The Promised Land Playhouse: Episode Three
Jan 18, 2022 17:32:30 GMT -5
gothmother, bennett, and 2 more like this
Post by Mister Wright on Jan 18, 2022 17:32:30 GMT -5
Greetings.
You don't know that you know me but I've been here since the very beginning. Before Mister Wright. Before The Promised Land Playhouse. Before a lot of things.
In a way, I've always been Here. In everything you've seen, read, heard. It's kind of comforting and creepy to know that someone-- something-- has always been just on the other side of your mind. Right there in your consciousness. A voice that you can't really hear but you can't not hear either.
Something that can't, or won't, be ignored.
Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not here to cause any sort of issues or make you think you're not sane. This isn't a "We're All Mad Here" moment. Not really. It's actually just more of a long-winded approach to making everyone understand that there are forces at work here that go beyond our own mental scope and ability.
We're all destined for so much more. I want you to remember that.
Now then, with those words of encouragement out of the way, allow me to formally introduce myself. I am the Voice of Reason. I'm sure you've heard of me. Or seen some version of me somewhere. I was a cricket once. I've also been referred to as Inner Monologue. I've even done a few brief stints as Thought Bubbles. But when it all really comes down to it, I'm always the same thing, every time, every place. And that's the Voice of Reason.
But this isn't about me. This here is all about Mister Wright and The Promised Land Playhouse.
Or is it?
It's probably going to be a little difficult to explain so maybe we should just jump right in to things. I just wanted you all to know who I was before this little adventure really got started. This here journey's going to be a little bit different than what you're used to. I know you've been watching episodes of The Promised Land Playhouse and it may seem like you're about to enjoy another one, but be warned, this here's nothing like what you're used to.
It could be something darker. It could be funnier. It could just be a bunch of baloney. It's not for me to say either way. That's going to be up to you to decide.
All I'm really supposed to do is make sure you know what you're getting into and that you make it out the other side of this epic without completely losing your mind.
So think of me as your guide. Your guide through this epic tale of who knows what. I'm sure there will be all sorts of wonders to behold, villains to face, and maybe even damsels to distress. There are many paths to take to the Final Destination and this is but one.
Alright. Enough with the candor and the dramatic stalling. It's time to allow you to witness that has been brewing for quite some time.
I present to you, my friends, a Very Special Episode of...
Entitled...
"Moratorium"
Enjoy.
For what might be the first time in a long time, we get to see the exterior of The Promised Land Playhouse. As with most things, at first glance, it just kind of looks like a home. A normal everyday home that happens to be a combination of loud oranges and bright pinks. For all that it seems to be a normal house, it is very distinctive.
Almost animated in a way.
Though, for definitely the first time, we get to see the actual neighborhood that The Promised Land Playhouse is in. This is new and exciting so let’s take a closer look.
The streets are paved like almost any other. The town itself looks to be as normal and average, with homes and houses spaced out nicely. Lawns, picket fences with snarling angry dogs behind them. It’s the perfect idyllic landscape.
And The Promised Land Playhouse is right smack dab in the middle of it.
A glance past the street signs that make up the intersection on which The Promised Land Playhouse is located allows us all to see exactly where this amazing home is. It's right on the corner of Make Avenue and Believe Street, of course!
The iron gate around The Promised Land Playhouse has been painted to match the house itself, brightly colored and inviting. Even the orange vulture shaped mailbox looks to be somewhat inviting. Even if the head of the thing seems to be in a new position every time we pass by it. The hunched over vulture, talons gripping the mailbox tightly, sports the address to The Promised Land Playhouse across its shoulders; 4377.
Pay no attention to the fact that sometimes it actually looks like it says HELL. Weird. Trick of light, definitely.
Stepping through the gate brings us up the Mellow Brick Road that winds through the cemetarious front yard, where it actually sounds like no one in those graves are actually dead. There's a weird pink-hued fog that seems to just barely be covering the gravestones and thus makes them so difficult to read. The faint moaning, groaning, and muffled screams of absolute terror and pain are very hard to make out for some reason. Maybe this is just a trick of the ear. Who knows.
The Mellow Brick Road, in all of its blahzay existence, winds past the Tree of Woe. There's not much time to stop and peek at said Tree of Woe but there's a huge sad face in the massive trunk of it. The branches and limbs are all kind of hanging downward in some twisted form of sadness. It's all very much not as peppy as it should be. As we continue on past it, there's even the sound of a sad sigh that just seems to emanate from the huge tree. Woe. Woe is tree.
There's a few more steps down the Mellow Brick Road that need to be taken before we can actually make it to the front door of this amazing and wondrous place. Which means that we've come upon the Scarden of Eden. It is, obviously, a garden of some sort. However, unlike most gardens this one just seems to be a collection of potted plants. Little baby plants that almost look like they might be alive. Well, they should be alive they are plants but more like sentient. With the way they seen to be flapping their leaves and opening their large mouths. Each pot is labeled with a small tag pasted on it: Audrey III.
That's strangely familiar, huh?
Moving right along, the Mellow Brick Road finally breaks itself up to lead in the direction of the huge pink door that leads into The Promised Land Playhouse. It certainly looks all the more inviting, even in the midst of the eerie darkness that seems to be lurking around every single corner. The darkness seems to almost move and adjust itself to always being just out of reach. The illumination is soft and dim, allowing us to focus on the various stickers and such that are scattered across the too inviting door leading into The Promised Land Playhouse: 'Til Death, Free Yourself, and Do Not Exit are just a few that can be seen through this light perusal of the door. There is also a crescent-scythe shaped window located at the top of the big pink door to give everyone an opportunity to take a sneak peek inside.
Lucky for us, we're on television so we can just transition through the...
Is that blood?
... stained glass.
Passing through the (blood)stained glass brings us into a world of magic and wonder. A place where all your nightmares can come true. Where the laws of reality and the creativity of imagination collide to create something different, something powerful, something special.
