User avatar
ripley
Topic Author
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed 09 Mar 2022, 00:47

Re: Horror Movie Mayhem play-through (spoilers)

Tue 19 Aug 2025, 11:58

CHAPTER 10 / 13

Mads, concerned the police have come for the robot, quickly convinces it to follow him back to where the boys left their bikes. Gar attempts to strike up a conversation with Ing-Marie to distract her and the other adults while Mads, Jonas and the robot inconspicuously slip away under cover of a large crowd of other kids all loudly exclaiming and pointing at them.

The robot gets on Jonas's bike with Jonas standing behind it on the pegs. The robot abruptly accelerates and Jonas is thrown backwards onto the road, badly injuring his tailbone. He and Mads give chase but after a short distance it's clear the robot isn't stopping, and anyway they have no hope of catching up with it.

Meanwhile Gar has been dismissed by Ing-Marie who has gone back to discussing patrol schedules for the Cultural Festival with the adults. He spots a flick knife dropped by the robot and discretely pockets it, then catches a glimpse of a body..? maybe..? handcuffed in the back of the police van. He can't get a good look at it with Ing-Marie watching him suspiciously so he heads back out onto the main road where he reconvenes with Jonas.

Mads has decided to bike to the hideout because that's where he told his new friend the robot they could go to be safe. It's unclear exactly how the robot would know where the boys' hideout is, but Mads has faith in his new friend and bikes off to meet it there.

Jonas and Gar, figuring they have a chance to disrupt tomorrow's screening of the promotional video, make a plan to access the AV control booth that is set up in the middle of the town square. Gar again creates a diversion by striking up a conversation with nearby adults while Jonas gingerly climbs the steps into the booth. In addition to a large sound mixing desk there is a rack full of computer equipment similar to what was in the PTA room, connected to a VCR. Jonas randomly rearranges all the cables plugged into the back of the video screening setup before slipping out of the booth and finding Gar. By speaking respectfully and clearly to the adults Gar has learned that the mayor will be opening the festival at 8am tomorrow morning, and that Dr Jeanette Adolfsson will be making a speech at 10am followed by a screening of her 'cultural film'. The boys find Gar's parents, and by speaking respectfully and clearly to them they obtain some money to catch the bus back to Gar's house.

Meanwhile Mads has encountered a lone cybernetic bison boar in the forest near the hideout. It's giving off strong emotions and seems to be sad and afraid. Mads reassures it, befriends it, and together they head for the hideout.
 
User avatar
ripley
Topic Author
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed 09 Mar 2022, 00:47

Re: Horror Movie Mayhem play-through (spoilers)

Tue 19 Aug 2025, 11:59

CHAPTER 11 / 13

Jonas and Gar bus back to Gar's place. They note how the adults seemed to respond well to excessive politeness and compliance, even when not entirely sincere, and discuss options for secretly swapping out the promotional film for one of the horror movies Gar swiped from the box of confiscated videos.

When they arrive at the hideout they are greeted by Mads and his new friend Wilbur, a massive cybernetic bison boar with huge tusks, glowing green eyes and an antenna on his head. Wilbur is quite docile and waits patiently with Mads while Gar and Jonas retrieve food from Gar's house, then eats the food from Jonas's backpack, then everything else in Jonas's backpack, and then Jonas's backpack. The boys debate how they can disrupt tomorrow's film screening. Mads proposes hijacking the stage with an elaborate live music and dance performance of Ziggy Stardust, which is met with lukewarm enthusiasm from the others. Gar wonders if they can learn anything by listening to the walkie-talkie he stole during Mat's arrest, but the signal is extremely weak. After some tinkering Gar discovers this is because Wilbur is transmitting and receiving a strange signal, and that Wilbur will obey simple commands spoken into the walkie-talkie! Unfortunately there is less than an hour of battery left.

There's still a couple of hours before dark, so Jonas borrows Gar's bike and rides home for dinner. His parents are clearly now completely under the influence of the promotional video, which makes for an uncomfortably pleasant dinner. Jonas excuses himself, steals his brother's backpack, then rides over to Mads' place to pick up some food for Wilbur before returning to the hideout.

About an hour after dark Anne arrives. She has spoken to Ellen and the others in the old factory and they have agreed to help in any way they can. A plan is hatched:

- Jonas and Anne will go back to the old factory, then they and the other kids will sneak into the youth centre in the early hours of the morning to wait
- Mads will stay in the hideout overnight then attempt to smuggle Wilbur into the youth centre under cover of darkness
- Gar will go to the town square early tomorrow morning and attempt to swap out the promotional video for Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Across town, Dr Jeanette Adolfsson sleeps soundly, dreaming of a perfect Stenhamra, a perfect Sweden... and, soon, a perfect world.
 
User avatar
ripley
Topic Author
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed 09 Mar 2022, 00:47

Re: Horror Movie Mayhem play-through (spoilers)

Tue 19 Aug 2025, 12:00

CHAPTER 12 / 13

Mads, having failed to convince Wilbur to leave the woods, bikes home to get more food, a torch and his Moomin teddy bear. When he gets back to the hideout Wilbur is fast asleep, so Mads snuggles up next to him for warmth.

