JAMIE
Reminder: Stranger Danger exists for a reason
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If anyone ever told me I’d fight some kind of moss monster in an alley, I'd have told them to stop listening to everything Jack sends in the groupchat. I’d have said moss monsters and other supernatural creatures, events and powers are one-hundred and ten percent not real.
Well, here I am fighting a plant version of that chick from the ring, so in an attempt to make sense of this I’m gonna go over some basics and retrace my steps.
My name is James (Jamie) Moore, son of Azuka Moore (maybe he’s watching me dodge giant plant vines right now from heaven) and Etsuko Moore. Older brother to Jessica (Jess) Moore, super annoying at times 13 year old sister. I’m 15 and hopefully 2005-2019 won’t be written on my tombstone. Okay no memory loss from this crazy experience, time to retrace my steps.
This all started in my room, my new room. We had just moved in two months ago and I only just got time to decorate it since things had finally settled down. It’s pretty minimal decorations though, just a few band posters lining the walls and some photos propped on my dresser.
As I said before, minimal.
With a sigh I returned to glancing out my window as I had been doing before contemplating the sad state of my barren abode. Alright enough theatrics, I’ve gotten used to moving at this point so the idea of “new town new me” doesn’t really work when I’m gonna vanish off the face of the planet in three months tops.
Though I’ll admit this town is different from the others, the sorta just lingering fog, nearly barren sidewalks aside from the occasional jogger (I swear I could go to Mount Saint Helens and catch someone jogging there). It’s kinda, dead looking at times.
So, one could say I was brooding in my new home as I glanced at some moss on the side of some older building. Ew, moss? It’s creeping up to the window too, gross.
Maybe the groupchat will be less boring? (Quick note from the future, it wasn’t)
—
Me: Hey guys what’s up?
Jack-In-The-Box: if it isn’t Mr.Worldwide! nothing much >:)
Mph: Jack aren’t you in class right now?
Me: Is it not a weekend? has Last Dungeon Online finally fried your brain?
Mph: No it hasn’t, Jack has supplementary classes.
Me: On a Saturday? RIP
Jack-In-The-Box: :,( fr
Jack-In-The-Box: also, I heard you moved to Rookvale, that place has a few legends
Me: Not this again
Jack-In-The-Box: Okay so one of them is called the “Moss Mistress” it starts as just some moss that grows a bit quicker than normal.
Me: Oh no, a simple abnormality, could it be? A SUPERNATURAL CREATURE?
Jack-In-The-Box: Blocked
Jack-In-The-Box: Anyways, then you’ll spot a hooded figure near the moss, if you lock eyes with it then it’ll start-
Jack-In-The-Box is typing….
—
“Ugh are you still brooding in here? You do this every time we move, get over it!” A familiarly annoying voice cries out from behind me as I swing my chair around to look my sister in the face, I’ll listen to whatever Jack was talking about later.
Jess, of course, is far less drab and dreary about the whole thing. After all, she’ll be able to make friends regardless of wherever she goes, near perfect grades, she’s funny, and she certainly inherited her good looks from our mother. I’d say she has a good personality too but she’s my sister and anyone in the world knows siblings are the worst when it comes to personality.
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“What are you looking at cat-boy? Oh wait, could it be you noticed my new hair!” She says tilting her head forward a bit so she can show it off more of her new Afro that Mom shaped up for her.
Of course, cat boy. One of the reasons I’m not exactly a fan of moving. The questions. Y’see, unlike my sister with her hazel eyes she got from Dad I ended up with yellow eyes like a cat’s. Where in my family tree did they come from? Who knows, Dad’s side of the family is a whole Rainforest. My eyes plus the large scar trailing from the side of my mouth to near my left ear makes moving a hassle.
“I did in fact notice your new mane sis, did you cry?”
“Why would I cry? I’m not a child anymore.”
“Those are the words of a tender-headed girl who was screaming bloody murder this morning.” I teased before she groaned and threw some cold metal object into my face, jingling in my hands as I tried to get a better look.
“Keys?”
“Mailbox keys, go fetch the mail cat boy.” Jess says twirling around in place before slamming the door.
I sighed, twirling the keys around my index finger before pocketing them alongside a worn out 6 of spades card Dad gave me a few years back. It’s like a good luck charm of sorts, even though it probably does nothing. Who cares, it’s something to remember him with at least.
