Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Exit 23 Dark•Matter Story Hour (NOW COMPLETE!)
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Desdichado" data-source="post: 1228800" data-attributes="member: 2205"><p style="text-align: center">"Exit 23"</p> <p style="text-align: center">I.</p><p></p><p>Mabel looked up and shivered. One more set of headlights was shining through the glass doors; one more car had made it through the night. That, in and of itself, was pretty amazing. In the middle of nowhere in Southern Idaho, twenty three miles north of the Utah border on I-15, weather was never pretty this time of year, but tonight's weather was just freakish. (<span style="color: orange">Actually, I looked at a map of Idaho and the mileage markers count down from the Utah border, not up, so "Exit 23" should really be "Exit 184" or some such number. However, right about where exit 23 should be is not right in the middle of nowhere, it's right in the middle of Boise. I'm not actually sure where "Exit 23" is supposed to be located, so I just took a guess and ran with it.</span>)</p><p></p><p>The headlights turned off, and Mabel could hear the thunk of a car door closing, although it was muted and dull. A dark figure walked into the door, and turned once it was apparent that everyone here was sitting in the McDonalds located to the right. The newcomer was tall, blond -- a striking woman. Mabel's eyes slipped unconsciously to the pistol at her belt. She was also a state trooper.</p><p></p><p>"Evening, honey," Mabel said. "It's nice to see you made it to the parking lot instead of ending up in a ditch." The trooper smiled at Mable and walked over to have a seat near her. There were a handful of other people in the restaurant too, people stranded there. A short burly man with long hair and tattered camos gave the trooper a surly glance, then looked away. The small, dark-haired doctor looked up and smiled briefly, then returned to his papers. Another man cursed softly and hit his laptop. "He's been doing that off and on," whispered Mabel conspiringly. "Whenever the storm blocks his satellite Internet access."</p><p></p><p>Two other men sat together talking quietly, a tall, middle-aged black man and a younger, broader white man. A balding businessman in a suit glanced at his watch, then walked away from the restaurant towards the bathroom. He took his briefcase with him. A truckdriver in a cheap parka and a Detroit Tigers baseball cap gave him a glare as he walked away, then turned away again. Another guy, a young college kid from the looks of it, was flipping through some drawings.</p><p></p><p>"You want anything?" Mabel asked. "Danny's the McDonald's guy, but he's off playing the video games since no one's ordered. I can go fetch him if you like."</p><p></p><p>"Jane McDermott," the trooper said, shaking Mabel's hand. "I'm fine for now, thank you. What's the latest weather report?" Mabel laughed.</p><p></p><p>"It's supposed to be clear and about 45 tonight. This crazy storm; I don't know where it's coming from. How bad's it getting out there?"</p><p></p><p>Jane took off her hat and ran her fingers through her hair, sighing softly. "Bad. Patrol cruiser nearly got stuck three times in the last mile or so; snow's drifting up to three feet or more in places. It's falling so thick you can't see more than a few yards ahead of you. If I hadn't been using my spotlight, I probably wouldn't even have seen the exit sign here."</p><p></p><p>Mabel grimaced. "Then it looks like we all will be here for a while yet." Jane looked around and noticed that many of the other folks in the restaurant had been eavesdropping to this portion, and many of them openly showed their frustration and impatience at this point. The man with the laptop turned to his coffee, keeping a surly eye on Jane. She got up and approached the college kid, glancing at his papers. It appeared to be artwork, if you could call it that, but it was strange and disturbing: mechanical and biological forms merged together into a kind of alien erotica. She grimaced inwardly, but made a polite comment nonetheless.</p><p></p><p>"Thanks," mumbled the kid. He put his art away and got up, following the businessman to the bathroom. Jane sat by herself for a moment.</p><p></p><p>Suddenly the lights went completely out. Curses and sighs of disgust rose from almost all the mouths in the restaurant, but then they abruptly went silent. There was another sound -- glass shattering and a metallic shriek of pain and fear. The wind howled inside the building, blowing napkins, knocking over empty coffee cups, tugging at all the inhabitants of the room. There were screams of fear, and bangs and clatters as people fell over, dived under tables and scrambled to illusory safety.</p><p></p><p>Then a banging, ripping, rending sound. Screams of pain and fear from the other side of the truck stop. A long, drawn-out scream, like the torturing of some wild beast.</p><p></p><p>And as suddenly as it came, the wind stopped. The uncaring snow, falling thick as a blanket in the air muffled and muted all sounds. The truck stop had a pall over it like a tomb.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Desdichado, post: 1228800, member: 2205"] [center]"Exit 23" I.[/center] Mabel looked up and shivered. One more set of headlights was shining through the glass doors; one more car had made it through the night. That, in and of itself, was pretty amazing. In the middle of nowhere in Southern Idaho, twenty three miles north of the Utah border on I-15, weather was never pretty this time of year, but tonight's weather was just freakish. ([color=orange]Actually, I looked at a map of Idaho and the mileage markers count down from the Utah border, not up, so "Exit 23" should really be "Exit 184" or some such number. However, right about where exit 23 should be is not right in the middle of nowhere, it's right in the middle of Boise. I'm not actually sure where "Exit 23" is supposed to be located, so I just took a guess and ran with it.[/color]) The headlights turned off, and Mabel could hear the thunk of a car door closing, although it was muted and dull. A dark figure walked into the door, and turned once it was apparent that everyone here was sitting in the McDonalds located to the right. The newcomer was tall, blond -- a striking woman. Mabel's eyes slipped unconsciously to the pistol at her belt. She was also a state trooper. "Evening, honey," Mabel said. "It's nice to see you made it to the parking lot instead of ending up in a ditch." The trooper smiled at Mable and walked over to have a seat near her. There were a handful of other people in the restaurant too, people stranded there. A short burly man with long hair and tattered camos gave the trooper a surly glance, then looked away. The small, dark-haired doctor looked up and smiled briefly, then returned to his papers. Another man cursed softly and hit his laptop. "He's been doing that off and on," whispered Mabel conspiringly. "Whenever the storm blocks his satellite Internet access." Two other men sat together talking quietly, a tall, middle-aged black man and a younger, broader white man. A balding businessman in a suit glanced at his watch, then walked away from the restaurant towards the bathroom. He took his briefcase with him. A truckdriver in a cheap parka and a Detroit Tigers baseball cap gave him a glare as he walked away, then turned away again. Another guy, a young college kid from the looks of it, was flipping through some drawings. "You want anything?" Mabel asked. "Danny's the McDonald's guy, but he's off playing the video games since no one's ordered. I can go fetch him if you like." "Jane McDermott," the trooper said, shaking Mabel's hand. "I'm fine for now, thank you. What's the latest weather report?" Mabel laughed. "It's supposed to be clear and about 45 tonight. This crazy storm; I don't know where it's coming from. How bad's it getting out there?" Jane took off her hat and ran her fingers through her hair, sighing softly. "Bad. Patrol cruiser nearly got stuck three times in the last mile or so; snow's drifting up to three feet or more in places. It's falling so thick you can't see more than a few yards ahead of you. If I hadn't been using my spotlight, I probably wouldn't even have seen the exit sign here." Mabel grimaced. "Then it looks like we all will be here for a while yet." Jane looked around and noticed that many of the other folks in the restaurant had been eavesdropping to this portion, and many of them openly showed their frustration and impatience at this point. The man with the laptop turned to his coffee, keeping a surly eye on Jane. She got up and approached the college kid, glancing at his papers. It appeared to be artwork, if you could call it that, but it was strange and disturbing: mechanical and biological forms merged together into a kind of alien erotica. She grimaced inwardly, but made a polite comment nonetheless. "Thanks," mumbled the kid. He put his art away and got up, following the businessman to the bathroom. Jane sat by herself for a moment. Suddenly the lights went completely out. Curses and sighs of disgust rose from almost all the mouths in the restaurant, but then they abruptly went silent. There was another sound -- glass shattering and a metallic shriek of pain and fear. The wind howled inside the building, blowing napkins, knocking over empty coffee cups, tugging at all the inhabitants of the room. There were screams of fear, and bangs and clatters as people fell over, dived under tables and scrambled to illusory safety. Then a banging, ripping, rending sound. Screams of pain and fear from the other side of the truck stop. A long, drawn-out scream, like the torturing of some wild beast. And as suddenly as it came, the wind stopped. The uncaring snow, falling thick as a blanket in the air muffled and muted all sounds. The truck stop had a pall over it like a tomb. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Exit 23 Dark•Matter Story Hour (NOW COMPLETE!)
Top