C.M. Selbrede's Blog, page 4
October 12, 2019
Update on Squirrel Academy
As you may’ve noticed, Squirrel Academy has not returned as originally planned. College has gotten in the way for Lexxi and I. So for now it’s indefinitely postponed. We had some cool stuff lined up so it sucks but sometimes these things happen. Talk to you all soon.
-Craig
October 3, 2019
Starlight #8: Hurt House
Starlight is a series I started writing for fun in 2016, written in the “style” of a comic book. As such, this is not my best writing, but it’s something I had fun doing.
We open on a crumbling, demolished lakeside property… the same one from Issue #6.
Narration: Sometimes, things are forgotten.
Slowly, we zoom in.
Narration: Every neighborhood has a house- one house which seems to have forgotten to hold itself up. In Ridge Hill, 3100 Lakefront Way was this house.
A bloody hand slams against one of the windows.
Narration: But we digress.
Cadmus’ eyes fly open. He pants, confused. He is in a dark room, his wrists bound and chained to the ceiling. He is still in costume.
Cad (Narration): Crap.
His hands tense, starring up, but he cries out as the chains turn red and burn him somehow.
Cad: Agh!
Voice: No leaving.
The ghost of the girl emerges from the shadows. Now closer up, we see that her skin is pale and her eyes are blackened voids. Her veins are also a stark black.
Cad: Yikes.
Cad: Who are you? Why did you kill that man?
Ghost: Hurt.
Cad: Wait, your name is hurt or you killed the man because he hurt? Because he was hurt? Because he hurt you? Hello?
Hurt turns and vanishes back into the darkness.
Cad: Full sentences would be helpful.
Voice: Caddie?
Cad: …Kenny, I think.
Cad’s eyes star up and suddenly, the dark room is a little clearer. Various football players are bound across the room… some bleeding, some not. Most are unsconscious, except Kenny.
Cad: …Yeah?
Kenny: Thank God, I thought nobody else was awake.
Cad: What’s happening?
Kenny: I don’t know! We were abducted by that freaky ghost b****… us, the Sharks, even that Starlight dude.
Cad: Where are we?
Kenny: Oh. That, I know.
He leans forward.
Kenny: Welcome to Hurt House.
The scene changes, cutting to the crime scene which is not the football stadium. Police mill back and forth, and some sketchy men in black have begun to trickle in. Hanging back, observing all of this, are Nala and Hunter.
Nala: So… what do you think?
Hunter: What do I think about what?
Nala: Ms. Carrie from Carrie, moron. How are we going to stop her and save the others?
Hunter: What do you mean we? And we don’t even know they’re alive.
Nala: Cad is alive. Trust me, I know.
Hunter: What, with your popular girl Barbie spidey sense?
Nala: Oh, honey. We really need to work on your roasting skills.
Hunter opens his mouth and closes it again.
Nala: Mm, the Men in Black have this place locked down pretty tight. There’s only one way we’re going to find answers here.
Hunter: Oh, really? Enlighten me.
Nala: We have to talk to Andrew.
Hunter: Wait, why Andrew?
Nala: Gone Girl left him behind. That means something.
Hunter: Or it’s a coincidence.
Nala turns and begins to walk away.
Nala (Voice Sing-Song): We have to start somewhere.
With a sigh, Hunter follows Nala.
At the police station, Nala and Hunter are just sliding in when they run into Eliza.
Eliza: Oh! Uh, hey.
Hunter (Flustered): Hey.
Eliza: What are you two doing here…?
She is visibly confused.
Hunter: Uh, we were just here to… look for…
Nala: We’re breaking in to question Andrew.
Hunter: Nala!
Eliza: Wait, what?
Nala: Relax, Keyes. She was here to do the same thing.
Eliza: How did you–?
Nala: I’m perceptive.
Nala pushes into the station, and a confused Hunter and Eliza follow. As they enter the lobby, Eliza falls into step beside Nala.
Eliza: Wait, do you actually have a plan to get in?
Nala: I have a few.
Eliza: Well, this place is swarming with cops and cameras. Are we going to do something about that?
Nala: No need.
She steps up to the front desk.
Nala: Excuse me, sir?
He looks up, confused.
