r/WritingPrompts • u/Smeeshed • Sep 28 '17
Established Universe [WP] Pennywise wakes up after his 27 year sleep to find that four giant turtles and a rat have taken over the sewers.
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u/DasBarenJager Sep 29 '17
Great shadow’s began to form over Derry once more. Big dark things gathering like storm clouds on the horizon or monsters come up from under the bed. Lesser evils could sense the change coming like rain on the wind and reacted in kind. Ka is a wheel that keeps turning, and evils time had come once again.
Many miles away in the greatest city this land had ever known creatures of the dark had begun reacting to the change. Those many mindless things that skitter and slither through the dark and the damp had simply been driven mad by it, coming out of their holes to attack the unwary creatures of the light. However those more mindful minions of the dark could feel themselves being drawn towards the sewers of some far off place. This year was special, this wakening was going to be different, they could feel it. And so they slunk out of their homes leaving the city in the chaos of the lesser creatures to seek that dark blot on the horizon calling out to them.
Splinter looked despondently up at the clouds listening to the distant cries and wail of sirens carried to him by the wind. It wasn’t fair. Maturin’s grandchildren had only just reached their nineteenth summer and he had nearly a century of training under his belt before he had been called up to protect his side of the beam. But time had run out. He had been feeling the quakes for months, tremors from the East shaking him out of his sleep and stealing away his breath in the night. Something ancient, evil and hungry was drawing near, threatening everything they had been born to protect. He knew more than he wished of evil and its ways, and had raised his boys in the dark and damp places evil liked to dwell, trained them to act as one, and Gan willing, they would prevail.
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u/bnelson1 Sep 29 '17
Realizing he has struck gold Pennywise carefully prepared a large amount of stew base and got skewers and veggies ready. This is going to be the biggest turtle stew he has attempted. The rat kebabs will be a perfect appetizer and more than enough to go around. Bozo, Emmett Kelly, and Grock will be so impressed by this scrumptious feast they will not hesitate to let Pennywise be an instructor at the Guild of Fools and Joculators and College of Clowns, perhaps even allowing Captain Spaulding to be an assistant. All those years of finishing off that subconscious doctorate are going to pay off in a big way.
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Sep 28 '17 edited Sep 29 '17
It woke up slowly. It had not been in a gentle rest, but it had been floating at the top of the bodies of It’s victims. Looking down, he saw them. Countless children, broken and torn apart, floating above the dirty, wet floor of the sewer. They were no longer fresh. 27 years had taken its toll on the bodies, which were now no longer appetizing to the creature. It smiled. It was time to feed again.
It slowly floated down to the bottom and composed itself. Times change, and he would need to adjust every time he awakened to feed. People became scared of different things, and he could never let go of his creativity for a moment. As he pondered the next location for the harvest, he heard a voice coming from above the sewer room.
“Mikey!” Raphael yelled. “If you don’t get back here right now I’m gonna beat you so hard-”
A creaking noise took away the 19 year old’s attention.
“Huh?”
As he looked around, he saw nothing. He had been running through the sewers in search of his mischevious little brother, who had stolen his T-phone right as his Donatello had sent him a download file for the newest Charred Walls album. The album was scheduled to be released in two months, and he was determined to take advantage of his brother’s hacking skills. As he walked further, there came a sinking feeling in his stomach that indicated something else was in the sewers.
“Mikey?”
He heard footsteps from below.
“Who are you? Come out and face me!” He yelled, pulling out his sais and spinning them skillfully.
As he turned around, he saw his little brother standing in the corner. He noticed a hoard of large roaches surrounding Michaelangelo as they climbed up his body and forced themselves into his eyes.
“Raphael,” the image of his brother said, “Please. Get them off of me. It hurts. It hurts.”
The blood started trickling down his eyes as his face swelled. Slowly, the roaches began to tear through his body in an effort to escape from the inside out.
“What the heck? No! Not this again. I’m not scared anymore! I'm not scared!” Raphael yelled as he ran away from the image. But even as he ran, the death behind him did not stop.
April was sitting on her boyfriend’s lap as she buried her face into his neck. She fell asleep as an episode of Space Heroes: The Next Generation played in the background.
“Captain Ryan!” The young man shrieked, “the Omegathons had taken over the ship and we’ve lost control of everyone on board! What are we going to do!?”
The older man slapped him across the face.
“Calm yourself. There is still HOPE left. All we have to do is believe in the power of courage.
A large, neon colored leprechaun appeared on front of them and shrieked. The man was not afraid. “Evil Omegathon, you will not take control of…” Captain Ryan’s voice trailed off.
“Captain Ryan!”
The older man lost the color in his eyes. He looked at the younger man and gave a warning: “There is no hope young one. Soon you will give into the power of-”
Dr. Mindstrong shot a laser beam into Captain Ryan’s chest from behind.
As Captain Ryan layed on the floor of the spaceship, he looked up at him: “You… you have saved me Dr. Mindstrong. Thank you.”
“Anything for you Captain.” Dr. Mindstrong said as he saluted him. Slowly, the giant Omegathon fit the captain’s body into his mouth and chewed.
“So. Stupid.” Donatello said as he laughed at the absurdity of his older brother’s favorite anime. He noticed that April had fallen asleep and in response, he kissed her forehead and turned off the television. Moments alone with her were hard to come by, so he appreciated every one.
“Guys!” Raphael came in yelling and breathing heavily.
“Well that lasted all of 12 minutes” Donatello thought as April woke and stretched.
“I was in the hallways looking for Mikey and it happened again! I started imagining the swarms of roaches! They were all over him and-and they were eating him and he was bleeding and-” Raphael stopped when he saw Michaelangelo walk out of his bedroom, T-phone in hand and headphones wrapped around his neck.
“Dude,” said Michaelangelo, “I’ve been in my room this whole time. What’s going on?”
“Mikey, you-you’ve been here?”
“Uh, yeah? Where else would I be?”
“I… I thought… wait, I saw you out there. You took my phone and ran off.” Raphael looked down just as he finished his sentence and saw his T-phone was still tightly attached to his belt.