A place where you're going to make a friend... or die trying.
The Promised Land Playhouse looks different this time. It doesn't look as facsimile as it has in previous episodes. It's fuller, more three dimensional and everything seems to have an added edge to it. Looks like someone got a bigger budget. Everything is so much more detailed from the large fish tank in the corner with bloody water and a school of piranha inside to the seemingly animated windows and walls.
The furniture that's strategically placed around this main area is just as colorful as everything else. There's a Fun Time Table with all sorts of games and knives on it. There's a coat rack in the corner with a couple of comfy looking winter coats and a chainsaw hanging from the dangerously sharp hooks. There are fun and colorful light fixtures from above, a skeleton hand hanging out of the closet door, and a few other fun knick-knacks littered around the place.
Pushed up against the back wall is what appears to be Mister Wright's Puppet Theater. It's a big (for a puppet show) stage that seems to be designed and crafted to look like the Fallout set from the Project: Honor wrestling promotion; there's a ring and everything. Currently piled in the ring are eleven different puppets of varying sizes, shapes, and familiarity. Hanging over the top of the theater is a Mister Wright puppet, arms dangling down towards the puppet pile below. In a very weird way, it's almost like the Mister Wright puppet is puppeteering the ones below.
Strange.
Finally, after that little tour, we come to the section that we're going to be focused on during this here episode of The Promised Land Playhouse. It's the Creative Corner! It looks like a place where people can come to sit and read and dream and create as there's a couple of bookshelves overflowing with books on reading, writing, maiming, murder, colors, serial killers, and even math! There's a huge rug on the floor that seems to be embroidered with the Ghostface mask but it looks pretty comfortable either way. A huge dry erase easel is here as well, surrounded by buckets of magnetic letters and numbers, rusty nails, pretend money, safety scissors, cleavers, and glue. There are also trays for construction paper, some poster boards, and all sorts of other fun and creative elements. There are even bloody smocks and aprons hanging up near the easel.
The most important part of the Creative Corner is the huge comfortable rocking chair that's sitting here on the Ghostface rug. Right next to it, on a small table, is a huge book. It's almost all black with a few darkly shaded runes scattered across the spine and cover. There even seems to be a bit of purple smoke wisping from between the pages even while it rests closed next to the rocking chair.
The Promised Land Playhouse is strangely quiet at this moment. Likely due to the fact that nobody's here to get everything going. There are the occasional sounds of a clock ticking or a faint blood curling scream of absolute terror. The depths of The Promised Land Playhouse have truly yet to be explored and discovered but there is a good authority that it is so much bigger once you're inside that keeping tabs on everything is likely to be a lost cause.
There's a low rumble of thunder that comes from outside and the flashing of lightning shows a few strange shadows on the wall. Shadows that look like a large man with a very large ax, chopping his way through a large crowd. Even the walls seem to suddenly be splattered with blood. Though, as the lightning's flicker fades, so do those terrifying shadows.
Almost as if there were a cue of some sort, the faint sounds of whistling can be heard. A whistled tune of the familiar Good Friendship Song! Said whistling seems to be coming from somewhere within the depths of The Promised Land Playhouse as it gets louder the closer it seems to get to the main room where we've been for such a long time.
Heavy boots stomp along with the whistling and it seems to be coming from the floor below. As we pull back to get a better look, the floor creaks as a door is pushed open from below. The jaunty and happy whistling continues as a huge, heavy, black bag is pushed and shoved up through the trap door in the floor. Said black bag is vaguely person shaped but who really knows. There's pink and purple glittery duct tape wrapped around and around the huge trash bag that goes up and slams into the floor with a dull and heavy thud.
Moments later, the head of Mister Wright pops up from below like a playful gopher. He's not facing us so it's hard to see what his facial expression is like but considering the happiness of the whistling, he's got to be in a supremely good mood. Then again, when isn't Mister Wright in a sublimely good mood?
Mister Wright climbs out of the trap door, revealing his blood orange sweater and dark gray pants. His heavy black boots follow as he pulls himself up to his feet. Stretching for a moment, he kicks the trap door's door closed and reaches for the garbage bag. With a heave and a ho, the whistling turns into a firm grunt as he hoists the huge bag of trash up and onto his shoulder.
Mister Wright tightens his grip on the bag and turns around...
"OH!"
Mister Wright looks semi-startled there for a moment before he plasters his usual grin on his features.
"Hi everyone! I didn't see you there!"
Mister Wright's eyes cut over to the huge bag hanging on his shoulder.
"You caught me in the middle of my chores. This one's called... Taking Out The Trash."
Mister Wright grins as he lifts the bag a bit to show it off.
"Hey, this is my last chore for the day. Did you want to stay and play?"
Mister Wright, as usual, gives those watching at home a chance to answer at our screens. And you better scream Yes! or else.
"That's great news! You hang out right here and I'll be back in two shakes of a lamb's tail!"
Mister Wright winks and skips off to the side with his bag bouncing on his shoulder. As he disappears out of our sight, we get a chance to see a few black feathers swirl through the air from where he was just standing. Almost as if his bag had a hole in it or something. Weird.
As the feathers hit the floor, we get to se Mister Wright's boot crunch them as he makes his triumphant return.
"Guess who's back?!"
Mister Wright throws his arms open wide to present himself to all of us watching from wherever we're watching from. Good thing this is public access television, right?
"It's another marvelous day here at The Promised Land Playhouse and you know what makes it marvelous? You! That's right, each and every one of you keep coming back here to hang out and play with me. It's so much fun! Thank you, Friends. You really know how to make a big lug like me feel Super Duper!"
Mister Wright even does a bit of a 'Superman' pose after that last bit. There's sudden arrival of an animated cape and a Scythe Diamond emblem on his chest for a few seconds before the drawings fade back into obscurity where they came from.
"So. It's super interesting that you all decided to come over today. Why? Because in a couple of days, I'm going to be having one of the biggest playdates I've ever had! But we can talk about that a little later."