Meanwhile Gar has gone into his house and found some slightly less depleted batteries for the walkie-talkie. He's a bit distracted because he's consumed with jealousy due to Jonas getting a lot of time with Anne, so he spitefully raises the seat on his bike to make it harder for Jonas to use. Setting his alarm for 5am he fitfully dozes off.

Jonas and Ann pair up on Gar's bike, Jonas standing to reach the pedals, and after a long, exhausting ride make it to the old factory. After a brief whispered discussion with Ellen about the plan for the morning they find quiet spots to grab a few hours sleep. Shortly after 5am Gar heads over to the hideout and wakes Mads and Wilbur. Mads puts on Ziggy Stardust facepaint and with some heartfelt words finally manages to get Wilbur to follow him out of the woods. The three of them make their way along the dark, deserted roads into town.

Back at the old factory Ellen has rallied the misfits and outcasts, and in small groups they all sneak past the birdwatchers and hurry through the woods along the coast towards town. Arriving at the youth centre they are startled by the hulking mass of Wilbur but soon everyone is quietly hiding inside.

Gar creeps into the town square, climbs into the AV control booth and swaps the promotional video in the VCR for his illicit copy of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He carefully peels the sticker off the promo and transfers it to the replacement video, then rearranges the cables based on Jonas's description of how he had previously scrambled them. Attempting to sneak back out of the square he is confronted by two patrolling adults, but with feigned politeness Gar convinces them he was merely very eager to see the mayor's speech. They applaud his intent but send him away to return at the proper time. Meanwhile Mads has made a great speech to the kids in the youth centre, not only convincing them to rush the stage before Dr Jeanette's speech but also assembling a few of the musical kids to help him with his live performance of Ziggy Stardust! Everyone waits in nervous excitement as the sun slowly rises outside.

Over in the town square, at 7:45am precisely, the adults begin filing in neatly and taking their places in front of the stage. Everyone is neatly dressed, walking in perfect synchronisation, and smiling politely, yet distantly, as they await the opening of the Stenhamra Cultural Festival.
 
User avatar
ripley
Topic Author
Posts: 34
Joined: Wed 09 Mar 2022, 00:47

Re: Horror Movie Mayhem play-through (spoilers)

Tue 19 Aug 2025, 12:00

CHAPTER 13 / 13

Gar, having crept back to the edge of town square, is alarmed to see Ing-Marie and two other adults hoisting a body out of the police van and hanging it from a nearby lamp post. It soon attracts a crowd of small children, some of whom, having been handed police batons by Ing-Marie, beat it until it bursts open in a spray of confectionery.

Gar, while relieved, isn't quite sure what to make of the piƱata, especially because the children are chanting 'STOP RESISTING' while swarming the remains. He's soon distracted by the arrival of Jonas, who has snuck up to see how things are going. After a hushed, heated argument over Anne, who they both claim to have no interest in, Gar huffily resumes his watch while Jonas reports back to the others in the youth centre. Mads has assembled the musicians in a side room and is leading a last-minute practice run through 'Ziggy Stardust'. It's going pretty well and Mads is sure they will rock the stage and it will be totally awesome!

As 10:00am nears, Gar scouts out the power supply to the AV control booth. Following a thick black cable he discovers a large portable generator guarded by four birdwatchers. There don't seem to be an obviously vulnerabilities, and anyway, Dr Jeanette is about to take the stage so he runs back where he can alert the others.

As Dr Jeanette delivers her speech, the kids - and Wilbur - sneak out of the youth centre and quietly assemble behind the stage. The adults are all standing in neat rows politely paying attention to the Doctor as she describes her vision of an idyllic global community, and announces the screening of her cultural film. As the projector flickers into life the kids rush onto the stage. Mads and his band launch into Ziggy Stardust while the startled adults look around in confusion. On the big screen the last few seconds of the end credits of Invasion of the Body Snatchers plays, followed by a message simply stating 'BE KIND, REWIND'. Gar lunges into the AV control booth, desperately shoves the man at the console out of the way, presses the rewind button and slams the audio volume sliders all the way to eleven.

On the stage Mads is absolutely rocking it, the guitarists have launched into epic solos, Jonas is being completely ignored, a hasty walkie-talkie command from Gar prompts Wilbur to charge the crowd, the adults of Stenhamra are in complete disarray, and then the AV system overloads and the power goes out.

Ing-Marie is one of the first to come to her senses and soon has the crowd calmed down. As people blearily return to normal several sheepishly head home, and those remaining share an unspoken agreement to never talk of the last few weeks again. The boys regroup. Mads has been unable to find Wilbur and is worried about him. Jonas is still wondering how he's going to get his bike back from the robot. Gar has been talking to Ing-Marie, she says she might have some more information about the monster in the lake?

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests