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The Story of Oliver 03 - Dad Jokes
One or several corny, boring jokes.
Oliver: Well, that’s everything done, more or less… Let me check my work schedule. Good. Then I can clock off now. It’s not that noticeable during the daytime, but as soon as night falls, this forest becomes excruciatingly quiet. Hm…. I hate places that are this silent.
It reminds me of the fog I have to immerse myself in almost daily. Where even my shouts and cries for help are swallowed up by this bedevilled fog.
???: Waaaah!!!
Oliver: What’s this? It’s too dark to see clearly… Critters! And they’re attacking!
???: Squeeeee!!!
Oliver: There’s even more of them than I’d feared… And there’s no kind of natural shelter around… If I stay out, they’ll eventually surround me. Fortunate that I absorbed quite a bit of fog while working this afternoon. It should still be usable… Hah… So this is my reward for all that hard work? No, I shouldn’t think like that. But work’s the reason I ended up in this mess. It looks like there are fewer enemies in that direction… I think I just might break through that way.
A dense fog pours out from above his umbrella, quickly enveloping the surrounding area.
…
Oliver: Phew… That was a narrow escape, all thanks to the fog… At last it seems there aren’t as many critters around here. It’s too dark now, and with the fog, I couldn’t even make out what kind of critters were attacking me… I need to rest for a bit now… I’ll figure out how to get out of here once I catch my breath.
???: Fogwalker, are you alright, my young friend?
Oliver: ?!
A Knight: Are you truly so surprised to see someone here, Fogwalker?
Oliver: …Mr. Knight!
A Knight: Did you think me a Dullahan? Or else what other vile thing did you see as to elicit that reaction on seeing someone here?
Oliver: I thank you for using the word “surprised” instead of “panicked” regarding my reaction.
A Knight: I have no interest in shaming your reaction, Fogwalker.
Oliver: Well then, Mr. Knight, what brings you here?
A Knight, Someone had the sudden impulse to play the part of a stone in the forest. See? Someone’s disguise is quite perfect, is it not? Even your keen eyes failed to detect someone’s presence amid the moss and trees.
Oliver: Don’t you think it would have been even stranger if I had managed to notice you there?
A Knight: Because the night is so dark?
Oliver: Mr. Knight, this kind of banal joke is what we commonly refer to as a “dad joke.” I haven’t heard a line as terrible as that since my father passed. And I’d rather I never heard such a thing again…
A Knight: Please forgive me. Someone didn’t mean to stir up memories from your past. Someone deeply regrets having upset you so.
Oliver: Come now. It was a long time ago. I don’t really care much about it anymore, anyway.
A Knight: In that case, perhaps you might tell someone more about your father? Someone is quite interested in the previous Fogwalker.
Oliver: You want me to tell you about my father? I’d rather not. I can’t think of a single thing worth mentioning about him. He was an ordinary man, and the most ordinary Fogwalker… A Fogwalker who died in the fog. And a failure of a father. He hardly ever spent any time with my mother and me. Every single day, if he wasn’t busy working, he was studying the arcane. And it was only when discussing arcanism that he would display a demeanour alike to an arcanist. He spent his whole life studying and striving to push the arcane techniques of the Fog family forward, hoping to adapt them to the fog we now face in the modern era, but ultimately, it led him to his demise. Ironic, isn’t it? I can scarcely remember what he looked like anymore. The only thing about him that left any sort of lasting impression on me were those few “dad jokes” he made around the dinner table. Terrible, tasteless jokes.
A Knight: But he was a Fogwalker, and there was only one Fogwalker in all London.
Oliver: People have attached a great deal of import to the title “Fogwalker,” but in my opinion, a Fogwalker is not much different from a manure scooper. Devoting yourself or even sacrificing yourself for the sake of your so-called responsibilities… there is nothing more foolish in the entire world. I’ll never live my life the way my father did. He was bound by the title “Fogwalker,” but I won’t let that happen to me.
A Knight: You admire your father greatly. Someone can feel it.
Oliver: I do not… When I was a child, I wanted to become a Fogwalker too, so yes… maybe then I admired my father greatly. But things are different now. It’s only because he used to…
???: Wooooo!!!
Oliver: Damn it! How did these critters ever catch up with me?
Dark shadows rush out from the depths of the forest, encircling the area before there’s time to react. Yet more shadows emerge from the forest depths, like smoke spewing from factory chimneys, thick and relentless.
A Knight: It appears we’ve found ourselves in something of a predicament.
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The Story of Oliver 02 - Rest Day
It’s a day that everyone deserves, but maybe it never really comes.
Sonetto: All this because Mr. Knight proposed a mission plan that requires working through his day off?
Sotheby: Does Mr. Fog really hate his work that much? If you really dislike your job, then why not quit?
Sonetto: To be honest with you, I have never understood the way Oliver Fog thinks…
> Vertin: Maybe he’s dealing with issues that he’s not able to readily share.
Eagle: Timekeeper, perhaps you might try negotiating between Mr. Fog and Mr. Knight?
Vertin: …No, it’s best if we let the two of them sort this out on their own. I believe Mr. Knight will find a way to figure this out.
…
Oliver: …It goes without saying that you didn’t have labor laws in your era.
A Knight: Naturally, this sort of modern dalliance was neither fitting for someone’s era nor for the profession of a knight.
Oliver: Sir Knight, times have changed. We have no need of knights in our time. What we do need is an eight-hour work day and no mandated overtime on holidays or weekends.
A Knight: Oliver, you seem to forget this era is in a state of decline.
Oliver: But surely even our present decline will not regress us back to a time without labor rights and holidays, right? We all need to adapt to the changing of times, Mr. Knight.
A Knight: Too true. Someone needs to learn to adapt to the times. This is why someone has always wanted to change into armor someone might consider to be more in keeping with the times. A more dazzling color, perhaps… By the way, do you think pink would suit someone at all?
Oliver: …Honestly, I wouldn’t advise it.
A Knight: Then how about stickers? Someone heard Miss Regulus say that someone could receive complimentary stickers upon purchasing baked goods from the market. Someone happens to be quite interested in several of these stickers. Imagine stcking them on someone’s sword and armor! How splendid that would be! However, someone clearly lacks the ability to consume such a copious quantity of baked goods alone- or indeed at all. Therefore, someone hopes to entrust he task of devouring this surfeit of biscuits to you on someone’s behalf.
Oliver: Biscuits, really? —Ahem. Don’t change the subject. I won’t be bribed by your biscuits and I expect my complaint to be taken seriously, Mr. Knight.
A Knight: Oh? Oh! Sorry, someone is listening, Oliver. What is it that you are complaining about?
Oliver: Mr. Knight, I am but a child yet I am forced to work, and as such, you must respect the few holidays I have. I would ask you to please refrain from making suggestions to Miss Vertin that may lead to my being forced to work overtime.
A Knight: Holidays? Ah, it seems someone might not be so well-adapted to these times just yet. After all, when it comes to a knight and the things it is one’s duty to do, there are no holidays.
Oliver: If you want to work overtime, that’s your business, Mr. Knight. I however have always refused any unreasonable requests to work overtime, especially during holidays.
A Knight: Someone understands what you mean, Oliver. Someone will strive to respect your rights.
Oliver: Good to see my complaint wasn’t a complete waste of time… …
Oliver Fog pulls out his pocket watch once more, glancing over the time as if to appear casual. He then freezes in place, like a Carbuncle eagerly emptying cans, only to find its secretly stashed dust gone without a trace.
Oliver: … …
A Knight: What’s wrong, Oliver? You seem somewhat distressed?
Oliver: …My plan is in tatters now.
A Knight: …What?
Oliver: My work plan’s a mess. There’s not enough time to finish all my tasks.
A Knight: Is it because someone has taken up so much of your time with this issue of ours?
Oliver: Your continuous interruptions certainly have not helped! …I never expected my record of not working overtime for 211 days straight to end today.
A Knight: Excuse someone for asking, but where have you been assigned to work today?
Oliver: A forest near The Box. I need to ensure we maintain a good vantage point there, so that if The Box is attacked, we can react in a timely fashion.
A Knight: …Hmm?
Oliver: Is there something you’d like to ask me?
A Knight: No, no, of course not. Only a caution, Mr. Fog, that the forest isn’t safe at night. It would be better to head back early.
Oliver: …Thanks for your concern, but my work takes precedent. I can fend for myself.
A Knight: Someone has heard that no one goes to that forest at night. Therefore, even if you complete your work and clear the fog, it may not necessarily be of any use.
Oliver: Mr. Knight, do you believe that the work of the Fogwalker is to absorb the fog? To keep it at bay?
A Knight: Someone has always believed this to be the case. Is there some flaw in someone’s understanding?
Oliver: The true responsibility of the Fogwalker is to make the people believe that the fog is under control. As long as there is a Fogwalker, people will believe that the fog is being dealt with. No one cares about how much fog a Fogwalker can absorb, how it all works, or what a Fogwalker’s purpose really is. Making people believe that the fog is under control is the Fogwalker’s true responsibility. Based on this principle, I must ensure that my working hours align sorely with my duty as the Fogwalker.
A Knight: Someone has just thought up the perfect word of describe you.
Oliver: I know what you’re trying to say. In this kind of situation, we commonly refer to such people as “bureaucrats” or “pencil pushers”. Those that do their duty to the letter of the law and nothing more. However, to a civil servant like myself, this term might be seen as a form of praise. Farewell, Mr. Knight. I must leave now if I have any hope to finish my work today.
