Instructions

This year's theme is Trapped! Tell a story detailing your character getting trapped, stuck, confined, or otherwise restrained in some manner. Add elements of suspense or horror and increase the danger level by adding an enemy or threat of some kind. The details are up to you!

Once you have met the post requirements for your topic you simply reply to this topic with the link to your campfire story. You can submit the story even before completing the narrative of the topic, as long as the post requirements have been met. Please keep in mind that this activity does have a deadline as far as earning the rewards is concerned, so only participate if you can consistently post for October.


Quest Name: Trapped!
Participants: Two or more
Location: Anywhere
Post Requirements: 5 posts per person, 200 words per post
Reward: +1 Mystical Archive Ticket, +1 Mysterious Reward
Description: You find yourself as the main character in a Black Harvest story! Write out a spooky or scary story where you find yourself trapped in a dangerous or suspenseful manner. The location, villains, and details of the story are completely up to you, as long as this year's theme is obvious and consistent throughout the topic.

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The last thing Sarne remembered was drinking in a tavern the ale was a strong and sweet flavor. it was not long before he felt drowsy and started to fall asleep. He thought he remembered walking back towards his room but then he remembered being carried there was another person there with him but everything was such a fog all he had on him was his clothing there were no weapons allowed in the tavern you had to keep them in your room.

waking up Sarne looked around the room there were dead insect shells scattered about and 4 others there with him one he had seen in the tavern that night. Smelling the stench of old blood and stale air and mold made Sarne almost choke. He could barely move his body the feeling of his hands and feet was coming back as his body revived.

There were moans from the others in this damp cold room. Where was Sarne and what happened this head hurt and his mind still foggy to think clearly. He could see two women and another person just out of sight. The two women were in dresses nothing fancy looked like common folk as far as Sarne could tell. there hair was a mess and they looked looked like they have not been there long either.

You know, thought Dante. This might not be the worst tavern I've been in, but it's certainly one of the most unpleasant. The fellblood pulled himself up onto his ass and observed his surroundings. He felt a rush of blood hit his brain as his vision swam. He caught figures, and one of them was moving. He also noted that there were hardly any people here save for their small cadre. The bug shells did much to bring the creepy vibe together, a party theme he wouldn't have chose for himself but one that he felt compelled to acknowledge as a means of comfort and familiarity.

He got onto his feet and stepped out around from his broom closet and turned towards the gentleman who seemed conscious. Smiling, he said, "Misery loves company it seems, and I'm inclined to agree."

Dante kept his gesticulating hands apart and visible to make clear he was unarmed. They checked the weapons in their rooms, but Dante knew better. Any sod could have just as well hidden a dagger in their boot. He nodded his head in a light bow and said, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believed there were far more people than just us here. You... didn't happen to see anyone else? I mean, besides these two."

He gave one of the women's feet a soft kick and said, "I told them I'd drink them under the table."

The man Dante sees has soft features like an elf with a husky build. Dante can tell he is a nobleman in the way he presents himself, his armor, and his clothing. His piercing green eyes shine in the light. He stands almost 6 feet. His dirty blond hair is neat and well-kept. His skin is slightly tan showing the time he spent in the wilderness. His armor has a crest that could be seen on his front and back, A large tree with two wolf heads on each side pointing at the tree with three stars above it. With a black sword in the background pointing down with a holy rune over it and a fire rune under it.

Sarne looked up at the Fellblood man. He looked to be from a hot rejoin of Charon. Sarne chuckled his chest hurt when he did. "I see well I guess not only them," said Sarne in a tiered tone.

When Dante kicked the woman she let out a groan and she coughed some it was a dry but sickly almost gasping for air. Sarne knew something was not right but did not know what it was.

Sarne could move his arms now slowly he reached up and rubbed his head with his hands. What was in those drinks?" questioned Sarne now moving his legs.

Dante shrugged and said, "Well unfortunately I'm no apothecary, but I surmise some sort of strong sedative... or narcotic. Or both. In either case we're clearly made of tougher stuff than these two. That or we had a smaller dose." He curled his face in disgust and said, "The insect carapaces are... an interesting touch. It's like a swarm of locusts died in here. Whoever is in charge of sweeping this place clearly needs to be fired."

He heard groaning coming from the other women and said, "Oh good! It seems they are beginning to stir. Perhaps they saw something." He knelt down besides one of the women who was shaking far more than the other. A sinking feeling hit Dante's gut as he realized this wasn't the stirring of one waking, but rather...

"Well shit. I think he's overdosing."