Nala: Could you point me to the ladies room?
Officer: There’s one by the door.
Nala: It’s out of order. Is there anywhere else I can go? It’s an emergency.
The officer sighs.
Officer: Right around the corner, Miss.
Nala: Thanks!
She, Hunter, and Eliza start to head off when the man speaks up again.
Officer: Hold on. Where are you going?
He points at Hunter, who flushes.
Hunter: …the ladies room?
A few seconds later, Nala and Eliza are heading down the police hallway.
Eliza (Whisper): I can’t believe nobody’s stopping us.
Nala (Whisper): The town just saw a low-budget replay of The Ring on its football field. People have more pressing issues.
She pauses at a doorway.
Nala (After a Moment): We’re clear.
Eliza: How do you know this is the place?
Nala: It’s the room every officer has glanced at as they passed.
Eliza: Oh. Okay.
Nala and Eliza step into an interrogation room, where a miserable-looking Andrew is sitting with his head in his hands. He looks up as they come in, confused.
Andrew: What are you two…?
Eliza: We’re here to help.
Nala: We’re here for the truth. Why did ghost b**** seem to know who you are?
Andrew: Don’t call her that. She’s not a monster.
Nala: Then what is she?
Eliza: …Mary Beth.
Nala looks surprised, and Andrew nods.
Nala: Who?
Eliza: I thought she went to boarding school? Or at least that’s what her parents told me. What happened to her?
Andrew: …I don’t know.
Nala: Back up. Who in Hell is Mary Beth? And who the hell names their kid Mary Beth? Better question- who names their kid Mary Beth and doesn’t expect them to grow up a super villain?
Andrew: Stop calling her that!
Nala: Give me a reason to.
Eliza: Mary Beth was– is– a girl in our grade. She dated Kenny Queens for the longest time.
Nala: Wait, I remember her. She went to homecoming with him. Her dress was hideous.
Andrew: Mary Beth and Kenny’s relationship was… not the most stable. They argued a lot, broke up even more… Kenny would move on but then the next thing you knew they were back together. And, y’know, Kenny is… Kenny.
Nala: Kenny is a vacuous, self-involved narcissist. It takes one to know one.
Eliza: Mary Beth told me she thought he was cheating on her.
Andrew: Honestly? He probably was.
Nala: But that doesn’t explain how she went from a bad knee-height homecoming gown to see-through.
Eliza: One day, she called me crying, saying something about a bad night and some football players. The next thing I knew, she was shipped off to boarding school.
Andrew: This is my fault. I always tried to be nice to Mary Beth… we were lab partners, and she was chill, and she came to me sometimes when she needed help… but whenever she told me something about Kenny I laughed it off. Chalked it up to paranoia.
Nala: You’re right. It’s probably at least a little your fault.
Eliza: Nala!
Before they can talk further, Nala’s phone rings.
Nala: It’s Chester.
Eliza: Hunter?
Nala: Hm. Maybe.
Nala presses send.
Nala: Hello? You’re on speakerphone.
Hunter (Voice): Nala, it’s me. Hunter.
Nala: Not Chester?
Hunter (Voice): What? No. Look, I was doing some digging while I waited for you guys and I found something. A missing person’s report was filed for a girl named Mary Beth McCullough a while ago. Her last-seen picture places her in an outfit identical to our ghoulie.
Nala: Andrew confirms that M.B.’s our girl. Did you find anything else for her?
Hunter (Voice): …Yeah. They found a body. She… killed herself.
Nala pauses, at a loss for words. Eliza’s hand flies to her mouth, and Andrew looks like he can’t breathe.
Nala: …Did they know why?
Hunter (Voice): If they did, it’s not reported here.
Eliza: Why… why was this kept from everyone?
Nala: More important question- where was the body found?
Hunter (Voice): Um… 3100 Lakefront Way…
Andrew: Hurt House.
Nala: Um, who what?
Andrew: Hurt House. It’s a creepy old abandoned house. The guys and I hang out there sometimes, play practical jokes a lot. I remember now, Kenny had started bringing Mary Beth there a lot… she was the first girl who wasn’t scared by our pranks there.
Nala: Then that’s where we’re going.
She starts to move.