> Vertin: Sorry, Mr. Knight.
A Knight: Someone does not see any reason for you to apologise, Miss Vertin. But… didn’t you tell him?
> Vertin: I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet…
A Knight: I see… Miss Vertin, someone has suddenly remembered another urgent matter someone must attend to. For now, I must bid you adieu.
> Vertin: …As you wish.
Sotheby: Oh, Mr. Knight, won’t you tell us the rest of the story?
A Knight: Sorry, everyone. Someone has an urgent matter to deal with and must leave immediately. Please forgive my uncouth and abrupt departure.
Sotheby: Aww? Is that it for now? Thank you for sharing that wonderful story, Mr. Knight!
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The Story of Oliver 01 - The Prison of Fog
What lies beyond the exquisitely crafted cage of mist?
I can’t remember when it was that I began to hate the fog.
This city, forever shrouded in fog, prompts the overwrought comparison between Sisyphus’s endless struggle and our own. The fog that covers this absurdity and unsightliness is like a bell jar imprisoning a cricket. Beyond those invisible intangible borders lie the jeering faces of the gods. They drained every ounce of vitality from the cricket, dispatching the fog as their most faithful instrument. And so, the cricket turned its head to find this thick fog everywhere—up, down, left, right—all around. No escape in sight, no perceptible boundaries… Even its cry would be lost in the fog. That fog as viscous as snot flowing from a runny nose enveloped the cricket to the point where the poor wretch couldn’t even make a sound. It rubbed its wings in vain, attempting to make even the slightest noise, but the only thing that filled the air was the fog and its silent ridicule. To this day, no one has responded to its pleas. In this thick fog, there is only silence, the silence of death… That’s what it does, this fog—it invariably forces the individual to face the certainty of their own demise. Walking in this endless fog, with no end in sight, surrounded by a cage of untouchable wire, where even the most furious strikes have no means of finding their target. The only thing one is allowed to feel is extreme loneliness and that deathly still. We, walking through this dense fog for the sake of our so-called mission, might possibly be the most pitiable crickets of all. How long has it been since I last saw the sun?
Vertin: … Oliver Fog?
Oliver: Oh… Sorry, Miss Vertin. I lost myself for a moment there. What were we talking about just now?
Vertin: That we hoped that you would aid our cause two days from now. With the enemy well hidden within the fog; determining their location will be no easy feat. It looks like we’ll be counting on you and your arcane skill to succeed.
Oliver: The day after tomorrow… That’s a holiday, isn’t it?
Vertin: It is indeed.
Oliver: Before I offer you a response, Miss Vertin, allow me to ask you a question. Who was it that proposed I join you in this operation of yours?
> Vertin: It was Mr. Knight.
Oliver: And will he also be taking part?
Vertin: Mr. Knight will not be taking part in this operation, but he recommended you wholeheartedly.
Oliver: You do know that he’s egging me on by passing this work to me? It’s quite evident, Miss Vertin.
> Vertin: And what if I were to say I was the one that chose you, recommendations notwithstanding?
Oliver: Deception is not your strong suit. It’s entirely obvious that you’re covering for him. You know for a fact that I am not the kind to work on a day off, and based on your personality, which is to say; conciliatory in nature, you would never have proposed such a plan. So, then. The suit of armour put you up to this? Am I right?
Vertin: …..Perhaps. But why would you suspect him in the first place?
-
Oliver: Miss Vertin, I intend to direct a formal complaint towards Mr. Knight.
Vertin: …
Oliver: Allow me to come straight to the point, Miss Vertin. I would be more than willing to help you in any way, merely due to the goodwill we have fostered through the course of our acquaintance. However, my principles will not permit me to sacrifice my hard-earned time off merely for the convenience of others. I will provide you with any advice you may require, but my practical assistance is out of the question.
Vertin: So then, this your latest experiment in reformist rhetoric?
Oliver: Not at all. It’s a manner of prevarication that’s been in use since Chamberlain’s day.
Vertin: Look— I won’t try to force you, Oliver. I’m merely here to discuss the matter with you.
Oliver: Then I thank you for your understanding, Miss Vertin. If there’s nothing else I can help you with, I will take my leave. There’s work I’ve yet to finish todayz
Somewhere in the Suitcase
A Knight: What someone is about to recount to you is a sworn testimonial of a face-to-face run-in with a dark spirit, a blood-thirsty creature of undeath someone encountered as a chivalrous knight long, long ago.
Sotheby: Brilliant! I love this story— I mean, Miss Sotheby knows she’s definitely going to love this story!
A Knight: Someone came across a long-abandoned castle with a close friend while journeying the countryside one dark night.
Sonetto: Hm…
A Knight: …The forest around the castle was a mire shrouded in eerie mist, and someone was traipsing right through it, boots trampling on rotten leaves and kicking up the most vile, putrid stink of rancid soil mixed with the damp stench of decay. But our destination was not far off. We had almost reached the castle gate.
Eagle: …
A Knight: Suddenly, someone and that faithful friend spied a shadowy figure up ahead. He was slumped askew against a tree, seemingly unconscious. Back then, someone was still a simple-minded knight. Someone stepped forward and went heedlessly over to the side of the mysterious figure…
Crowd: …
Just as everyone leans in closer, listening ever more attentively to the knight’s story, another figure passes by.
Oliver: I can confirm that there are no problems with the work plan. Everything seems to be in order… The schedule is a little tight, but if we proceed accordingly, we can still finish all work on time today.
A Knight: Someone tapped him on the shoulder, but he didn’t budge an inch. Then, someone tapped him again… He suddenly lifted his head to reveal a ghastly, desiccated face with black holes where his eyes should’ve been!
Crowd: What?!
Sotheby: Miss Sotheby knows! It must’ve been the Chupacabra!
A Knight: If only the truth were so simple. As soon as we saw that living corpse, someone and someone’s good friend knew right away— In the depths of the castle lay a terrifying, treacherous, blood-curdling banshee!
Sotheby: An evil spirit? What a surprise! All the spirits Miss Sotheby has met have been most cordial to her! Though to be fair. I have never had the misfortune of meeting a thirsty one before.
Sonetto: That’s a good point… They might be a bit on the quirky side, but Poltergeist and Click are good souls.
Oliver: Excuse me please, some of us have work to do.
Sotheby: Oh, this way, please—from my side, over here. Mr. Fog, Mr. Knight was telling us about his past adventures just now. In fact, he was right in the middle of a very interesting story when you came in. Would you like to say a while and listen with us?
Oliver: I’ll pass on the ghost stories; I am very busy. However, I feel I must caution you, ladies.
Sonetto: Oh?
Oliver: There exist people in this world whose mouths are incapable of speaking the truth. Not only do they spin their yarns, boasting about what has never truly transpired, but they may even shirk their responsibilities and force minors to carry out their work for them.
A Knight: Someone doesn’t even have a mouth! Although someone has been wondering for some time now—how does someone even speak without anything with which to speak out of?
Sotheby: Through the magic of your arcane skill!
Vertin: … I knew this was going to happen.
Sonetto: Timekeeper? You came to visit, too? Did something happen to Mr. Fog today? He appears to be in quite a foul mood.
> Vertin: I don’t think he’s very happy about having to work outside of his schedule.
Crowd: I see…
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This is my official post stating that I have lost any fixation I had in R1999 and I no longer have motivation to do anything transcribing. Transcribing takes a huge amount of energy - energy that I simply do not have anymore - and R1999 is no longer an interest. I’m very sorry.
I may do some pieces here and there should I find some energy and I find the characters compelling, but for the most part this blog is officially inactive.
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Worn Teeth And Old Marks 03 - Rearview Mirror
John: Mom!
John’s Mother: John! Why did you … Are you …?
Tooth Fairy: Nice to meet you, ma’am. You may call me Tooth Fairy.
The new car was still marvellous … How could a child who looked and really was malnourished ever damage it? From the motel to Mare Town, it took only three minutes driving, and it didn’t even need to be at full power. Despite the name, it’s a stretch to call this place a town.
John's Mother: Hiss … *cough* … John, help me up …
Tooth Fairy: No, don’t bother … just lie down, ma’am.
A few families scattered in the wilderness. The cracks in the wooden doors were once filled with layers of sand and gravel, and turned into a board of pinkish yellow. On the way here, John told me about how the family was stricken with poverty. Indeed, it’s not difficult to tell from his figure.
John: Mom! Look, my tooth fell out!
But the reality was still much worse than I thought.
John: You sit here, next to Mom!
The house was not bigger than the stables I had seen. Lights were the only electrical equipment. Time seemed to cease here. John’s mother was lying on the only furniture in the room, like a solitary raisin on a plate.
John’s Mother: If John did anything wrong, I am very sorry …
Tooth Fairy: No, ma’am. I should be the one to apologise …
John: Ms. Tooth Fairy is a doctor. She’s also an arcanist, just like Grandma Susie! There’re a lot of flying grannies in her jar …
John’s Mother: John.
John: Okay, Mom … I’ll go get some water!
Tooth Fairy: If you don’t mind, please allow me to do a few simple checks for you. Please don’t worry … I am an arcanist, and also a medical student.
John’s Mother: You … *cough* … Okay. *cough* … Good, good …
Tooth Fairy: If you feel painful, please do not hold back.
John’s Mother: …
Disease is cruel. It takes the unfortunate by the throat without distinction of any kind, and gradually squeezes the necks of the weak.
