Shadows - [Main Thread]

Roleplaying
#41

There weren’t many people… The train doors closed.
Wait.
It wasn’t many people. There was no one at all. Why is there no one?

“Next station. Gateway. Please hold onto the handrails when the train is moving. Thank you.”

?!?!?!

…

At the station, the staff member watched the boy go into the train, and disappear. Right in front of her very eyes.
Her first instinct was to grab her phone and dial the police…

“My dear. Nothing is as you think it is. Being too nice, will get you in deep, hot soup.”

No more spoilers for everyone! Hehe!

2 Likes
#42

“U-Um. Gateway…? Excuse me? Is this the right train? The right time?”

He called out, hoping for some sort of answer, nervously fidgeting around while looking at several parts of the train. He pulled out his phone, attempting to calm his nerves as he opens the messenger app and rereads the texts he’s been sent. He smiles at a few of them, at least feeling a little better. Was anyone going to answer him though? He was still awfully confused.

#43

“We are you. You are not us.” A voice echos out in the train. If Akio turns back, he would see another him standing, holding onto the handrails.

“Answers. We need answers. Answers. Answers.” It says before fading away from the train door.

“Welcome to Gateway. Please enjoy your stay here.”

#44

“This isn’t the… um.”

He blinked, before waiting a little bit.

“I’m not supposed to be here…”

He stood up, leaving the train just for a tiny bit so he could take a look for what was outside.

#45

Omi is stunned…

So he does what he does best.

Omi takes out a bag of cocaine and starts getting high

“Maybe if I get high enough all of this will go away”

Omi is not very smart as you can see

2 Likes
#46

A frown crossed Taisto’s face as the news reporter breezed into the next topic. For a moment, he forgot he was holding a sandwich in his hand, and sat in pensive thought.

“…and she said something about seeing herself chasing after her or something…”

Was that…
No; that was stupid. He didn’t put any faith in the paranormal, and he refused to believe it was more than a rumor.
But the hotel card had etched an image into his mind, and his eyes flicked nervously toward his wallet. He took a bite of the sandwich and reached for the remote to change the station; channel surfing suddenly seemed like a better idea.

Settling for an incredibly cheesy zombie movie, Taisto finished his food and finally began to relax. Perhaps the whole encounter had been a weird hallucination; after all, he was starting to feel tired. He could check his wallet for the card later, and it probably wouldn’t be there at all. And before he knew it, he had unintentionally drifted off to sleep.

. . .

Five hours later, an angry buzz in his pocket jolted him awake. How had he fallen asleep? He couldn’t really remember. The TV spouted some late-morning nonsense, and he turned it off before pulling his phone out to check - he definitely hadn’t set an alarm.
There was a private number calling him, but he ignored it and stood up, yawning. Shuffling toward the bathroom, he flipped on the light and stared drowsily into the mirror just as his phone began to ring again.

1 Like
#47

“Please pick up the phone. You would not want to keep them waiting, will you?” A foreign, alien voice rang out in the room.

#48

…in the bathroom?
This was getting way too strange. But almost mechanically, Taisto pulled out his phone once more to answer the call. “Hello…?” he tested, waiting for the response.

#49

“Now sweetie… Say it.” A cold voice devoid of any emotion greets you, speaking to something… or someone.

There is a low growl, before a snapping sound.
“Who would go along with your sickness, you god damned lunatic!” A somewhat familiar voice rings out, full of anger.

“Run! Get out of here! Don’t go to the hotel, or-”

The voice is replaced with a shrill scream, followed by whimpering.

“You will come to us soon.”

#50

Arthur-Oliver blinked in surprise, and instinctively his hand swayed to his pocket, where the card was. Somebody could’ve been playing a practical joke, but who had the budget for a trick like this? Not him, that was for certain.
He dug into his pocket for his phone, and held it in his hand as he warily approached the entrance.