Andrew: What? Why?
Nala: Seriously, Biceps? A girl kills herself in a haunted house and her ghost appears and starts killing people. Where else would we start?
Andrew: It’s just a house.
Nala: Nothing is ever just anything.
As Nala exits, Eliza squeezes Andrew’s hand.
Eliza: Stay safe.
As the two girls leave, Andrew puts his head in his hands.
We cut back to Cad, hanging from the ceiling where we left off.
Cad: Okay, new plan. I can’t break the chains…”
Grunting, Cad’s lower body, up through his torso, star up, and he makes a visible effort to keep his head and hands unchanged. Slowly, he begins to float up, until he reaches the ceiling.
Kenny: What’s going on over there?
Cad: Uh… nothing?
Cad: I wish these powers came with directions.
Now parallel to the ceiling, Cad winces, and kicks at the base of the chains with his legs. They break, and he falls to the ground, the chains falling off of him.
Cad: Uh… Starlight? Is that you? Are you….
He runs over to Kenny and breaks his chains.
Kenny: Holy S***. You’re that Starlight guy.
Cad nods.
Kenny: You saved Cad… can you get the rest of us out of here?
Cad hesitates…
Cad: What do I do? It’s not like I can carry everyone.
He glances back at Kenny.
Kenny: You want to go get help?
Cad nods.
Kenny: Aight, that’s cool. Come on, I know the way out of here.
Cad: Where the Hell is Parker?
Cad and Kenny head slowly out of the room, tip-toeing down a long hallway until stairs are in sight. However, Cad is distracted by an open door.
Cad: What…?
The room is the same from the beginning of Starlight #6. The ground is bloodstained, and there is a knife lying on the ground. Cad enters. Hurriedly, Kenny follows him.
Cad: Something happened here.
Discreetly, as Cad is looking around the room, Kenny scoops up the picture of himself and Mary Beth from the ground before Starlight sees it. He crumples it and shoves it behind a dusty dresser.
Kenny: Come on. There’s nothing to see here.
Unconvinced, Cad circles back, picking up the knife. When he speaks, his dialogue is in a starred bubble, indicating his voice is changed.
Starlight: What’s this?
Kenny:…I think that’s what killed her. The b**** who brought us here.
Starlight: Hm.
Kenny: Come on, we have to get out of here, before she returns for us.
They turn around, only to run right into Mary Beth / Hurt.
Hurt: Too late.
Next: The Truth Revealed!
September 30, 2019
ACC 20/20: October
As fall returns, Electric/Eccentric goes on hiatus, Squirrel Academy continues its brand new origin story, and Starlight and Anna Farmer keep chugging along.
Thursday, October 3rd- “Issue #8: Hurt House” (Starlight)Tuesday, October 8th- Squirrel Academy! Thursday, October 17th- “Chapter VI: Dog Days” (Anna, Farmer)Tuesday, October 22nd- Squirrel Academy! Thursday, October 31st- “ACC 20/20: November” (ACC 20/20 Inventory)
September 23, 2019
Haiku: Peculiarity
Little oddity
Unkempt crease in a smooth sea,
Lonely blue black shade.
September 19, 2019
Baby Lion (Anna, Farmer #5)
Anna’s father remained upset with her for a day, and then two days, and by the third, it was clear that she had gravely wounded him. Ever since the ill-fated meeting with Uncle Sam, Mr. McDermott had retreated back into his paperwork, pushing papers and running facts and figures with such an intensity that when he emerged for meals, he was even grumpier than usual, his red-eyes rimmed with dark circles that made him appear something like a fidgety, numbers-obsessed raccoon.
Anna did not point this out to her father. It seemed to her that every conversation the two of them had these days circled back to either her making amends at school or signing the papers, two topics the young girl was becoming exceedingly weary of. Anna would not sign away the farm, no matter what her father said. She respected him, really, but the fact was that he didn’t know the farm the way she did. He didn’t play in the barn until the sun went down, or run through the fields until falling and skinning his knee- he wasn’t even on a first name basis with Oinky, for heaven’s sake! No. It was clear to Anna that she alone appreciated the Acres, and saving it would be her burden to bear.