Dante shot a look to the nobleman and said, "Help me get her on a table. We need to make sure she doesn't choke on her own vomit. If you have any medical expertise my good sir now is the time to divulge that information." He pulled her legs, dragging a few inches across the floor towards the hall to give Sarne room to grab her head. Her shaking was getting worse, and Dante had to reassure his grip on her ankles and thighs to keep her from slipping out.

With luck and their combined effort, they could get her onto a cleared off table and miraculously save her life. Dante wasn't holding his breath though.

Still feeling a little out of it Sarne managed to get to his feet and help Dante. "I am Sarne Sequoia of Grey Stone Keep. I am not a healer as you can see." Sarne stared as he gunted helping pick up the women he did not feel like himself self his strength drained from him.

Helping clear the small table she laid the woman's head and shoulders on the table gently. Sarne looked for a door to pound on for help but there was none. He knew now they were trapped he looked up and there was a wood ceiling probably how they got here.

The woman screamed and started convolutions and twitching she creamed again in pain and horror. It was the type of scream that sent a shiver down your spine. like nails on a chalkboard. It was all Sarne could do to hold her down she seemed to get stronger as time went by in seconds.

The woman started to arch her back her chest sticking up in the air she started screaming more her chest looked as if something was moving under the skin she started to cough up an excess of blood. The blood began to cover her face and run onto the table.

Dante was about to introduce himself when the "patient" started coughing up blood and having fits like she were possessed. He blinked and said, "That's... not an overdose." A sinking feeling welled in the pit of his stomach as he took one, then two steps backwards. He winced and advised Sarne, "Perhaps we shouldn't stand too close to someone who is foaming blood at the mouth, considering our lack of.."

He was cut off by the bugs.

It was surreal, a nightmare that didn't register as fear to Dante immediately simply because it was so bizarre that he didn't believe it real. But the sudden rush, the mix of black and red that culminated into a gorey display that Dante cared not to describe rushed forth in a sickening wave. His eyes darted to a set of stairs and said, "Quickly, up here!"

He didn't wait to see if Sarne took the hint. Dante dashed up the stairs with reckless abandon as the mix of squelching and clicking created a grotesque cacophony that echoed throughout the nightmare tavern. He tried to open a couple of doors to no avail: the rooms were locked. He fumbled for his lockpicks, dropping a couple in panic.

Focus, he thought. Remember Dante: deep breaths make steady hands.

He steeled himself and grabbed the picks, focusing his full attention on the lock. As horrible as the sound was, he knew every precious second counted. Eventually the lock popped, and he flung the portal open, closing it behind himself and perhaps Sarne if he caught up by then. He went to the made bed, threw off the blankets, and began stuffing the door jamb so they couldn't crawl straight through the bottom of the door.

"Gods above, I'll pass out and die right here if any of those pests start bursting out of me!"

Jumping back Sarne looked on with horror. He did not know what to do. Sarne's heart started to race as the screams from the woman turned to gurgling as she choked on her blood. Then she just went limp.

Sarne just heard "Quickly, up here!" from Dante. and watched him dart off Sarne started to run then stopped. Sarne held out his hands red mist started to rise from the body and a crimson sword materialized in his hand. Sarne started running up the stairs.

Looking Sarne could see Dante struggling with the door-dropping tools then quickly picking them up and fumbling with the lock. but the time he got there the door was open. Sarne turned to look to see large insets starting to emerge from the body on the table they gave a spine-chilling hiss. Sarne felt bad he could do nothing for the Woman he went through the door closing it behind him. Sarne watched as Dante started to stuff sheets in the cracks of the door.

Reaching into this cloak Sarne felt his gear. Thank Solaria Sarne thought. Sarne felt his Harness and his gear was still there. It might just give them a chance to fight back. He thought for a moment some wards in Ancient Elvish.

"Gods above, I'll pass out and die right here if any of those pests start bursting out of me!" said Dante

"Gods help us all.  Now get a hold of your self" said Sarne who looked shaken up too.

[First Action]
Crimson Armaments: When casting this spell, you draw blood out from a wound, be it a wound on an enemy, an NPC or yourself. You can cause this blood to take the form of any item from the blade, blunt, polearm or shield shops. This item will last for the rest of the topic and will function exactly like the item from the shop. This item (regardless of what it is) will also have the life link enchantment on it. You can only use this spell once and it last for the entire topic.

[Last Action]
Inspiring Presence: An aura of energy begins to radiate from your person, filling your allies with hope and strength. You begin to inspire those around you to continue fighting, filling them with the will to continue going. Anyone who you consider to be an ally standing in your immediate area will feel their strength grow. For the next three posts any ally affected by this spell, including you, will deal double damage with their physical attacks. (does not affect spells)

Dante stepped away from the door and said, "Well unless there's a window to smash, we are unbelievably fucked." He turned and cursed as in his haste he found they were boxed in. His eyes darted around frantically, but then suddenly calmed as Sarne reassured him. He said, "The bed. Help me push it."