Donatello looked worried. “Oh no, the mushrooms are back?”
“No.” Said Raphael. “This wasn’t them. This was more terrifying. It was stronger. It was someONE, or, or someTHING.”
“I think you’re right Raph” said April. “I can sense it. Some single body is hiding in the sewers. It’s alone, but, it’s not a person.”
Michaelangelo knew what Raphael was talking about. But he was too afraid to bring it up in that moment.
The four turtles, Casey, Karai, and April gathered in the kitchen and discussed the predator.
“I heard about this urban legend from Maine. From this website I found about strange sightings, it tells about a weird clown that some people believe feeds on fear.”
A sketch of the monster from someone who claimed to had seem it showed up on the screen. Now Michaelangelo was very, very scared.
“Oh man. Guys, something happened when I was in my bedroom.”
Michaelangelo had been sitting in his bed listening to music with ice cream kitty when he had heard a voice.
“Michaelangelo.” The voice called.
“Huh? Leo?” He responded.
“Over here.” The clown called.
Michaelangelo pinpointed where the voice was coming from. He looked up at the vent on the upper wall behind where he was sitting and stood up.
“Hello?” He called. “Uh, dude? You lost or somethin’?”
“Hi there Michaelangelo.” It said to him.
“Um… Hi there?”
“What are you doing here all alone in this strange place?”
“This is my room man.”
“Oh, what a strange place this is. Wouldn’t you like to visit another, magical part of the sewers?”
Ice Cream Kitty hissed at the creature.
“Cool it, Ice Cream Kitty. Brah, this is the best part of the sewers! I got everything I need right here! My action figures, my comic book collection, what else could be more ‘magical?’”
“Oh, if you come with me, I’ll show you someplace with a whole room full of comic books. Every edition available of every series worth reading. And pizza. Do you like pizza?”
“Did you say pizza?” Michaelangelo said. Suddenly, the strange clown peeking into his bedroom seemed a lot more interesting.
“Oh, why yes. There’s all kinds of pizza where I live. Pepperoni, Hawaiian, a jelly bean, anchovy, and jalapeno pizza…”
“Woah! That’s my favorite kind! Where’s this pizza from?”
“Oh, why from the best pizza place ever of course. Do you like Antonio’s?”
“Dude no way! How did you know Antonios was my favorite!?” He said, stepping over the mountain of empty Antonio’s pizza boxes to get closer to the vent. “Wait a sec, Antonios doesn't do Hawaiian… are you lyin’ to me? Hey man! What’s the deal?”
The clown grew impatient and was about to reach out and grab the young mutant just as a loud voice was heard in the living room.
“Woah, is that Raph?” Michaelangelo turned around. He then ran out, just missing the grip of the thing’s clawed hands.
“Are you sure this is the clown you saw in your room?” Donatello asked.
“Heck yeah I’m sure! He was a creep. Peeking into my bedroom and trying to lure me away with pizza and stuff. Good think I’m smart though, I saw right through that.”
Shinigami interjected immediately. “I know who this is. Friends, this is nothing like you are all used to. He is not a mutant. He is not a physical being. He is a creature unlike anything you are used to fighting, a mystical North American yokia who has been feeding on the fear and bodies of children for centuries. I fought him once as a child. My friends and I barely made it out. But if I face him again I know I can end it. With this.”
She pulled out a small blade from a pocket in her hat. “It is a gift from a mystic I knew in Japan. If you are injured with this blade, you can no longer use your powers against others. Instead, they are all released at once. Against you. His spirit is not as strong as he seems. If we can reach him, I know he can die. Of fear.”
Part 2 coming up whether you want it or not cause I'm having way too much fun with this
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Sep 29 '17 edited Sep 29 '17
Part 2:
The teenagers gathered their supplies. Casey Jones knew his electric weapons gave him a greater advantage in the sewers, where water was abundant and even a single puddle can become a deathtrap. Donatello knew that this creature, this, THING, would take advantage of the dark corners in the sewer, and so he brought his updated night vision equipment. Karai tasted her venom slightly before grabbing her signature weapon: a short, red-handled sword. The rest of them all brought the weapons that they were the most comfortable with, but Shinigami almost began to feel afraid about the powerful weapon she had only ever considered using until now. But she had to summon her courage. It was the creature’s feeding time.
The group walked down the sewer halls, listening carefully to any sound that may appear among the trickling drops of sewer water and the scurrying of rats.
“This is straight uncool,” Casey Jones said. “Out if all of the things in this world we had to fight, we have to fight a clown? Come on. Casey Jones can take on way stronger opponents!”
“Isn’t this the guy you said was afraid of rats?” Shinigami whispered to Karai.
“Don’t get overconfident Casey. Underestimating your opponent is always risky. We don’t know how strong this thing is.” Leonardo replied.
“Well you don’t seem so scared, tough guy.” Raphael said to Leonardo as he gave him a slight shove.
A small yellow piece of fabric caught Michaelangelo’s attention. “Hold on guys,” he called to the others. He noticed the white printing on the shirt wrote out the number five.
“Hey April,” Michaelangelo said, “this looks just like your shirt.”
April instinctively looked down to see what shirt she had been wearing. She saw that her typical yellow and white jersey was covered in countless pairs of tiny holes. “What the, what happened to my shirt?”
She felt a sharpness coming from all over her torso and began to groan in pain.
“April! What’s wrong?” Donatello asked
April lifted up her shirt and saw that the tiny holes covered her chest and back in the exact same positions. Slowly, they began oozing blood.
“April…” Donatello said. “You’re covered in some kind of bites.”
Then she heard the familiar screech of bats growing louder and louder as the sound travelled in from around the corner.
“They’re-they’re bat bites. Guys they’re coming. They’re coming! Donnie!” She began to scream hysterically as she wrapped her arms tightly around him and closed her eyes.
“April, it’s ok!” He said. “There aren’t any bats down here, I promise.”
A large black figure arose from behind him. April let go and ran as fast as she could into a part of the sewers she didn’t realize she was unfamiliar with. Her friends ran after her, failing to keep up.