Mister Wright tosses a wink out there for those that know what playdate he's talking about already.
"And because of that super huge and mega important playdate, I might not be around as much as I'd like to this week. And that makes me frowny face a whole lot."
To show this is true, Mister Wright turns his smile into a big frown. He even drags his fingers down his face to emulate tears. It's really not a fun sight.
"But don't you worry, Friends! I've got a spectacular show planned for us today! We're going to play all sorts of fun games, sing some great songs, and maim the neighbor's--"
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
Mister Wright jumps at the sudden knocking on the door.
"You hear that, Friends? Somebody's at the door! Let's see who it is!"
A familiar (or will be) jingle kicks in as Mister Wright skips and sings his way toward the door.
"Who Is It!
Who Is It?!
Someone's Come To Visit!
Who Is it!
Who Is It?!
Let's find out right now!"
Mister Wright grins as he reaches the Playhouse door and looks back over his shoulders at us. He turns back to the door and yanks it open to reveal...
CANDI CAIN!
The pretty pigtailed pal of Mister Wright is standing outside on Playhouse Porch in her overall skirt and she's looking pretty, well, sad.
"HI CANDI!"
Looks like Mister Wright hasn't noticed yet. Oops.
Candi Cain sighs dramatically and slumps her shoulders as she makes her way into the Playhouse.
"... hi Mister Wright, hi Everyone."
Mister Wright frowns as Candi walks past him and he closes the door behind her. His frown is one of worry as he wanders up next to her. Candi just kind of looks down and toes the ground with her pink sneakers.
Mister Wright takes a moment to give us the 411, complete with putting his hand up to his mouth and everything.
"Oh no. Something's wrong with Candi, Friends. Let's see if we can figure out what."
Mister Wright turns his attention back to Candi Cain and reaches out to place a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Candi? Are you okay? You seem a little down in the dumps."
Candi sighs and just kind of tugs at the end of one of her pigtails.
"I'm okay."
She doesn't sound okay.
"You don't sound okay."
See?
Candi Cain takes shrugs and just kind of pouts as Mister Wright tries to comfort her.
"Hey. It's okay to be sad, Candi. I know here at The Promised Land Playhouse we like to always have a fun time. But that doesn't mean we can't talk about our feelings too. We all get a little down sometimes."
Candi blinks a bit and finally starts to turn her head up towards Mister Wright.
"Really?"
Mister Wright offers a warm smile.
"Really really."
Candi Cain starts to come around just a bit so Mister Wright pushes the comforting up a few notches.
"And you know something else? The Promised Land Playhouse is full of all our friends. And as your Friends, we're going to do whatever we can to help you feel better. No matter what's going on."
Candi Cain watches as Mister Wright's finger swirls around in front of her face. She's fighting the urge to cheer up as he continues to tease her. It's not until Mister Wright BOOPS her right in the center of her nose does she relent the sadness for a slightly more peppy and perky demeanor!
"Okay, fine! I'll tell you!"
Mister Wright, and all the Friends, are all ears. Aren't we?
"We're all ears."
Yup.
"Every since we came to Friendship Falls, we haven't really made too much Friends. Why don't people like us?"
AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
That's right, we're dropping the whole sound effect in here at this part. We have to. Candi Cain just looks so sad. She's pouting and everything.
Mister Wright can't really deal with Candi Cain being in a pouty mood. So he just wraps his arms around her shoulders.
"Aw, Candi. Don't be sad."
Yeah, Candi! Don't be sad!
"Listen. You're super fun and super great and I think you're one of the Best Friends I've ever had. And you know what? I think you should come with me."
Candi Cain looks up at Mister Wright. She's both hopeful and confused.
"What?"
Mister Wright just grins.
"On my playdate!"
"Wait, really?! I can come too?!"
"Well, of course you can, Candi! You're my Very Special Friend! I wouldn't dream of going to a Sleep Forever Sleepover without you!"
Candi Cain's face lights up and she throws her arms around Mister Wright to squeeze him in celebration.
"Oh thank you thank you thank you thank you!"
Candi Cain hops up to plant a chaste kiss on Mister Wright's cheek!
"You're the best friend a gal could have! Be right back!"
Candi Cain skips over to the Playhouse door and yanks it open. She leans out, bending over and holding the door open with his foot while she's trying to get something. That little overall skirt hikes up and...
Mister Wright turns to the camera while some very intense hubba-hubba sound effects are going on. There's even some sounds accompanying the waggling of his eyebrows.
There's a struggle for the next moment or so, Candi Cain's butt just wiggling back and forth while she tries to drag her luggage in from outside. It's a process that Mister Wright doesn't even help with. Maybe he's too busy admiring the view. Finally, though, Candi Cain drops her pink luggage bag and matching pink sledgehammer to the floor.
"Uh, Candi?"
Candi Cain spins around with a big smile on her face. She brings her hands up under her chin to make herself look as innocent and cute as possible.
"Yeeeeees?"
Mister Wright just kind of holds a finger up as he tries to figure out what just happened.
"Did you...?"
"Emotionally manipulate you by pretending to be super duper sad about being left alone this week so that you'd let me come along on your super important playdate and help you make LOTS of Friends?"
Mister Wright just stares at her. He looks both impressed and shocked.
"Yup!"
Candi Cain leans into the 'looking cute' expression to make sure Mister Wright doesn't get angry.
Mister Wright's finger closes into his hand as it starts to make a fist. It almost starts shaking before he explodes outward with his arms, opening them wide!
"GREAT JOB, Candi! Bring it in!"
Candi Cain squeals, skips, and hops into Mister Wright's arms! He swings her around in celebration for a moment before setting her back down onto the floor.
"Did you see that, boys and girls? That's what we call: Emotional Manipulation."
The purple sparkles string the words: EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION across the screen. There's glitter and sparkles surrounding the words to make them so much fun.