He angled himself so that with a swift shove he could brace himself between the wall and the headboard. He was alarmed at how far the bed slid with just a shove; he had never felt this strong before. He didn't remain starstruck for long, and soon he was slamming the bed against the door. He then stumbled back as the stress caused his head to swim briefly before his focus recentered.

"Sarne my good friend, I must confess I don't see a way out of this one. I have some escape artistry but um.. it's rather limited to myself I'm afraid. If you have any other tricks you can produce then now is the most opportune time to express such talents." Dante watched as the bed sheets were turning a slight shade of pink, the small warning that their linen barrier was being contested. He at least gave Sarne the comfort of knowing that at least one of them might get out.

Letting out a sigh Sarne shook his head in defeat. "You will make it out I am sure Dante," he said as screaming could be heard from the room they just come from. It appears they are wakening from the other woman too. I think there might be eight to ten of those babe insects." Guessed Sarne in a solemn tone.

Sarne walked over to the window "It's barred." Looking back at the door Sarne watched as it raddled. "We don't have the time to break out." The scratching and the sound of wool snapping got louder. "They are coming through. The little hisses and screeching noises as they were chewing through the door were bone-chilling.

Sarne backs up "If I were you get in the back corner of the room things are going to get real bad real quick." said Sarne pulling a little glass-looking ball from his cloak.

Three of the insects appeared jumping onto the bed making hisses and screeching noises the stench of blood filled the room their large mandibles moving back and forth they were now foot long like big centipedes but much tougher looking covered in blood the smell of them was almost overwhelming.

Two of the insects jumped at Sarne. Sarne moved and cut one in half with a mid-air swing the other landed on his other arm biting into it blood gushed out of the wound. Sarne grunted in pain it felt like fire where the insect bit.

Dante winced as Sarne took a hit for him, firing off a Chromatic Blast on the insect. It crackled in the heat of the technicolor flames and curled on its back dead. He looked to the door and said, "This might be a terrible idea, but it seems our choices are too limited to complain."

He fired off another Chromatic Blast, but this time he struck the soaking bed sheets. There was little wisdom in setting a room ablaze, especially with the door closed and confined. But he also imagined if Sarne and himself had no other choice but to die here, at least they could take their assailants with them. Flames licked up the wooden door and spread to the bed, the cries of insects and the boiling of blood hanging heavy in the air. He was surprised at how quickly the flames moved. Never before had they spread this quickly. Smoke began to choke the space in a haze of burning death. Dante knelt towards the ground to breathe in whatever viable oxygen remained.

Pulling his shirt up somewhat to cover his face, he winced as floorboards began to cracked from structural failure. He closed his eyes and whispered mostly to himself, "Farewell Sarne Sequoia."

With that, he activated his Phase Walking spell, his intangible body falling through the floorboards. And he kept falling. Wait, he thought, that's not how this spell works!

He looked up at a tavern building falling away as he descended into the darkness below. Confined not by walls but by darkness, he reached up in vain towards the building. He screamed as he watched the fire expand further and further throughout the building, exploding in a conflagration.

Just as the vertigo sought to steal his consciousness, he woke up in a sweat. He was in his room at the local inn. That's right. I'm in Devil's Ridge. This was all just... a dream.

Being startled by the bug busting into flame on Sarne's arm. Sarne tossed the glass ball in reflex of being bitten by the insect and the flam. The Glass ball exploded into fire when it hit the door. The fire spread to the bed and floor flames spread quickly over the dray wood. The insects pop in a gooey mess as they burn. The smell and smoke were intense.

The smoke was stinging Sarne's eyes he started to cough as he was being choked by the smoke. This was not Sarne idea of how to get out of this. Sarne fell to his knees choking on the smoke Sarne could not seem to catch his breath as he heard the cry of the insects as they burned their screeching was alarming.

Sarne was falling unconscious as the smoke got thicker he fell to the floor gasping for air Sarne could see more of the insects coming for him. he reached into his cloak as they got close not to day Sarne thought. he slammed the glass ball on the floor. it busted into flames engulfing him and the bugs.

Waking started he jumped some taking a few deep breaths and focusing on what was around him. I'm in Devil's Ridge Inn The one from my dream. Thought Sarne I was drinking with Dante. looking across from him "Dude, I just had the weirdest dream." Sarne commented.

then a sharp pain hit his chest as a bulge developed. Sarnes eyes got big as he spits out blood "Nooo!" he yells.

Now you ask yourself self dream or reality? you decide.