'Five Tapes' - Steemit Story Chain #10 Where You Write the Story and 100 Whaleshares for the Winner
Welcome to the Steemit Story Chain
Hello good people of Steemit how are you doing this Monday afternoon? It's that time of the week again where I invite you all to demonstrate your creative talents and submit an entry to the Steemit Story Chain, now in its tenth week. What I need you to do is complete my story in your own unique way. For the winning entry there is a generous 100 Whaleshares prize.
I want to just say a big thank you to everyone who took part in the last story chain, your efforts were amazing, particularly the contributions from @littlejibblet, @jorlauski, @silenteyes, @redsfallin, @tinajordan and @geekpowered.
It's been another week where we have a number of new writers joining the chain and the quality of writing keeps on impressing. My co-judge @nikflossus was very pleasantly surprised by the entries this week. After another intense discussion we have now reached a decision on the winner.
@littlejibblet
You wrote an incredibly original part with a tightly written introduction and a really unexpected twist. It's important to say that very close behind was @tinajordan and @joraluski, both with well written continuations of the story. A shade behind them were @geekpowered and @redisfallin, again with solid entries. Every week the standard is rising so thank you all for your incredible contributions.
The winner, @littlejibblet, has won 100 Whaleshares. Please reply with your Bitshares account information and I will send the Whaleshares to your account immediately. Enjoy! If you don't have an account don't worry it's very simple and completely free to set one up here - https://bitshares.openledger.info/?r=akrid-1.
A reminder of the winning entry is featured below.
I rushed over to her and began to untie the ropes.
'Please hurry,' she begged
'Who did this?'
'I don't know. Please hurry.'
I quickly freed her, hoisted her out of the trunk and made to lead her away from the car. She pulled back.
'No, take the car.'
'Forget the car,' I said urgently.
'No, they'll follow us. Take these.' She pulled some keys from her back pocket and handed them to me. 'You drive'. I hesitated for a moment then ran to the drivers seat. We both got in, slammed the doors and, after gunning the engine a few times, I sped off. For about five minutes I drove like a maniac, screeching round corners, checking the rear mirror and doubling back on myself with a number of hair raising U turns. Eventually we left the town. I slowed as we began to drive through a forest. There was no one on the road behind. Slowly I felt my pulse and breathing return to normal. I turned to her.
'What happened back there?'
'A kidnapping.' She seemed suddenly very calm as she spoke.
'Who was trying to kidnap you?'
'No one.' She smiled broadly as she said it. Too broadly. The hairs on my neck prickled very slightly.
'What are you talking about? You said 'kidnapping'. What kidnapping?' With almost leisurely ease she leaned forward, reached under her seat, and sat up, holding a small grey pistol which she pointed lazily at my head.
'This kidnapping....'
Right then let's turn our attentions to this week's story chain - Five Tapes. In order to take part you must first upvote and resteem this post. I have written the first part of the story below and then it is down to you guys to develop the story in whatever way you want using the comment box. Remember to try and be as creative and original as possible. You can take the story in whatever direction you wish to and even change the genre from one part to the next, it is entirely up to you. A short paragraph or two is all we are after. And remember to number which part of the story you are writing.
This contest is sponsored by Whaleshares and I owe a big thank you to @akrid. There is 100 Whaleshares for the winning entry. If you would like to learn more about Whaleshares and how they can significantly increase your post rewards please visit https://steemit.com/whaleshares/@eirik/guide-on-how-to-use-whaleshares-updated-version where @eirik will gladly explain more to you.
The incredibly talented writer @nikflossus will be helping me to decide which one of your entries deserves the winning prize. We are looking for:
- A strong sense of imagination
- Creative intelligence
- Originality
- Narrative fluidity (ensuring the story chain links smoothly)
- Use of language, grammar and syntax (we need to understand what you're saying!)
- The winner will be announced in a week's time. A new post will be published then announcing the winner along with a new story chain.
Now without any further delay here is part one of Five Tapes.