John’s Mother: Uh … ah ah … it hurts … ah ah …
Then the pain was there to deprive them of the dignity … making their decrease more naked than their birth.
Tooth Fairy: Ma’am, please close your eyes, and open your mouth.
No need for more professional instruments. The shape of death is clearly palpable in the horrible surroundings and through her descriptions. For the incurable diseases, death is never the most frightening part.
Tooth Fairy: John … Come here. Hold your mother.
The boy was swift and experienced. His behaviour revealed a sense of indifference that he himself barely knew. … Children were not supposed to be more of an expert of these than toffee. During the whole day there, almost all the tooth fairies I brought were consumed.
…
Tooth Fairy: Your mother is sleeping for now.
John: Well … It’s not just today … She suffers like this every day. In the evening, especially late at night.
Tooth Fairy: … I’m sorry.
John: Is there nothing you can do either?
Tooth Fairy: John, doctors aren’t omnipotent. … Nor are those little things with wings. No delay, adequate dosage, and no complications … All three are equally important. I think your mother probably knows about her illness better than me … and she knows you better. That’s why she allowed me to do the checks for her.
John: …
The sunset glow tinted the sky with a pinkish hue that matched the colour of the rock. The temperature varied greatly in Texas and was often difficult to adapt to. The heat of the day had long faded. The breeze with silver sand even felt a little chilly.
John: Can you wait for me here?
Tooth Fairy: No problem. I will sit here until the sun goes down.
The boy returned much faster than I thought.
John: This is for you.
Tooth Fairy: This is …?
John: I traded two packs of Toto’s hair for it from Grandma Susie. She said it was the tooth of a rare beast. And she also said … if you prayed to it devoutly, all requests would be granted. I prayed to it every night for my Mom to get better … But it must be because I caught the beetles twice and didn’t pray … so it didn’t work.
Tooth Fairy: Well … This is a Ropen’s tooth.
John: A Ropen’s tooth …?
Tooth Fairy: It’s indeed very rare. Ropen is a type of pterodactyl that inhabits the rocks of Umboi Island, with a long beak and sharp claws.
John: Whoa …
Tooth Fairy: They also have huge wings, and will glow like phosphorescence at night …
The Ropen’s tooth that the boy held possessed a rough enamel and an abnormal size. Apparently it’s an artificial toy. However, even if this is real, it’s impossible that all requests would be granted. It’s probably just a psychological comfort to a child given by a kind senior.
…
John: Have a safe trip, Ms. Tooth Fairy!
I saw the boy’s figure in the rearview mirror getting smaller and smaller, and finally disappeared into the exhaust. That fake Ropen’s tooth is still a treasure among my collections. Even for a while after that, it was worth more than anything else.
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Worn Teeth And Old Marks 02 - Empty Glass Jar
Tooth Fairy: Huh … Huh … … Humerus … and pelvis, fracture deformity … Ankle, open fracture. Blood loss … estimated to exceed…
From the looks, the unfortunate boy I hit at that time was probably under 10 years old. He was thin and small, and quite tan. Within only a few seconds, he was almost entirely weltering in blood. The tiny baby tooth was soaked in the blood, too white not to be noticed.
Tooth Fairy: … Damn.
Hands trembling. Dizzy … That’s all I felt at the time.
Tooth Fairy: … Hello. Emergency Service! I’m on …
No one would have ever expected a child to suddenly appear on the empty highway. But things just happened beyond my expectation, and it happened very quickly without any signs.
Emergency Services: According to your information, we’ll arrive as soon as possible within 50 minutes. Please be patient.
Tooth Fairy: He’s in a critical condition and can’t wait for 50 minutes …
The warm rock formations within my view and the agave of a man’s size, both demonstrated an undisputed fact - - that in the Platinum 10 Minutes, and in a desert where there was no hospital nor any medical resources, I could barely save his life with any human medical treatments.
Tooth Fairy: … Hey!! Hey!! Can you hear me!
Boy: *cough* Ouch …
Tooth Fairy: Oh … shit.
Pints of blood was pouring from every single wound. If it went on like this, in less than 30 seconds, he would go into shock from blood loss. I do have a better idea.
Tooth Fairy: Damn … damn it …!
Because of the blood, my fingertips kept slipping uncontrollably on the glass jar that I carried, and I could barely open it.
Tooth Fairy: Look up, boy, look up …
Knock the area three fingers from the lower jaw. Hold the nape gently. Stretch the throat muscles. For the first time I was so unconfident about the dosage … and also the first time to try to heal a human with tooth fairies. My arms were moving like a machine, stuffing the boy’s body with these little monsters that were dropping golden powder.
Tooth Fairy: The fifth … Yes, right … good boy … go on, swallow it.
Boy: *cough* Huh …
Tooth Fairy: Hah … Hah …
…
Tooth Fairy: … Thank goodness.
…
Motel
Boy: Um …
Tooth Fairy: Please do not move. The wound on your ankle is expected to heal in thirty minutes. We’re in the motel near the highway. I will ask you a few questions. Please answer as quickly and accurately as possible. How many fingers?
Boy: Uh, hiss … you are … two?
Tooth Fairy: Please do not move. Is it day or night?
Boy: Day …?
Tooth Fairy: Good boy. Do you remember your name and age?
Boy: Jo … John. John Garcia … 13 years old. I live in the Mare Town nearby.
Tooth Fairy: Thanks for the cooperation. You could call me …
John: Hm? What’s covered around my feet … ?
Tooth Fairy: … ! Don’t!
John: Wow … ah! What … what are these?! Are they … wings? My God! The ointment has golden powder on it …
Tooth Fairy: … Please don’t worry. It’s not harmful, nor will it make you feel painful. If it’s hard to take, just close your eyes and don’t think about it. This is a motel. You could call me Tooth Fairy. It’s their name, and mine too.
John: No, this looks COOL … I’m not afraid. It feels amazing on my ankle!
Tooth Fairy: …
John: Did you save me? With that amazing … ointment?
Tooth Fairy: In fact, I caused the accident. Fortunately, I know how to heal in some way.
John: I’m sorry … Mom once warned me to stay off the highway. I just … I … my beetle … it went out to the middle of the road.
Tooth Fairy: No. You should not be the one to apologise. Your Mom is right. Please keep her words in mind.
John: I will! I just … hiss!
Tooth Fairy: … Take a deep breath … Open your mouth.
John: Hey! It … it’s alive … Wow, a flying granny … Shall I just put it in my mouth?
Tooth Fairy: If you want the best healing effect, I suggest you swallow it.
John: Ugh … hmm! It’s sour. And a little sweet! Hmm … huh? The loose tooth in my mouth is gone!
Tooth Fairy: … It’s here. … Are you taking it back?
John: Oh, not really. I’m surprised you didn’t throw it away! Hmm … and, the granny, can I have one more?
Tooth Fairy: I’m very sorry, John. This is the last one. But if you behave well, I’ll give you some other snacks.
I searched in my pocket, trying to find something other than a tooth … anything like a toffee, or sea salt flavoured chocolate, or a caramel kind of thing … Kids need it.
Tooth Fairy: Like … a candy?
John: Awesome! I’ve never had candies before! Wow! In your pocket … Why are there SO many teeth?!
Tooth Fairy: It’s my personal hobby.
John: Hobby … Ah! I get it! Is it just like how I love the beetles?
Tooth Fairy: … Probably.
John: No wonder you didn’t throw that baby tooth away! In that case, I’ll trade you this for a candy … Huh? Ah! It’s here! It’s Toto’s tooth that fell out this morning! It always loves it when I rub its belly.
Tooth Fairy: … Thanks.
John: You’re welcome … Hey, wait, it’s amazing! I don’t feel any pain at all! Not even hungry anymore! You’re even better than Grandma Susie!
Tooth Fairy: … Grandma Susie?
John: Her cabin is right next to my house! People in town said Grandma Susie is an arcanist … She really didn’t have a good temper, as she always drive me away with a broom, and never allowed me to catch beetles in her doorway … But she would secretly give me a few pieces of corn crisps every time, and I haven’t tasted any good crisps since she moved away … Grandma Susie could turn an apple pie out of nothing, and she even moved a huge palace. Although people said that was just illusion, but … can you do it too?
Tooth Fairy: I’m sorry. I can’t do any of them.
John: But you saved my life! You must be an arcanist, too!
Tooth Fairy: Have a taste?
John: It’s … toff … toffee! Oh, I tuned out just now … Here’s Toto’s tooth!
I looked at the tiny tooth in my palm, and guessed it might belong to a bloodhound whose bloodline wasn’t pure. Apparently, the owner of the tooth was also malnourished.
John: Mmm … so sweet! … Ms. Tooth Fairy, is it that whatever the pain, you could drive it away?
Tooth Fairy: I wish I could. But the truth is, there is no one who could cure all diseases.
John: But you are powerful … Arcanists are all very powerful …
Tooth Fairy: Powerful doesn’t equal all-powerful, John. If it hasn’t been me who caused the accident … or if I had hesitated even for a second, it would be a completely different story. … Now, you should get some rest. Feeling no pain doesn’t mean you’ve recovered. Tuck in, and get some sleep. Then I will take you back.
A motel is not a good place to rest, but sometimes we don’t have a choice. Fortunately, John was so skinny that even the smallest quilt was way adequate for him. Gradually, he’s breathing well, and my nerves finally relaxed for a moment.
John: Ms. Tooth Fairy …
Tooth Fairy: …?
John: If I may …
I saw him turn over with difficulty under the quilt.
John: Can you please … meet my Mom later …?
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Worn Teeth And Old Marks 01 - Route 66
Horropedia: 10.5 inches, fresh root, slightly decayed … Oh! The saliva … presumably it’s from a … or say, that giant carbuncle. But it could also be another speciality of Green Lake! For my personal taste, though, monster horror is obviously of a lower class. Hm … If I remember correctly, Ms. Tooth Fairy’s pouch is about 5 inches long. The size of the tooth is almost twice that of the poor flannelette bag … and it’s a bit too conservative to call such a deadly weapon a tooth.
Tooth Fairy: Excellent point, Mr. Horropedia. That is the case. Although I don’t mind expanding my collections … As I said earlier, it’s not common to see a critter of this size. So thank you very much for getting me this, Ms. Blonney.
Blonney: Ugh … In terms of the results, yes you should thank me. In fact I just fancy its sharpness … Before you make it one of your collections, could you ask Freddie to break the stupid wood into pieces with it? … We’ll give it back to you as soon as we find the axe. Immediately!
Horropedia: Whoo! The more reliable team came back … Hey, this way!
Sonetto: Ms. Tooth Fairy, I am very sorry … There are much more teeth in the area than we thought. Most broken teeth of the critters are excluded. There are fifteen remaining. They belong to different kinds of carbuncles, lindworms and olitiaus respectively … and quite a few baby teeth of humans.
Vertin: Considering the age of some of the Zeno Youth Force, it’s not really surprising.
Sonetto: If the human teeth are all excluded, there are another three unidentifiable … Well, in fact, I cannot confirm if they are teeth or not … but I guess the collections will always be special. Ms. Tooth Fairy, you could spend some time carefully screening …
Tooth Fairy: Ah. It’s here.
Sonetto: Um … sorry? You mean it’s among the baby teeth over there? … Do you need to double check? As far as I know, these are all baby teeth of children aged around 12. They have something in common that …
Tooth Fairy: I understand your concern, Ms. Sonetto. But as you said, the nine teeth in the pouch are all my unique collections. I know every pattern, every inch of wear and tear on them … Without even a glimpse, by touching alone, I can easily distinguish them from hundreds of teeth.
Jason: Hey. This is much more like an arcanist in my knowledge. Some quirks … you know, compared to those who aim at heads or toes in the stories, it’s kind of less weird to collect your own baby teeth.
Blonney: … Shut up, Jason. If you have time talking nonsense, you’d better give me a hand!
Tooth Fairy: As I know, over 40% of humans incline to collect their baby teeth as a record of their growth. Though their purpose is different from mine, it demonstrates that collecting baby teeth is not something exclusive to arcanists. My college mate had an elaborate brass box. It was filled with her own teeth.
Blonney: Your college … mate? That means .. you studied at …
Tooth Fairy: It’s the college for humans, Ms. Blonney. It’s located in Rochester, Minnesota. From my analysis of the information, I was the only arcanist admitted to Mayo Medical School that year. However, please allow me to make one thing clear.
Lying in her palm is the baby teeth that stained with blood, like a sugar cube that tastes weird.
Tooth Fairy: … This is not my baby tooth.
…
Route 66
Route 66 starts from Chicago, Illinois, and runs west across to Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, California. It’s a highway that has developed rapidly since the war was over. On Route 66 ran Wills Keep in the past, and then Cadillac. Countless families from the east hummed tunes as they sped towards the beach, just like rockets roaring to the universe. However, the introduction of the Interstate Highway Act marked its drastic decline. Now it is barely known.
Car Radio: Welcome to Eastern Tornado! This is your old friend …
Even though the car has long been a necessity for every American now …
Car Radio: The first song is from Whitney Houston …
But for someone who had just turned 18, a lonely road trip was fresh experience indeed.
Tooth Fairy: Huh … Hopefully this meeting with the Professor will go smooth …
That’s right—a sudden call from my mentor set me on this brief journey.
…
Campbell’s Home
Tooth Fairy: Yes. Thank you very much for this. Father said I wouldn’t have completed my studies at Mayo without your help. However, as for the conference … Approximately, it takes at least five days to drive from here to Arizona. Father has been quite busy these days… I’m sorry. Please allow me to …
Professor: Hahahaha, don’t be uptight, kid! Like I said, it’s just a casual family call, a small talk … I haven’t seen you for a long time since I quit working as a visiting professor. How’s Mr. Campbell doing? Oh! He loves you very much … Of course, I must say, you never let him down. A Subaru SVX, the red one … It’s your graduation present and birthday gift, right?
Tooth Fairy: Oh … yes.
Professor: Welcome to adulthood! Now you’re 18 years old, a big boy … oh no, an adult! The talented student I tutored in person. The most impressive one in the history of Mayo. One month? Or two? Maybe we haven’t seen each other in a long time…
Tooth Fairy: If you mean the last time we met, I think it was over six months ago.
Professor: Oh, six months … quite a long time! *sigh* I still remember the first time I saw you, the textbooks you were to read was even taller than you …
Tooth Fairy: … Thank you for thinking of me, but … …
Professor: Hm?
Tooth Fairy: … Fine, fine. I’ll bring that Stags’ Leap Cabernet Sauvignon … Mother has been keeping an eye out for it when she heard of your interest.
Professor: So you’re coming, right?
Tooth Fairy: If I can make it, Professor … After all, I haven’t tried driving across half of the continent yet.
Professor: Oh! That is … fantastic! Take your time! Thank Mrs. Campbell for the wine for me, kid. I’ll see you in a few days.
…
Tooth Fairy: Hah … Hah …
The screeching of the brakes yanks me from my thoughts.
Tooth Fairy: *coughs* Damn …
I swerve to the side right in time, but the figure that suddenly appears from the side of the road …
…
Route 66 runs across the American continent. By then it has long been one of the loneliest highways.
Tooth Fairy: *cough* …! How … could there be … a child here?
…
When I think about it now … I wish I had never got this blood-stained baby tooth.
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A Nightmare at Green Lake 18 - A Cliché Photograph
Tooth Fairy: Are you suffering from the headache again?
Z: Me? No, I’m not.
Tooth Fairy: You shouldn’t lie to a doctor.
Z: Fine. A bit, just a bit. Some warm water will help. I don’t need those … those things. I don’t dislike your tooth fairies. It’s the texture that creeps me out. I’ve tried multiple times. You know how it ended.
Tooth Fairy: Don’t worry. I have some drugs for humans. Wanna try?
That is another option for arcanists who find it hard to swallow those humanoid fairies.
Z: Oh? That’s surprising. Thank you.
Tooth Fairy: How about the future of those kids?
Madam Z casts a glimpse at the backseat and sighs.
Z: Are you talking about the deer girl, or Joshua, the troublemaker?
Tooth Fairy: You can tell me one by one. It’s a long trip back to the headquarters. We’ve plenty time to chat.
Z: Joshua will pay for what he did. Absence from duty without permission is a severe violation of the regulations. He will face a demotion and be grounded for three to five months. Of course, I’ll apply for leniency for him, but I think it won’t make much difference. We don’t have many means to help him. Vertin might be a good choice.
Tooth Fairy: You mean assigning him to Vertin’s team?
Z: Exactly. If we can make Vertin apply for that … He’ll be put through a much milder punishment. After that, he’ll be free to leave with Vertin.
Tooth Fairy: This is a good idea. How about Jessica, the deer girl?
Z: She … She needs to receive some education to become adequately socialised. Based on her result of the amended Arcanists Risk Evaluation Chart, this little girl is very dangerous. We rescued nine hostages from her cage. Three are from the film crew. The other six are from the student expedition team that went missing six months ago.
Tooth Fairy: The validity of that chart is debatable, for it doesn’t have a sufficient number of questions to draw a conclusion.
Z: Yeah, when we arrive at the Foundation, we will give her a more comprehensive test. But that doesn’t mean that she’ll get a higher grade. We all know that the amended version tends to overestimate examinees.
Tooth Fairy: Can I visit her while she’s in the Foundation?
Z: Of course, chatting with someone familiar is conductive to embracing the community. You don’t need to worry too much about her. We’ll treat her the right way. The arcanum shown on her is of a very unique kind, and she’ll be helpful in many experiments.
Tooth Fairy: That’s good. But I still have one more question.
Z: Go ahead, doctor.
Tooth Fairy: Members from the Zeno also participated in the rescue. Did you call them to come?
Z: Yeah, this should have been their responsibilities. To be more precise, all of these problems were their fault.
Tooth Fairy: Are you talking about the missing of their Youth Force?
Z: What? No. But, wait, what missing Youth Force?
Tooth Fairy: The myth that Zeno Youth Force disappeared overnight at the Green Lake Campsite. Haven’t you ever heard of that?
Z: No, never! Where did you hear that?
Tooth Fairy: Joshua told me.
Z: He is just a young man, impulsive, and can’t tell a story from a fact. Why would you believe … Never mind. Back to the business. By the end of the ‘50s, Zeno found a bunch of critters with unique appearance in the woods near the Green Lake Campsite. As they continued to investigate, they found that special moss in the woods that can trigger changes in appearance. In order to conduct further research, they built a campsite and held some camping activities as disguise from time to time. The critters mutated and evolved very fast. Meanwhile, the town prospered, and the nearby population soared. After several incidents of attacks on local residents by fled critter subjects, Zeno decided to move the campsite out of that area. That deer girl was neglected during the moving. She was left at the Green Lake and kept on secretly living there till now. Other critters that escaped have hybridised with the local breeds and hence created the new critters you’ve encountered. They more or less carry a lineage of changelings, which are very hard to deal with. But thank God, you’ve brought this girl under control.