After careful thought, Anna determined that a central issue at play was the questionable profitability of the Acres. This seemed like an easy enough fix to Anna- she would put twice as much effort into helping Jerry and Ben, and thereby the farm would be twice as succesful. It was so simple, Anna wondered why it hadn’t occurred to her earlier!
However, sitting in the passenger side of Jerry’s dingy truck, clutching the pinkish, shivering form of Oinky close as the vehicle stumbled over pothole after pothole, Anna began to remember why she hadn’t spent all her time on the farm. She’d forgotten that Jerry was disagreeable, rude, and downright condescending, and that he seemed to hate having her around more than anything else in the world.
Still, Anna had insisted on accompanying him on this supply run. It was a shame that Ben had been operating dangerous machinery today- Anna didn’t much enjoy this smelly, loud cabin, drowned in a very loud, conspicuous silence.
“How has your day been?” Anna tried once, midway through the drive to the docks.
“Fine,” Jerry grunted, and that was the end of that.
When they pulled up to the desolate, decaying pier, Anna leapt from the vehicle, ready for action. “Alrighty,” she clasped her small hands together. “Where do we start?”
“‘We’ aren’t starting anything,” Jerry laughed, a bitter, unpleasant laugh. “You can barely carry that pig, kid. There’s nothing you can do to help.”
“That pig has a name,” Anna scowled. “And besides, I can give you directions, keep you from tripping on big rocks.”
“I’m not going to trip on a big rock,” Jerry rolled his eyes.
“The risk is very real,” Anna informed him earnestly. “You could sprain your ankle.”
“I’ll take my chances,” Jerry snickered. “Watch the truck.”
The short, thick boy marched off without a further word to the indignant Anna, heading for the pier’s shabby little office as the little girl turned to regard her pig.
“Unbelievable,” Anna shook her head. “Of all the nerve!”
Oinky couldn’t talk, but if she could, she would’ve nodded in agreement. The piglet snorted derisively and began to sniff the gravel road, only to stiffen and turn towards the pier’s unkempt grass.
“Oinky?” Anna frowned. “What is it?”
“Come on,” Oinky seemed to grunt, scurrying into the tall grass as her child companion stumbled after her.
“Oinky, wait up!” Anna called out, getting decidedly cranky, but the pig didn’t waver, leading her deeper and deeper into the grass until Anna seemed to be lost in a sea of it. Finally, Oinky came to a stop in front of a large, dangerous-looking rock, not unlike the kind Anna had recently warned Jerry against. The piglet turned expectantly towards Anna, as if waiting for something.
“I don’t understand,” Anna frowned. “Do you want–?”
Oinky gave up on waiting for permission and vanished behind the rock, making increasingly angry sounds. A small, lanky, malnourished cub, his fur golden-brown, emerged, yelping as the pig gave chase.
“Oinky!” Anna gasped. “No! Stop!”
Anna hurried after the piglet, even as it began to gain on the terrified, sickly creature, overtaking it and scooping up whatever it was so she could have a better look. As it half-meowed pathetically, she fearlessly held it out in front of her, looking it up and down with curiosity and sympathy.
“Poor thing,” she murmured, stroking the trembling animal gently. He gazed up at her with big, scared eyes, and she kissed his forehead gently.
Oinky grunted again, as if annoyed that Anna hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation.
“What is it, Oinky?” Anna turned, annoyed, to the piglet. “I’m somewhat distracted by the plight of this–“
For the first time, Anna realized the nature of the animal she held. “Oh,” she blinked. “Well, okay, then.”
When Jerry returned to the truck, his arms laden with heavy crates, he found Anna waiting in the grass, almost fully covered by the mix of green and wildflower.
“Anna,” he shook his head. “What are you doing in there?”
“Oinky and I have found a baby lion,” she explained earnestly. “May I have permission to take it home and make it my pet?”
“Sure, Anna,” Jerry rolled his eyes, returning his gaze to the truck.
Anna smiled, satisfied, and stepped from the grass with her new companion. Jerry’s eyes widened. “Anna!” he yelped. “What in–?”
Next: New Friends!
September 15, 2019
Quiz: Which “The Valley Chronicles: Tempest” Genre Do You Belong In?