As she ran further and further away she noticed a crawlspace near the ceiling of the sewers. She considered hiding there for a moment before a pale hand grabbed her by the hair and pulled her in.
“April! April! Where are you?” Her friends cried out as they searched. But she was nowhere to be found.
“Ugh, didn’t this happen last time?” Casey said.
“Quiet, Jones.” Donatello snapped. He had always been extra overprotective of April, though he knew she never needed his protection, but this time he began to feel genuinely afraid. This was the only time that he and some of the others had been up against something they had never laid eyes on.
“Dude, April really needs to learn how to chill sometimes.”
When they turned the corner, they saw her. And they saw It.
“April!” Donatello cried.
“Donatello.” April replied coldly. She stared at him with indifference. Her eyes were glowing bright white, just as they had all seen her eyes glow many times before. It was because of this that they did not realize how she had been effected by the deadlights.
“You. Let her go. NOW!” Leonardo yelled to the clown.
“Oh? What do you mean Leonardo? Come, come here, boy.” It replied.
“April! It’s ok. We’re here to save you!” Michaelangelo told her.
“From what?” April said in a low, monotonous voice.
“From that thing!” Michaelangelo replied.
“I want.... to float.” She said.
“April, what are you saying?” Donatello replied.
“Guys, I’ll float. We can all float down here. You can all float too. We’ll float.”
“Float? Like, levitate? You’re already able to do that, Red, what’s goin’ on with you?” said Casey.
“You!” Donatello charged at the creature with his bladed bo. “What did you do to her?”
“I took her.” It growled.
The creature’s eyes shined yellow and his mouth doubled in size, revealing multiple rows of long, sharp teeth.
April floated higher and higher into the mass of rotten children. Some of the bodies, the teenagers noticed, were fresh.
“Ninjas, attack!” The leader cried.
They all charged at once, skillfully evading every hit and striking every blow possible into the monster. As he transformed into a squirrelanoid, Michaelangelo barely flinched. As he vomited hoards of roaches, Raphael barely screamed.
He had one last shot with the beautiful kunoichi with the red around her eyes. He looked into the piercing hazel and saw the image that had horrified her the most in her life. Her mother’s killer. The man who killed the turtles’ father.
And he knew, at that moment, that he has one more chance at tasting their fears.
His clown outfit transformed into a metal armor and his skin became a mosaic of heavily burned skin.
“Karai.” His powerful voice threatened. “You. Will. PERISH!.”
She smiled. “I don’t think you understand people as well as you think you do.” She forced her sword through his throat.
Now heavily weakened, they pinned him down.
The creature was not there when Donatello looked down at the body he was holding. Instead, he saw a beautiful girl with red hair and piercing blue eyes.
“Disgusting.” She said. “You’re an abomination. You make me sick. You vile, horrendous creature. Don’t you dare touch me! Don’t touch me!” She screamed, loud enough for her veins to bulge unnaturally.
He smiled. “Sorry, clown. We’re canon.”
Shinigami plunged the blade as deep into the girl’s heart as she could. It slowly transformed into the clown once again.
They watched as the clown shrieked and convulsed on the floor as tears ran down it’s eyes.
“No! No!” It screamed. “NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO. NO.”
Little by little, the screams grew intolerably loud. The clown grew skinny and emaciated. Suddenly, the clown vomited. Red liquid and bodily tissues flooded the floor of the sewers. A string of black entrails followed, stuffing the monsters mouth as it slowly suffocated.
Casey Jones couldn’t take his excitement. “So. Rad.”
Donatello was the first to take off and reach April’s feet, pulling her down. As the clown took it’s last breath, she succumbed to the forces of gravity and was no longer weightless.
“April, are you ok?” Donatello asked as he held her. Slowly she opened her eyes.
“Guys,” she asked, “is it gone?”
“I think he’s probably dead.” Replied Karai. “Too bad. He was actually the closest thing to a challenge I’ve seen in months.”
The group was too preoccupied with celebrating their victory to notice the floating corpses had also been levitating downwards. All at once they fell with a loud “splat” as the bodies hit the ground with a slightly explosive impact, leaving the sewer room floor littered with bodily remains.
Casey Jones revelled in the delicious horror. “SO. RAD.”
-End-
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u/mittens243 Sep 28 '17 edited Sep 28 '17
A raucous sound reverberated throughout the sewers. To say that 'It' had woken up would not be entirely grounded in reality. Its consciousness was omnipresent in the sewers It called home, but no threats would ever present themselves that It would deem worthy of investigation.
Until now.
It knew there were still three more months before It had to next awaken, but It was now here. And It was hungry.
...
His own footfalls echoed throughout the sewers around him. There was a rumble deep within the confines of the sewer and Raphael looked above him at the arched ceiling of his home. He sighed and brushed off a rogue spec of shit upon the sight of stalactites of human defecation dropping down all around him. He grunted, pulled his coat up to his neck and hunched his shoulders, and continued walking forward, sloshing his way through the grey water that would plague his feet for the rest of his life. He just wanted to get away from it all: the sewers, his master, his incessantly annoying brothers, even April became a drag for him. So he started to walk. For how long, he couldn't remember. He just started walking because something compelled him to.
Looking above he could see manhole covers letting in small streams of light, enough to pave the path ahead of him. There were three paths ahead, straight forward, right, and left. He mulled over the paths that presented themselves to him for a few moments (they were the only interesting thing that happened to him anymore, so he tried to entertain himself as much as he possibly could with the temporary diversions) before deciding to take the right path.
'Raph?'
He stopped dead in his tracks.
'Ralph. Why'd you leave, bro?'
Raphael turned around and pushed out his hand in an accusatory point towards his brother, before turning into an open palm pushing away the spectral image that resided ten feet in front of him.
They were all dead. All of them. April, Splinter, Mikey, Donny, Leo. All of them. Dead. Or dying. He couldn't tell. His eyes shot open wider than they already had been and focused on the drooping and sagging flesh that fell off of them in bloody bags. He could smell them. Christ. He could /smell/ them. He heard their ragged breath. He heard the creaking of their broken bones. The tired groans each of them exhibited when they moved. They shambles closer to him, calling his name.