Tooth Fairy: Jessica has been like their … friend, or leader.
Z: I think she is more like a leader, or even a master to them. Zeno conducted military training to the first batch of critters, so they are more obedient than others. Your Jessica is like … their commander. She gives orders to the critters at the bottom of the lake through a radio hidden in the remote control so that they act in precise alignment.
Tooth Fairy: … So you knew the truth of the Green Lake Campsite from the beginning?
Z: It was Zeno’s idea to clean up the mess with the Foundation. They contacted me before … Huh! If you could’ve asked me earlier, like before you departed, we wouldn’t have to go through so much trouble.
Tooth Fairy: Kids were ignorant for lack of knowledge, yet adults were ignorant for their cognitive inertia. In a story where truth and falsity are mingled together, it is hard to tell which is which.
Z: What did you say?
Tooth Fairy: Nothing, nothing important. Have you heard of what happened to my brother?
Z: Huh? Your brother? What happened to him?
Tooth Fairy: Do you know how his teeth disappeared?
Z: Ummm. I don’t want to offend anyone, but wasn’t it because of the curse of the tooth fairies?
Tooth Fairy: Heh heh.
Z: What? What are you laughing at?
Tooth Fairy: Nah, nothing. As for my brother, I will tell you more later. Hush now. Give me my camera.
Tooth Fairy turns around, leans over her seat, and presses the shutter. The children are leaning against each other and sleeping in peace. That’s the end of the horror story, which is not that horrible, though.
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A Nightmare at Green Lake 17 - The New Exodus
Horropedia: Honestly, can’t we just show her our sincerity and care? To share something from the bottom of our hearts, to cure her agony caused by the antagonist’s lonely childhood. Oh, there she is.
Jessica: Just like I expected, you made it! Did you enjoy the story? Oh. I didn’t give you any background information in advance. But it’s okay. You will see a familiar face or two. I believe you haven’t forgotten them. Just like I can’t forget you, Jennifer. Come with me. I’ve prepared you a new home, a home where you may sleep on beds made of soft moss and drink clear, cold spring water. I will get you toffees, coffee, and so many teeth in beautiful shapes. You can even have mine, if you like. You will stay here with me happily ever after, till … till a time even I don’t know of.
Blonney: Huh, Jessica, let us talk. You’ve been thinking of me, haven’t you?
Jessica: Of course, I have!
Blonney: You are fond of me, as well as the stories I made, aren’t you?
Jessica: Yes, I’m fond of you, Jennifer.
The young girl takes a deep breath and tries to show a smile.
Blonney: Do you wanna make me happy?
Jessica: I think so. I have made you happy once. Would you let me do it again? Do you like my story?
Blonney: Let us go, then, including Jason, Freddie, and Michael. Let all of us go.
Jessica: Why?
Blonney: You have made a mistake. You hurt people, and that is unacceptable. This is not funny. I was to blame for misleading you. I can’t let you keep on doing his. I …
Jessica: Don’t you like my story?
Blonney: Yes, I like it very much. It resembles a lot of the stories I wrote when I was a kid. You must have really liked them so much that you would remember them, as well as me, for such a long time. I will not leave you alone again. I’ll come back for you. Every year, no, every six months. I’ll have more time after the graduation. If I make a new movie, you’ll be my first audience, like what we used to do.
Jessica: But I hate living by myself. I don’t wanna live like this anymore. I have no one to talk to. The friends I have here can do nothing but roar. I sing with them as the sun comes up and wake up among them as the moon rises. Jennifer, you know, I used to have the same dream over and over again. A forest and a grassland. Not in Green Lake, nor any places that I know of. I can hear music that I’ve never heard before. After we met, there is you in that dream. You’d wake up in that dream with me, giving me a wreath. In that dream, I can truly rest. But when I wake up, I found myself in Green Lake again. Do I belong here, in Green Lake Campsite? Or somewhere afar? In the days when no one is here, I always hum the melody in the dream, quietly waiting, until my figure almost blended into the mosses. But I’ve waited for too long—so long that you are no longer a girl but a woman now. I’m tired of waiting for you. I’m tired of living all by myself. I was hoping that you may like my story, that you are different from all those people who always try to run away.
The fog starts to surge, bringing a suffocating smell of grass. In the middle of the fog vortex, the deer girl approaches her targets step by step, her eyes glowing green.
…
Tooth Fairy: The fog starts to gather around her. Step back! Cover your mouth and nose. Don’t breathe the fog in.
Sonetto: Her wounds are healing, and I sense her arcanum is getting stronger. We need to leave now, Timekeeper!
Jessica: No, please don’t go.
The voice of Jessica comes out of the fog. She sounds like a little girl who’s begging her mother for a puppy.
Jessica: Please stay here. I will get you the best beds, honey, and fruits. I will search for foods for you. I will take the responsibility to take care of you.
Blonney: Jessica, we will not stay. Now listen to me carefully!
Jessica: No, I hate living alone!
Blonney: Come with me! I will get you a beautiful house, much better than the one you have here! I will show you around, restaurants, shopping malls, and discos. We can have fun in so many places! I will also get you a room, right in our house. I don’t care whether my parents allow this or not.
Jessica: Jennifer. I really want to be with you, but I don’t want to leave here. I have no desire for the outside world. I will quickly reveal this true look of mine, and people will look at me as if I’ve done something wrong! I don’t like that. I hate when my power gets weakened. I … I want you to stay, here, with me!
Vertin: If I say I could stay?
Sonetto: Timekeeper?!
Vertin: Jessica, if I stay, what will you get me? Except for food and shelter, what else will you get me?
Jessica: Will you?
Jessica wipes the tears off her face and smiles.
Jessica: If you stay, I will share my critter friends with you. Along with my cave, my keys, my little buttons … anything you want!
Vertin: Sounds great. We will definitely have great fun. But Jessica, where are the people who once chose to stay here? When they stayed for long enough, after you ran out of all available games, they were no longer attractive to you and no longer adored by you. I can stay longer than them, but with no exception, I will become boring one day. You will be alone again. Every day, waking up, falling asleep, roaming in the dream alone …
Jessica: No, I don’t want that. I don’t wanna live like that anymore!
Vertin: You can lead a different life. You can embrace a diversified and meaningful life.
Jessica: A diversified, meaningful life?
Vertin: When you were Anne, you asked what my wishes were. Now I know the answer. I know what I want. It’s you. Do you want to come with me? I will find you a good place to stay, where nobody will consider you to be weird, nor will they keep staring at you. You will see the world with us—the amazing and unique outside world.
Jessica: This outside world … what else will it have?
Vertin: There are a lot of people and fantastic things out there. There, some people eat gold bars; some others dance on the crocodile skin. Some people ride a rocket, dashing into the sky, and eventually fall into an unknown Zero-G. Even the grassland and the anonymous music in your dream, they truly exist … in the outside world. If you are willing to come with me, you will have them all.
Jessica: Will you really take me to that place?
Vertin: Of course.
Jessica: Why would I trust you?
Vertin: I promise, with everything I can offer.
Jessica: Promise … I know that word. It means words that cannot be broken.
Jessica’s breath gently touches Vertin, from her forehead to her jaw. She sniffs at her discreetly, like a cautious animal. When she finally stops, she smiles like a happy child.
Jessica: I will make your wish come true. I like you. I hope you can be my friend. This is new. I haven’t made a friend like you in a really long time.
In the deer girl’s palm lies a delicate yet worn remote.
Vertin: What’s this?
Jessica: This is a gift to you. Press it. You will find out.
Vertin: I see.
That gift, looking like an old black remote control, makes a “beep” sound.
Vertin: …!
The next second, the sky splits into two halves and then restores itself to one piece again. Under the sun appears the icon of Zeno. The night is over, and the fog has lifted. The horror story has reached its final act.
Zeno Soldier: They are here! Hey, come here!
Female Foundation Investigator: The medics are ready. Please leave the injured to us.
Zeno Soldier: Captain, captain, we found the target and are now carrying out the rescue. Over.
Vertin: There are no enemies here. Everyone here is a member of our squad! Please don’t attack. Repeat, please don’t attack!
Horropedia: Oh, come on … seriously? First we persuaded her with love and care, then we presented the deus ex machina. Now we are doing this? This is the worst antagonist ever! Everything is so screwed! Commentators won’t write anything nice for us! Well, if it were them to write the story, characters like me would always fail to live long enough to see the end. So I don’t oppose to end this peacefully, but to end like this … err …
Tooth Fairy: Aren’t you happy? They did it, like what you said. Some emotional and comforting plots. Eventually, it shows us that love always wins.
Horropedia: Emm, Ms. Tooth Fairy, that was a joke, a joke to show you my sense of humour.
An acquaintance gets out of the crowd and approaches the children quickly.
Male Foundation Investigator: Timekeeper, it’s great to see that you are fine. And Mr. Horropedia, Madam Z is waiting for you in the car outside the woods. Please come with us.
Horropedia: What? Madam Z? She’s here? Oh, hiss, ah, my wounds … Ah, how painful! Medics … where are the medics?
Jessica: What are these?