"Emotional Manipulation is a super fun game that you can play with your Friends, or even your Parents! A lot of times using Sadness or Anger really helps with this game. You can get all kinds of stuff if you play it right. Like toys!"
"Or Games!"
"Control of the Estate and Inheritance when your rich uncle dies of mysteriously violent circumstances."
"And sometimes even snacks!"
"Just remember, Emotional Manipulation is a lot like Playing Make Believe. As long as you Make them Believe you, you're playing it Wright!"
Mister Wright and Candi Cain both bring huge thumbs up for the camera for this little moment.
"Okay! Now that we've shown everyone one of our favorite games, you think you're up to helping me get all packed up for the Playdate, Candi?"
"Sure! But how will we know what to take?"
Mister Wright and Candi Cain both turn to look at the camera and shrug as helplessly as they can with this being rehearsed a dozen or so times. While Mister Wright and Candi Cain are focused on us, we can see that there's a woman in purple standing just outside the window. She gives us a purple smoke whisping wiggle of her fingers before knocking on the glass, almost startling Mister Wright and Candi Cain!
"Whoa! Hey! Look everyone, it's Greta Grimm!"
Mister Wright points over to the window before he and Candi Cain slide on over there as well. Mister Wright and Candi Cain each take up residence on either side of the window. Mister Wright pushes it up and open.
"Hi Greta!" "Hi Greta!"
"Oh hello, Mister Wright! Candi! I can see you have all your friends with you today. Hi Friends!"
Greta Grimm gives us a wave and there's even time to wave back if you want.
"That's right! We're having a blast! Did you want to come in for a little visit?"
Greta Grimm immediately looks apologetic.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't stay and play today. I have to be going. I have to get these books I borrowed back to the library so that others can read them."
Candi Cain turns to the camera.
"You hear that, gang? Even Greta Grimm, super famous author woman, turns in her library books ON TIME. You should too!"
Greta Grimm pulls the attention back to the window.
"I really just stopped by to say hi and see if you got my present."
Mister Wright and Candi Cain both look shocked. Rehearsed shocked but still shocked.
"Present?!" "Present?!"
Greta Grimm grins as Candi Cain leaves the window to go look around The Promised Land Playhouse for the present.
"Yes. I heard you had a Super Duper Playdate soon?"
Mister Wright nods.
"Yeah. Candi and I were just talking to our Friends about it. We want to take some very special gifts with us to show our new friends how much we care! But..."
Greta Grimm leans into the window a bit.
"But?"
Mister Wright sighs.
"We don't know everyone that well yet. We just got to Friendship Falls. We're still getting to know everyone. And now I don't know what to bring!"
Greta Grimm smiles.
"This reminds me of the first time Freddy Bear came to Imagination Island..."
Candi pops up from wherever she was looking for a present. She's got a sock on her head between her pigtails. Must be in the laundry chute.
"Imagination Island?!"
Mister Wright grins at the Silly Candi Cain and turns back to Greta Grimm.
"That's where all the Pals in your super awesome book series live, isn't it?"
"That's right. Imagination Island is a wonderful place where everyone learns valuable lessons about life and friendship."
Candi Cain skips back over to the window.
"Just like we try to do in The Playhouse!"
"Exactly!"
Mister Wright sighs and places his chin in his hand.
"Man. I sure wish I could go to Imagination Island. Maybe then I could learn how to be a good friend to all my new pals. Like Freddy Bear."
Greta Grimm tugs on her purple shawl.
"Who says you can't? After all, I've always found reading to be super fun and educational."
Mister Wright and Candi Cain both look at each other and then over to the Creative Corner.
"Toodles."
Greta Grimm wiggles her fingers and disappears into a puff of purple smoke but either Mister Wright or Candi Cain actually notice. Mostly because they are both racing over to the Creative Corner at this very moment. Somehow, though, Mister Wright's arm comes back into the shot to pull down the window. Then we slide right on over to the Creative Corner.
Both Mister Wright and Candi Cain arrive at the same time. They're both looking around and it's Mister Wright that spots the book next to the rocking chair.
"Wowseroonie!"
Mister Wright reaches down to yank up the book up and Candi Cain just kind of appears at this side with bated breath and everything. He flips the book over to the cover where they both can see it, us too, and it says Imagination Island across the front.
"This is... this is the Imagination Island Storybook!"
Mister Wright flips open the cover and notices a message appearing on the inside cover, in purple script:
Whomever Reads This Book
Should They Be Worthy
They Shall Possess The Power Of
Imagination!
Mister Wright and Candi Cain look at each other.
"Whoa." "Whoa."
Mister Wright closes the Imagination Island Storybook for a moment and looks over at the clock.
"What do you think, Candi? Do we have time for a story?"
"I think there's always time for a story, Mister Wright! Never know what we might learn!"
"Well take a seat!"
Mister Wright spins around to drop himself down into the big, comfy rocking chair. He looks up at the camera as Candi Cain drops down onto the carpet in front of the chair, sitting Criss Cross Applesauce and everything.
"You too, Friends!"
We go ahead and move right on over to take a seat next to Candi Cain on the Ghostface rug. All attention gets put on Mister Wright. He grins as he pulls the heavy book into his lap and starts flipping through to the first page.
"Let's see what Freddy Bear and all his Pals are up to..."
☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°★.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆
It must be the magic of Make Believe because as that book's pages are flipped through we're transported into a land of imaginative nature. Waterfalls, trees, brightly colored animals that are a mix of puppeteering and animatronics. It's a full on whole new world in here. In fact, it's an Island of Imagination.
We catch up with our main characters on Baby Powder Beach where the sand is as white as Baby Powder. Freddy Bear, the big stuffed teddy bear wearing a sweater that looks an awful lot like one of Mister Wright's, is waddling along the beach alongside his bestest pal, Applebottom Bunny. Applebottom's a cute little bunny rabbit in an overall skirt outfit and her ears (one pink, one blue) hanging down from a pair of scrunchies.