Come to think of it, where did I put the mail? I hope this plant monster doesn’t have it encased in moss somewhere. If that’s the case it’s not worth getting back. Sorry Bed Bath & Bodyworks discount, you’re not worth a lifetime of too many plant tentacles.
Ugh, okay I should focus and remember what led to-,
My thoughts are interrupted with some moss creeping along the concrete and almost wrapping my leg before I grab the keys and grip them in between my fingers like claws and rip it off. Ugh, rude, can I have inner flashbacks in peace?
—to this.
I had finished getting the mail, only some stuff for my mom and mail for the previous owners of the house so it wasn’t much. I took my time walking along the clear sidewalk, the trees swayed in the wind as I glanced over to where my house is and noticed the mossy building’s got way more moss on it now.
Like way too much nothing grows that fast besides my sister’s temper
It had gone from creeping along the red bricks lining the walls about to touch the window to completely engulfing the thing.
Now, this would be a good time to remind you that despite my father’s early disappearance he did teach me one vital thing.
“If you see anything weird, anything sketchy and the like, pretend you didn’t see it and walk away.” He said, lounging on the couch as he read something on his phone.
Well that same thing applies now.
Now my street is designed so there’s the sidewalk I’m on now, the alley between the sketchy moss covered building which is close to me on my left, the sketchy building which is also on my left and is directly across from my house on the right. This means that if I were to try to get home without jaywalking I have to walk past that building.
Well jaywalking has never been that bad.
I kept walking along the sidewalk, that was until I noticed the figure in the distance
There was someone standing in front of the moss covered house. Their hooded clothing billowed in the sudden breeze as I felt my blood run cold.
Nope, nuh uh, if my heritage has taught me anything it is that when something weird happens you avert your eyes and run away.
(Though in this case I fear what would happen if it looks at me.)
I shut my eyes right, gripping the card in my pocket tight as I power walked past the.. whatever the hell that is.
Vines slither along brick, making enough faint yet eerie noise one could only wonder what it is.
Nope, nope, nope not today.
The concrete underneath my shoes turns soft, I guess there’s moss under my shoes now. Totally not gonna cry about cleaning my Jordans later.
Grip the card, grip the card, maybe say a prayer in my mind, yes yes do just that.
I walk right past the alley, almost about to get to the building where I can finally turn.
Our father who art in Heaven,
Halfway past it.
Hallowed be thy name,
Listen for any cars dunce, Mom isn’t gonna like it if I get run over with my eyes closed. Just grip the card and power walk.
By kingdom come, thy wi-
“Excuse me sir did you drop this?” A voice sounds out behind me. “It looks like a-“
The voice stops, it goes eerily quiet for a moment, I’m past that building now so opening my eyes to look would be fine right?
(Another note from the future, no.)
I open my right eye slightly, and that’s when I see it. A moss covered hooded figure, with dark green vines floating in the air like anime hair as it stares down at my Dad’s playing card.
“Oh haha thanks for finding that old thing, now I’d you don’t mind I’d like to-“ I begin to say as I snatch the card away, however it only turns to me.
It was at this moment, you could hear all my ancestors collectively facepalm from the world above.
So, that’s how I ended up here.
Slammed flat against the dirty concrete floor of an alley. As a giant vine constricts around my neck, making my already idiotic thoughts harder to think.
“God forbid I make it out of this alive and Mom sees the mess this’ll make of my clothes, she’ll kill you!” I exclaim as it’s vines clench again. “Come to think about it, what the hell is going on with your motif? From moss to vines? Pick one!”
The monster growls low it’s red eyes (I think they’re eyes, I’m no expert on monster biology, I failed that class) glowing as it’s moss begins to encompass me.
“Puny Card-Holder, you are weaker than expected, quit groveling and die!” It screeches, it sounds like a garbled mess but I think that’s what it said.
“Card what? Look, I don’t know what you think I am but I know that no one would be at their best when you make them fight in a hoodie and skinny jeans!”
As you can probably assume it’s grip gets tighter, the price to pay to give it a piece of my mind.
Okay this is getting out of hand, I think its about time to fight fire with fire. You see, there’s a caveat to what I said earlier about the occult and supernatural.
The vines begin to bubble and burn as the temperature of the alley increases.
It cries out in pain as it’s vines retreat back into itself. The alley is soon filled with some low chuckles and the sound of crackling flames.
In truth, the statement should’ve been moss monsters and other supernatural creatures, events and powers except mine are one-hundred and ten percent not real.
“What’s wrong Mossy, can’t take the heat?”