Panic's grip let go of Raphael's conscience and he turned to run and saw his family again. Closer this time. The smell was stronger. He could see them clearer. Donatello reached out and touched his brother's forearm, leaving behind a black oil mark that slid its way down and dropped to the floor. A sickening hissing sound, and Raphael's arm was alight with a fire, though there was no light.
He wiped the acid off of his arm and saw the fair skin he revealed. He looked at the palm of his hand that was now covered in some of the ooze as well and shook it off, only to reveal finger pads. Soft and vulnerable. With a glance of terror, he looked back at his brothers only to see their mouths opened so far that their cheeks tore and revealed the darkest depths of their throats. Black goo sprayed out of their mouths coating his entire body, going in his mouth, securing itself around his midsection. Burning. Stinging. Killing.
He screamed, and blindy swung his fist, only to make contact with a cloth-like substance. He wiped his eyes and prepared to swing his other fist, only to see the torso of a man who was seven feet tall. Three orange pom-poms, white frills, blue sleeves. Big red clown shoes. He looked up to see the smiling face of a clown. He almost smiled for a second, until the clown's mouth opened up, revealing row after row of razor sharp teeth.
He tried to scream. But by the time that he would have willed his vocal chords into usage, Raphael was no more. Pennywise devoured every last piece of Raphael and savored the taste of pure fear. He'd been so easy to manipulate, it was almost boring. The taste made up for it, he thought to himself. There was an echo of laughter and the soft sound of skateboard wheels on concrete resonating throughout the sewers. It whipped its head toward the sound, entrails running down Its face, blood covering the red plastic smile he kept. It wiped Its mouth, and smiled. Today was a good day to start his hunt.
So that was my first story on this sub. I'd love it if you guys could give some constructive criticism on it. King's one of my favorite authors and It is by and far my favorite book, so this was a joy to write. Thanks, all!
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Sep 28 '17
IT awoke, hungry and eager to prey on the easily manipliative minds of the children of Derry. IT thought it already had a few victims as it heard the voices of teenagers coming from a dimley lighted tunnel. "What kind did you get, Mikey?" a voiced questioned "pepperoni and anchovies!" another voiced loudly proclaimed. IT knew he had victims which he presummed were teenagers hanging out in the sewer. IT transformed into his Pennywise the Dancing Clown charade to get ready to feed, Pennywise slowly lured near the tunnel and sent an "I LOVE DERRY" balloon into the room. "Woah!" a voiced yelled in suprise "What is it Donny?" "Look, a balloon!" Pennywise was ready and appeared at the front of the room "Hello!" Pennywise was slighty confused, Turtles, they weren't teenagers, they were mutant turtles. IT already had a bad history with turtles before but these were still beings in the psysical universe, he was sure he still had meal. "Do you want another balloon?" Pennywise cherrily proclaimed "Yeah man! free balloon" the turtle known to his friends as Mikey eagerly walked up to Pennywise and went to take the balloon from him. As Mikey went to grab it, Pennyise let go of the balloon and grabbed Mikeys arm, pulling him closer as IT's jaws unhinged like a snake and tore of his arm as the other 3 turtles gasped and quickley jumped back. Mikey was brought to his knees is slowley tried to crawl away from the muderous clown as Pennywise grabbed his ankles like a burley construction worker and started pulling him away into the darkness of the sewer. "C'mon we gotta help him!" Donatello explaimed as the turtles rushed to try and save their friend. Pennywise was already almost to his lair but suddenley, he was on his feet confused by what just happened, a rat known as Splinter had roundhouse kicked him, knocking him to the ground. Pennywise was angry but now he knew what to do. He let go of Michelangelo's ankles and quickley grabbed Splinters head by the whiskers on his face and ripped his head off as the other turtles watched in horrorfying awe. Pennywise turned to them helping Mikey and while slowley approaching them like a lion with his preym they started glowing. Pennywise was confused as they began to rise and float in a circle and slowly float to each other. They began to form together glowing brighter then before then transformed. IT knew what they transformed into, His natural enemy, Maturin The Turtle...
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u/stephanieallard67 Sep 28 '17
30 years. Its been 30 years not 27 like i have been hearing through the pipes the past few months. Always 30, jesus didnt anyone watch the first documentary about me, Eater of worlds and children? Outragious the mixups these fools get themselves into. The smell down here is different now, something less sinister and more invasive... Food? What fool without enticement from myself would bring food into my lair? One without fear i would assume. I'll soon change that. Through the sewers i creep, silently and unseen making only the most uncomfortable minor sounds as i feel they might arouse an uneasiness in my prey. The odor strengthens somehow piercing through the dank haze of old bones and raw sewage. I hear them now, not just one, perhaps three? No matter, I'll soon seperate them and bring forth their darkest fears. Green eyes, they haven't noticed me yet i can smell ones fear of rejection, aside from that a fear or not being able to protect loved ones, a hint of fear about not being accepted for their body, one smells only of anger and courage... These arent children... A lingering remembrance of a cage, a small cage, a rat! An enoumous rat! And turtles? Mutated large muscular turtles with arms at their sides. Disgusting, no fear i could drain from these... Monstrosities could ever quench the hunger of one such as me. Its only been 27 years anyway now that i think of it... Back to sleep for now, when i awaken perhapse I'll have a light snack of turtle fear with a side of rat before the feast of child flesh and fear...