The two friends are just out for a walk on Baby Powder Beach.
"Oh bother."
"What's wrong, Freddy?"
"I think I forgot something."
"Really?"
"But I can't remember how to remember what I forgot."
"Oh no!"
Freddy Bear taps his chin and then his head and then his chin again as if he's trying to remember how to remember. Applebottom is hopping around as if that's going to help jog Freddy's memory. She doesn't stop until she's behind Freddy and looking down into the sand.
"Freddy! I gots a great idea! Retrace Your Footsteps!"
Freddy turns around to look at Applebottom like she's lost her cotton tailed mind.
"Applebottom! Have you lost your cotton tailed mi--"
Freddy Bear is cut off by the pointing of Applebottom. Those rabbit paws of hers pointing down to the Baby Powder White Sand... where there is a trail of footprints from the both of them.
"You're a genius!"
Freddy Bear reaches down to scoop up Applebottom and plant her on his shoulders. Together, the two friends begin their skipping back through the footsteps across Baby Powder Beach. We travel along with them until they duck under the Stroll Bridge and into Bad Bird Woods.
Sadly, not every place on Imagination Island is as pretty and pristine as Baby Powder Beach. The Bad Bird Woods is a place where all the bad birds seem to hang out. It's not really a nice place as it looks like someone around here should really be doing some cleaning up. There's beer cans and thighmasters all over the ground but yet the trail of Freedy's feet continues through here.
"Freddy? It smells here."
"Yeah. Like alcoholism and failure."
"Gross. Can we hurry up?"
"You don't have to ask me twice, Applebottom. I get the feeling we didn't spend much time here."
"No reason to. I think the only Bad Birds around flew the coop."
"You think?"
"Yeah. Look."
Applebottom points Freddy in the direction of the single bird coop that's off to the side of the Freddy Feet Trail. The coop is on fire and it looks like it has been for a while. Though, the fire doesn't seem to be spreading farther than the coop itself.
"Ca-awwww..."
The pained caw-ing of a black bird crawling out of the inflamed coop comes next. The poor bird seems to be in excruciating pain as her wings are on fire. She can barely move but she's trying to make it. Trying to get to someone, anyone, that will give her a hand.
STOMP!
The bird's beak cracks as Freddy's massive paw slams down on it. From there Freddy Bear just stomps the bird's to holy hell and back, making sure to put out the fire on her wings and everything. The viciousness and brutality of Freddy Bear's stomping is what makes it all the more strange that he's grinning happily during this entire process. One last crunch and the light fades from the bird's eyes... as it does, the coop's flames dissipate.
"There. She's out of her misery now. She'll never get to bother anyone on Imagination Island again."
"Good job, Freddy. But let's keep going. We gotta' find out what you forgot before it's too late!"
"Right!"
And so, Freddy Bear and Applebottom, skip along down the trail and deeper into the forests of Imagination Island. There's some humming and whistling along before they find themselves coming upon a clearing at the end of the trees. They start to frown their faces upon their arrival and cover their noses and mouths as they get here. Freddy even has to let Applebottom down off his shoulders.
"Ugh. What is that?"
"I dunno. It smells super yucky!"
"So bad!"
The coughing spell between Freddy Bear and Applebottom is taking over, likely due to the atrocious scent coming from the animal pal nearby. That's right, everyone, it looks like we've come upon Angelo du Toilette, Imagination Island's only Skunk.
Sadly, he looks pretty much like he's Homeless or something. He comes crawling out of the bushes near the big gate that leads into the more residential areas of Imagination Island. Of course, there's a pretty good chance that Angelo du Toilette's scent is the reason he's been kept outside the gate. It's just... a necessary evil.
"Psst. Hey youse. Youse twos."
Angelo du Toilette slithers over with his bandana around his head and a key hanging around his neck by a string. Freddy and Applebottom step back, still trying to keep their faces covered as much as possible at Angelo du Toilette's approach.
"That's far enough, pal!"
Applebottom's not having it. She's got a super sensitive sense of smell.
"Just uh... Hi Angelo. What's up?"
"Oh, nothin' much. Just worshippin' The Devil Wears Prada. You know how it is out here. Alone. Where nobody else is. Or wants to be."
"... yeah. Crazy. Welp. We gotta' get going, Angelo. Good seeing you again buddy!"
"Yeah! Bye Angelo!"
Freddy and Applebottom turn to start making their way to the gate so that they can get inside and away from the horrible smell of someone that should've been put down oh-so-long-ago. But the skunk is a little too fast because he slinks right in between them and the gate.
"Waitwaitwait. What's your hurry? I never get visitors out here. Stay a while. Hang out. We can eat some leftover marinara sauce I found in the dumpster I slept in last night. Because I'm homeless. And alone."
"You st-- that stinks, Angelo."
Applebottom takes a couple more steps back while trying to console Angelo du Toilette as much as possbile.
"Yeah. Tell you what, buddy." Freddy Bear reaches out towards Angelo and even plants a paw on his shoulder. "Let me get Applebottom inside, yeah? She's feeling kind of sick so I'm gonna' check her out. And then, when she's all squared away, I'll come back out here and see if I can help you uh... do something, anything, with your life. How's that sound?"
As Freddy Bear circles Angelo du Toilette, Angelo's eyes light up with hope to the point that even he doesn't realize that Freddy Bear has untied the string around his neck. He's too overjoyed at that prospect of potential friendship.
"Really? You'd spend that much time with me? Even though I'm pretty much the worst thing evers?"
Freddy Bear's back to the gate now and the key, marked with a gold and silver GK on it, gets handed off to Applebottom who goes right to the gate to unlock it and rushes through. Freddy Bear is backing his way towards the now open gate as well.
"Of course, I would. A little Waste Management and you'll be as good as spew."
Freddy Bear finger-guns at Angelo du Toilette before backing through the open gate.
Angelo du Toilette realizes he's been had and rushes for the gate, only to get the gate slammed right into his face! He goes end over end, cussing and snarling the entire way, before he smacks into one of the trees and a jars upon jars of marinara sauce rain down onto him from above.
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We take a break and pop back over into the Playhouse for a moment. Candi Cain is sitting in rapt attention and Mister Wright is still sitting in the big comfy rocking chair reading. We move over to the Fun Time Table and on top of it is a bottle with a Mama Mia's Holy Water label slapped on the side of it. Whisps of purple smoke dissipate from around it.
Let's get back to Imagination Island to catch up with our new furry friends.
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Freddy Bear and Applebottom Bunny are standing in the middle of Gothic Grove and looking around. They don't look lost so much as they're trying to find Freddy's Feet Prints so that they can continue their journey of retracing their steps.
"I don't remember coming through here."
"Freddy, you don't remember anything! That's why we're doing this!"
"Oh! Right."
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk."
Freddy Bear and Applebottom Bunny turn their attention to the side as the spot another familiar face. It's Casahahanova, the Shady Hyena. He's leaned up against the street lamp with the dimmest bulb. There's a big grin on his features and a purple toothpick in his mouth. It matches his green and purple suit.
"Hehehehe... you guys look lost."
"Just trying to find Freddy's Feet Prints, Casahahanova. You seen them?"
Casahahanova peels himself off the street lamp to come a little closer but Freddy puts himself in front of Applebottom. Just in case. Most of the Pals on Imagination Island are able to get along but every once in a while you run into a joker like Casahahanova.
"Heh heh... maybe. What's in it for me?" Casahahanova flicks the toothpick out into the distance. "This here's Gothic Grove." He licks his lips. "You gotta' prove yourselves on these here grounds. Hahahahaha."
Freddy narrows his eyes. "What do you want?"
Casahahanova just opens his arms to show he's not about to do anything untoward. Even if the look on his features is hungry... for rabbit. So much lip licking and smiling. Like a damn clown.
"It's a pretty simple task, really. Life's been pretty dry around the Grove lately. Nobody to really test my mettle. Like a Warrior on the Rise, I've just been slayin' everything that comes my way. But I haven't come across a single person that can make me laugh. Like really laugh. Crack up until I hack up. Y'know?" Casahahanova shrugs and points at Freddy. "If you can do that, right now, I'll let you and your little Tasty Morsel here go. You don't and--"
Freddy doesn't hesitate. "Middle-aged biker woman with a Mjolnir strap-on and Norse Whore complex the size of Texas." Dramatic pause. "On her period."
It takes a moment for Casahahanova to react because of the sheer ridiculousness that he's just heard. But then it just starts...
"Heh. Heh heh. Heheheheh. Hehehehehehahahahaha. HahahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! AHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
And down he goes. Casahahanova the Shady Hyena hits the ground and curls up into a fit of laughter. So much so that he can't seem to control himself. He just ends up rolling all over the ground and unable to even know which way is which. It turns out this is just fine, though, as Freddy Bear and Applebottom Bunny catch sight of the next set of Freddy's Feet Prints leading them out of the Gothic Grove.
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We'll let them hop over Casahahanova and make their way out while we slide back out into the Promised Land Playhouse for another gander of the Fun Time Table. This time, of course, there seems to be another new object added to the things on top of the table. It's a set of wind-up teeth... only the teeth don't look like teeth at all. They look like blades. Razor sharp ones, too.
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Diving back into Imagination Island brings us to Flower Town. It's one of the nicer places here on Imagination Island. Lots of picket fences and flowers for everyone. There's even a few other Pals hanging about on the streets of this here neighborhood.
Freddy's Feet Prints lead right up to the big mansion in the middle of Flower Town, the Legacy Estate. There's an elephant that's slapping a Sold sign onto the For Sale sign that's located in the front yard. The elephant seems to be ignoring the pleas coming from the black and gray feathered Peacock that's flapping wildly around him.
Freddy and Applebottom stray off their path for just a moment. Just to check in.
"Hey Syn. Uh... you okay?"
The Peacock's in the middle of shaking a balled up wing-fist at the elephant before turning his attention to Freddy and Applebottom. He sighs.
"Oh, hey Freddy. Hey Applebottom." The Synful Peacock just shakes his head. "Sadly, I'm not doing okay. I kinda' got evicted last week. Unfairly, I might add."
Freddy and Applebottom both smirk a bit in trying not to laugh in Syn's face.
"Oh? Man. That's uh... too bad."
"Yeah. Hah-- ah, I mean, what happened?"
Syn sighs. Again. Lots of sighing, "Eh, I got distracted. Didn't handle all my business like I should have. And now?"
"Bye bye Legacy?"
"Bye bye Legacy."
Freddy and Applebottom both reach over to patronizingly pat the Peacock on the back? Feathers? Whatever. It's getting complicated out here on Imagination Island.
"Don't worry, Syn. I'm sure you'll find another place just as nice as this one was. You'll find somewhere to fit in."
"Yeah, don't sweat it. You're a True member of Society. They'll always find a way to use you."
"You got this."
Freddy and Applebottom step aside as Syn kind of ignores their words of encouragement. Why? Because a big ol' Power Couple Moving Truck starts backing up towards the Legacy Estate. Looks like The Synful Peacock is off to try and deal with that.
Freddy and Applebottom look at each other and shake their heads.
"Loser!" "Loser!"
With that said, the two friends take off back onto their mission. They hop back onto the Freddy Feet Prints path, link arms and skip along back down their journey.
☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°★.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆
While the Furtastic Friends are moving on to the next chapter, we're back out in the Promised Land Playhouse. We get to take a better look at the Fun Time Table again. This is where another object has been added to the top of the table. It's a handcrafted piece of actual trash FORMER LEGACY CHAMPIONSHIP belt. It's made out of beer cans, foil, gold stickers and sharp plastic. It doesn't look like it's worth the time it took to glue together but there it is.