Vertin: People from the “outside world.” Don’t worry. They won’t hurt you. You might receive some training for a period. It might be a bit boring, but I promise it won’t last too long.
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A Nightmare At Green Lake 16 - Monster Designer
Vertin: The lighthouse is sinking. Everyone, move and leave now!
Blonney: Anne … She … She was The Last Girl. She was our only means to survive in this horror story, and we have lost her. No. She was never with us.
Blonney murmurs, staggering slowly.
Blonney: I’m to blame. It’s me who created such a girl at Green Lake, a girl who restrains people and treats them like toys!
Tooth Fairy: Calm down, Blonney, calm down.
Blonney: I … I can’t.
She almost bursts into tears.
Blonney: It’s too late, Tooth Fairy. We have lost all the cards!
Tooth Fairy: We still have a chance.
Blonney: You don’t understand. It was me who created the stories. I created that monster! I’ve drawn many monsters in that notebook, and with all those stories I told, I created her! I turned our Last Girl into the biggest villain. What should we do now? How are we gonna …
Tooth Fairy: You are right. This is the story created by you. They are all created by you. It’s your story, your monsters, your past, your arcane skill, and your identity as an arcanist. They all belong to you.
Blonney: Belong … to me?
The cabin shakes again. The critters are tackling the glass window irritably.
Tooth Fairy: The monster born in the bottom of the lake, the butcher, and the pathetic bride—they all came from you. It was you who taught Jessica how to make a story, how to create all of this. She created them all, but you endowed her with such ability. She’s the creator of these, and you are the creator of the creator.
Everything in their sight is shaking and even collapsing.
Tooth Fairy: This is a page in your chapter. You created it, so you should learn to accept it, control it, not fear it.
Tooth Fairy is still walking forward determinedly, step by step.
Tooth Fairy: Don’t run away, but face it.
…
Sonetto: Blonney … Timekeeper …
She flounders, yet it doesn’t stop her from drowning. She gradually loses her strength due to the lack of oxygen. Then, she seems to see a spot of silver light flashing on the bottom of the dark lake.
Sonetto: A boat? Is this Blonney’s …
Tooth Fairy: It’s her arcanum. Now, she is doing her utmost to keep the ship in balance.
Blonney: Damn it. I knew I shouldn’t be so ostentatious. There’s no way that I can have control over such a big boat! If I keep doing this for any longer, I would die of a headache before making it to An … Jessica!
Horropedia: I’ve warned you so, haven’t I? But don’t worry. The reliable Horropedia will save your neck. Using this amazing tool. Good, hooked onto the rock! You might feel a bit seasick. Please try not to vomit. If you fail, at least don’t puke on me! Sit still and hold tight. We are heading towards the river bank!
The river bank on the other side gradually grows longer and longer as they approach it. They arrive there very soon. The critters guarding the bank are roaring together.
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A Nightmare At Green Lake 15 - Creature from Green Lake
Jennifer: Today I’m going to read you The Frightening Hunter! I wrote it yesterday!
Deer Sockpuppet: Read it! Read it!
Jennifer: This is the story of a hunter. The hunger is tall and muscly and of great frame. He can twist steel rebar with his bare hands, and no one can lift his arms up by a hair’s thickness and escape from him. The hunter lives in the campsite, deep in the woods. He would slaughter every living thing that breaks into his territory. One day, a group of college students came into the forest. They enjoyed their time there, drinking and dancing. When it comes to the night, the strongest of them disappeared.
Deer Sockpuppet: Oh? Where did he go?
Jennifer: The hunter killed him! He hung the boy’s head on the tree and turned to the girl with the blonde hair.
Deer Sockpuppet: Oh!
Jennifer: She also soon breathed her last breath. The third victim is the clumsy short guy, followed by the nerdy tall guy. At last, the Hunter came up to our protagonist, the kind, naive girl.
…
Deer Sockpuppet: That was the first story she ever told me. An intriguing, interesting story.
…
Jennifer: This is the story of Jessica.
Deer Sockpuppet: How nice! You are here again. It’s been a month since you last showed up here.
Jennifer: Just like the character we’ve seen in the movies, she’s a kind, introverted, virtuous girl. The friends of hers took her to a beautiful campsite next to a lovely lake. This would be the perfect place for a swimsuit party.
Deer Sockpuppet: You’ve grown taller. Can you bet up so I can see better?
Jennifer: What they didn’t know is that, deep in the water, a defeated, evil army is in hiding.
Deer Sockpuppet: Why are you frowning?
Jennifer: Countless demonic war beasts were roaring restlessly to be unleashed, and an evil plan has been hatched. A massacre was about to take place.
Deer Sockpuppet: What can I do to make you feel better, Jennifer?
Jennifer: Yes, a nightmare indeed. Jessica ran as fast as she could, kept pushing herself to go faster and faster until her ankles could not support one more sprint, and she rolled into a muddy pond. The monster with dark fur and a bloody mouth was right behind her. Then …
Deer Sockpuppet: Are you crying? Jennifer?
Jennifer, we gotta go. Where are you?
Jennifer: Oh, no. It’s Mom. I’m here. I’m here!
Deer Sockpuppet: Yes, so you are crying, Jennifer. Oh. Aren’t you taking the notebook with you? Why are you throwing it into the lake?
Jennifer: I really like this place, but I’ll probably never come back here again. I gotta go. See you, Jessica.
Deer Sockpuppet: Okay.
Jessica: See you, Jennifer.
…
Jessica: That was the last story she told … I didn’t understand what she meant by “see you,” for she has never actually “seen” me. After that, I also haven’t seen her for a long, long time—feels like for ages. I went through every corner of the campsite and collected every item I could possibly find, making stories out of them, one after another. But who is there to tell? There’s no one in the woods anymore. At first, I spent my days with my furry friends. They were my loyal listeners, and I taught them how to act and behave like the “monsters” in the stories. We played the stories, one after another. It was great fun. But the stories got old. No exceptions. This is when those young people came into the woods, like the protagonists in our stories. They arrived with their friends, and each of them have different relationships with one another. We had a good time, but I would think about Jennifer a lot. When I started to believe that I will never see her again, she’s back. She came back with many people who I have never met before, as well as a “camera” that I have never seen. She was here to make a “movie,” which is a word I used to hear a lot from her. I understand it to be a kind of story that could be stored in a box. I’m glad that she is still passionate about horror movies, like what I have been feeling in all these years. They were short of one “actress,” and I know what that word means. A brilliant idea came to my mind. I joined them. I was like the monster in the stories that hides in the group. She will be so surprised when she finds out what I did. However, an accident happened. There were other people in the forest. Ah, misfortune. What a misfortune. Jennifer was upset. She got into a fight with a strange man. I called upon the rain, bringing these people into my story too. They accomplished a good story! The man who knows a lot about horror movies, the woman who is always calm, the woman who seems strange, and the woman who smells like a puppy. They are all very interesting people. I think I start to like them. They are different to the people I met before, who always cried and fainted very quickly, not long after my story started. They are interesting and of great fun. So I want to tell them the truth and make friends with them. I have to let them know about this, that … My real name was never Anne. It’s Jessica.
…
Jessica: This is the last surprise I’ve prepared for you. Now, enjoy!
…
Blonney: Anne! She jumped!
Sonetto: Blonney! Watch out for the critters!
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A Nightmare At Green Lake 14 - Top of the Lighthouse
The humid Green Lake is shrouded in mist.
Horropedia: That’s right. This is where all the stories are leading to.
Going through the notebook in his hand, he nods with certainty.
Horropedia: Huh! Jack the Drowner, the monster crying under the water, and the bride sinking into a glistening “mirror” … Here must be the centre of all that happened. This is where the ghost stories we encountered at the campsite were created, and now they have led us here. What we need to do next is to find the clues hidden here and let the clues build our story!
Blonney: …
Horropedia: Hm? What’s wrong, Blonney?
Blonney: When we arrived here, was there …
Blonney hesitantly raises her arm and points to the middle of the misty lake.
Blonney: Wa- … was there a lighthouse?
Horropedia: Huh? Hmm. I think it just showed up out of nowhere, like a ghostly figure appearing behind you. A lighthouse in the lake … A lighthouse …
Tooth Fairy: Is “the lighthouse in the lake” also a classic element in horror stories?
Horropedia: Eh, well, not quite. But it can be a good place for horror stories. In the middle of a huge, gloomy lake, a lighthouse stands there like the fang in a monster’s mouth. You can’t find any place better than this to hide a horrifying secret!
After observing the river bank for a while, Horropedia walks over and pulls a rope on the ground. The boat on the other end of the rope is then pulled to his side.
Horropedia: And there’s even a boat here! You should know that a campsite horror movie couldn’t exist without a little boat!
Blonney: Huh! You’re just not afraid of being killed, are you?
The young girl shakes slightly, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms.
Blonney: What if it turns over? What if there’s a lake monster? We might be putting ourselves in its mouth, like serving it a plate of dessert.
Horropedia: To be fair, it makes no difference whether we are on the shore or in the boat. We’re just cakes in different plates to it—if it does exist. If I were the lake monster, between the cake running away from me and the cake which willingly comes to me, I would give the latter one a better ending.
Blonney looks at the lighthouse and then turns toward her confident companion. At last, she relaxes and shrugs.
Blonney: Huh, alright. If I have to be eaten like a cake, I prefer to be the cake that has more control over its death.