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u/K7Q Sep 28 '17
Your name! he demanded, sharply Robert Billings Joslyn, United States of America! Your business, Monsieur Joslyn! Rob drew the Record from his pocket and placed it upon the tableThis, sir, said he, is an electrical device that records all important events discontinue Orange stad, and then mail stop 1.200 B, followed by A rub a I wish to call your attention to a scene enacted in Paris last evening which may have an effect upon the future history of your country He opened the lid, placed the Record so that the President could see clearly, and then watched the changing expressions upon the great man’s face; first indifference, then interest, the next moment eagerness and amazement MON DIEU! he gasped; the Orleanists! Rob nodded Yes; they’ve worked up a rather pretty plot, haven’t they? The President did not reply
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u/TenaciousJP Sep 28 '17
This truly gets at the core of a clown fighting giant mutant turtles
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u/K7Q Sep 28 '17
Your name! he demanded, sharply Robert Billings Joslyn, United States of America! Your business, Monsieur Joslyn! Rob drew the Record from his pocket and placed it upon the tableThis, sir, said he, is an electrical device that records all important events discontinue Orange stad, and then mail stop 1.200 B, followed by A rub a I wish to call your attention to a scene enacted in Paris last evening which may have an effect upon the future history of your country He opened the lid, placed the Record so that the President could see clearly, and then watched the changing expressions upon the great man’s face; first indifference, then interest, the next moment eagerness and amazement MON DIEU! he gasped; the Orleanists! Rob nodded Yes; they’ve worked up a rather pretty plot, haven’t they? The President did not reply
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u/TalShar Sep 28 '17 edited Sep 28 '17
The Clown opened his eyes.
He was hungry. It was dark. It was damp. It smelled of mildew and old water. And fear. That was there too.
The sleeping minds of his prey were prepared for his return. Those with greater shine had felt it first. But now everyone would know it. A little pressure behind their eyes when they were alone. A sensation of something skittering behind them when they were alone in the dark. They were prey, and prey knew when a predator was near. The collective unconscious was hushed, quiet as the jungle when every little bird knew there was a jaguar on the prowl.
The Clown smiled his toothy grimace. The jaguar was hungry.
The sewers were as he had remembered them. The refuse of the prey told him much about them. There were things he did not recognize, things of metal and plastic and glass. His greater mind apprehended their purpose as he observed them. Interesting. They could serve as a good portal through which to cultivate the fear of his chosen meal.
There were new sections of the sewers, and he found them as he skittered hither and yon. He grew familiar with the sights, sounds, and smells of the prey that walked unknowing above. They were ripe for the picking. They did not fear the shadows, but that would make it easier, in a way, now that there was something stalking them that was worthy of their fear.
Days and nights went by and still the web of tunnels expanded. The humans had done everything within their power to eradicate every dark corner in which a monster could hide, thinking themselves safe. It was a delicious taste of false security. Some of them had even lit sections of his sewers.
And in one section, someone dared to live.
At first he had been hesitant. Terrified, even. Their forms reminded him strongly of that skølpadda. The Turtle. Maturin. He squealed and cowered in a corner as the name rose, unbidden, to his mind and raked across his very being with talons of white-hot light. He waited until the pain subsided and re-emerged to stalk. Yes, they had terrified him with their forms, half-man, half... that. But they trafficked with a rat-man, which he had initially mistaken as a servant of the Crimson King... But no, these were something altogether different. They were on neither one side nor the other. They were neutral. And therefore... not dangerous.
Yes, they were strong. They had weapons, and they knew how to use them. But it hadn't been the slung stones of the children that had defeated him last time, it had been their shine. But these were dimwits, and even their rat master's shine was weak compared to those who had been his bane the last time.
And so he stalked them. He preyed on them in their dreams, and he waited for the moment that he would strike, to reclaim the last corner of his home so that he would be the only being who inhabited it.
He smelled it even now, a dish that had not changed for some time. Pizza. He smirked. They were human enough. They knew fear. He had seen their uneasy glances into the shadows as they passed him. It was no longer their home. It was his.
He crept forward, stealing into their lair, slipping through the nether and out into the physical world again. They all slept, snoring. He could feel their sleeping minds. Four dim bulbs, and a fitful flame in a chamber at the end of the long, vaulted room. Brick and stone and plenty of room, a perfect fit to serve as their tomb. He smiled again, savoring the feeling of his teeth sliding out of his impossibly small mouth. The time was now.
He strode into the middle of the room and reached toward the minds of the four mutant children. They would die first, and then he would deal with their master.
A light flickered on, and suddenly the chamber was bathed in incandescent yellow. The creatures were not asleep. Each sprung from its bed, wielding archaic weapons. The Clown's smile grew. This would be fun.
"Master Splinter!" one of them yelled. "He's here!" There was no fear in his voice. He sounded... jocular.
What? How could they have--
The door at the end of the hallway slammed open, the candleflame growing into a torchlight. He was greater than the Clown had anticipated. But still... Not enough. Not enough to stop the Clown. He grinned, his face splitting wider.
"Gross, dude!" one of the mutants yelled, stepping back.
There was the fear. He felt it now, as his form took on a more macabre semblance. The fear was growing, and soon he would feast.
The door behind him slammed.
What? There were only five. There was no other shine...
"Ah, my friend, it is good to see you," the rat said with an unbearable smirk, looking past the Clown. "Here he is, as you suspected he would be."
The Clown turned, slowly, to find a simple man, standing in jeans and a soiled white T-shirt that read "I drive the Takuro Spirit." He was lanky with tousled brown hair, and wore a shit-eating grin. He stood with his hand on a gun in a holster. He had no shine. He would not--
The man spoke with a strong New York accent.
"See the Turtle, ain't he keen."
The Clown shrieked as the radiant talons raked at his essence. What was this man? What was--
The man's arm blurred, and he held in his hand a huge revolver, shining steel with sandalwood grips. The Clown's vision was swallowed by that mammoth barrel, pointed directly between his eyes. At the center of that black abyss he saw a glint of copper... and ka.
The man--no, the Gunslinger--pulled back the hammer, and the click resonated through the chamber. No. Not that. Not that gun!
The Gunslinger smirked.
"All things serve the fuckin' Beam."
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u/Firm_Presentation474 Aug 22 '23
Brilliant how you tied The Tower arcana through the story! I dare say Stephen King himself would probably be impressed! Well done!
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Oct 12 '17
Oh I love this. Eddie. Eddie the freaking riddler, now riddles Pennywise with bullets.
