Paranelope, a ghost hunter who's been cancelled for faking evidence, must discover the truth behind a local cryptid in order to clear her name.
--
Penelope, better known as the ghost hunter PARANELOPE to her millions of followers, has only ever want...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
This is a new chapter that's been added after revisions.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The exhibit doors closed behind her as the same creaking sound effect echoed over hidden speakers. The fog collected at her feet, swirling around her ankles. There was another line painted on the floor that led the way through the exhibit, glowing in the black light.
Penelope stepped forward, following the line.
Suddenly a new light flashed on, lighting up a figure in front of her and making her jump. It looked like a large-scale photograph of The Raven statue, printed out on foam core.
"For nearly a century, the town of Ridgestone has been plagued by rumours of a mysterious creature that haunts the surrounding wilderness," came a voice booming over the speakers, low and dramatic, like the narrator of an old horror movie.
As she walked through, the lights followed, illuminating a new part of the exhibit just up ahead. A question—WHAT IS THE RAVEN?—was printed out in a huge curve of text, set above an illustration of The Raven that looked like it had been torn from the cover of a retro sci-fi magazine. It was much like the silly statue. The Raven was depicted as an over-muscled man with a bird's head, too-long arms, and a loin cloth, reaching for a buxom woman who was screaming in horror.
"What is the creature known only as The Raven?" echoed the narrator's voice. "No one knows for certain. Over the years there's been much debate about what it is and where it came from. Some theories about the origins of this bird-like being range from a demon summoned from hell by devil worshippers—" the mere thought of it made Penelope roll her eyes, "—to a something that slipped through from another dimension." That theory made her laugh aloud.
"But," the narrator continued, "the most popular theory is that The Raven has been here all along. Ravens feature prominently in the folklore of the local indigenous peoples." A swell of drums began to play behind the narrator's voice. "Could the ravens in their legends be the same creature still spotted in the forests of Ridgestone?"
Penelope couldn't help but frown. What a cliché, she thought. How many cryptids banked on bastardized versions of the stories passed down by indigienous people? Bigfoot, the Ogopogo... Too many. She couldn't help but feel that it was lazy, a cheap way to add flavour. Despite the high budget, this exhibit was proving to be just another cheesy roadside attraction.
