One of the more troubling aspects of producing a publication where the attractions are in live development is planning ahead for events and situations that may potentially carve into the efficacy of productivity of said publication. It requires a great deal more planning and focus to compress the effort necessary to create the updates and installments in a condensed amount of time. Such is the case in this week’s edition, and you will find the cost of this compression of effort in our summary column, Under Construction.
However, with regard to our regularly scheduled programming, there is much to see. Ceres, Isabelle, and Edgar are on the move, and Edgar considers a scheme to learn more about the alien Beings in A Vampire’s Vengeance. Solomon, our resident dreamwalker takes a great many steps through a greenhouse that does not seem to want to let him go in House. Clairvoyance, intrigue, mystery, horror, and sorrow are the leading themes in our classic horror guest attraction, The Head in the Window. And finally, we learn of the bus driver’s thoughts with regard to Griselda’s twisted tale in Bus Driver.
Let’s get into it →
There is not much to share here in this edition, I’m afraid. I am preparing to embark on a little trip to a Carnival of someone else’s construction to enjoy for a few days, thus any and all efforts at production were thrown into ensuring this edition and all of its attendant attractions were shipped on time. So, for now, go and enjoy the attractions below, and prepare for more updates with regard to other attractions in next edition.
Ceres, Isabelle, and Edgar are on the move! But where are they heading?
Another visit to the greenhouse for our resident dreamwalker, Mr. Solomon Garcia, prescribed by his handler, no doubt. When will Solomon finally come to terms with the fact that he is not in charge of the dreamspace he traverses? And how will he get out of this mess this time?
Here is both sorrow and horror in an unhappy tale of clairvoyance, obscurity, and the restless rustlings of evil.
on sale now
An old woman risks everything to discover what became of her husband. Currently the most popular tale from the Odds ‘n’ Endings Boutique.
Welcome to another installment of Bus Driver! When last we spent time with the bus driver and his passengers, we sat with rapt attention as Griselda let loose the final details of her story. You can catch up with Part XXIX here. What happens now? How does the bus driver feel about cavorting through the desert on their little trip to Las Vegas? Let’s find out →
The bus driver sat in silence while the residents discussed the story and their own experiences with the evolved infected. In a past life, the life he had lived in the compound, he would have laughed at such a story. He had always dismissed the stories of monsters in the desert as rumor. But that part of him died after being chased down by a monster of rumor through The Funnel. The part of him that survived no longer listened to such stories with disbelief. No longer did he dismiss the variety of rumors he had heard over the years. To listen to a story of the transmutation of infected to monsters gave him no great pause. But what did bother him was the sudden appearance of flying monsters. In no narrative he had ever heard was there mention of evolved infected that could fly.
This terrified him to no end. Extra large spindly terrors chasing him down on elongated arms and legs were one thing. Things of this sort with wings to pick at you from the sky was another. He listened to the chattering around the room and heard a number of corroborating stories. The people out here lived and breathed alongside those terrors. How?
The bus driver felt a gentle patting on his hand. He snapped his attention to Griselda who was looking at him with concern. He returned the look with wide-eyed terror. Griselda leaned forward and slid his drink in front of him.
"Perhaps if you finished this, the story would not be so scary, eh?"
The bus driver looked down at the glass of liquor and stared, saying nothing.
"You cannot run from the truth," said Griselda. "You cannot hide from it. You accept it and be brave and do your job, or you lose your mind and go running into the night to be taken by the monsters. What do you choose?"
The bus driver slowly raised his gaze to meet Griselda's, then swept up the drink and took a large swill. He swallowed it, then took another, then set the glass down.
"Drink is not good for brain, but is good for nerves."
"I always thought they were just stories. Travelers, traders, people migrating ... they'd say they saw stuff, but we never took them seriously. But it's only been one day out of the compound ..."
"Only a few hours actually," said the scientist from the table over. She sat with her elbows on the table, sitting upright, swishing the drink in her hand, watching the bus driver and Griselda.
The bus driver nodded, turned back to Griselda, and said, "It's only been a few hours out of the compound and I feel like my whole world has changed. I was in a safe little bubble, and it was easy, easy to ignore all the monster talk." He paused to take a sip from his glass. "Why don't we see flying things over the compound?"
"Same reason why you won't see them in the air here," said Griselda. "We have crystals to ward them off. The big ones, the flying ones, the nasty ones, they do not come."
The bus driver shuddered at the mention of 'nasty ones'. He decided not to ask.
Griselda continued. "There is the giant orb over Los Angeles that serves the same purpose, I am told. We need crystals here because they tore the one down over Las Vegas." She looked at the scientist who nodded. "The monsters get close to Las Vegas like they get close to Victorville, but they stay out because of the crazy people."
"The crazy people?"
"The crazy people who took over the city. They fight each other constantly. Then they fight the monsters when they arrive. Then they go back to fighting each other."
"We're heading to Las Vegas," said the bus driver.
"Be glad we're only going to the outskirts and not driving through," said the scientist.
Monsters at the edges and crazy people overrunning Las Vegas? Seems like even traveling to the outskirts is risky at best. Will the bus driver’s resolve hold? Will he proceed with the plan despite all he’s learned during this evening of terror tales? Only one way to find out! Come back next week!
Still the packed chronicle of the Carnival of Calamity, is it not? This little Backstage excursion may not have been filled to the brim with updates, but our resident attractions in development and their cast of characters have not disappointed in showing up and guiding us along in their strange worlds, wouldn’t you agree? Well, we certainly hope you enjoyed your visit this edition, and would love to hear your thoughts. Please reply to this email, leave a comment on this post, or use any of the buttons below. Until next time!
Cordially,
Mad Alex
Please, for the love of all that is unholy and calamitous in this world, please let us know what you think of this content! The buttons below will each take you to a respective survey consisting of two to three questions. Your opinions will help shape the future of Backstage at the Calamity.