Halloween 2019: Choose Your Spooky Outcome: Chapter 11
Tempted as you are to turn Jim loose, there’s an awful lot of normal people milling about. Thad’s plan at least presents the chance of managing this quietly, and he’s not likely to loose steam the way Victoria might. Besides, in the course of your life you’ve found that bets on Thad tend to always pay out.
“Let’s see what a little confidence can manage. Thad, lead the way.” You motion toward the prize table, and that’s all Thad needs to start his saunter. As he moves, you watch the way traffic flows out of his path, marveling at the trick. When Victoria parts a crowd, she does so by being the sort of terrifying that people inherently shrink back from. With Thad, it’s more like everyone is taking step back to better admire him. Annoying as that might ordinarily be, this evening it makes for a faster trek to your objective.
The four of you arrive at the prize table amidst the eager crowd trading in their Pristine Points. There’s lots of space along the wooden counter, however the trophy itself is further back, perched atop the displays. Getting to it with brute force would require turning every eye in the area elsewhere, but having the employees hand it over doesn’t seem all that easier.
Leaning onto the counter, Thad smiles, and so fast you’d suspect magic in other circumstances, several helpers cluster up on his position. You expect him to send most of them away, minimizing the number he’s lying too, however Thad has different ideas. He motions for all of them to lean in, like he’d planned to call a meeting from the start.
“Nice hustle everyone. I’ll make this quick, we don’t want to keep these nice people waiting. Frankie and Styne are almost ready to start things off. In about three minutes, be ready to hand off the decoy trophy to me.”
“Decoy trophy?” You can almost see the effort on one poor helper’s face, critical thinking skills butting up against polished, targeted charisma.
For the effort, Thad brightens his grin and adds a knowing wink. “Sure. The fake one they left out, exposed to the elements, as a display piece. They’ve got the real one backstage, and we can’t have two of the main prize in view at the same time.”
That sort of makes sense, if you took a few leaps in logic and perhaps were a couple of drinks deep. It doesn’t especially matter, though. After continued exposure to full-force Thad, there’s a good chance they helpers would be willing to start robbing banks for him; taking down a trophy doesn’t even seem to blip their radar. One of them is already speaking into a radio when a new voice enters the scene.
“Aren’t you quite the excellent specimen.” Out of the back, Styne steps into view. There’s a roar from the kids, who by this been point have been conditioned to her and Frankie as the night’s Happy-Ween mascots. She smiles and waves at them, though you notice her glare for Thad to be rather cold. “The lie was rudimentary, as was expecting to go unnoticed. After that stunt on the karaoke stage, staff was made aware we had some trouble-makers in the midst.”
You notice a shift in the crowd, there’s movement from behind, bodies making room. By the time you turn, there’s already a small wall of dark-clothed helpers blocking off most of the other people. The lone exception is a familiar green form topped by a pink bow. Up close, you notice that Frankie’s graceful movements are at least partially explained by her muscular limbs. The woman has evidently trained in something, and flexes her arms for the crowd while her attention remains on your group.
“A bit of trouble is all it takes to turn a sweet evening sour.” No telling when he made the move, but Cort Scruples is standing at the edge of the prize table, ushered carefully past the wall of helpers. As his eyes fall on Victoria, recognition flashes, followed by a harsh gaze. “My my, I certainly didn’t expect to find a Willowbrook here making trouble. Didn’t anyone warn you of what happens to your ilk in my festivities?”
“I am keenly aware, yet here I remain. Do you have the courage to wonder why that is, or will you simply wipe me out the way you purge everything you don’t understand?”
Cort laughs, light and grandfatherly, almost drowned out by the general roar of the crowd. You’ve got a hunch that the helpers are blocking more than just people from getting past, he and Victoria are both acting like this is a private chat.
“Such aggression. Very well, let’s hear what lies you’ve come to spin. Do make it entertaining.”
There’s not much hope on Victoria’s face as she begins, but it’s still a shot she deems worth taking. “For the last few years, magical items have been turning up at unexpected times and places around this town. We traced one here, to your event, and realized it was the trophy sitting atop your prizes. Let me use it to undo the magic that’s been set loose, and we can all walk away peacefully.”
Once, twice, three times Cort taps his cane, before letting out a deep belly-laugh and shaking his head. “My apologies, everyone, I thought you were going to get a taste of talented deception, but it seems this one hasn’t yet learned all the family trades. Fear not, young missy, we’ll free you from the darkness that has twisted itself around your soul. Though like all growth, I’m afraid the process can be a painful one.”
Reacting to an unseen cue, Frankie steps forward, and you notice Styne rummaging around inside those lab-coat pockets. Well she’s not the only one who brought some surprises along, you’ve still got all the tools Victoria passed along. Since diplomacy seems to have completely left the table, this is your chance to strike before they attack. The costume dust, you know what to expect from, but the spider and phone will both be gambles. This close to the source of the magic though, they’re bound to have some oomph, assuming you can figure out how to make them work.
Whatever you choose, there’s no time to hesitate. Not with Frankie and the helpers already drawing close.
Wait, four? Why are there four?