September 9, 2019
Opinion: Why two Season Two Failed, and What It Taught Me
In Junior Year of High School, in the midst of our school production of The Little Mermaid, I had the questionable idea to produce a webseries. By the Summer, I’d recruited Cristin von Schlag as my co-showrunner. After over a year of hellish prepro, unexpected filming delays, and last minute emergencies, two premiered on my YouTube Channel- an unexpected, fantastic success and testament to the passion of everyone involved. Perhaps foolishly, the production celebrated, and began to develop the long-discussed Season Two.
In June of 2019, despite having a full cast and twelve strong screenplays written, two shut down production.
Even today, I regret this decision, and wish I could go back. I wish I could’ve pushed on just a bit longer, started filming, done something, anything, to make the magic last just a little longer. But the truth is that two died long before the announcement was made. Why? Well… it’s complicated. There were various factors at play, all of which helped speed the webseries towards its inevitable demise. Here’s a few:
Availability
Unlike the first season, which filmed the two-part pilot over 2018 and the subsequent 8 episodes over the course of three months, we were hoping to film all twelve episodes of the season over two-three months. This may sound ambitious, but at the time, we had a schedule, availability sheets, and scripts planned out in excess detail, much more than we had our first go around.
This was not enough.
Many of our college students were forced by their parents to take up jobs last minute, permanently disrupting the production, even as others, waiting for an official renewal, made Summer plans. By the time we reached the Summer, it was physically impossible to develop a schedule that would accomodate everyone’s conflicts.
Unsustainability
The first season was, in many ways, a miracle. We produced it under much duress and through tense situations that nobody was quite ready to re-experience. Everyone loved two, but it also made us miserable the first time around. Casting was a nightmare, the woods scenes were so buggy and hot we all wanted to die, and we had to film certain scenes in haphazard pieces due to scheduling.
Most agreed to Season Two under the condition that things were better planned this time, something rendered impossible by the Availability issues. If anything, things would’ve been worse this time around, something none of us could’ve handled.
Negativity
The above factors all put a strain on the production, causing many cast and crew members to check out of the production and stop checking our Discord server. By the end, it was me and co-showrunner Olivia Merryman alone trying to push the production along. The more things slowed down, the more people thought the end was coming and refused to participate.
Things were similar last season, but last time, we were able to pull things together by reminding people just how close we were to cancellation. This time, reminders of cancellation only fed the beast, further eroding trust between cast and crew. Why? Well, we were missing a final, crucial ingredient…
Cristin
Ultimately, the show failed because of many factors. Perhaps the most important was that we underestimated just how much we needed the amazing Cristin von Schlag.
My co-creator and co-showrunner, Cristin fulfilled many roles- female lead, co-plotter, etc.- but the most integral was that she kept the production together. Charismatic, but firm, she was able to force people to adhere to the schedule, keep everyone motivated, and somehow make filming fun every time it occurred. Nobody could quite accomplish these various items once circumstance forced Cristin to step away.
Without her, it was only a matter of time until we crumbled.
What did i learn?
Even now, it’s hard to find the moral of this story. I’m not sure if there is one. A group of passionate people tried to make something beautiful, and we all fell short, in our own ways. It was a tragedy that still sticks with me today, a failure that spawned a whole series of failed revivals and continuations.
two didn’t just crash and burn. It kept crashing, and burning, and taking me down with it.
So what can I take from this? Maybe the moral is that sometimes people just fail. We make mistakes, and we face obstacles, and sometimes we can’t overcome them. The important thing is to accept our losses when they come about, without malice, or despair, and to keep moving to try to build something new.
September 5, 2019
Starlight #7: Foul Play
Starlight is a series I started writing for fun in 2016, written in the “style” of a comic book. As such, this is not my best writing, but it’s something I had fun doing.
[image error]
Cad (Narration): So, it’s game day. Game night? Whatever.
We open at Ridge Hill High’s stadium, night. A sizable crowd has gathered to watch a football game between the Ridge Hill Hawkeyes and the Inlet High Sharks, a team in green and grey uniforms. Cad sits, nervous, on a bench in the locker room, eyes on the helmet in his hands.
Cad: Forgive me if my head isn’t exactly in the game.