A glance past the Creative Corner shows Candi Cain in a more sprawled out position, head on a pillow but still paying rapt attention to the reading coming from Mister Wright. Let's dive back in and see what's going on.
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Freddy and Applebottom are standing at the edge what looks to be a very busy road. The sign above them says Main Street. Of course! Every place in the world has a Main Street, even Imagination Island. It looks like Freddy and Applebottom are waiting patiently to cross the street. They're holding hands and watching for the light to tell them when it's safe to walk. With the amount and speed of the cars going by, though, it doesn't look like that's going to be happening any time soon.
"Oh no."
Freddy looks down at Applebottom. "What?"
Applebottom just tosses her head back in a direction and Freddy can't help but to look. And when he does, even his own facial features fall into something akin to defeat. His paw starts slamming at the button to see if he can make the light change faster.
We finally get our first look at why these two are getting all up in arms and it's because there's a giraffe headed in their direction. And not just any giraffe. A MIME giraffe. This goofball has a golden name tag on that says: 'PRIME' on it. Yup, Prime the Mime. There's a good chance he did that on purpose. He stretches that long neck around to plant his painted face in front of Freddy and Applebottom. The face paint even have tears on it this time. Tears that are letter shaped? C - R - Y under one eye and H - A - V - O - C under the other eye. Strange.
With an exasperated sigh, Freddy drops his hand from the button. "... Hi Prime."
Prime's frown turns upside down and he waves with annoyingly dramatic effect.
"We're a little busy right now. Trying to cross the street." Applebottom is so annoyed.
So is everyone. Nobody likes mimes. Too much face paint.
Prime makes a silent 'shocked' face and then pretends to be riding a bike. He even rings an imaginary bell. There's no sound still, of course, but it's obvious he's trying to give them a ride.
"Uh, no thanks. We're headed in the other direction. We're looking for something I... lost!"
Applebottom perks up and looks at Freddy. "What?!"
"Yeah! The thing I forgot! It's a thing! I forgot that it was a thing so at least now we know it's a thing!"
"YEAH? WOOOO!"
Freddy Bear and Applebottom Bunny start a little dance of celebration! Prime the Mime Giraffe gets off his invisible bike to join in... only his long neck ends up out in front of a bus that takes it clean off! The splatter of blood and skull goes all over the place and the front of the bus... that comes to a halt right in front of the celebratory dancing of Freddy Bear and Applebottom Bunny. The bus opens its doors.
"Look!" Applebottom tugs on Freddy's paw and points at the steps of the bus. "Feet Prints!"
"Onward!"
Freddy and Applebottom climb up onto the bus and start dancing their way down the aisle as the bus driver, a redheaded squirrel reaches up to adjust her bus driver's cap. Her name's been stitched across the front of it: Alyssa O'Irish. She turns on the wipers and sprayers to clear off the blood, closes the doors and peels the bus back off into movement.
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The Promised Land Playhouse is our next stop it seems because we've gotten this far we better not slack off now. The Fun Time Table is getting full but there seems to be another object that's just been added. Where these things are coming from is anybody's guess but it's certainly not from the Playhouse Gang because they're all still in the Creative Corner with the Imagination Island Storybook.
On the table this time, though, is a Self-Exorcism for Dummies book. It's pretty thick and it kind of flops open when we pass over it. The pages of it are revealed to be fake because there's just a huge hole in the middle of the 'book' and inside that hole is a gun. With a sticky note attached: 'Kill Yourself'.
☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°★.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆
Headed back to Imagination Island puts us back on the bus. Alyssa O'Irish is driving (badly) through the streets and way too fast for anyone's good. The people on the bus, well, the one other person besides Freddy and Applebottom, but in multiple seats on the bus are a bunch of identical snakes. They're all pretty busy, typing on their laptops (don't ask how). The sticker on the back of each of those laptops says: 'Jason Longssssssssssss'.
"Oi! Detour!" Alyssa O'Irish yells from the front seat as she peels the bus around a corner to avoid the Finish Line.
The swerving sends Freddy and Applebottom bouncing around the back of the bus and out the back window because they didn't have long bodies to wrap around the bus poles with. Freddy's fluffy body hits the ground first and Applebottom lands on his stomach.
"Oh bother. Now where are we?"
As they help each other up, the two friends look around to see if they can recognize anything. They don't.
"Dunno, Freddy. I definitely don't think you left any Feet Prints over here."
The moment Freddy is back on his feet and he takes a step, a huge hunting blade cuts through the air right in front of him. It stabs right into a STOP sign. Freddy and Applebottom turn to see the only human on Imagination Island. And it's a bad one at that. Giant ears! Mean face! Horrible brown hunting outfit. It's... it's...
"HIDE!"
"The Hunter!"
For those of you a little slow on the uptake, that's Hide the Hunter.
Freddy and Applebottom high tail it across the street as Hide the Hunter makes his arrival from the backyard he was hiding in. He stomps his way past the stop sign, yanking his blade out on the way, and keeps his horror movie villain walk going on his path to hunt down the pair of animals that dared to detour into his small part of Imagination Island.
They must want to be hunted.
"We gotta' lose this guy, Freddy!"
"I know! I keep trying to but he keeps poppin' up. Everywhere I go. No matter what I do, he just won't stay down."
"You know, it's because of him we haven't found anyone that really wants to be our friend yet."
"I know. He keeps scaring everyone off! Even let the Bad Bird fly off with my shiny!"
"Well, we can't keep this up forever. You're gonna' have to face him. Again."
"I know."
"And you're gonna' have to put him down. For good."
"I know."
"Soon!"
"I know!"
"Very soon!"
"I KNOW!"
"As in right now because HE'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF US!"
Freddy looks up as Applebottom freaks out and turns tail to run. Hide the Hunter is standing right in their path. And right behind him are the Feet Prints that they need to take them back to the beginning of all this.
