousel would rather let you waltz past an enemy than let you get killed when it doesn’t have a good shot.

After I had read that trope, I had to reread it several times. I immediately realized how useful it could be and had to check to see if I had read it correctly.

Just because a player was On-Screen did not mean they were in the actual shot. I had figured that out from watching plenty of storylines and from reviewing the raw footage.

One scene probably had four or five invisible cameras pointed at it from different angles, which meant that being On-Screen only meant you were captured by one of the cameras. To be able to see which camera was currently active sounded incredible, and I hoped it was as good as it sounded.

It was also crazy to confirm that actual discrete cameras were used, even if they were invisible magic ones.

My collectible was as expected.

Corduroy Patcher

Family Man

Corduroy Patcher belonged to the abundant Patcher family, small-town royalty known for their extreme veneration of their fore-bearers and family loyalty. The Patchers were ruled by their ancestral Patriarch from beyond the grave, who demanded absolute loyalty and obedience.

Corduroy grew up in a close-knit community where the voices of his ancestors were always nearby. While the benefits of a big family helped him grow his business and have a prosperous life, the demands asked of him sought to forfeit his soul. As a devoted Patcher, he was expected to assist with family affairs in all things, even if it meant covering up murders… or committing them himself.

Antoine didn’t get any tropes. He got a collectible for killing a patcher like I did, but that was it. He got a few measly coins.

No one said anything. He didn’t act surprised.

It wouldn’t be until that night that I found out why.

Dina got a trope and some coins with her collectible.

Getaway Driver

Type: Rule/Buff

Archetype: Outsider

Aspect: Criminal

Stat Used: —

A chase scene in a horror movie usually involves a masked killer and a sorority girl. Of course, an old fashion car chase is still possible

When equipped, the user’s Hustle will be buffed when driving a vehicle. All passengers in the vehicle are safe from outside forces as long as the chase scene is going and entertaining.

Keep it running.

Kimberly got more than we could have expected from this storyline. It would seem that her performance had been good enough to be deemed perfect, which meant that Carousel got enough footage to put together a complete, consistent story from her.

I thought she would have gotten it from The Die Cast, but that story’s ending was bonkers (which was my fault).

She pressed the button, and Silas recited a poem:

“You can pick one from three, what will it be?

No matter the choice, no room to rejoice.

All three can save your skin or tear it off again,

The question remains, you must choose your pains,

In this game of dread, you can choose well and still be dead.”

Silas the Mechanical Showman thought that was very funny.

He first spat out a ticket explaining things:

You’ve reached a level where the game starts to get more difficult. Luckily, you are about to get the tools to fight back.

Having achieved Plot Armor 21 and having afterward accomplished the requisite feat of [putting forth a “perfect” performance], you have now unlocked your choice of aspect.

Choosing an aspect allows you to decide what type of [Eye Candy] you wish to be. Good luck!

Immediately afterward, Kimberly jumped back.

“I see the options,” she said. “Beauty, Socialite, and Celebrity…”

She began reading off the descriptions for the options.

“As an Eye Candy, you are the master of obtaining and manipulating attention from many sources. However, whose attention you receive can vary greatly, leading to different paths: the Beauty, the Socialite, and the Celebrity. The choice of aspect will shape your abilities and influence your journey in significant ways.

Beauty: This aspect emphasizes the Eye Candy’s allure, charisma, and ability to captivate others. A character embodying this aspect could use their charm and social skills to distract adversaries, win allies, and navigate complex social situations. Their high Hustle reflects their ability to stay one step ahead, often being the target in horror films. They also have a high Moxie stat, representing their social prowess and charm.

Beauty has tropes like Black Hearted Killer which debuffs the killer if the user is crying when attacked and Play Dumb which causes enemies to underestimate and possible spare the user.

Socialite: This aspect highlights the Eye Candy’s status, wealth, and worldly experiences. A character embodying this aspect could be a famous socialite, a well-known reporter, or a successful entrepreneur known for their influence, connections, and broad knowledge. Despite their privileged background, they are often quite capable and resourceful. Their high Savvy reflects their education, experiences, and understanding of a variety of subjects.

Socialite has tropes like Meet and Greet

which creates situations where important characters will seek out the user and The Agency Sent Her which give the player’s character an NPC helper.