Earlier…
We cut to where Issue 6 left off- Nala at Cad’s front door, confronting him with an article on Starlight.
Cad: Uh… what?
Nala: This is you.
Cad: Um, no.
Cad: Think fast, think fast…
Cad: That dude’s flying. And glowing. Are you sure that wasn’t photoshopped?
Nala: Oh, Caddie. Don’t play dumb with me. Parker was over, you know. Had me built him an Electromagnetic Pulse.
Cad: A what?
Nala: Don’t deflect. Yes, you may be a little… shinier, here, than I’m used to, but I’d recognize you anywhere.
Cad is not phenomenal at lying, distracted by Nala’s success rather than preserving his secret ID.
Cad: …How?
Nala: Before the accident, Cadmus, we were very intimate friends. I know your body well.
Cad: Okay, gross.
Cad: Gross.
Nala: Pfft. You used to make cruder remarks all the time.
Cad: I’m not who I was.
Nala: That is evident.
There is a panel of silence.
Cad:…What, exactly, did you come here for?
Nala: I want in.
Cad: On what?
Nala: Seriously?
Cad: Could you please stop being so vague? I literally have amnesia.
Nala:…Team Starlight. I want into Team Starlight.
Cad: Um…
Now.
We return to the night of the football game. The Coach finishes up his speech.
Coach: …Alright, I know each and every one of you will make me proud tonight. Go Hawkeyes!
Team: Go Hawkeyes!
Whooping and yelling, they begin to head out of the locker room. Cad places the helmet on his head, and is about to follow when Andrew puts a hand on his shoulder.
Andrew: Hey, Way.
Cad: Hey, Andrew. What’s up?
Andrew: Er… just reminding you that while you’re still on the roster…
Cad: Andrew, it’s fine. I know I’m benched. It makes sense… I’d bench me too. Don’t worry about it.
Andrew hesitates, looking guilty.
Andrew: Alright, cool.
He extends a hand, which Cad takes and gets to his feet.
Andrew: Now, let’s go win.
The two of them head out of the school building towards the stadium. There is a crack of thunder in the distance.
Andrew: Hope we don’t get rained out.
Cad: A little rain is the least of our worries.
In the bleachers, Eliza sits in the student section, looking briefly worried as she glances at the sky.
Eliza: Weird…
A girl turns, curious, to her.
Girl: What’s wrong?
Eliza: Forecast said today was sunny.
Girl: Girl, weather apps are never on top of things. That’s why I bring a jacket everywhere.
Eliza: Uh… cool…
Farther down the bleachers, Hunter is sitting alone. Quietly, he stares as the team assembles.
Hunter: …
Voice: Hunter, right?
Hunter jumps in his seat, and turns, shocked to see… Nala?
Hunter: Um… are you talking to me?
Nala: You sound surprised.
Hunter: I am surprised.
Nala: Me too. I’ve never seen you at one of these before.
Hunter: Just… supporting a friend.
Nala: Cad, right?
Hunter: …Yeah.
Nala: What a sweetheart. A shame about his injury.
Hunter: Yeah, it was certainly… medically surprising.
Nala: Oh, for sure. I begged Daddy to have some of his physicians look into it, but the Ways wouldn’t take any money. They–
Hunter: –Why are you talking to me?
Nala: We’re neighbors.
Hunter: No, we’re not.
Nala: I mean I’m sitting here.
Hunter: No, you’re not.
Nala takes a seat next to Hunter and smiles.
Nala: Now I am.
We cut to the sidelines of the field, where Cad stands next to Parker, who is pacing nervously.
Cad: Parker…
Parker doesn’t notice him.
Cad: Parker!
Parker jumps.
Parker: What?
Cad: Could you dial it down? You’re stressing me out.
Parker: This is a stressful #$%^ing game, Cad. Lots of us went to middle school with kids from Inlet. They’re like out biggest rivals.
Cad: You literally broke into a secure evil facility and this is worrying you?
Parker: Don’t judge me.
Cad: Too late.
Parker laughs and shoves Cad, who smiles back reluctantly. Parker’s smile fades as he sees something over Cad’s shoulder.
Cad: This might not be so bad.
We jump forward in time- the game is in full swing, and the Hawkeyes are losing– badly.