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u/TalShar Oct 12 '17
Thanks! I really enjoyed writing this, and Eddie was just the clear choice.
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u/Dreadp1r4te Sep 29 '17
Oh my God that ended was priceless! I loved it! Eddie gives precisely 0 fucks! At first when I read there was a 6th person there, I thought it was Roland but as soon as I saw "white T shirt" and "New York accent" I knew it had to be Eddie. Wonderfully written!
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u/Muerteds Sep 29 '17
Spectacular.
Since they put the Dark Tower in a graphic novel, no reason not to throw four teenage ninjers right there in with it.
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u/RebeccaOTool Sep 29 '17
That may have been the most perfect crossover I've ever read. And with so many levels of the tower, it happened somewhere...:D
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u/mrdoriangrey Sep 29 '17 edited Sep 29 '17
That was real trig! Thankee sai wordslinger, long days and pleasant nights!
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u/Thebutthairbandit Sep 29 '17
Omg this made my day. As a huge Dark Tower fan this is my favorite ever post on this subreddit.
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Thanks! There's something about the Dark Tower, I've noticed, that just... sticks with people in ways other fiction doesn't. It changes meanings of everyday object, and we remember those things forever.
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u/CansinSPAAACE Sep 29 '17
Man I havnt seen the new one yet. Its just a clown? It's not a dimensional spider monster anymore?
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
I haven't seen the new one yet, either. I called him The Clown because my mind pretty quickly snapped into the Dark Tower naming scheme: The Man In Black, The Gunslinger, The Turtle, The Kid, etc.
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u/throwsaway654321 Sep 29 '17
Dude, I've read a fucking lot of writing prompts, and I love them, but this...seriously, this was the only ones that really connected to deep visceral part of me. Your intro was fantastic, but as soon as I read skølpadda, I fucking lost it. Seriously, at that one word, I was like you are either going to make it or break it, right fucking here. And holy shit, you goddamned made it.
And seriously, don't think I'm saying you're just copying King's style, you went beyond that. I think this is one of the best "it's all related" short stories from King's timeline I've ever read, and even if I hadn't picked up on all the references from innumerable rereads, this is a fucking Bango Skank of a story.
For real, man (or woman, immense apologies if I've misjudged), you absorbed another universe and made it your own. I haven't checked yet, but I really hope you've written more here. If you haven't, I would seriously encourage you to do so.
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Wow, thanks! I really wish I could say that this was due to my own talent, but honestly something about The Dark Towerjust really sticks with people and calls to be expanded upon. The story jumped out of my head immediately, and clearly a lot of people wanted to see it. Unfortunately I haven't written more. Honestly I'm kind of afraid I'd overdo it and push it too far and thereby make it lame.
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u/oddkode Sep 29 '17
Awesome work! I know King mentioned that Pennywise and Dandelo are different creatures (possibly from the same "species" though), I can't help but think they're still connected in some way. Because of that, I love this take on the prompt :)
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Sep 29 '17
Excellent job man! Thanks for the child down my spine from incorporating the Dark Tower universe into this.
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u/Grayphobia Sep 29 '17
I love the continuity. I got goosebumps as soon as you mentioned the turtle.
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u/vfmatheus Sep 29 '17
Damn, i just had the most intense chill on my spine after the '' aint he keen'' phrase, and now i might be on my road to my 4th read of The Dark Tower... All things serve the fucking beam indeed
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Sep 29 '17
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Jeez, I dare not dream of such recognition. I'm very happy with how the short came together, but I can't hold a candle to that man's talent.
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Sep 29 '17
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Thank you very much! King was all about those little details in The Dark Tower. I felt like it would've been a waste not to include it. :-)
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Sep 29 '17 edited Nov 12 '18
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Thanks! Definitely never a dull moment in Mid-World. Remember the Takuro Spirit, there's a moment where it becomes significant again. :-)
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u/Lich180 Sep 29 '17
Wish I could upvote this more than once. When I saw "skølpadda" and "Maturin" I knew the inspiration.
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u/MNcomicGeek Sep 29 '17
awesome, I just started reading the dark tower series so that ending was great
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u/JagerFang Sep 29 '17
Hey can I like pay you to make this a book please?
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Jeez, if I felt like I could A: pull off more than a short story without smearing King's work with my shoddy worldbuilding and B: pull it off without getting a Cease and Desist, I'd do that in a heartbeat! =P
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u/SupremeWu Sep 29 '17
What a treat, great references all around and you really nailed the voice of IT. Plus I love that the turtles can mask their thoughts/feelings since so much of their training by Splinter was spiritual and mental, not just the fighting. Fantastic!
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Thank you! I'll admit I've barely seen any TMNT at all, but I know enough about them to know they're not nearly as dumb and untrained as they let on!
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u/SpectralEntity Sep 29 '17
And for that, I thank you. The brief moment of the Turtles on this story recalled the old, original Mirage characterizations. In fact, the Turtles and weird, Lovecraftian lore actually work pretty well, seeing how many crazy stories they've found themselves in.
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u/averycoldbear Sep 29 '17
"And suddenly the Clown realized there was a hint of roses in the air ..." great story brohim!
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u/Rafalo15 Sep 29 '17
Woah, this was absolutely phenomenal. I need more!
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Oh, man. I don't even know where I'd start. Picking up a couple of elements from King and smashing them together is one thing, I don't know what I'd do if I made more!
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u/demosthenes4585 Sep 29 '17
I can see New-Eddie (from the end of book 7) hearing about how bad-ass his other self was from Susannah. Then he slowly starts to lose his mind, trying to find a way to Midworld. Going back to the demon house, the Dixie Pig, 19 Hammerskold Plaza, etc. When he finally finds a portal, it's not to MidWorld, but another Earth (like the TMNT universe). This could be a whole anthology series. If I was as talented as you are, and had the time, I would take requests. Like Sliders or Quantum Leap.
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Thanks very much! I feel like I lucked into it, as good of a reception as this piece is getting. I am not sure I could really sustain a longer series of this!