Hide the Hunter almost seems like he's not even looking at them. His eyes are glossed over, haunted even, and he just kind of monstrously robot steps his way in Freddy's direction. Applebottom is behind Freddy Bear and the stuffed bear hero just kind of stands his ground. Not about to let anything happen to Applebottom, he holds up a paw.
"Hey! Hey! Stop! You don't need to do this! Hurting is because you're hurting isn't going to solve anything. Trust me. I know."
Hide the Hunter raises his hunting knife.
"Just... wait a second. I know what's bothering you. You don't have anyone. Not anymore. You hurt everyone you care about and you think there's nothing you can do to get rid of that pain. It's a terrible feeling. Unbearable even."
Hide the Hunter GLARES.
"But! But! I can fix it. I know how. Just give me a chance."
Freddy Bear starts to walk away from Applebottom (who is freaking the freak out by the way) to take some steps toward Hide the Hunter.
"It's gonna' be okay. Trust me. I know how to make things... Wright."
Hide the Hunter seems to hesitate long enough for Freddy Bear to get close enough to him. Freddy opens his arms and wraps Hide the Hunter in a big squishy hug of comfort. Almost as soon as he does, the knife clatters to the ground and the scary image of Hide the Hunter whisps away. As that evil visage disappears, we're revealed a small baby sitting on the ground next to the huge hunting knife. There's a bib around his neck that says 'Henry Lee' on it. He looks so cute... even with those funky ears.
"FOUR!"
Applebottom punts the holy shit out of baby Henry Lee and sends him sailing up and over the neighborhood below!
Before Freddy can say a word, Applebottom is stomping towards the Feet Prints path to finish up the last leg of this here journey.
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Popping back into the Promised Land Playhouse for another gander at the Fun Time Table pulls us right in to the smallest addition to the pile of objects that have been magically gathering here whenever something meaningful happens in the storybook. It's been weird, right? Hasn't it? Anyway, things seem to become so much clearer when we get to see an adult sized pacifier sitting on the table... dripping with super glue.
Huh.
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The final leg of the Freddy Feet Prints Retracing Steps Tour brings us to a house. A house that looks like it's sitting in the middle of Sweetwater Swamp. There's not much else out here but the swamp, the house, and the long, rickety pier that leads to the house.
Sweetwater Swamp? Full of gators too, by the way. If you look closely, you can see them in the water. Peering hungrily.
Freddy and Applebottom are standing on the road that's right across the way from the swamp and the pier. Except neither one of them are moving. The Feet Prints lead right across there but Freddy's not budging.
"I guess this is it, huh?" Applebottom inquires. "Last stop? Or is the first?"
"Think so." Freddy shrugs.
"Looks dangerous over there."
A gator SNAPS its jaws.
"Yup."
"We goin'?"
Freddy doesn't say anything so Applebottom tries once more.
"Hey. Freddy. We goin' or not?"
"Uh... no."
"No?"
"We don't have to. I've got everything..."
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"... I need."
Mister Wright blinks as he realizes something of his own accord and closes the Imagination Island Storybook. This, of course, causes Candi Cain to sit up immediately.
"Mister Wright? Is everything okay?"
Mister Wright just grins back at Candi Cain. "Oh! Yes! Sorry but I think we should save the rest of the story for another time. I just remembered where I put the one gift I already had!"
The Imagination Island Storybook is sat down next to the big comfy rocking chair and Mister Wright is on his feet. He takes off across the Playhouse, past the Fun Time Table full of stuff, and throws open an orange treasure chest!
Candi Cain is trailing behind him.
"Okay, it's gotta' be in here somewhere." Mister Wright practically crawls into the huge treasure chest and starts throwing things out of it. First comes an Ascension Championship Pillow. This is followed by a dead crow. Then a Jason Long action figure. And then a slightly different Jason Long action figure. Then even another different Jason Long action figure. A toaster. A magnifying glass. An instagram model, Guy, three boxes of playing cards, a universal remote control, six months of free Discord Nitro, a Free Hugs sign and...
"Found it!"
Mister Wright stands up straight just as Candi Cain dodges the last flying item and comes up to stand next to Mister Wright. Her eyes get a little crazy as she stares at the item as well. He's holding a very old, almost brittle looking picture frame. It has definitely seen some better days.
"Ohhhhhh! That's PERFECT, Mister Wright. Perfect!"
Mister Wright grins a bit as he stares through the dirty but solid glass protecting the old photo inside. The photo is of an obviously young Billy Bennett. There's another girl in the photo, she looks to be around the same age as Billy does in this photo as well. She has some of those same Bennett features.
"Silly Billy's gonna' love it!" Candi Cain exclaims with excitement.
"Yeah. I think so too, Candi." Mister Wright's grin is a bit darker than it normally is. Even his eyes are a bit more narrowed like he's up to something. "Time to remember, Silly Billy."
The lights in the Promised Land Playhouse start to flicker for a moment. When they do, the colors fade and the place looks about as abandoned as can be for a moment. Though, a cough and a shake of Mister Wright's head stabilizes everything once again.
Except for Candi Cain. She seems to be stuck. Staring straight ahead and looking like she's scared for her own life. She actually looks like she has no idea where or who she is.
"Wh--"
Mister Wright's hand covers Candi's mouth almost immediately and he grins happily at the camera.
"Well! That's all the time we have for our show today! As you can see, I've gotta' get packed and help Candi Cain with her super painful toothache!"
Candi Cain is struggling helplessly to get away from the incredibly strong grip of Mister Wright. Mr. Wright drops the picture on the Fun Time Table on his way past.
"We'll see you all again super soon! Goodbyyyyyyye!"
Candi Cain reaches out towards the backing away camera for help as Mister Wright waves a hand happily. Candi Cain's eyes go wide as she knows what's coming next. Please. God. Somebody hel--
Fade to Pink.
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