The Slasher Thread - Revisited

Just for Fun
1

This is about 2 years in the making. I think I’ve finally gotten something put together that will live up to the first. I made a new thread so I wouldn’t bog down the beloved Stupid Polls thread. You can catch up on the prior story here:

The Slasher Thread - Revisited

It’s been years since that night. The memory still haunts you. Many nights find you waking screaming in a cold sweat, remembering the machete sprouting from your best friend’s chest, the exploding cabin that left burn marks along the side of your neck, the echo of the gunshot that should have killed that shadow. You dumped obscene amounts of money into counselling, meditation camps, and even self defense classes. None of it helped to instill a sense of safety within you.

That slowly changed when you met Jamie (intentionally gender neutral). Jamie helped make you feel safe and normal again. The PTSD didn’t go away, but it was more under control with Jamie near.

You find yourself and Jamie on a catamaran, jetting toward a tropical island. The excursion was a surprise to you while on a cruise. The Itinerary was delivered early this morning to your suite with a note: “I hope you love the excursion I’ve prepared for you!” Jamie could be so spontaneous. You tucked the note away into your back pocket of your shorts.

Kerry, the ship’s captain, insisted that he had a secret spot on the north shore of this island where you could view hundreds of tropical birds under a jungle canopy. “The south side cove sees a lot of other excursions, so the birds are often skittish.”

Whilst cruising through protruding rock formations to the north side, the captain spots another boat trailing behind a half mile. “Can’t have anyone finding my secret spot! It’ll get overrun by tourists.”

What do you vote for?

  • Convince Captain to hail the boat, find out what they want and then turn them away.
  • Tell the captain to try to lose them

0 voters

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The passengers agree that losing the other boat may be fun. The captain cruises closely around rock formations and secrets himself in a small cove for several minutes. During the time while you wait you have time to observe the other passengers.

First noticeable couple is a ditzy, blonde bimbo named Chloe with her bodybuilder, clump on a boyfriend Chad. Chloe prattles on and on about her friends, shoots selfies of herself and complains loudly about there being no cell signal. Chad just checks out his muscles and misses a lot of what Chloe says, either because he’s too self obsessed, or because he’s a blockhead.

The next couple is Bernard, a withered old man in tourist garb and his morbidly obese wife Ida. He falls asleep half the time, while she fans herself and occasionally smacks him to point out interesting things.

Lastly is the silent, weirdo. He never offered up his name and only gives single word replies. He sits by himself, speaks to himself and doesn’t look at anything Captain Kerry points out.

After a while you pull out of the cove and jet towards the beach on the North side. Jamie clutches your hand as everyone speeds toward shore on the blowup raft, leaving the catamaran anchored a few hundred feet offshore. The beach has fine golden sand with a thick forested backdrop. After spending an hour or so within a jungle clearing viewing amazing birds, Captain Kerry announces that everyone ought to head back to the beach before tides change.

Upon returning to the beach, Captain Kerry tries to get the engine started on the dingy. It turns over but gutters out. He scratches his beard in puzzlement. After inspecting the motor, he finds that the gas reservoir has leaked all over the floor of the boat from a small hole. Nervous chatter erupts amongst the members of the party. The Captain shouts over the din to be heard.

What do you do?

  • Suggest the party try rowing back to the ship
  • Suggest the party try to hike through the island to the South Side

0 voters

3

I’m going to close this poll in 2-3 hours. It’s a close call. Any final votes people want to put in better be quick. @Englishd you’d better vote, or I’m going to reopen the Roast Thread.

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4

I’d rather do that :rofl:

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5

@DungeonMaster I simply wanted to tell you how great it is to see you active on TS again :smiley:

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Thanks, Jan! I have a plan to be mildly involved in the forum, not sporadically like I was before. And definitely not heavily like I was before that!

Balance in all things

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Also, I love how this poll ended up a tie. It’ll work.

Captain Kerry pulls out four oars and explains how he should be able to fill the tank back at the catamaran with enough fuel to come back for the dead weight (Old couple). Ida huffs and plows a furrow in the sand to a good viewpoint of the ship, where she nests in. Bernard trails behind.

The Captain asks who would be willing to help row to the ship and quips about how he would give them a discount on their excursion (not a refund). Chad thumps his chest with a meaty fist, grabs an oar and rambles about how he could swim there if he wanted to. Chloe walks the beach holding her cell up in the air looking for any hint of bars. The silent guy stands off by himself. You’re not even sure if he heard the Captain’s query. That leaves you and Jamie. You both accept oars and begin pushing the raft out, when you hear a high pitched squeal coming from the boat.