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u/demosthenes4585 Sep 29 '17
Maybe save the idea for NaNoWriMo. Coming up soon. I would love to see what you could do with the premise.
National Novel Writing Month, for everybody else. November.
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
I'm actually working on a standalone (completely unrelated) short for a short fiction contest ending November, which I am planning on making into a full novel. Either way I'm determined to actually do NaNoWriMo right this year. Thank you very much for your encouragement!
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u/Bowl-of-Stars Sep 29 '17
Wow. This was brilliant! You have a gift. Thanks for putting me back into the Tower (pulling out my set now) and tying into IT, my first King novel at 13 years old.
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Thank you so much! Maybe someday I'll finish some of my own stuff. I feel like King's work is just so poignant that even hamfistedly referencing it in any work makes it ten times better.
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u/MaybeItsJustMike Sep 29 '17
What a fuckin pisser man. Great story. I was waiting for Jake to show up, being the kid and all. But you blew it away with Big E at the end.
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u/flappyfoldy Sep 29 '17
I thought this was fantastic. I don't know a ton about Dark Tower so I thought it was going to be Casey Jones for a sec. Nice job : )
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u/moorby7 Sep 28 '17
Are you Stephen King? As a massive fan that was amazing, loved all of the references and particularly the ending!
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
God, I wish I was a tenth Stephen King. I can't even finish a novel. You flatter me! Thanks! :-)
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u/whodisdoc Sep 28 '17
Fantastic! Having talking turtles on one of the spindles of the tower could actually happen :)
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Sep 28 '17
Fuckin, yes!.
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u/TalShar Sep 28 '17
You are the second Tyranid player to comment on this post. I, a Tyranid player, wrote it.
Clearly The Dark Tower attracts a type.
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Sep 29 '17
Blood for the blood god though
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
There's no blood bath like a Genestealer and Khorne Berserker blood bath!
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Sep 29 '17
Oh 8th edition really amp'd it up too! Great read man! Thanks for this I enjoyed the hell out of it
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
Thanks!
And yeah, 8th Ed made Genestealers possibly the best troop model in the game. O_o
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Sep 29 '17
My fiances dark eldar would beg to differ lol they are probably the toughest army I've played against since the changes
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Sep 28 '17
Perhaps the Great Devourer traverses the path of the beam, consuming and cleansing it of threats, not just to the Hivemind, but to reality itself. After all, what are we if not a force of nature itself? And what are forces of nature if not manifestations of the will of Ka.
Or perhaps we just have excellent taste.
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u/TalShar Sep 28 '17
Hah! Indeed!
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Sep 29 '17
Space Wolves or gtfo.
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Sep 29 '17
Super hacks
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Sep 29 '17
I'm not sure what that means, but to be fair, l haven't played 40k since 1997. But l had a damn good SW army when l did play!
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Sep 29 '17
Oh lol the space wolves were just broken with charges and the like recently its very OP. But i haven't played in like a year and 8th ed just came out and from what i hear dark eldar had some ridiculous rule changes that have made it to where they were sold out everywhere for the longest time
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Sep 29 '17
Gotcha. I started with orks and when another guy in our gaming group got too cool to play, l inherited his SW. Added some terms and Ragnar, and it was a pretty formidable army. Especially all those heavy weapons vs Nids.
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Sep 28 '17
Hats off to you man. That last line gave me goose bumps. Wish I could go back and reread the series without knowing what happens.
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u/TalShar Sep 28 '17
It's so good. I was happy to relive even a fraction of it with the movie recently.
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u/scuper42 Sep 28 '17
Love that you added Eddie!
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u/trixiethewhore Sep 28 '17
I am having an emotional day, but damn I loved your story and as soon as I realized Eddie was there I shed a few tears. It felt so natural. I might get shit for this comment but I wanted to ecourage your writing anyway. My son's name is Eddie Dean. Thank you for making my day better.
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u/TalShar Sep 28 '17
Thank you very much for sharing this with me. I'm really glad it had such an impact! I hope your day gets much better.
There's a part of my mind that's always thinking about Dark Tower. Putting Eddie in here just made it feel right. This little short came more naturally to me than anything I've written in a long while. Maybe it was ka. :)
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u/El_Suplexo Sep 28 '17
Holy shit, man! That story was brilliant. You captured the feeling perfectly, and made me so happy to see Eddie again. Thank you, but also screw you, cause now I need to read the whole damn thing over again.
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u/flamedragon822 Sep 28 '17
Freaking Eddie. Nice work
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u/BaneOfHades Sep 29 '17
I am not sure what this is referencing, can someone please explain it?
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
It's from The Dark Tower, also by Stephen King. It's a work that basically ties all of his other works together in a multiverse. Some characters from one story appear tangentially (or more directly) in others, and The Dark Tower ties them all together narratively and cosmologically. It's not King's self-professed masterpiece (that he reserves for The Stand,) but it's one of the best series I've ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
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u/TalShar Sep 28 '17
Thanks! This came to me really quickly. Some part of my mind is always on the Tower these days. I don't know why, but I knew it had to be Eddie. I'm glad it was obvious who it was.
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u/GenrlWashington Sep 28 '17
I really need to read some of these novels. I don't get most of these references. I understand IT, and a little bit about Gunslingers because I saw the IT and Dark Tower movies, but that's it with the Stephen King stuff
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u/FrostyTheCanadian Sep 29 '17
Well honestly seeing the It movie won't tell you much. It glosses over many of the details, as movies do of course, especially since it's a freaking 1100 page novel.
I suggest reading the book, I read it once many years ago when I was in middle school, and once again when I heard of the movie. It was much better the second time around, since I actually payed attention, really great book.
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u/TalShar Sep 28 '17
The Dark Tower is fantastic. It's definitely worth the read!
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u/IGFanaan Sep 29 '17
Haven't gotten around to the movie or the books. Honestly i didn't know about them till the movie. With no knowledge of the books, hows the movie?
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u/TalShar Sep 29 '17
They say the movie is better if you haven't read the books. I really loved the movie though, but I went into it knowing it wasn't an adaptation of the series, but rather a retelling.
