#Chaospunk Issue #15 *"Tablecloth"* *Flashback* ~ Act 1 /Cryptic Dreamscapes/

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7:00pm /Cryptic Dreamscapes/

We're sitting back relaxed in our cozy seats and we're all watching this overly-confident performance artist as he approaches a carefully set dinner table, with plates and cutlery sitting on top of a tablecloth which has grown to be completely contaminated with grime .. it clearly needs to be washed .. the performance artist takes a few slow dramatic walkabouts around the table, staring at it as if he's experiencing some sort of telepathic connection with the table itself, intentionally stalling just so that he may extend the moment just a little bit further, in order for the audience to get more bang for their buck. He grabs the tablecloth with certain precision, blinks a few times, then just like that, he yanks swiftly ... WHOOSH! .. the tablecloth goes flying behind him and onto the audience completely shrouding the audience, leaving the table with all of the plates and cutlery still in their properly designated place, not one moved from it's exact place! The performance artist takes this perfect opportunity to vanish out of the scene immediately as soon as the tablecloth drapes over the vision of the audience. He disappears instantly while the eyes of the audience are completely covered by the cloth... The performance artist takes this perfect opportunity to vanish out of the scene immediately as soon as the tablecloth drapes over the vision of the audience. He disappears instantly while the eyes of the audience are completely covered by the cloth. The performance artist takes this perfect opportunity to vanish out of the scene immediately as soon as the tablecloth drapes over the vision of the audience. He disappears instantly while the eyes of the audience are completely covered by the cloth. The performance artist then vanishes from the scene as the tablecloth drapes over the audiences vision. He disappears instantly while the faces of the audience are covered by the cloth.

However.. to the few of us who have seen this basic trick pulled off many times over, it's no shock to us how he was able to pull it off .. among certain circles, there is a certain secret technique to it where you just pull the cloth in a certain particular way .. to the naive onlooker, they are shocked to see such an act .. it's as if by magic! The audience roars in applause.

It turns out that the table has been set on top of stage in a larger theater. The tablecloth bit was a part of a larger moment in the story's plot, it just so happens to have been the last moment of the act. The large audience snaps awake upon the dawning of this realization. Discombobulation. "Guys, how were we not aware of the fact that we've allegedly been watching a play this entire time?" .. "Many within the groups ranks have had their mental state broken and are now in sheer panic as they realize they are experiencing amnesia.. "Were we sleeping?" .. "A stage?" .. "What are we?" .. "Who are we?" .. "Is it then true? .. Is it true about what they've been saying about the storm?" .. "They say No one escapes!" ..It's almost as if the rug was also pulled from beneath the audiences feet. The audience goes deathly quiet after the last member of the audience asks about the storm .. They can't even look at each other in the eyes anymore, they are left in some kind of bizarre trance. A crimson flash is briefly seen leaving stage right.. No one managed to catch it in time.

The stage hands quickly move the table off the stage as the curtain comes up concealing all of the various players in the backstage area changing into their proper attire before the next and final act of the play comes forth.

A young teenager begins to solemnly walking toward center stage, just in front of the curtain. The boy appears to have a pet wolf walking alongside of him for protection .. The wolf looks at the audience with eyes that pierce deep into their souls Protection from whom? .. the audience collectively wonders .. the young boy pulls out a fiddle .. it appears he's going to play some music as entertainment for us as we wait for the the cast to be ready to come out once more for their final act. He picks up the table cloth and wraps it in such a way around his neck that allows him to use it as a cape.

He begins to move his rod upon the fiddle .. gracefully swaying about in slow motion, like a master of Tai Chi.. but not a sound to be experienced for the entire audience to be heard.. mere moments pass as the lights within the theater begin to violently flicker .. The ground beneath their feet begins to tremble violently as well. The audience screams in sheer terror, as total panic sets in .. no less than 21 seconds pass before the shaking and flickering abruptly stop. Everything is back to normal again, just like that .. The music stops .. Cool, innit?!

3:00am .. "My! yawn.. time sure flies!..."

The audience looks around at each other, shame completely overwhelms their senses, so they all quickly divert their gazes and attention from one another .. they look up at the stage, concerned for the young boys health and safety .. curiously they notice that he is long gone, as well as his wolf companion, but they did find a note left behind written in purple ink .. they quickly pull it, gathering together as they read out it out loud.

Hey Guys, sorry I couldn't be there to talk to you about this directly..

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It continues..

"Did you enjoy it?" .. "You know .. My performance?!" ..
"I looked down at you from the stage and noticed that you didn't seem to enjoy it much." .. "That's the first time I've ever seen anyone watch my performance before while looking so completely bummed out by it.." ..
"For a little bit my feelings were hurt, so I sat with my feelings for a while and learned the greatest secret in return."
"We are mirrors." ... "I don't have to take it like a loser." ..
"Thank you for this experience, surely it will never leave me!"
"People love to hear me play normally! .. Seriously, What gives?"
"You guys did seem loaded pretty loaded during the entire show."
"I was starting to wonder if you were all possessed .. yeah, it was that bad!" ..
"You got pretty out of hand and we were just about to kick you out If it weren't for the boys down in "Orderly" "who said not to .. something having to do with some weird "Secret Science Project" or something" ..
"sounded pretty important!" .. "I wonder what that's about.. hrm.."
"Anyway, I didn't wanna be around when you came to .. honestly you guys scared me so much!.." ..
"The grown ups around here also didn't want me talking to you either, so I told them I'd write you a note at least."
"Oh my dearest of Audiences, we know each other too well, don't you think?"
"I just wish that I'd at least get paid more than dusty ole peanuts as my wage to perform!"
"Anyway, I suspect that you'll be catching my ongoing performances from now on, huh?" .. "Yup, just the way it is around here apparently..."so is this what they mean by the word .. "creeeeepy"? ... Ooooh, makes sense!
Well, I do Hope you're feeling much better by now!
~T. Aurelius (aka Sideshow)~

"Alright back to work guys, we've still got plenty of work and research left to do on the project. The subject is showing such promise, would you not agree?" .. "Movie time is over, back to work"

| Dark<Light |

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