After inspecting the bottom of the raft, the Captain finds what appears to be a sharpened stick wedged in the sand below the boat. To you, it looks as though it was intentionally placed there, but with everyone’s footprints through the beach, plus the surf coming in and out, there’s no telling whether someone planted it. It does look suspicious though. Air is quickly venting from the inflated hull of the raft. Captain Kerry declares that it wouldn’t be safe to take it out to sea risking the possibility of not making it to the ship at all.

He looks at the sun as well as his watch, “Well, there’s really only one other option. I’m going to have to trek across the island to the other cove and get another boat to pick us up. Shouldn’t take more than a few hours.”

What do you do?

  • Stay at the beach. He’s got this.
  • Hike to the other side with him. I ain’t waiting around here!

0 voters

1 Like
8

Jamie and you quickly volunteer to accompany the Captain across the island. Chad, not to look like a wimp, boasts about he’s had “survival training” from his two years in the Army. Chloe argues with him about not wanting to go stomping off into a dirty jungle with bugs. Chad, finally showing some backbone, eventually wins the argument and they follow the Captain to the edge of the woods.

The silent guy has also followed the Captain, still staring down at the sand. Perhaps he just needs to be told what to do. Ida plants her supple rump in the sand again and says that she won’t move until he returns with the rescue boat. She harangues Bernard about how she intends to speak to a manager about the inconvenience and how they will miss her mid morning meal.

You shake your head and turn to look at the slowly flattening boat. Inside it, you can see some emergency items stowed away that may prove useful.

What do you do? Feel free to make comments.

Which do you take with you?
  • A first aid kit (contains bandages, burn ointments, antibiotics, Aloe Vera gel, stitch kit, etc.)
  • A medium sized coil of rope (About 10 Meters)
  • An Oar (May be good as a walking stick, or for something else…?)
  • A Flare Gun (Looks like one cartridge left in it)

0 voters

1 Like
9

I’ll be leaving this open. Might not get back on through the weekend. Weekends are too busy here in my house

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You covertly grab the flare gun, jam the cartridge in and stow it in your shorts. You put the case back into the flattening raft and run to catch up with the Captain. Jamie looks at you with concern, “You think that will be necessary?” You reply that it’s better to be prepared than sorry.

With a brief glance at the beach (with Ida and Bernard planted in the sand), you plunge back into the forest. A few moments later, you meet up with the other four. The captain scratches his beard as he vocally considers how best to traverse the small island.

“Hrmm… Well, obviously going through the center of the island would be the most direct route; However, there is a cliffside on the Western edge, which we skirted around on our route to the North side. There’s an abandoned watchtower there. We may be able to spot an easy path to the South shore. The East side’s jungle is less sparse though. It’s flatter and rockier. It may make for slower, but definitely more sure travel.”

Where should you go?
  • Head to the watchtower. Knowing where you’re going has got to be the wisest course.
  • Best to take the most direct route through the bog. The sooner we get out of here the better!
  • East Side. I’d rather get there slowly than get lost in a jungle!
  • Screw this. You’ve got this Captain. I’m going back to the beach.

0 voters

1 Like
11

The hike up to the watchtower is sweaty and muddy. Chloe complains loudly frequently about how there should be proper hiking trails, a cell tower, and restrooms. Furthermore, she berates the captain for not having snacks and drinks for them at the beach. Chad, ever the macho man, plunges forward toward the tower like he’s on a mission, often leaving the others behind.

The path gets so clogged at times that the group has to stop and search to make sure you’re not doubling back. As the incline grows the tower can be spied from outside the jungle canopy. The climb is arduous and at times the group has to change course and find a different way up.

Over the course of the next couple hours, you find your mind wandering back to a stormy night in the woods. The hooded killer begins to trouble your mind all over again. You even begin to think you see shadows out in the forest, but when you turn to look they are gone.

After climbing and climbing, you find yourselves out on a semi-rocky shelf with a stone tower supported by a beam propped against the wall and surrounded by sharpened stakes. From the top of the short tower, you feel confident you could make a lay out of the land going forward. The group searches around before entering the tower. As you step inside you see muddy bootprints on the wooden floor. Were those here before? Or were they from one of the others in the group?

The Captain climbs the spiral stairs first with you and Jamie in tow, and Chad at your heels. Chloe and the silent guy remain below. When you reach the landing you see a large open air window that looks out at the island interior. The opposite wall has several narrow, vertical windows that look out seaward.

The view of the island is decently clear from the vantage point. The jungle happens to be densest here on this side of the island, making it impassable. The far side looks to be a rocky beach with large boulders. It extends all the way to a grassy plain that connects to where Captain Kerry describes the Southern Cove to be. The interior of the island looks to be spotted with bogs and swampy areas. It still looks to be a fairly clear and direct route through the center toward the cove, though perhaps treacherous.