Tooth Fairy: Get into the boat, then. Let’s head to the lighthouse.
…
Lighthouse
Horropedia: Huh, a normal lighthouse. Not even a bloody handprint is found here. Well, I’ll be damned!
Feeing disappointed, Horropedia stands straight and gives up being a “sneaky” adventurer.
Tooth Fairy: The reality is not as sensational as the stories. Just like the “permanent-teeth loss” can’t rival the “latest and most frightening curse” for excitement.
Blonney: This is not just an ordinary place to me. I’ve never seen this before! I used to come here every day, reading novels by the lake. But I’ve never seen a lighthouse here. It just shows up like a ghost, followed by a series of mysterious, horrific events!
Blonney shivers in fear and stays close to Anne.
Sonetto: Timekeeper, please come and take a look at this.
Blonney: Aah, my! This is …
Horropedia: The “man behind the scene” is much simpler than I thought. Maybe he really is a child? Like those evil kids in the movies. Despite their evil nature, they can only perform the evil deeds through simple means. Are we really going to open it?
His arms folded, Horropedia walks half a circle around the box.
Vertin: We’ll have to open it, according to the note.
Horropedia: I am saying, this is obviously a curse. A lighthouse, a strange lake, a fishing net, and a wooden box. Rub it three times, blow and unveil it … What comes out of it is definitely not a genie offering us three wishes.
Vertin: We have dealt with more curses in the past two hours than many people do in their entire life. If it is a curse, then it is a curse prepared for us.
That makes sense. The man ponders for a few seconds, raises his eyebrows in approval, and opens the box.
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A Nightmare At Green Lake 13 - Inside Fortune Cookies
The ghost bride’s flesh and wedding dress smash to the ground, emitting a beastly stench and turning into a pile of black fur.
Horropedia: There’s a note hidden inside, just like the one found in the butcher’s corpse.
Vertin: Someone is passing messages to us through these notes. If we defeat more monsters, we will get a clearer picture of what’s happened at Green Lake Campsite.
Horropedia: This is the all-time favourite trick of the “plotter.” He takes the whole situation under control, playfully teases the innocent participants like us, through which he gains a special sense of fulfilment. But we have our means to cope with it.
Horropedia raises the note with his left hand and the shiny ring with his right hand and smiles.
Horropedia: The ring brought us a putrefied ghost bride. Then we got the book, the pillbox, the weird samples. Every item from the attic comes from a monster we just confronted. “Touching the forbidden, and the misfortune will befall you.” We can find stories of this kind in many civilisations, but what if we use it to fight back …
Vertin: Not to wait for the monsters, but “summon” them to us.
Horropedia: Exactly. If you want, we can select which ones to summon first. If you carefully look into each of these, you’ll find that these items have a lot to tell us. If we plan their arrivals and predict their weaknesses in advance, victory will absolutely be ours.
Sonetto: A risky strategy, but could be equally beneficial. However we decide to do this, it’s always better to take action before our enemy does.
Vertin: Horropedia, how likely is it for you to get their weaknesses right?
Horropedia: Almost 100%. If one Horropedia isn’t enough, we have one more creative “Ms. Horropedia” here as backup.
Blonney: Ugh …! You can’t be talking about me?
Horropedia: Of course, you. You are erudite and experienced in horror movies. Relax, you deserve the title of Horropedia.
Blonney: Does he always vex people like this? Or, is he just being annoying here?
Sonetto: Mr. Horropedia is not a bad person. He’s just a bit unconventional.
Horropedia: There’s no doubt. This is the craziest carnival ever! The delirious fog, the attic filled with curses, the rainy night, and the countless monsters … I praise you! My beloved cabin in the woods!
…
Vertin: Good, this should be the last note.
Anne: Vertin, these are all the notes we can find in the backyard! I just checked on Jennifer and Sonetto. They are still looking for more, but this shouldn’t take them much longer.
Vertin: Thank you for your update.
Anne: Except that … Vertin, can I ask you a question?
Vertin: Sure, please.
Anne: Do you have any wishes? Big ones, small ones, hilarious ones, or sincere ones, any wishes.
Vertin: Me? Hmm. I think, I currently don’t have any wishes.
Anne: Not even for the most trivial things? Like candies, a good rest, or a soft bed?
Vertin: My life is good enough without them. You look pretty shocked. Have they all told you what they want?
Anne: Yes. Jennifer wants a soft bed and a hot tub. Mr. Horropedia wants a cup of coffee or a gum. Ms. Tooth Fairy wants a collection of critter teeth, and Sonetto …
Vertin: Yeah?
Anne: She wants a toffee. She said she wants to taste it properly this time, for she has never really paid attention to the flavour.
Vertin: Once we get out of here,their wishes will soon come true. How about you, Anne? What do you wish to get?
Anne: Me?
She crouches her chest shyly and lightly scratches her nose.
Anne: It is a secret. I can’t tell you now. But I will get you some presents. I don’t have many friends, and I really like you.
Sonetto: Great! Timekeeper and Anne, you are here! We have found every piece of information we can. We can start cross-examining them any minute.
Vertin: I get it. Let’s go back.
Anne: Have you noticed?
Vertin: Noticed what?
Anne reaches out a dry palm and points to the moon.
Anne: That … the rain has stopped.
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A Nightmare At Green Lake 12 - Rush of Passion
The young staff of the Foundation are making deductions from the current situation. The city girl and the town girl lie in the sofa, snuggled up against each other, and fiddle with the clutter piled up on the table.
Blonney: Look, they are trying to solve the problem, yet we can do nothing but fiddle around. Maybe I should have worked harder in college, so that I can at least understand a thing or two from the conversation.
Anne: Don’t worry, Jennifer! I don’t understand any of what they said either! You are not alone. I’m here with you.
Blonney: I’m not like you. You literally don’t know anything. I remember when we first met, you asked of everything I had on me. You grew up here, in a small town in the middle of nowhere. It is only normal that you don’t know anything about the outside world. But I’m different. I’ve been to big cities, I’ve gone to college, I’ve read books, I pretended to be well-adapted to this lifestyle. But in fact, I’m still ignorant, knowing nothing but empty pleasures. My hair colour gives away who I am. I’m a silly blondie.
Anne: Don’t speak of yourself like this, Jennifer.
Anne sits up, frowning with anxiety. She raises her voice.
Anne: You’re not silky. You are smart! You make your own movie with a script you wrote by yourself! You’re pretty and kind, and you’re the best person I’ve ever known. Please don’t hate yourself.
Blonney: Fine, I get it, but can you let go of my hand first? You’re hurting me a bit.
Anne: Oh! Sorry! Are you going to be okay? Shall I get you some ointment for these red areas on your hand?
Blonney: Haha! You’re funny. I’m not some glass doll that breaks from being held too tightly. Heh heh. Oh, I can barely breathe. You are great fun!
Anne: You’re smiling. Did I make you happy? This is good.
Blonney: Heh heh. Don’t you find me weird? My attitude changes so rapidly. I’ve been mean to you for a long time. And all of a sudden, I started to follow you around and try to use you to survive from this.
Anne: Weird? What’s so bad about that? Even if you’re weird, it’s a good kind of weird. I like you … staying by my side.
Blonney: Even if I’m a benefit-driven fence-sitter who immediately embrace arcanists after being ditched by my human friends?
Anne: Jason and Michael shouldn’t hate you, if they knew you better.
Blonney: Hah …
The laughter makes her tired. She lets her body fall on the sofa, her head leaning on the shoulder of that small-town girl.
Blonney: You seem to really like me.
Anne: …!
Blonney: You would jump off the car to rescue me, you protect me, praise me. You would even be happy because I was happy.
Anne: Because I’ve never seen anyone as pretty as you are. You’re special. You’re different to the rest of us.
Blonney: Oh, stop. I will not be embarrassed for these nice things you said about me. I’ve heard enough of them throughout my entire life. Listen, I’m very sorry for mistreating you, and I’m grateful that you came to save me. I will reward you with a secret, my secret. Do you wanna hear it?
Anne: Absolutely!
Anne’s green eyes are filled with sincerity, shining like a puppy’s.
Anne: I’d love to!
Blonney: In fact, I don’t hate horror movies.
Tooth Fairy: This is the diary I found in the attic. There were many other things, like a full warehouse.
Blonney: I actually liked them a lot when I was a kid. I spent most of my time here, in Green Lake Campsite, writing my own horror movie scripts on paper.
Tooth Fairy: The handwriting is pretty childish, so the writer might be around 8 to 13 years old. Some of the narratives are straightforward, but the story itself is very creative.
Blonney: But later, we moved to another town. Huh, hah! My parents earned great success in business, and we moved into a high-profile community where only humans are allowed. We were also given privileges that arcanists cannot enjoy. It was then I realised—nobody wants me to be an arcanist.
Tooth Fairy: It was since that day, the diary stopped updating. It might be forgotten or taken away. The story ended there.
Blonney: That’s why I decided to break off my connections with arcanists and stop showing interests in emotive things like horror movies in order to hide the arcanist side of me. Huh! I took out my energy on other things which may ease my mind, like soap operas, new clothes, fashions … People like me this way. They said this is what I’m supposed to do. They believe that I’m a dumb bimbo, believe that I hate books. I led a life they want me to have, till I graduated from high school.
Anne: I don’t like these people. You shouldn’t have been out through this. You are the smartest person I’ve ever known.
Anne reaches out a hand and clenches a fist.
