Private Contact (Foolish Mortals Archive)

[keyofimagination]

If you need to contact The Narrator, all you need to do is call out for him and he will appear in your proximity within a few moments. You don't need to worry about whether he heard you or not; he hears you.

Comments are screened for privacy. After all, what narrator would go around revealing everyone's secrets?

Comments

[keyofimagination]

[The question surprises him a little, and he seems... strangely quiet as he answers.]

I don't know. Maybe a small part of me was hoping that you would never find out, now that I think about it. I know how much he meant to you, and... it's really a lot to take in.

[forgottenfounder]

It is. It's a lot to believe.

[And there's just so much to think about. He couldn't begin to imagine a turn of events like the ones that were happening today. It tells by his expression that this news is crushing him, even if he tries to ignore the feelings.]

[keyofimagination]

[He rests a hand on his chin, looking at nothing in particular.]

Some days... some days I honestly think I'm just overreacting to all of this. That this situation isn't as bad as I believe it is, or that Walt will decide to get u... me out of here, or that this is just a nightmare I'm having.

Or maybe Marnie's right and I did do something to deserve all of this. I still don't know why Walt...

[He trails off, seeming to be unable to complete that sentence.]

[forgottenfounder]

[He looks less certain by the minute, just sitting with his head in his hands and listening.]

I still don't know why things happened the way they did, though he said it was an accident. [And he'd really like to think it was. It should, right?] Back in the day... there were times I would get angry at everything, about my lot in life... and the lives of others.

Sometimes I wondered if I did something to deserve all of that.

[He looks small again, but he does keep his eyes on the Narrator.]

...You shouldn't let her get to you. She's a kid, kids will be angry at whatever they think they should be.

[He was a kid once.]

[keyofimagination]

[That earns a small, sad smile from The Narrator.]

I guess I was right in assuming we would have a lot in common. I try to control my emotions, but some days it's hard not to be angry at everything.

[There is a thoughtful pause.]

I know, she's a kid and I can't blame her for taking her anger out on me.
Honestly if I hadn't had those exact same thoughts she expressed, I would have forgotten that comment by now.

[forgottenfounder]

Yeah...?

[Silently, he pauses as well, looking over to his nightstand, where a plush heart sits relatively untouched.]

...What happened? Why did it happen?

I hope you like ellipsis!

[keyofimagination]

[He takes a slow, deep breath before he speaks.]

This place used to be a city. A place for... beings like me to live. It doubled as an amusement park so none of us would have to worry about getting jobs here, and for a long time, it was a good life. Walt would even make routine visits and we would send letters back and forth sometimes.

And then one day Walt... just decided to shut it all down. We... we tried getting him to change his mind but he wasn't listening. I think he was already preparing on destroying everything by the time we found out.

I genuinely thought Walt saw me as his friend, but ever since you told me that he didn't want me to know that he had contact here, I... I realized that wasn't the case.

oh boy do I!

[forgottenfounder]

["Used to be a city."

A city, doubling as an amusement park, built for so many people just to give them a good life to live.

Where has he heard that one before.

Something about the description of what happened next chills Oswald to his bones.]

...Y'mean, your whole city, and everyone in it...? Gone?

[He asks, breathlessly, like he can hardly believe his ears.]

[keyofimagination]

Gone.

[He repeats, spacing out for a few seconds like he was reliving that fateful day.]

And now... we're all stuck here.

[forgottenfounder]

[. . .]

Where is "here"? I know it's the Hollywood Tower, but...

[keyofimagination]

[...]

Purgatory, I think.

[forgottenfounder]

Purgatory?!

[He leaps up, the sudden news putting a spring in his step.]

You mean, we're all...?

[keyofimagination]

[Rod shakes his head, seemingly pretty calm about this.]

I'm pretty sure you aren't dead. It defeats the entire point of this if everyone was already dead.

[forgottenfounder]

Then we're in a purgatory, but not dead? What kind of a place is that?

[He pauses, letting out a low groan as he covers his face.]

Is that... The Twilight Zone?

[keyofimagination]

[He looks a little uncomfortable at that question.]

I suppose you can look at it like that.

But I think... if you know what you're doing, you can send mortal beings into this realm.

[forgottenfounder]

So... it would have to be someone who knows how to move people from one realm to another.

[That sets some of his hair on edge. It sounds dangerous.]

But we can get out of here, can't we?

[keyofimagination]

Walt seemed confident to be able to get you out, right? If that's the case it stands to reason that there's some way to escape from here. I just hope it won't end with us trying to needing either Walt or my benefactor to get us out of here.

But on that note, there is something else I wanted I wanted to discuss with you today.

[forgottenfounder]

I hope we can escape at all. [If Walt can come through for them, then... better then dying.]

You do? ...What is it?

[keyofimagination]

Five people died last week, Oswald. Five people. That's more people that I thought would die in one week and I fear this might not be the only time this happens.

I've come to realize that I need to be more proactive in getting you guys out of here. This Tuesday I'm going announce that I want to help the remaining guests out of here.

[forgottenfounder]

[...Oswald is almost speechless.]

You're really going to do that? Just tell everyone?

[His surprise quickly sours though.]

I'm not sure if anyone will believe you.

[keyofimagination]

[He deflates.]

I know. I really should have told everyone earlier, and I fear that everyone will just think it's a trap now. Even Sally doesn't trust me anymore.

But it's either that or lie complacent with all of this until we all die.

[forgottenfounder]

[Oswald looks silently back at his door.]

What if I say something too? They like me.

[At least, most of them do.]

[keyofimagination]

[Rod seems genuinely shocked at that suggestion.]

You really trust me that much?

...I don't want you to put you at risk of any harm.

[Because lbr this cast is a tiny bit volatile.]

[forgottenfounder]

[He simply shrugs.] I want to make sure everyone can get out of here too. That means I want to help. Even if it might be dangerous.

[He's thinking more about whoever's behind this, but yknow his friends are kind of dangerous too. he won't lie.]

[keyofimagination]

[He smiles a little.]

I repeat, I'm glad I picked you to work for me. I promise I'll do my hardest to get you out of here and back to your wife and kids.