While the Captain, Jamie and Chad view the island, you begin to look inside the shell of the tower room. There’s not a lot left but broken rotted wooden tables and cobwebs. Sitting on one is an old radio and a rust cankered machete… and a note. You walk up to the table and pick it up:

I've missed this game. I hope you like it!

The writing looks familiar. You have seen it before. The blood drains from your face and you feel dread enter you as you pull the note from your pocket. The handwriting matches. This wasn’t from Jamie.

Chloe shouts out that she’s got a signal! At the same time, Captain Kerry moves up to the window to get a better look. You see the wire stretched across the floor a couple feet from the window. The warning freezes in your throat as the Captain trips and flails out the window. You hear a crash on the stakes and Chloe’s scream.

You, Jamie and Chad rush down the stairs and out to find Captain Kerry impaled on the stakes, blood pouring from his many puncture wounds. Chad stands staring and pulling at his close cropped hair, while Chloe screams and cries uncontrollably. The silent guy remains quiet, but has an extra pallor to his face and a look of fright. Jamie moves to help calm Chloe down since Chad is obviously absorbed in his own thoughts.

Your mind quickly begins to process what happened. It was a trap. The note was left for you, knowing you would come here. Someone is stalking you again. It’s happening again.

Forcing down the tears and panic, you try to think of what to do.

What do you do?
  • Go get the machete. Better have a weapon, just in case.
  • Try to get the radio working.
  • Get Chloe’s phone and try to make an emergency call.
  • Screw this. We’re better off back at the beach. Maybe we can swim to the boat.

0 voters

12

You guys are dark. Always looking for violence to solve violence! :rofl:

4 Likes
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Doing a quick scan of the area first, you then rush back up the tower and grab the machete, unsure whether the rusted blade will be able to do much against the hooded stalker. When you emerge from the tower, Chloe turns to you. Seeing you with the machete she startles, screams and her phone flies out of her hands and down the cliffside. You quickly assuage her fear and find Jamie.

You explain the note and how it must be the hooded figure from so many years ago. Jamie questions whether it might be a coincidence, that the notes could be something else entirely. It’s not like the notes said anything specifically malevolent.

You reassert that it has to be and that none of you are safe right now. The only option is to get off the island, as quickly as possible.

You get the group behind you to:
  • Head back to the beach and swim for the boat. It’s the closest to here and would be the the fastest way off this bloody island.
  • Skirt the island along the East side. It would be wide open, so no one could hide, though slow. Clearly a safe choice.
  • Plow through the middle of the island. The Captain was convinced that the cove had small motorized boats that docked there in the case of emergencies.
  • Have a breakdown and wet yourself.

0 voters

1 Like
14

I’ll give this another several hours or so then I’ll write up the next segment.

2 Likes
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You panic and wet yourself. It’s only a little bit though, and you’re already pretty sweaty from the hike and climbing, so few people will probably notice.

Squashing your panic, you hand the machete to Jamie and tell everyone that it would be smartest to trek through the center of the island to get there the fastest. You express regret that there’s nothing that can be done for Captain Kerry, but promise that once you get to the mainland you’ll notify the authorities. One thing is for sure, you cannot stay here. The Captain made it clear that you should not stay through afternoon, because the tides can become severe and dangerous. You omit your fears of the hooded figure.

Everyone agrees and begins the descent down to island interior. The trees become fairly thick, but you’re certain that they should clear up soon and there should be a straight path to the other end. It will take only a half hour or so to get there.

The ground becomes squishy the further in you go. Eventually the trees thin out and you find your group in the middle of a bog. Patchy islands of grass dot through the morass of stinking water. Mosquitos buzz around and you smack them off yourself. The water is only about a foot deep, but the mud underneath you quickly realize is difficult to traverse. You, Jamie and Chad all end up losing your shoes. Chloe hangs back on the dry shore. The silent guy stares at the bubbles left where your shoes had been a second ago.

Jamie insists that the cove should only be a short distance further, but the bog is getting deeper and the surrounding forest around it is so thick, it may not be possible to continue.

What do you do?
  • Try swimming across the bog. How hard could it be?!
  • Go back to the beach. Honestly, swimming to the ship seems like something you should have tried from the start, right?
  • There should be other tourists out at the cove, which isn’t too far away… Fire the flare gun?
  • Maybe the East end would be the safest bet.
  • Build a raft!!

0 voters

1 Like
16

I’m hoping for 2 options. Maybe we could break some ties here. It would help build up the story. Also, wish I had included who voted. Kicking myself!