Anne: If one day I run into them, I will pull their noses and mouths off, like this!
Blonney: A wonderful idea. I wish I was as creative as you are.
…
Blonney: So, in the end, I attacked one of the jerks who didn’t watch his mouth at the prom. I slapped him in the face and smashed four sandwiches and a salad on his head. Then, feeling resentful for what had happened, I applied for a degree in filmmaking, a course which was considered to be “ill-fitted” to me. And next, I started shooting horror movies for an assignment “I have to finish.” Huh! Deep down inside, I think I have never really given them up. I’ve probably never stopped loving them.
Horropedia: Keep on shooting. I will buy you a new camera.
Blonney: Hello! Have you been eavesdropping? Where is your manners?
Vertin: Actually, I heard them all as well.
Tooth Fairy: So did I.
Horropedia: We are in the same room. You can talk, we can hear, and the air helps. That’s it.
Tooth Fairy: Well, we are all here, paying attention to your voices. We heard everything you just said.
Tooth Fairy walks up, gently putting a pink diary on Blonney’s knees.
Tooth Fairy: I think this is yours. Now I should hand it back to you.
Blonney: Where did you find it? I haven’t seen this for a really long time.
A reunion after a long separation. Blonney opens the diary carefully.
Blonney: I used to do some arcanist tricks with it, but I have lost control over my power since I threw it into the la- … lak- … Aaah-choo!
Blonney suddenly gives a shiver, perhaps because she is touched by the diary, or perhaps because of something else. She raises her head and looks around.
Blonney: Aren’t you guys cold? How come it’s so chilly?
A gust of cold wind, along with a bit of rain, swirls into the cabin. Outside the opened door, a wedding ring lies in a puddle, reflecting light ominously.
Blonney: That ring? Wasn’t it on my finger a minute ago?
Vertin: Watch out. Something is approaching.
…
Blonney: How many more dead men were buried here? I’ve had enough! Can’t we just get rid of that dead woman?
Ghost Bride: Boohoo …
Blonney: She’s approaching! This is a good chance …
Ghost Bride: Aaahhh!
Blonney: Ugh! She smells like a skunk in the sewer!
Sonetto: Blonney! The ghost bride took her down. We need to help her!
Critter Crowd: Chirp …
Sonetto: Not good. The critters are coming around again!
The ghost bride murmurs something and crawls over Blonney, who has fallen to the ground.
Ghost Bride: I do … do … I do … ah …
Horropedia: Hey! Blondie! If you wanna survive, leave that ring alone!
Blonney: Hell, you think I wanted this?! This crazy woman ghost put it on me! Get off! Get lost!
The ghost bride’s oozy body is kicked back several feet.
Ghost Bride: Uuuhh …!
Blonney quickly struggles to her feet and runs toward the back of the cabin.
Ghost Bride: Hmm, boohoo … uuuhh …
Horropedia: Damn! Her whimper can summon more critters. They are going out from the ground!
Tooth Fairy: Shh.
Shaking her head, Tooth Fairy walks to the centre of the monsters. She is surrounded by sparkling powder.
Tooth Fairy: What they need is a song.
…
Sonetto: This is Ms. Tooth Fairy’s singing! Ms. Tooth Fairy, behind you!
Horropedia: Jeez! What on earth is that!
Blonney: Ahahaha! What is it, do you think? Of course, a good surpriiiiiiiiise! Ha! I didn’t know I was a talented driver! Once we get out of here, I’m gonna get myself a driver’s license!
Horropedia: Within 30 seconds, you crashed over every critter in our sight. I don’t think you are qualified to be a driver. No, no. That’s not the point. Where did you get the car?
Tooth Fairy: Pink lines. This is drawn with an oil paint pen. This is her arcane skill. Your arcane skill restored pretty fast. Seems like you’ve accepted your identity.
Blonney: May be that, or may be because I retrieved this diary. I feel something has changed inside me, making me a bit hyped.
Tooth Fairy: A good try. Please keep up with the feeling.
Blonney: That song you just sang—can I take it as a gift?
Tooth Fairy: You mean …?
Blonney: Well, you still owe me a song. Please, I wanna song from you.
Tooth Fairy: Sure, take it as a gift. For making progress in life and for your courage to embrace who you truly are.
Blonney: Thanks. This is my handkerchief. Take it. Wipe your face. Ah!
The Hummer woven with pink graffiti horns melts in the rain. Blonney stumbles backward. It’s a misjudgement of her own arcane ability—a mistake commonly made by rookie arcanists.
Horropedia: Did you just get a bit woozy from putting up a big scene to the rescue?
Blonney: I didn’t.
Horropedia: Okay … uh-huh … yeah … uh-hum …
Blonney: What are you doing?
Horropedia: I know the rules of social courtesy. You just saved my life, so I won’t embarrass you by telling others you just overestimated your ability.
Horropedia shakes his head, a grin spreading across his face.
Horropedia: If you are willing to take advice from me, I would say don’t overburden yourself.
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A Nightmare At Green Lake 11 - White Moss
Horropedia: You offered us the best odds. We have The Last Girl!
Anne: Please don’t say that. I’m not that good. It was pure luck.
Blonney: No, you are awesome. You struck away a knife with a branch and took the murderer’s life with his own weapon. I can’t be wrong with your part to play here. You are The Last Girl! I should have noticed this earlier. You are gentle, simple, and kind-hearted enough to put yourself in danger to save others. No one is more suitable for this role than you. This is your part. Good, good. From now on, I will stay right next to you, because where you are is always going to be the safe place.
Anne: Jennifer …?!
Horropedia: Blondie, I need to remind you that the character who relies on others always leads to a miserable end.
Blonney: Ugh, get lost! Have you ever wondered why people dislike you? Anne, promise me, you will keep me safe with this “special power” of yours!
Sonetto: This is good. Blonney seems to be more relaxed now. She smiles a lot more as well.
Tooth Fairy: She is changing. Not bad.
Vertin: Ms. Tooth Fairy, please take a look at this.
Tooth Fairy: A piece of moss … with mud, and a sour and earthy smell … It smells the same as the key. I found this smell in that car as well as on the sofa in the cabin. Where did you get this
Vertin: There’s a special area near the woods where the temperature and humidity levels are higher, so mosses are ubiquitous.
Tooth Fairy: Any signs of artificial cultivation?
Vertin: I’m not sure. This place has been deserted for so long. We haven’t found any trace of human activities.
After examining the moss and thinking in silence, Tooth Fairy nods confirmedly.
Tooth Fairy: This is a potion. Like most moss-made potions, it paralyses the central neural system of humans. The subject will become impulsive, confused, and mad. They permeated the whole campsite with the rain, taking away the sanity from Jason, Freddie, and Michael, like what would happen in a horror movie.
Horropedia: No surprise. Ordinary people would never behave as foolish as the main characters in a horror movie. It’s said that a similar smell was also found on the Zeno Youth Force. Were they controlled by the moss here?
Tooth Fairy: Yes, the changes of personality can be one of the effects of the moss.
Vertin: So the moss not only affects humans, it also works on arcanists. What about us? Why haven’t we been affected?
Tooth Fairy: Time, it takes time. Humans perceive the world through the use of reason. They are the creatures of logic and senses. However, they soon lose their sanity when they meet insanity. Arcanists are not the same. We were born with chaotic, mixed emotions. Our innate sensitivity to feelings and potion resistance are stronger. The Zeno Youth Force stayed here for an adequately long period to be contaminated. It will also affect us when the time comes.
Horropedia: Perhaps we’ve lost our minds without realising it.
Horropedia puts both hands behind his head and sinks into the sofa. But soon he sits up straight again and approaches the table eagerly.
Horropedia: Oh, what are these? They look appealing. Why hasn’t anyone told me about them?
Tooth Fairy: I found them in the attic. These tiny and exquisite items have a lot to dig into.
Tooth Fairy looks up at the dark attic.
Tooth Fairy: Pity, I still haven’t found a tooth.
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A Nightmare At Green Lake 10 - Hoarding Obsession
Tooth Fairy: … A warehouse filled with bizarre little items. Puppets, Ouiji board, audio tapes … a diary, and a ring box … “… To my forever love, Victoria. Here lies my lifelong secret. In the summer of 1973, I took the life of a young lady.” Oh, sounds like an intriguing story. Those kids will love it. Huuhh! The pity is I find no teeth here.
…
Outside the cabin
Sonetto: Good, that’d be make another trap. The cabin is more safely secured now. Now, take these boards to the east side of the house. We need to have that direction covered as well.
Blonney: Huh, huh! Damn it, what are you? Did you really draw this amount of strength and energy from this thin body?!
Sonetto: This is nothing compared to the training I received in the Foundation. Blonney, it is okay to rest on the chair over there if you’re feeling fatigued. Leave this to me …
Before the kindhearted girl finishes her words, someone else takes over the boards.
Tooth Fairy: Ladies, I found something in the attic. I brought them here … Hah, Vertin?
Sonetto: Time- … Timekeeper?!
Blonney: It’s Anne! She’s safe! Good. Hmm? What … what’s that behind her?! I didn’t know there’s still an army stationed here?
Tooth Fairy: No, that’s a cluster of monsters. Well, you can also call it an army.
Blonney: Awesome! How are we supposed to deal with them?! We are so dead!
…
Anne: I … I can’t run … any further …
Vertin: Good, they’ve set traps in front of the cabin. Sonetto!
Sonetto: Activate the trap. Prepare to engage!
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