Here I was in my new home. How long would I stay here for? Another rented flat and another new town to get to know. Another new job that would probably soon turn out like all the rest and leave me in the inevitable state of frustration, anger and poverty. After shifting and shoving boxes all afternoon I was ready for a cuppa. As I walked to the kitchen I felt a loose floorboard under the rug. I lifted the rug and the broken board to discover an old cardboard box. In it were four video tapes from an old camcorder, and one empty case where a fifth video was missing. The cassette adapter was included. Luckily I had never thrown out my old video recorder, so immediately set it up along with the television. I spent the rest of that afternoon and evening watching the content on those tapes. I do not deny that what I saw changed my life forever. If I were to escape these awful jobs and this wretched enslaved society then I had to find that fifth tape.
2 I went back downstairs and found the flashlight and some new batteries. Sitting down at the kitchen table I loaded them into the torch and put a screwdriver in my pocket. Then I noticed the knife rack and, without knowing why, reached for the largest, sharpest knife I owned.
Just then the doorbell rang. I jumped up and went to answer it.
There was no one there. The street was eerily quiet. I listened for a few moments but heard nothing.
Feeling a little uneasy I went back to the kitchen where suddenly I pulled up with a start, letting the torch fall to the ground. The plastic case cracked and the batteries spilled out.
I took a step backwards.
At the table, propped up on the seat where I'd been sitting was the clown marionette. In front of it on the table was the knife. Pointing straight at me. Next to it was a videotape with a large letter 5 taped to the top.
The message was clear. Feeling extremely uneasy now I crept to the table, picked up the tape and the knife,and, after a a short deliberation, the clown. I took everything into the lounge. Then I put the tape in the machine, placed the clown on the sofa next to me and, holding the knife in one hand, pressed play on the remote control with the other....
Thank you @yardley-elbert for your entry, the winner has just been announced and a new story chain has begun - https://steemit.com/story/@freedomexists/if-only-you-knew-steemit-story-chain-11-where-you-write-the-story-and-100-whaleshares-for-the-winner
1
I went into the kitchen, wondering if there was another loose board. I must have looked like a crazy person, slowly walking around the kitchen, pressing my foot down on various boards, jumping up and down, and even getting down on my hands and knees and pressing on them to see if they would give a little. I started to pull on one that seemed a little loose, but as it creaked, I realized I wasn't quite ready to tear up the entire floor looking for that tape.
I then proceeded to check all the cabinets to see if I could find it. Other than a few dusty cans of food no one would want to eat unless they were starving, and a jar of home made jam stuffed in the back of one of the cabinets, I didn't find much. I should have known it wouldn't have been that easy.
I walked through every room of the house, occasionally testing a squeaky board or two, and tried to look for any place someone might hide something. I even tried removing some of the vents. The only thing I found in those was that the vents hadn't been cleaned in years. Then I noticed, on the up stairs ceiling, a pull down door to the attic.
I felt a foreboding sense of dread as I climbed the ladder. It was almost pitch black, except for a bit of light from the sun coming through a shuttered window. Thin rays of light from the window barely illuminated the outline of few boxes in the corner. Next to them hung an old creepy clown marionette. It was one of the creepiest dolls I have ever seen. Something in me told me to give up, and forget the tape, but curiosity won me over. I was going to need a flashlight.
Thank you @geekpowered for your entry, the winner has just been announced and a new story chain has begun - https://steemit.com/story/@freedomexists/if-only-you-knew-steemit-story-chain-11-where-you-write-the-story-and-100-whaleshares-for-the-winner
Part 3
As the video begin to play there was that familiar static and crackle, that I remembered from watching my favorite videos as a kid. The words," Video Number Five" , scrolled across the screen. The same familiar voice from videos 1 through 4 began to speak. " I see you found video number five. I guess Adam likes you .", the Voice began. The screen was black as in all the other videos. As he spoke I pictured the image of Einstein. He just sounded like an old professor. " So as I said before, the practice of alchemy has been considered a myth for years .", he continued. Realizing that he was recapping everything that had been covered in the first videos. I decided to fast forward the video, stopping every few seconds to hear where he was in his talk. "Bla bla bla", I thought.
"Realizing that we know had the technology to split atoms..." Yes! I had finally gotten to the good part. Suddenly the video went to static. "What! ", I said as I smacked the vcr. A guy in a magicians outfit appeared on the screen. " Come to amazing's house of magic", he screamed with an infomercial tone of voice. "Where we have everything a good performer needs to entertain his audience ." I stared at the screen dumb-founded, as series of princess marionette puppets flashed across the screen. " Only 29.99", I heard the magician say as I came to myself.
I grabbed the remote and clicked on fast forward. The images on the screen scrolled by as follows: Amazing house of magic magician, princess marionette puppets, 29.99, amazing house of magic magician, princess marionette puppets, 29.99. This continued for at least three recorded commercials. Finally the screen turned back to the familiar black, and the voice I desperately yearned to hear came back on. " The beauty of this process is that all these ingredients, I mentioned, can be found at your local hardware store. Yet, I warn you again. There are serious consequences for bending the laws of creation."
Thank you @dreaminghirwin for your entry, the winner has just been announced and a new story chain has begun - https://steemit.com/story/@freedomexists/if-only-you-knew-steemit-story-chain-11-where-you-write-the-story-and-100-whaleshares-for-the-winner
4
Rain pitter pattered down against the street like a steady drum as a gusts of cold wind ripped about the trembling leaves , filling the damp air with a thick, wet rustling sound. Standing before me was an aged two story building, it's pitch black silhouette looming against the moon. Even in the shade of the dark, it was clear that this unkempt and decrepit building was abandoned long ago. There was nothing about it that looked inviting. Why I had come this far, I could not tell you. Something about the video had driven me to search out more answers. To understand. I had looked up the magic shop online - of course there there were no traces of it anywhere. In my desperation, I had went to the library - I place I normally steer clear of. The quietness and deadness of the place had always given me the creeps -with people's faces buried in their books, furiously turning pages and bobbing their heads to some tune leaking from their mp3 player while gaping at you for talking to loud - it just felt too uptight for me. But I knew they had a microfiche that had county records going back to the 1800's . Though it was a longshot - I just had to know if this magic shop had really existed and if I could find it. Perhaps the answers I needed would be there.
Hours of research lead me to this very place - it had been a thriving magic shop that was a favorite among locals. It was known for its massive collection of marrianette dolls of all types. But as time went on , video stores become more popular than magic shops and in his best effort to keep his business afloat - the owner began buying, selling and renting videos. He did well for the first few years, and was even having trouble keeping up with demand. He would go to auctions looking for more tapes to add to his inventory. One day - he went out of town for two days - the sign on his door said he would be back on the following Monday. Sure enough , he was back on Monday with a fresh load of videos. Then mysteriously, two days later - suddenly and with no warning whatsoever , he closed up the shop. He gave no explanation, but when patrons showed up , they were greeted by a sign that said - "Store is closing - thanks you for your business - please help your self to any videos you like" . Once word got out , people were looting the place and filling bins with any many videos as they could get there hands on - no one stopped them or challenged them. The store owner was never heard from again.
So here I stood soaking wet, staring at this building and wondering what I was doing here. I knew the owner never sold the building because the county records showed that it had never transferred ownership since he bought it 32 years prior. I just wanted a quick peek inside to satisfy my curiosity. I walked around the building looking for entry points. I wasn't the first - there was evidence of sqawters and vagrants. The place smelled like stale beer and piss, had grass growing out of the concrete and broken windows throughout the whole first floor. As I turn the corner to the backside of the house, I see a busted security door hanging off the doorframe and approach it cautiously. Suddenly the ground softens beneath my feet and a screeching noise begins whaling out nearly giving me a heart attack and forcing me to fall forward and catch my balance. I had stepped onto a rat who was none to happy about it and hissed at me before scurrying off into the building.
I had come this far - it was time to find what I came for.From inside the building I can smell a damp musky heaviness in the air. I look into the darkness, unable to see anything. With the floor squeaking beneath my feet and my heart pounding in my chest - I take my first step into the darkness.
Thank you @jorlauski for your entry, the winner has just been announced and a new story chain has begun - https://steemit.com/story/@freedomexists/if-only-you-knew-steemit-story-chain-11-where-you-write-the-story-and-100-whaleshares-for-the-winner
OK, I had this all written before I read the other posts trying to make sure I was "original"... Now I get that I was SUPPOSED to read those and pick up where they left off? My apologies for not "getting" it but it sounds like it is OK if I do another story line? Oh well, here it is anyway!