2 Likes
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Figuring that getting through the muck would be treacherous, the group resolves to build a raft. Maybe it will work. Right?

After wasting a half hour gathering branches and vines, you quickly realize that building a raft must look a lot easier in movies. Why didn’t you bring some rope?!

The tangled mess of branches and vines looks as you it may yet support your weight. It must at least support two people’s weight at the same time, however, so it can carry one across and return for another. Why didn’t you bring some oars?!

You decide that if it can carry both the overweight silent guy and muscle man Chad at the same time, then it has to be “bog-worthy”. Chad climbs on, and you shove the creepy, weirdo forward to step onto the raft as well. He doesn’t exactly look well though.

With some coaxing silent guy steps a foot onto the raft. It seems to stay buoyant, though it is partially submerged. Chad and the other guy paddle with their arms and a large chunk of bark. The bark snaps in half a short way into the bog and they’re forced to resume with their arms.

Chad boasts that this is no big deal and that it’ll be a good workout. After what seems like forever, the two of them bump up against the opposite bank and the silent guy steps off. You yell for him to head to the cove to find some help while Chad begins the slow swim back. He turns and stomps off through the jungle.

When Chad reaches the middle of the bog he exclaims that the vines are slipping. You don’t even have time to shout a reply as the raft breaks apart and Chad falls into the water. Chloe screams for him to swim, Jamie yells for him to float on his back. Chad panics.

The branches get torn apart and are pushed away as Chad fails to gain purchase of the quickly dismantling raft. Chad bellows as the remaining branches give way beneath his weight and he falls into the water. After a few moments, Chad stands up. The water is only about waist deep.

Everyone begins to laugh in relief. Chad grabs the one remaining branch and throws it away from him in triumph. Jamie tells him to swim over the surface to the other end and help that other guy find help for us.

Chad nods, but his smile quickly fades. Everyone looks on with dread at what could possibly wrong now. He says that he can’t get his feet out of the mud. And you may be crazy, but wasn’t he only waist deep a second ago? All over Chad begins to panic.

Jamie shouts for him to remain calm as the group begins lioking for debris to throw to him as a floatation device. It’s no good though. He continues to shout and splash. The water level is quickly approaching his chin.

Chad sticks his face upward and gasps for breath, reaching for air. The water engulfs his face. Chloe screams and cries uncontrollably. You see his arms flail for a bit and then go limp.

What to do? This is impossible. How can all this be happening? Where did the weirdo go? You need help. What can be done?

The flare! Maybe you could signal other tourists from the cove to come help…

Chloe sits in the grass whimpering. Jamie crouches at the shoreline, elbows on knees, hands on face, incredulous about what just happened. You pull out the flare gun and point it skyward. The sudden crack and spark of light startles the others, but they quickly fall back into stunned silence.

After about 20 minutes, you begin to hear faint voices coming from the other end of the bog. The three of you stand up and begin shouting for help. A short time later the silent guy emerges from the trees with another person. Your shouts turn hopeful, and you explain what happened to Chad while forcing down the rising emotion and fear within you.

The man studies the swamp and says that he should be able to unhook his motor from his little boat and carry it over. They should be able to row to you and carry you back.

As the man puts together his course of action, a shadow moves in the undergrowth behind him. Your heart skips a beat and you feel a chill spread through your body in spite of the heat of the day. No. It can’t be. The shadow detaches from the forest and materializes behind the two people. It’s him. Or her. It’s the masked, hooded figure. The thing that’s haunted your dreams for years, back from your nightmares to torment you again.

A gleam flashes beside it. Jamie’s eyes bulge in confusion and wonder. Chloe screams in horror. You remain frozen in shock and disbelief. The blade slides around and opens the man’s throat mid sentence. He clutches at his neck and drops to his knees, gasping and coughing blood. The weird guy finally breaks his silence with a cry of terror, turns tail and flees off into the forest again.

The hooded figure turns its black mask toward you as if considering, then follows after the silent guy and disappears into the forest.

You drop to your own knees and begin to shake uncontrollably. No. Not again.

What do you do?!
  • You have to get away. The furthest from it as possible. Back to the beach. You can swim to the boat for sure.
  • You still have to get to the South Cove. It’s the only option. There’s three of you. Stick together and head directly toward the East shore.
  • Head for the East End, but stop at the beach for additional supplies first.

0 voters

1 Like
18

@anon57836609 What do you think will happen at the beach?
@beardson @Thirdmonkey @DryIn785 Heading straight into the arms of the killer, eh? :rofl:

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19

John Wayne wouldnt retreat

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20

Lol! John Wayne would probably have just shot him and been done with it.

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