#51

An uncanny chill runs down his spine as the voice in the background shouts. Could it be…?
But when a shriek pierces the air, Taisto reacts impulsively. “NO!!!” he barks into the phone, but the caller hangs up and the line goes dead.

He glances again at himself in the mirror, and then he looks down at his trembling hands, still clutching his phone. In a split decision, he dashes toward his closet, throws off his work clothes and changes into something more casual and suitable for, well, running. Without a second thought, he scoops up his wallet and throws it into his pocket. Opening one of the kitchen drawers, he pulls out a sharpened knife and wraps it in a dishtowel before stuffing it in his belt.

In a matter of minutes, he’s out the door and back on the road, heading for the address typed neatly on the hotel card.

. . .

#52

Unfortunately, he takes it all down. His vision begins to…

"Your drugs will not help you here."
The doppelgangers start to say. Within seconds they start to echo out, revebrating the sentence through the air.

And Omi’s head clears.

What the fuck is this sorcery? And where did, oh.

“Drugs are good. Good. Good.” The doppelgangers have taken the drugs and they eat the whole stash that was present in front of them. The lot stagger towards Omi like typical drug addicts, surrounding Omi and leaving only one way out: The Gateway.

#53

Omi takes a thought… and thinks to himself

“Ok so if cocaine doesn’t have an effect on me, I guess nothing else… they also seemed to copy my movement and action…”

Omi takes out a handful of salt and snorts it… thinking that the people will do the same.

Instead he screams in pain and rolls on the ground, accidentally entering the Gateway

1 Like
#54

Intermission

“You will soon remember everything. My dear, dear sub-human.”

It hurts.
It hurts so much.

Is it… another one of them?
Don’t… don’t come any closer…
Please…

Huh?
I know this person.
He… he killed everyone.
Why am I alive?
What is going on?

No, they aren’t my memories! Go away!

I’m… huh? No, what are these?
This is, urgh, no, I’d always had them…
But I didn’t? How long has it been?

Did that person, at least get away? No one… should- Aagh!

That thing… it’s going into me…
Ah… This pain… no…
These images… they aren’t real…
…

I can’t tell anymore. It’s so dark… If I can… just kill that man… Can I?

“Yes… Yes… we have gotten ourselves a nice specimen. Now if we can…”

Kill him? It’s wrong, but it hurts. Something is wrong… it hurts.

It hurts…

The sound of steel bending and blood spilling rings through the air.

#55

Gateway Hotel

He walks out of the train, to see that he had entered a station of some sorts, with only one exit. When he turns back… the train had gone.

Only one way to go now.

#56

Akio almost squeals, realizing he left his phone on the train. He widens his eyes, and he instantly starts to tear up. He doesn’t know what happen, but maybe he can find someone to help…

He darted his eyes slowly near the closest thing that could be a hint of people being there. He let out a small breath of relief upon seeing one, and quickly stumbled over to it.

#57

The 4 have entered into the hotel.

Akio appears from the second floor’s hall doors.

Omi rolls into the Gateway by one of the doors on the first floor in pain.

Taisto bursts in from the front entrance of the first floor.

Arthur-Olivier walks in from a door opposite Akio.

The four lock eyes with each other. It’s apparent that they all were human, but arriving at the same time?
That is, highly suspicious.

“Welcome to Gateway.”

A young woman sits on top of the statue between the two long stairs of the great hall. Blonde, red eyes, everything from a fairytale… except it was real.

3 Likes
#58

He looked around, seeing other people. He hesitated, before talking.

“Hey! Do any of you have a p-phone? I left mine on the train but it…kinda disappeared.”

He looked over to the woman sitting, waving and gesturing to her.

“Hey miss? Do you have a phone I can use in here?”

He nervously fiddles with his thumbs, awkwardly waiting for an answer to break the silence.

#59

Omi doesn’t even realize people are there…

He’s still screaming in pain from snorting salt like a complete idiot…

1 Like
#60

Host Note: The doppelgangers everyone has seen are all monochrome (greyish pale) in color except for the crimson glowing eyes*

1 Like