Part 2
I glanced at the clock... after midnight. Too late to call anyone, no point trying to sleep. I searched the flat, every inch of it, and found nothing. By then the sun was coming up so I started some coffee and catnapped as it brewed.
The ten minutes of sleep, the coffee, the sunlight - it all seemed to do me some good. I sat down and watched the end of tape four with fresh eyes, and I went frame by frame until I found the clue I was looking for.
He was younger, much younger, but that was my new landlord. He was in that crowd, he had been there too. Maybe he and the former tenant of my flat were there together?
It crossed my mind that perhaps the landlord had pulled that board loose on purpose, ensuring I would find the tapes? Was he hoping I would watch them, and go in search of the last one? But why?! If he wanted me to know this information, why not just tell me? And most of all, why ME? He had screened applicants so carefully I had made a remark to a coworker that it was like he was looking for a roommate, not a renter. He definitely had picked ME.
Suspicions of all sorts raced through my mind, but none of them even slowed my pace as I nearly ran down the steps and rapped on the landlord's door.
Thank you @fishyculture for your entry, the winner has just been announced and a new story chain has begun - https://steemit.com/story/@freedomexists/if-only-you-knew-steemit-story-chain-11-where-you-write-the-story-and-100-whaleshares-for-the-winner
6
"keep that torch away from me. The light hurts my eyes"
It was a combination of wet hair, body odor, and feces that made me gag. Dim light revealed that the steps led down to a narrow hallway. I could vaguely make out a doorway on the right side. The rest was too dark to see. At the bottom of the steps stood a man, no rather something that resembled a man covered in greasy hair.
I can't believe that it spoke. That smell is horrendous. I can't beleive I didn't puke. Why am I not even scared?
His eyes bore into me as he spoke in a raspy voice " You won't need that gun. I am not going to hurt you. What are you doing here" .
" I found the videotapes in the floorboard and....."
" Ah the video tapes. that makes sense. forget it go home. I was wrong. Horribly wrong about everything. Yes there was a tranformation but this is the result". The monster stepped closer to me and I gagged again. " I have lived down here for years. I have not found a way to reverse the process.
This is awesome. Now what do I do.?What do I say?
" I don't understand. You said on the tape that you have found the secrets of ancient alchemy. You claimed you discovered a way to transform to the next level of human evoloution."
Thank you @sostrin for your entry, the winner has just been announced and a new story chain has begun - https://steemit.com/story/@freedomexists/if-only-you-knew-steemit-story-chain-11-where-you-write-the-story-and-100-whaleshares-for-the-winner
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STOPPost 5 - This thing is insisting on putting a 1 at the top - I'm having none of it.
The place smelled like stale beer and piss.
Great, I’d fit right in.
From a darkened corner, I heard movement, I swung the torch. It was just an old homeless guy nursing a bottle of strong wine.
“You gonna keep that all to yourself?” I asked as I removed it from his nicotine stained fingers. “I’m in need of some more Dutch courage, here.”
The stuff tasted like battery acid mixed with angel’s piss. Not a bad combo and a hell of a kick. I finished it and chucked the bottle back to the now passed out figure sprawled against the pitted plasterboard. It bounced and slithered to a stop between his urine soaked chinos.
Grabbing the torch with my teeth, I pulled my twin Smith & Wesson 45s. Anything coming my way was going to get lead poisoning real quick.
A scurrying sound drew me to the next room, fading as it disappeared down a raised trap door.
I holstered the left gun, burped loudly, drew it again and proceed in a somewhat sideways manner towards the rickety looking downward steps.
The light from the torch bobbed as I struggled to swallow spit. Perhaps I had not thought this through properly.
Halfway down the stairs, the beam steadied and something massive, all eyes and teeth and long, hairy legs moved into its wan light.
Thank you @johnkingwriter for your entry, the winner has just been announced and a new story chain has begun - https://steemit.com/story/@freedomexists/if-only-you-knew-steemit-story-chain-11-where-you-write-the-story-and-100-whaleshares-for-the-winner
This post has received a 0.16 % upvote from @drotto thanks to: @banjo.
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