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u/Ironwarsmith Sep 29 '17
I've never read and of Kings work, but always had a passing interest. Where would you recommend starting at and what should I save until after I've read a number of his books?
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u/ursois Sep 29 '17 edited Sep 30 '17
It awoke. The past 2 awakenings had been bad. Those children nearly killed It. They had driven It into the outer darkness from whence It came. But It was tied to the land now, after all these millenia, and death of Its physical form wouldn't keep It at bay forever. It was so weak, and needed to feed. First insects. The tiny neuron bursts as it ripped their legs and wings off gave It strength, but It was like drops of water to a man dying in the desert. Next, came the rats. They had a weak fear that It was able to eat, but they, and the cat he managed to lure into the sewer, only whetted his appetite. It needed something that could truly understand what It was. Finally, It was ready to go after its favorite prey. The giant creatures that had walked the earth had been good eating, but were too slow and stupid to truly enjoy. It had bided its time for countless ages, waiting… waiting for sentience. Waiting for a consciousness that could truly know It for what It was. Know It, and fear. All the better that the tastiest meals had no claws, or sharp teeth, nor a powerful Shine to defend themselves with.
It slunk through the sewers with a fluid grace; part of the shadows themselves. It sensed something in this part of the sewer. Not rats, nor some other large animal that decided to make this its home. No, these things had thoughts. It could sense them. Smell them like a man would smell freshed baked bread. This thing was underdeveloped. The immature mind made it all the sweeter. Maybe a little older than the truly young that It liked to prey upon, but It was capable of taking down creatures great and small. It formed a body from the Void that was Its domain, and crept closer…
“Psst. Hey kid” It whispered. The thing turned around. It wasn't like anything It had ever seen before. A green face, looking like something from days long past, when giant reptiles roamed Its domain. But this thing… this thing walked on two legs like men, and was wearing a long brown coat to cover its body. Strange, indeed, but It had never seen a thing It couldn't eat, and It was HUNGRY. Forming words and images stolen straight from the creatures mind, It set the trap.
“Hey, Mikey! I was supposed to deliver a pizza down here, but I can't find who it belongs to. Do you want it?”
“Free pizza? Radical!” The thing had a sense of trust that It found delicious. Trust betrayed created a fear so sweet, it was hard to think of anything else.
“Sure, Mikey. An extra-extra-large supreme with triple cheese, hold the anchovies. Come get it. All you want...”
“Awesome!” The creature came over, but slowed. It could sense a small, but growing suspicion in the thing.
“Wait a second… How did a pizza delivery guy get in the sewer?” Pondered the green thing. It searched the creature's surface thoughts for an explanation.
“Fast Eddy's Pizza opened a new store down here. Don't you want your pizza? Come oooon…. It's getting coooold.” it crooned
This seemed to make up its mind, and it reached into the shadows to grab the box. In a flash, It grabbed for the things arm. Only to grab… air? In an instant, several things happened at once. It tried to attack the creature's Shine, to drive its fear up into terror. A creature panicked was always easy prey. It's attack, however, bounced off of something. Like its shine was protected by... a shell? At the same time, Its hand was wrapped up in a strange device: two sticks connected by a chain locked Its hand. It pulled back with all the strength that Its corporeal form could muster, but this thing was STRONG! It pulled back with equal force. Nothing was stronger than It when It wanted to be, though. It added muscle and power to Its arm, and prepared to yank the creature into Its mouth, when out of the darkness, a blade flashed. Its arm came loose, severed at the shoulder. It gave a scream of rage, as 3 more of the creatures materialized out of the darkness, all carrying primitive weapons.
“Foolish creatures!” It spat. “You dare to hunt me? The eater of worlds? The hunter of hunters? I will devour your souls, and digest them for centuries to come!”
The one with a red mask replied. “Yeah, yeah. Great and terrible. We've heard it before. You've been creeping around our sewers for too long already. Enough with the threats, let's make with the fighting”.
It began to change forms, cycling though from fear to fear. These creatures were too quick, though. Whenever It would turn to attack one, the other 3 would attack It from behind. They always seemed to be open to an attack, but they were never where It expected them to be when It hit. It gave a roar of frustration. It was too weak to overpower these things until It had fed more deeply. It began to shift back to the Void, to come up with a plan to destroy these foul things, when a fifth creature came into Its view. It was like the rats that It had eaten, but large, and it walked like a man. The creature's Shine was strong. Too strong! The thing threw salt in Its face and shouted worlds in a language It had not heard before.
“Akujin! Watashi wa anata o kono basho ni shibaru!” The salt burned like fire, and the words rang through It like a great bell had sounded. Suddenly, It was stuck in this realm. It could sense the Void, but it was like a pane of glass had been placed between It and the Void.
“No nononono!” It screamed. “What are you foul creatures!?”
The one in the orange mask stopped and said “We're teenagers!”
The one in red spun his weapons and said “We're mutants”
The one in purple crouched low with its stick and said “We're ninjas”
The one in blue smiled and shouted “We're TUUURTLLLEEES!”
Turtles! And a Rat! It could see now. Maturin finally had It cornered. It fought savagely, melting into Its true form, an unspeakable thing of legs, claws, teeth and eyes. Spider and serpent, and other unholy things combined onto an abominable killing machine. Its rage fuelled It, but the turtles were too much for It. They were as much a part of the shadows as It was; born to the fight, and working together as only brothers could. As It lay, broken and bleeding the foul ichor that served as Its blood, the rat walked up to It in a stately manner.
“Demon, if I sent you back to where you came from, you'd only come again. So here you will remain. And your death will not be an honorable one.” His walking stick, carved with unusual ideographs, blazed with light as he drove the point through Its head.
“Master Splinter” Michelangelo said “Can we get some pizza now? Being monster bait makes me hungry!”.
Splinter smiled and replied calmly “Michelangelo, everything makes you hungry. Now lets go call Fast Eddy's. I want one with cheese.” The four brothers jumped into the air with a shout of “Cowabunga!” and they raced off towards home.