Cad: Jinxed it.
Cad sits on the bench, watching, as his teammates get repeatedly crucified by the other team… Parker is tackled, hard, Ewan fumbles the ball, and Ernie is tripped by another player.
Cad: I feel so helpless.
The game briefly halts as Ewan starts yelling at and shoving a player on the other team, whose jersey says Davidson. Whistles sound.
Ewan: !@#$!
Davidson: $%^&!
Andrew: Woah, woah…
Andrew attempts to halt the fight, aided by some Hawkeyes and Sharks.
Cad: This isn’t my thing anymore but… still. They’re my friends.
Ewan: This !@#$ tripped Ernie!
Davidson: It was an accident, &%$@***.
Cad: Should I star up and try to help break it up? That’s stupid, right? I have no idea how this superhero thing works.
In the bleachers, Nala watches this, frowning. Hunter, on the other hand, is looking up at the sky.
Hunter: That’s weird.
Nala: Not really. Davidson is famously awful as a person, and he was clearly tripping Ortega.
Hunter: No, not that. Look.
Nala looks up.
Hunter: It’s raining everywhere but in the stadium.
Indeed, it is pouring rain everywhere, except for in the stadium. Above, a massive blanket of stormclouds parts, perfectly looping around the stadium.
Nala: What in–
Abruptly, the stadium lights flicker, and then go out. For a moment, there is silence.
Cad: Huh?
Muttering and murmurs break out.
Parent (Shouting): What’s happening?
Announcer (Voice): Everyone, please remain calm, we’re just having some technical–
There is a shattering noise, and the announcer is thrown abruptly from his box in the stadium, landing with a sickening crash in the center of the darkened field. Some of the lights abruptly flicker on, illuminating his body with a spotlight. His throat is torn out. A scratchy voice comes over the intercom.
Voice: No… more…
Ernie: Holy–
Paralyzed by fear, nobody moves, or speaks. Swearing, Cad ducks away to change into Starlight.
Cad: Damn it! Damn it! I could’ve saved him. I should’ve saved him.
The spotlight flickers, and when it returns, there is a girl standing over the announcer’s corpse. Her long, dark hair covers her face. She is dressed simply in a hoodie and jeans.
Homicidal Spirit: No more.
Andrew: Who… who are you?
Nala: What is she?
Eliza: …Mary Beth?
Slowly, the spirit begins to walk towards Andrew as the others watch, transfixed.
Andrew: I don’t… I’m not…
Homicidal Spirit: And…rew…
Cad: This ends now.
In full costume, Cad streaks out towards the spirit, but as he gets close her arm snakes out and grabs him by the neck.
Cad: Urk-!
Hunter: Holy Hell.
Parker: Somebody do something!
Homicidal Spirit: No.
She snaps her fingers. Instantly, the players on both teams, and the spirit, vanish, leaving the football field empty as the lights come on, with the exception of the Coaches, cheerleaders, and… Andrew.
Next: Who you gonna call?
September 2, 2019
Poem: Midnight
Blue-black bays at the bright moon.
Together we-who-are-one walk towards the sky.
Restless, we wish for wisps of senseless joy.
Bright-black begs for a sharper contrast.
Alone, I-who-am-many make do with the stars I have.
Lonely, I long for songs of yesterday.
August 31, 2019
ACC 20/20: September
Welcome to ACC 20/20! We start small with the return of Squirrel Academy even as Anna Farmer and Starlight carry on… but there are more surprises and fun in store as Electric/Eccentric’s current season closes out and AC3’s Self-Shame nears its own conclusion.
Monday, September 2nd- “Midnight” (Poem)Thursday, September 5th- “Issue #7: Foul Play” (Starlight)Monday, September 9th- “Why two Failed” (Memoir)Tuesday, September 10th- Squirrel Academy! Monday, September 16th- “Which Tempest Genre Are You” (Quiz)Thursday, September 19th- “Chapter VI: Dog Days” (Anna, Farmer)Monday, September 23rd- “Peculiarity“ (Poem)Tuesday, September 24th- Squirrel Academy! Monday, September 30th- “ACC 20/20: October” (ACC 20/20 Inventory)