Celebrity: This aspect underscores the Eye Candy’s popularity with the audience. Yes, the audience. The Celebrity treats the player like an actor, and the storylines are like films. Using meta tropes to create hype, fan favoritism, and larger-than-life roles, the Celebrity is the most versatile of the Eye Candy aspects. Using past roles to help their “career”, the Celebrity can specialize in virtually anything.

The Celebrity has tropes like Body Double which allows them to sub in a stunt double when doing dangerous stunts, Character Actor, which allows them to bring in elements of past performances like fighting ability or weapons specialty.

Choosing your aspect is a crucial decision. It not only determines your abilities but also sets you on a unique path. Whether you’re a Beauty, a Socialite, or a Celebrity, your natural magnetism will guide you, but your approach to it will define your journey. Choose wisely.”

She also received three special tropes, similar to the ones I had received. I had chosen Director’s Monitor, which gave me access to Deathwatch and let me watch storylines whenever I wanted.

Aspect Trope Choices:

The Throes of Obsession

Type: Rule/Insight

Archetype: Eye Candy

Aspect: Beauty

Stat Used: Moxie

Passion, emotion, friendship, love, obsession… these are tools that the Beauty wields in place of guns and swords, and they are better for it. You have always been magnetic, whether you wanted it or not. High drama and intense passion have swirled around you like a hurricane, and you have deftly survived and thrived within it. Your social abilities are sharp, and your charisma and likability are practiced. They’ll come in handy for you in a horror movie. After all, horror is just drama with more teeth.

Center of Attention: the player will have heightened involvement with all plot threads related to their aspect.

As a Beauty, Center of Attention makes story elements related to emotion, friendship, love, hate, passion, anger, or any other strong emotion more prevalent for the character and influential in the story, especially the Party Phase. You will be strongly involved with the emotional, dramatic, and passionate aspects of the story.

Additionally, all tropes that derive power from relationship dynamics will be more powerful.

This ticket is granted after the player provides sufficient material for a complete and “perfect” story to be created following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Beauty aspect.

Let’s see if Beauty really can slay beasts.

The Pedestal of Admiration

Type: Rule Insight

Archetype: Eye Candy

Aspect: Socialite

Stat Used: Moxie

You’ve been everywhere and done everything. You have acquired resources and wealth that have allowed you to accomplish amazing things. Whatever it is you do for a living, you excel at it and have developed fame and a following. Maybe, if you can harness that, you can survive.

Center of Attention: the player will have heightened involvement with all plot threads related to their aspect.

As a Socialite, Center of Attention makes story elements related to information gathering and resource collection more prevalent for the character and influential in the story, especially the Party Phase. You will be strongly involved with pursuits of knowledge, (especially from those individuals in awe of your fame) and the resolution of mysteries, as well as general problem-solving.

Additionally, all tropes that involve information gathering will be more powerful.

This ticket is granted after the player provides sufficient material for a complete and “perfect” story to be created following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Socialite aspect.

In horror movies, characters are never just famous. Fame is a tool for influence and investigation.

The Hall of Fame

Type: Rule Insight

Archetype: Eye Candy

Aspect: Celebrity

Stat Used: Moxie

You aren’t a character in this story; you’re just playing one. You were cast in this movie because it will put butts in seats. Your face on the poster will drive ticket sales. Maybe you are a teen heartthrob, an infamous heiress, a renowned scientist, a musician, or even a wrestler. Heck, you might be a basketball player cast in a movie with cartoon characters. Whatever the case, what you bring into the storyline as a well-loved Celebrity will help your character survive this storyline. Or at least go out with a bang.

Center of Attention: the player will have heightened involvement with all plot threads related to their aspect.

As a Celebrity, Center of Attention makes meta and self-aware or referential elements more prevalent for the character and influential in the story, especially the Party Phase. You will be strongly involved with the main plot of the story and will get a big, explosive scene to star in.

Additionally, all meta tropes that revolve around engagement or input from “the audience” will be more powerful.

This ticket is granted after the player provides sufficient material for a complete and “perfect” story to be created following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Celebrity aspect.

Welcome to Carousel. You’re famous here.

She passed around her potential tropes, and we started to discuss them.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep