God's Gardenby MellowSoulChaptersThe Rumor (Part 1)The Rumor (Part 2)The Rumor (Part 3)The Rumor (Part 4)The Rumor (Part 1)Rainbow knocked on the door of the Utonium household. It was quickly pulled open by a redheaded child no older than the tender age of seven. "Hey, Bloss. Long time, no see." Blossom wrapped her arms around her friend in a gesture of unrestrained affection. Rainbow placed her hands on the young girl's shoulders. "Thanks for coming." "Think I'd pass up an opportunity to hang out with you guys? Yeah, right." "You want something to eat or drink?" "Nah, I'm good right now." "Come upstairs. I want you to meet somebody." Rainbow stepped inside the house. She looked around. "Where's the professor?" "He's out right now. He'll be back soon." "Sure you didn't chop him up and stuff his body in the basement?" "Pfft. Weirdo." The pair headed up the staircase. "So you mentioned something about a project? Is it for school, or...?" "Not exactly. I'll fill you in in a little bit." Blossom opened the door leading to the room she shared with her sisters, Bubbles and Buttercup. There were three boys with strong resemblances to them standing in the middle of the room. "Rainbow!" Bubbles tackled the teen. "Holy crap! I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Rainbow rose back to her feet. She placed her palm over her eye and tilted her head both sides to clear her senses. "You guys must be the Jojo brothers, right?" "It's a long story," Blossom explained. "I've got time." "Well..." "So Boomer disappeared for a while, huh?" "I got fed up with the way we were living," he responded, "Going around causing trouble seemed pointless and just not worth it in the grand scheme of things. I needed time alone to think." "Two years is a pretty long time, but it sounds like you had it rough." "To put it mildly." "Sorry you're feeling bummed out. Wish there was something I could do to help." "You get used to it. These days I just try to block out the world as much as possible aside from you guys." "Best way to do it." "Anyway, it hasn't been all bad." "So I see. Didn't think I noticed you and Bubbles being all lovey dovey over there, did ya'?" Bubbles and Boomer blushed in unison. "Alright, enough with the mushy stuff," Brick interrupted. "Right," Blossom continued, "The project I mentioned over the phone is actually a movie idea we came up with recently." "A movie," Rainbow questioned. "You're familiar with found footage horror, right?" "Ohhhhhh! You mean stuff like Paranormal Activity and the V/H/S series." "Older, actually: The Blair Witch Project." "I don't know that one." "That's surprising. It's considered the defining film of the genre." "When did it come out?" "1999." "So you wanna' make something like that?" "No way. That movie was garbage." "You can say that again," Buttercup agreed. "It was literally three people running around the woods freaking out over nothing." "You can't be serious," Rainbow replied. "Most horror movies are God-awful now. The characters lack any redeeming qualities or unique traits, the stories are boring and incoherent, there's little to no real atmosphere, and the music consists of the same recycled orchestral pieces despite their demographics displaying higher predilections for rock and metal." "I gotcha'. You wanna' make something that doesn't conform to uninspired cash grab standards." "If screenwriters stopped trying to copy outdated formulas, they could focus on making stuff that's actually engaging for the audience." "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it's also the killer of creativity." "Since we're on the subject, do you wanna' read the script?" "Absolutely. Whatcha' got?" Blossom retrieved a binder from the girls' shared computer desk. "Here." Rainbow skimmed over the text on each page. "Now I get what you meant by a coherent story. I never imagined something like this could be turned into a found footage movie." "They're the cheapest kind to make. With our powers and the free editing software on computers these days, I'm almost positive we can make it for no cost at all." "This is amazing. I'm really interested to see it on film." "I called you to see if you wanted to be in it." Rainbow's eyes burst wide with stars. "For real!?" "We need two camera operators. Adding another character would be a cinch." "Yeah! I'm definitely down." "I'll start working on it." "By the way, out of curiosity, which characters are you guys?" "I'm Matilda, Bubbles is Carol, Buttercup is our sister Jessica, the professor is the doctor, Boomer is Samuel, Brick and Butch are the dreadnought, and Lucifer will play himself. I just have to print an edited copy for him." "I can't wait to see it when we're done." "Yeah..." Two days later, Rainbow, Blossom, and Bubbles began filming. Rainbow chose to act out the role of a seventeen-year-old girl named Sarah Miller: a family friend who'd brought Matilda and Carol to New York to investigate a series of local disappearances. Blossom sat on one of the park benches. She pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her coat pocket. She and Bubbles had ditched their uniforms for casual autumn wear. "When did you start smoking," Rainbow wondered. "Protecting a city full of ignoramuses takes its toll." "It can't be that bad." "They didn't even understand the relationship between water and electricity." "Oh my goodness." "You guys ready?" "All set here. How 'bout you, Bubbles?" "I'm ready," Bubbles stated from above a tree. Rainbow raised her video camera. "And...Action." Blossom, assuming the role of Matilda, took another puff of her cigarette. She gazed sideways before commencing her opening exposition. "There are secrets all around us. Even in broad daylight, there are shadows where things unknown hide - things that are impossible for most people to fully comprehend, be it out of terror, aversion, or indifference. That's why we're here: to search for and uncover the truth behind one of these enigmas." "Which one in particular," Sarah asked. "Carol?" Sarah directed the camera at Matilda's sister. "About twenty-one years ago, in 1999, there was a doctor who was supposedly obsessed with the supernatural. At the time, there were a number of unexplained disappearances occurring daily. At least two people went missing within each twenty-four hour interval: one during daylight, and the other at night." "The doc was a respected researcher and data analyst. When the disappearances started, the police weren't able to find any clues or physical evidence. He suspected something strange was going on. His own appearances in public became less and less frequent until one day, he vanished altogether. The official reports pertaining to these disappearances were sealed until 2005. Apparently, the precinct decided the case had gone cold. It was left to the public to speculate about what was going on." "Did the disappearances ever stop," Sarah inquired. "The last report was filed in 2001. There hasn't been any new information since." "So why are we here?" "Until he went missing, doctor Lewis's increasingly rare presence suggested he was looking for a way to solve the disappearances so he could put an end to them. When the police investigated, they found his personal lab in the basement. There were canned goods and a few gallons of water, but nothing else out of the ordinary." "You're wondering if there's something they missed." "Exactly. Something about this whole situation doesn't sit right with me." Matilda put out the cigarette. "Let's go." The group began their Journey through Townsville. The Rumor (Part 2)Sarah, Matilda, and Carol traversed from one side of the city to the other. "We asked some of the townsfolk what they could tell us about the doctor," Matilda began, "They told us he lived in a secluded house on the outskirts. Judging by the directions we were given, this seems to be the place." "You think it's safe to go in," Sarah asked. "I dunno', but we can't leave it alone." "Aren't you worried about demonic possession or somethin'?" "There's a church on every corner. At least one of 'em should be able to authorize an exorcism if push comes to shove." "Still..." "I'd feel safer if you guys came with me." Sarah looked Matilda in her eyes from behind the camera. "Hey, we stick together, no matter what." Matilda nodded. She turned to face Carol. "You in?" Carol also nodded. "I wish Jessica was here to see you now. You've gotten so much braver." Carol felt the genuine nature of her sibling's words. A faint smile crossed her features. "Come on." Matilda slowly pushed the door open. "Do you see anything," Sarah questioned. "It's a bit dim," Matilda replied. "Should we try the lights?" "I don't think it'll do any good. The power company's probably cut the flow by now." "I think I saw solar panels on the roof outside." "Guess it couldn't hurt to try." Sarah flipped the light switch. "I'll be damned." "Told ya'." "Be careful. We don't know if Lewis was trying to hide anything about his research. We should proceed with extreme caution." "You think he was using guinea pigs?" "Anything's possible. Remember, if you see anything even remotely off, run for the hills." "Right," Sarah and Carol agreed simultaneously. "To keep risks at a minimum, we should head straight for the lab. It's unlikely detours will help us find whatever we're looking for." "Yeah," Sarah concurred. Rainbow and Bubbles cut the cameras. "So, how's that for an opening," Blossom said smugly. "Talk about starting strong. It even punched me in the face," Rainbow conceded. "I gotta' admit, I was worried about jumping between scenes, but it looks like we can make the transition without losing too much in translation." "It helps there aren't any weird flashback scenes. Those always confused the heck out of me. Why just randomly jump between two scenes that are mostly unrelated? A cohesive timeline actually makes sense." "Ironically, that was about the only thing Blair Witch got right." "I should watch it when we finish filming for the day so I have a better idea what you're talking about." "Prepare to be disappointed. The supposed 'villain' doesn't even show up on camera. It's just infighting, then everyone screams and dies." 'Wow. That's bad." "I'll let you guys pick: should we pick up here or start filming in the basement?" "What do you think, Bubbles?" "The basement. I wanna' see Boomer." "Can you change your costume up a bit," Blossom requested. "How?" "Take off your jacket and tie the sleeves around your waist. It'll symbolize the tension." Bubbles shrugged. "Okay." "Boomer, are you in there," Blossom asked. "Is it time?" "Yeah. Get ready. Rainbow, you're the only camera operator for this scene." "Roger," Rainbow responded. "Bubbles, come stand next to me." Bubbles joined her sister next to the professor's restricted room. "And...Go." Rainbow pushed the record button. "It looks like the police never broke in here," Matilda stated. She tried to push on the wooden door before them, "I can't open it! Carol, can you lend me a hand?" "Yeah." The siblings stood side by side. "On three," Matilda ordered, "One...Two...Three!" Using all their strength, they kicked down the barrier which denied them access. "That's loud," Sarah complained. "Sorry," Matilda apologized, "but we had to get in." "Don't sweat it." Matilda and Carol dusted themselves off." "Hey, what's that?" The sisters gawked forward. They headed inside the previously closed off room. "Incredible," Matilda vocalized, "It looks like a prototype for a cryogenic stasis unit." "There's someone inside," Carol pointed out. Within the confines of the pod rested a humanoid figure with long, platinum blonde hair, black jeans, and black tennis shoes. Though he appeared as young as the two sisters just outside his glass capsule, his physique was muscular and well-defined. "There's a name engraved here." "What's it say," Sarah inquired. "Samuel P. Lewis," Matilda answered, "Is he the doctor's son...?" "What should we do," Carol spoke anxiously. "The supplies...A sealed boy...Was Raphael preparing for some kind of disaster...?" "Stand back. I've got this one." "Sarah, no!" Sarah smashed her camera through the glass, releasing a deathly chill into the air. Samuel gradually began to open his eyes. A light blue glow penetrated through the darkness... Author's Note "A HYMN FOR THE HOPELESS! MY SONG TO THE DEAF! I'M GONNA' PUSH PAST THE PAIN! I'VE SEEN IT BEFORE! IT'S NEVER THE SAME! AIM AN EAR TO THE HEAVENS; STILL WAITING FOR A SIGN OF LIFE! I'M GONNA' BUILD THIS WALL FROM BRICK, TWICE AS THICK, SO YOU CANNOT TEAR IT DOWN!" -The Ghost Inside, Downbeat The Rumor (Part 3)Samuel pulled himself out of his containment unit. For reasons the spectators surrounding him couldn't explain, his eyes illuminated a large portion of the pitch black environment. "Samuel...?" He turned his attention towards Matilda. He wasn't angry or afraid. He was simply...Curious... "How do you know my name...?" "My name is Matilda - Matilda Snow. We came here primarily to investigate the disappearances of your father Raphael and the lost townspeople." "Raphael's missing!?" Matilda winced. Sarah walked over to him and knelt down. "Hey bud. Sorry about the wake-up call. My name is Sarah. I'm tagging along with the squirts over there. They've been working on this case for a good while now." "How long have I been out...?" "What's the last thing you remember?" Samuel looked up at the ceiling. He became lost in his own thoughts. "I remember...Raphael. We were talking about something." "Do you know what it was?" "It's a bit hazy, but I think we were talking about a monster." "A MONSTER," the girls shouted simultaneously. "I think he called it the dread something-or-other. I can't remember the full name." "Dread...," Matilda reflected, "Do you mean a dreadnought!?" "Yeah! That's it! The dreadnought." "Anybody wanna' fill me in," Sarah voiced impatiently. "Dreadnoughts are the vengeful spirits of grief-stricken humans who died violently," Matilda informed her, "They exist solely to spread pain and fear wherever they go." "Oh. That's nice. Totally not gonna' lose any sleep over that at all." "Do you think it got Raphael," Samuel asked. "I don't know. You've been asleep for a long time. There's no telling what's happened since then." "How long?" "Raphael disappeared in 1999. It's 2020 now." "You mean...I've been frozen for over twenty years...!?" "I'm sorry..." Samuel chuckled and shook his head. "Talk about a cruel twist of fate, huh...?" "Mattie," Carol warned, "If this started with one dreadnought, the entire city is probably infested with angry ghosts by now." "Which means we're in deep trouble. We need to come up with a plan. Let's fall back." "Follow us, Sammy" Sarah instructed. "Where are we going?" "We're holing up in a hotel for a few days. Might wanna' get the rest of your clothes first, though." "Right." Samuel pulled a white t-shirt, a black duster coat, and a necklace from a nearby desk. The party exited the room. Had he rotated himself just a few more degrees, he would have seen the collection of yellow proteins and minerals not far away... Bubbles picked up her camera and pressed the stop button. Rainbow followed suit. "That ad lib was insane," Blossom praised, "Never in a million years would I have dreamed that up!" "Thought you might like that," Rainbow remarked with a smirk, "Twilight tells me I have a brash personality sometimes. Figured I could play into that and get a genuine reaction." "I seriously thought you were gonna' break the camera!" "It was something I picked up from a movie called As Above, So Below. There's a scene where the main character picks up one of her crew's video cameras and cracks a demon across the face with it." "That sounds awesome!" "It's more killer than it sounds. The demons are made out of solid stone." "No way!" "Yeah. That's what I said." "We should probably clean this up before the professor gets back," Boomer acknowledged. "Do you guys wanna' film another scene," Rainbow asked. "Nah," Blossom rejected, "Let's clean this up and grab something to eat in town. I'll message the professor and let him know where we're going." "I WANT A MILKSHAKE," Bubbles squealed. "Let's go get Buttercup." Author's Note "AND THEN IT RANG IN MY HEAD; 'LOVE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT'! SOME HANDS, WE HAVE TO FOLD, AND THE HARDEST LESSONS YOU'LL LEARN ARE THE ONES YOU'VE BEEN TOLD!" -The Ghost Inside, Downbeat The Rumor (Part 4)Buttercup slurped her shake down. She had an annoyed look on her face. "I'm just saying it sucks. I'm a side character with barely any mention and zero screen time, so maybe you can understand why I'm a little miffed." "She's got a point," Rainbow said. "Well, what are we supposed to do," Blossom huffed, "overhaul the entire script and film everything all over again?" "Actually, that won't be necessary." "Huh?" "Didn't you notice the ending?" "Yeah. What about it?" "Doesn't it seem like something's missing?" Blossom scratched her head in confusion. "I don't follow." "It's incomplete." "It is?" "If you added just a little more to it, there'd practically be unlimited potential for a direct sequel." Blossom spat out her drink like a fountain. "Yo," Brick shouted, "Watch it, will ya'!?" "A sequel!? I hadn't even thought about that!" "Write her into the story after the fight," Rainbow suggested, "From there, you're free to take the story in whatever direction you want." "I'm surprised you noticed that." "I've learned a little about story editing here and there. Our school has a mandatory reading program, so I've kind of figured out how to make stuff more fleshed out and interesting." "Since you brought it up, do you wanna' help write the next script?" "I'm down." "Between us, we've already got a small indie crew. One more movie after this should be a piece of cake." "Let's do it." Rainbow and Blossom clinked their glasses together. The party made a conscious decision to resume filming during a cold, rainy day in October. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup redecorated their room to match the somber tone of the film. Boomer sat across from Blossom on the sisters' bed while Rainbow and Bubbles stood close by. "What can you tell us about Raphael," Matilda inquired. "He was kind of like a big kid in a way. He liked stuffed animals, and he was friendly to people, but I think he also dealt with a lot of anxiety." Matilda raised a brow. "Why do you say that?" "Aside from me, he pretty much never talked to anyone unless he had to, and he was always writing stuff down. It stands to reason he preferred to be left alone unless he was around people he trusted." "We can relate." "Really?" "The world's changed a lot since you were put in stasis. Global diplomacy is in shambles, humanitarian efforts are declining, natural disasters have been wreaking havoc for over a decade, and world governments only recently lifted a quarantine they had to put in place to reduce a viral death toll." "Sounds like I would've been better off staying asleep." "If people took the time to look around, they'd realize there aren't many reasons to stick around anymore..." "What about you? Why are you still here?" "I've asked myself that same question more than once...Maybe I'm just too afraid to die..." "Yet you're not afraid of fighting an army of pissed off spirits. Makes perfect sense." "Me and the reaper have a complicated relationship." "Sounds like it." "Anyway, we have one advantage we didn't before." "Yeah? What's that?" "It's pretty clear you possess abilities far beyond those of normal humans. That leaves one of two possibilities: either Raphael genetically modified you after you were born, or you're not actually his son." "Hey, we may not share a blood relation, but he's still my old man." "Do you really love him?" "Absolutely; without question." "Then help us finish his work. He wanted these unsolved disappearances put to rest. We want the same thing." "On one condition: help me find my dad." "We'll try, but I can't make any promises." "Fair enough." Blossom lit up another cigarette behind the house. The door creaked open next to her. Rainbow emerged from the building's recesses. "You okay?" "No. Not really." "That was some pretty heavy stuff earlier." "Just had to get it out, ya' know?" "No arguments here." "I'm not sure how we never noticed, but when we found him hiding out in the North Pole, he showed us real quick how much of a dumpster fire the world really is. It's full of brain-dead morons locked in power struggles for control, meanwhile we have shit like domestic abuse, child molestation, and drug addiction going on right under our noses, and all that barely scratches the surface of the world's problems." "I'll tell you a secret that's slipped under the radar of the most renowned scientists and philosophers. We've been conditioned to fear death by people who don't understand how the world works at all." "We have?" "Let's think logically about this for a minute. The ideals of a truly civilized society revolve around peace, freedom, justice, and equality, right?" "I guess so." "How can any of those things be achieved through subjugation or unprovoked violence? It doesn't really add up, does it?" "No. It doesn't." "And yet those are the exact methods we continue to employ. To use an extreme example, we've been fed this unproven claim that gay and transgender people are child abusers by default. We could attempt to rely on statistics, but recent years have more or less proven those aren't always credible. Instead, we need to turn to real-world examples. Pedophiles tend not to discriminate between male and female victims as frequently as people believe. From what I witnessed growing up, it seems like they're more inclined to go after the most vulnerable targets. Sexual preference might play more of a role if they have a wider selection of victims to choose from, but once their impulses reach a certain point, they behave in a predatory manner more akin to serial killers." "I'm confused. How does all this tie in?" "When propaganda is used to falsify information, it creates and reinforces prejudice. It can range from race and sexual orientation to international disputes between countries. Instead of trying to find real solutions, everything descends into hate-fueled chaos. That's how we ended up with the scorched earth mess we're in now." "What does that have to do with the fear of death?" "You still haven't figured it out?" Blossom shrugged. "The threat of death is constantly being held over our heads, but what exactly is death? If human nature is hatred, prejudice, subjugation, jealousy, and suffering..." "...Then death is equality, peace, freedom, and justice." "Now do you understand why death is nothing to be afraid of? It doesn't cause pain out of spite; only necessity, and the pain itself is temporary. For all intents and purposes, death is the bringer of eternal tranquility. Those who threaten death are really threatening temporary pain which it will relieve. They'd recognize this if they weren't so blinded by self-assured ignorance." "What should I do?" "Well, I wouldn't recommend seeking death out since it's comin' one way or the other. Ya' still gotta' enjoy what good you can find while you're here, but when your number's up, don't fight it. While it might seem like you're losing the little good you do have, think about the trade-off. You're gettin' rid of all the bad too." Blossom sighed in relief. Her breath crystallized into mist particles from the frigid air. "...Thanks for talking me down. I feel better now." "Anytime. Shit'll only kill ya' faster if you try to hold it in." "Want a smoke?" "Sure."
The Rumor (Part 1)Rainbow knocked on the door of the Utonium household. It was quickly pulled open by a redheaded child no older than the tender age of seven. "Hey, Bloss. Long time, no see." Blossom wrapped her arms around her friend in a gesture of unrestrained affection. Rainbow placed her hands on the young girl's shoulders. "Thanks for coming." "Think I'd pass up an opportunity to hang out with you guys? Yeah, right." "You want something to eat or drink?" "Nah, I'm good right now." "Come upstairs. I want you to meet somebody." Rainbow stepped inside the house. She looked around. "Where's the professor?" "He's out right now. He'll be back soon." "Sure you didn't chop him up and stuff his body in the basement?" "Pfft. Weirdo." The pair headed up the staircase. "So you mentioned something about a project? Is it for school, or...?" "Not exactly. I'll fill you in in a little bit." Blossom opened the door leading to the room she shared with her sisters, Bubbles and Buttercup. There were three boys with strong resemblances to them standing in the middle of the room. "Rainbow!" Bubbles tackled the teen. "Holy crap! I don't think I'll ever get used to that." Rainbow rose back to her feet. She placed her palm over her eye and tilted her head both sides to clear her senses. "You guys must be the Jojo brothers, right?" "It's a long story," Blossom explained. "I've got time." "Well..." "So Boomer disappeared for a while, huh?" "I got fed up with the way we were living," he responded, "Going around causing trouble seemed pointless and just not worth it in the grand scheme of things. I needed time alone to think." "Two years is a pretty long time, but it sounds like you had it rough." "To put it mildly." "Sorry you're feeling bummed out. Wish there was something I could do to help." "You get used to it. These days I just try to block out the world as much as possible aside from you guys." "Best way to do it." "Anyway, it hasn't been all bad." "So I see. Didn't think I noticed you and Bubbles being all lovey dovey over there, did ya'?" Bubbles and Boomer blushed in unison. "Alright, enough with the mushy stuff," Brick interrupted. "Right," Blossom continued, "The project I mentioned over the phone is actually a movie idea we came up with recently." "A movie," Rainbow questioned. "You're familiar with found footage horror, right?" "Ohhhhhh! You mean stuff like Paranormal Activity and the V/H/S series." "Older, actually: The Blair Witch Project." "I don't know that one." "That's surprising. It's considered the defining film of the genre." "When did it come out?" "1999." "So you wanna' make something like that?" "No way. That movie was garbage." "You can say that again," Buttercup agreed. "It was literally three people running around the woods freaking out over nothing." "You can't be serious," Rainbow replied. "Most horror movies are God-awful now. The characters lack any redeeming qualities or unique traits, the stories are boring and incoherent, there's little to no real atmosphere, and the music consists of the same recycled orchestral pieces despite their demographics displaying higher predilections for rock and metal." "I gotcha'. You wanna' make something that doesn't conform to uninspired cash grab standards." "If screenwriters stopped trying to copy outdated formulas, they could focus on making stuff that's actually engaging for the audience." "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it's also the killer of creativity." "Since we're on the subject, do you wanna' read the script?" "Absolutely. Whatcha' got?" Blossom retrieved a binder from the girls' shared computer desk. "Here." Rainbow skimmed over the text on each page. "Now I get what you meant by a coherent story. I never imagined something like this could be turned into a found footage movie." "They're the cheapest kind to make. With our powers and the free editing software on computers these days, I'm almost positive we can make it for no cost at all." "This is amazing. I'm really interested to see it on film." "I called you to see if you wanted to be in it." Rainbow's eyes burst wide with stars. "For real!?" "We need two camera operators. Adding another character would be a cinch." "Yeah! I'm definitely down." "I'll start working on it." "By the way, out of curiosity, which characters are you guys?" "I'm Matilda, Bubbles is Carol, Buttercup is our sister Jessica, the professor is the doctor, Boomer is Samuel, Brick and Butch are the dreadnought, and Lucifer will play himself. I just have to print an edited copy for him." "I can't wait to see it when we're done." "Yeah..." Two days later, Rainbow, Blossom, and Bubbles began filming. Rainbow chose to act out the role of a seventeen-year-old girl named Sarah Miller: a family friend who'd brought Matilda and Carol to New York to investigate a series of local disappearances. Blossom sat on one of the park benches. She pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her coat pocket. She and Bubbles had ditched their uniforms for casual autumn wear. "When did you start smoking," Rainbow wondered. "Protecting a city full of ignoramuses takes its toll." "It can't be that bad." "They didn't even understand the relationship between water and electricity." "Oh my goodness." "You guys ready?" "All set here. How 'bout you, Bubbles?" "I'm ready," Bubbles stated from above a tree. Rainbow raised her video camera. "And...Action." Blossom, assuming the role of Matilda, took another puff of her cigarette. She gazed sideways before commencing her opening exposition. "There are secrets all around us. Even in broad daylight, there are shadows where things unknown hide - things that are impossible for most people to fully comprehend, be it out of terror, aversion, or indifference. That's why we're here: to search for and uncover the truth behind one of these enigmas." "Which one in particular," Sarah asked. "Carol?" Sarah directed the camera at Matilda's sister. "About twenty-one years ago, in 1999, there was a doctor who was supposedly obsessed with the supernatural. At the time, there were a number of unexplained disappearances occurring daily. At least two people went missing within each twenty-four hour interval: one during daylight, and the other at night." "The doc was a respected researcher and data analyst. When the disappearances started, the police weren't able to find any clues or physical evidence. He suspected something strange was going on. His own appearances in public became less and less frequent until one day, he vanished altogether. The official reports pertaining to these disappearances were sealed until 2005. Apparently, the precinct decided the case had gone cold. It was left to the public to speculate about what was going on." "Did the disappearances ever stop," Sarah inquired. "The last report was filed in 2001. There hasn't been any new information since." "So why are we here?" "Until he went missing, doctor Lewis's increasingly rare presence suggested he was looking for a way to solve the disappearances so he could put an end to them. When the police investigated, they found his personal lab in the basement. There were canned goods and a few gallons of water, but nothing else out of the ordinary." "You're wondering if there's something they missed." "Exactly. Something about this whole situation doesn't sit right with me." Matilda put out the cigarette. "Let's go." The group began their Journey through Townsville.
The Rumor (Part 2)Sarah, Matilda, and Carol traversed from one side of the city to the other. "We asked some of the townsfolk what they could tell us about the doctor," Matilda began, "They told us he lived in a secluded house on the outskirts. Judging by the directions we were given, this seems to be the place." "You think it's safe to go in," Sarah asked. "I dunno', but we can't leave it alone." "Aren't you worried about demonic possession or somethin'?" "There's a church on every corner. At least one of 'em should be able to authorize an exorcism if push comes to shove." "Still..." "I'd feel safer if you guys came with me." Sarah looked Matilda in her eyes from behind the camera. "Hey, we stick together, no matter what." Matilda nodded. She turned to face Carol. "You in?" Carol also nodded. "I wish Jessica was here to see you now. You've gotten so much braver." Carol felt the genuine nature of her sibling's words. A faint smile crossed her features. "Come on." Matilda slowly pushed the door open. "Do you see anything," Sarah questioned. "It's a bit dim," Matilda replied. "Should we try the lights?" "I don't think it'll do any good. The power company's probably cut the flow by now." "I think I saw solar panels on the roof outside." "Guess it couldn't hurt to try." Sarah flipped the light switch. "I'll be damned." "Told ya'." "Be careful. We don't know if Lewis was trying to hide anything about his research. We should proceed with extreme caution." "You think he was using guinea pigs?" "Anything's possible. Remember, if you see anything even remotely off, run for the hills." "Right," Sarah and Carol agreed simultaneously. "To keep risks at a minimum, we should head straight for the lab. It's unlikely detours will help us find whatever we're looking for." "Yeah," Sarah concurred. Rainbow and Bubbles cut the cameras. "So, how's that for an opening," Blossom said smugly. "Talk about starting strong. It even punched me in the face," Rainbow conceded. "I gotta' admit, I was worried about jumping between scenes, but it looks like we can make the transition without losing too much in translation." "It helps there aren't any weird flashback scenes. Those always confused the heck out of me. Why just randomly jump between two scenes that are mostly unrelated? A cohesive timeline actually makes sense." "Ironically, that was about the only thing Blair Witch got right." "I should watch it when we finish filming for the day so I have a better idea what you're talking about." "Prepare to be disappointed. The supposed 'villain' doesn't even show up on camera. It's just infighting, then everyone screams and dies." 'Wow. That's bad." "I'll let you guys pick: should we pick up here or start filming in the basement?" "What do you think, Bubbles?" "The basement. I wanna' see Boomer." "Can you change your costume up a bit," Blossom requested. "How?" "Take off your jacket and tie the sleeves around your waist. It'll symbolize the tension." Bubbles shrugged. "Okay." "Boomer, are you in there," Blossom asked. "Is it time?" "Yeah. Get ready. Rainbow, you're the only camera operator for this scene." "Roger," Rainbow responded. "Bubbles, come stand next to me." Bubbles joined her sister next to the professor's restricted room. "And...Go." Rainbow pushed the record button. "It looks like the police never broke in here," Matilda stated. She tried to push on the wooden door before them, "I can't open it! Carol, can you lend me a hand?" "Yeah." The siblings stood side by side. "On three," Matilda ordered, "One...Two...Three!" Using all their strength, they kicked down the barrier which denied them access. "That's loud," Sarah complained. "Sorry," Matilda apologized, "but we had to get in." "Don't sweat it." Matilda and Carol dusted themselves off." "Hey, what's that?" The sisters gawked forward. They headed inside the previously closed off room. "Incredible," Matilda vocalized, "It looks like a prototype for a cryogenic stasis unit." "There's someone inside," Carol pointed out. Within the confines of the pod rested a humanoid figure with long, platinum blonde hair, black jeans, and black tennis shoes. Though he appeared as young as the two sisters just outside his glass capsule, his physique was muscular and well-defined. "There's a name engraved here." "What's it say," Sarah inquired. "Samuel P. Lewis," Matilda answered, "Is he the doctor's son...?" "What should we do," Carol spoke anxiously. "The supplies...A sealed boy...Was Raphael preparing for some kind of disaster...?" "Stand back. I've got this one." "Sarah, no!" Sarah smashed her camera through the glass, releasing a deathly chill into the air. Samuel gradually began to open his eyes. A light blue glow penetrated through the darkness... Author's Note "A HYMN FOR THE HOPELESS! MY SONG TO THE DEAF! I'M GONNA' PUSH PAST THE PAIN! I'VE SEEN IT BEFORE! IT'S NEVER THE SAME! AIM AN EAR TO THE HEAVENS; STILL WAITING FOR A SIGN OF LIFE! I'M GONNA' BUILD THIS WALL FROM BRICK, TWICE AS THICK, SO YOU CANNOT TEAR IT DOWN!" -The Ghost Inside, Downbeat
The Rumor (Part 3)Samuel pulled himself out of his containment unit. For reasons the spectators surrounding him couldn't explain, his eyes illuminated a large portion of the pitch black environment. "Samuel...?" He turned his attention towards Matilda. He wasn't angry or afraid. He was simply...Curious... "How do you know my name...?" "My name is Matilda - Matilda Snow. We came here primarily to investigate the disappearances of your father Raphael and the lost townspeople." "Raphael's missing!?" Matilda winced. Sarah walked over to him and knelt down. "Hey bud. Sorry about the wake-up call. My name is Sarah. I'm tagging along with the squirts over there. They've been working on this case for a good while now." "How long have I been out...?" "What's the last thing you remember?" Samuel looked up at the ceiling. He became lost in his own thoughts. "I remember...Raphael. We were talking about something." "Do you know what it was?" "It's a bit hazy, but I think we were talking about a monster." "A MONSTER," the girls shouted simultaneously. "I think he called it the dread something-or-other. I can't remember the full name." "Dread...," Matilda reflected, "Do you mean a dreadnought!?" "Yeah! That's it! The dreadnought." "Anybody wanna' fill me in," Sarah voiced impatiently. "Dreadnoughts are the vengeful spirits of grief-stricken humans who died violently," Matilda informed her, "They exist solely to spread pain and fear wherever they go." "Oh. That's nice. Totally not gonna' lose any sleep over that at all." "Do you think it got Raphael," Samuel asked. "I don't know. You've been asleep for a long time. There's no telling what's happened since then." "How long?" "Raphael disappeared in 1999. It's 2020 now." "You mean...I've been frozen for over twenty years...!?" "I'm sorry..." Samuel chuckled and shook his head. "Talk about a cruel twist of fate, huh...?" "Mattie," Carol warned, "If this started with one dreadnought, the entire city is probably infested with angry ghosts by now." "Which means we're in deep trouble. We need to come up with a plan. Let's fall back." "Follow us, Sammy" Sarah instructed. "Where are we going?" "We're holing up in a hotel for a few days. Might wanna' get the rest of your clothes first, though." "Right." Samuel pulled a white t-shirt, a black duster coat, and a necklace from a nearby desk. The party exited the room. Had he rotated himself just a few more degrees, he would have seen the collection of yellow proteins and minerals not far away... Bubbles picked up her camera and pressed the stop button. Rainbow followed suit. "That ad lib was insane," Blossom praised, "Never in a million years would I have dreamed that up!" "Thought you might like that," Rainbow remarked with a smirk, "Twilight tells me I have a brash personality sometimes. Figured I could play into that and get a genuine reaction." "I seriously thought you were gonna' break the camera!" "It was something I picked up from a movie called As Above, So Below. There's a scene where the main character picks up one of her crew's video cameras and cracks a demon across the face with it." "That sounds awesome!" "It's more killer than it sounds. The demons are made out of solid stone." "No way!" "Yeah. That's what I said." "We should probably clean this up before the professor gets back," Boomer acknowledged. "Do you guys wanna' film another scene," Rainbow asked. "Nah," Blossom rejected, "Let's clean this up and grab something to eat in town. I'll message the professor and let him know where we're going." "I WANT A MILKSHAKE," Bubbles squealed. "Let's go get Buttercup." Author's Note "AND THEN IT RANG IN MY HEAD; 'LOVE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT'! SOME HANDS, WE HAVE TO FOLD, AND THE HARDEST LESSONS YOU'LL LEARN ARE THE ONES YOU'VE BEEN TOLD!" -The Ghost Inside, Downbeat
The Rumor (Part 4)Buttercup slurped her shake down. She had an annoyed look on her face. "I'm just saying it sucks. I'm a side character with barely any mention and zero screen time, so maybe you can understand why I'm a little miffed." "She's got a point," Rainbow said. "Well, what are we supposed to do," Blossom huffed, "overhaul the entire script and film everything all over again?" "Actually, that won't be necessary." "Huh?" "Didn't you notice the ending?" "Yeah. What about it?" "Doesn't it seem like something's missing?" Blossom scratched her head in confusion. "I don't follow." "It's incomplete." "It is?" "If you added just a little more to it, there'd practically be unlimited potential for a direct sequel." Blossom spat out her drink like a fountain. "Yo," Brick shouted, "Watch it, will ya'!?" "A sequel!? I hadn't even thought about that!" "Write her into the story after the fight," Rainbow suggested, "From there, you're free to take the story in whatever direction you want." "I'm surprised you noticed that." "I've learned a little about story editing here and there. Our school has a mandatory reading program, so I've kind of figured out how to make stuff more fleshed out and interesting." "Since you brought it up, do you wanna' help write the next script?" "I'm down." "Between us, we've already got a small indie crew. One more movie after this should be a piece of cake." "Let's do it." Rainbow and Blossom clinked their glasses together. The party made a conscious decision to resume filming during a cold, rainy day in October. Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup redecorated their room to match the somber tone of the film. Boomer sat across from Blossom on the sisters' bed while Rainbow and Bubbles stood close by. "What can you tell us about Raphael," Matilda inquired. "He was kind of like a big kid in a way. He liked stuffed animals, and he was friendly to people, but I think he also dealt with a lot of anxiety." Matilda raised a brow. "Why do you say that?" "Aside from me, he pretty much never talked to anyone unless he had to, and he was always writing stuff down. It stands to reason he preferred to be left alone unless he was around people he trusted." "We can relate." "Really?" "The world's changed a lot since you were put in stasis. Global diplomacy is in shambles, humanitarian efforts are declining, natural disasters have been wreaking havoc for over a decade, and world governments only recently lifted a quarantine they had to put in place to reduce a viral death toll." "Sounds like I would've been better off staying asleep." "If people took the time to look around, they'd realize there aren't many reasons to stick around anymore..." "What about you? Why are you still here?" "I've asked myself that same question more than once...Maybe I'm just too afraid to die..." "Yet you're not afraid of fighting an army of pissed off spirits. Makes perfect sense." "Me and the reaper have a complicated relationship." "Sounds like it." "Anyway, we have one advantage we didn't before." "Yeah? What's that?" "It's pretty clear you possess abilities far beyond those of normal humans. That leaves one of two possibilities: either Raphael genetically modified you after you were born, or you're not actually his son." "Hey, we may not share a blood relation, but he's still my old man." "Do you really love him?" "Absolutely; without question." "Then help us finish his work. He wanted these unsolved disappearances put to rest. We want the same thing." "On one condition: help me find my dad." "We'll try, but I can't make any promises." "Fair enough." Blossom lit up another cigarette behind the house. The door creaked open next to her. Rainbow emerged from the building's recesses. "You okay?" "No. Not really." "That was some pretty heavy stuff earlier." "Just had to get it out, ya' know?" "No arguments here." "I'm not sure how we never noticed, but when we found him hiding out in the North Pole, he showed us real quick how much of a dumpster fire the world really is. It's full of brain-dead morons locked in power struggles for control, meanwhile we have shit like domestic abuse, child molestation, and drug addiction going on right under our noses, and all that barely scratches the surface of the world's problems." "I'll tell you a secret that's slipped under the radar of the most renowned scientists and philosophers. We've been conditioned to fear death by people who don't understand how the world works at all." "We have?" "Let's think logically about this for a minute. The ideals of a truly civilized society revolve around peace, freedom, justice, and equality, right?" "I guess so." "How can any of those things be achieved through subjugation or unprovoked violence? It doesn't really add up, does it?" "No. It doesn't." "And yet those are the exact methods we continue to employ. To use an extreme example, we've been fed this unproven claim that gay and transgender people are child abusers by default. We could attempt to rely on statistics, but recent years have more or less proven those aren't always credible. Instead, we need to turn to real-world examples. Pedophiles tend not to discriminate between male and female victims as frequently as people believe. From what I witnessed growing up, it seems like they're more inclined to go after the most vulnerable targets. Sexual preference might play more of a role if they have a wider selection of victims to choose from, but once their impulses reach a certain point, they behave in a predatory manner more akin to serial killers." "I'm confused. How does all this tie in?" "When propaganda is used to falsify information, it creates and reinforces prejudice. It can range from race and sexual orientation to international disputes between countries. Instead of trying to find real solutions, everything descends into hate-fueled chaos. That's how we ended up with the scorched earth mess we're in now." "What does that have to do with the fear of death?" "You still haven't figured it out?" Blossom shrugged. "The threat of death is constantly being held over our heads, but what exactly is death? If human nature is hatred, prejudice, subjugation, jealousy, and suffering..." "...Then death is equality, peace, freedom, and justice." "Now do you understand why death is nothing to be afraid of? It doesn't cause pain out of spite; only necessity, and the pain itself is temporary. For all intents and purposes, death is the bringer of eternal tranquility. Those who threaten death are really threatening temporary pain which it will relieve. They'd recognize this if they weren't so blinded by self-assured ignorance." "What should I do?" "Well, I wouldn't recommend seeking death out since it's comin' one way or the other. Ya' still gotta' enjoy what good you can find while you're here, but when your number's up, don't fight it. While it might seem like you're losing the little good you do have, think about the trade-off. You're gettin' rid of all the bad too." Blossom sighed in relief. Her breath crystallized into mist particles from the frigid air. "...Thanks for talking me down. I feel better now." "Anytime. Shit'll only kill ya' faster if you try to hold it in." "Want a smoke?" "Sure."
