Random Encounters: The C.O.D.E

In the Beginning

Spooky sits on her knees on the cold hardwood flooring and hangs her head, her silver hair enveloping her face. There are papers scattered all around her. Gwen's character stands behind her, head cocked to the left slightly.

"You wanna go for some evil milkshakes or something?" She asks, waving some jazz hands to lighten the somber mood.

Spooky holds up her hand like a stop sign.

"Just go without me," she sighs, "I have embarrassing Undertale fanfiction to write."

She lowers her hand slowly, pulling the surrounding papers towards her. Gwen's character shrugs her shoulders.

"You do you girl," she snaps her fingers, pointing at Spooky, before turning on her heels and leaving.

Spooky lifts her head a bit, skimming over the paper in front of her. She knows there's one final line she has to say, but she can't bring herself to do it, it's just too depressing to say again. She picks herself up off the ground and trudges over to her chair, waiting for the loop to set in and the entire musical to happen again. She folds her hands in her lap, staring at the dead body that lays in the middle of the floor, face down, scythe sticking out of his back.

"That's enough, you can go now," She says glumly, placing an elbow on the end table next to her and resting her cheek in her open palm.

The man gets up slowly, the scythe still stuck in him. He turns to leave, then looks back at Spooky. He hobbles over to her.

"What's wrong?" He asks, his voice deep and velvety.

"Oh, nothing. I guess... I guess I just thought since AJ woke up from the coma he'd try to do more with us... ya know? Give us... maybe a happier ending? Not oriented around my Undertale fanfics," she admits, motioning towards the papers on the floor.

"If it makes you feel any better, I like them," the man replies.

"Thank you Specimen 12," she responds blankly.

He nods and begins walking toward the door.

"By the way," Spooky calls, "Have you heard anything about the new musical? AJ has yet to make his usual hints-"

Specimen 12 stops, "Not that I know of. AJ's kept that section under lock and key, the only way you'd get access to that is if you had the code."

"Oh... It was worth a shot," Spooky turns away as he walks out the door.

Spooky stands up, readying herself to restart again. When a thought crosses her mind, for a split second, she imagines all the power she could have. She could have the power to scare anyone in the entirety of AJ's brain, with one, simple, four digit code. She shakes her head. If she wants to become famous and scary, she'd find a different way. Any other way will work, it just takes time and negotiation on her part, time and an open mind on AJ's part. And fear on everyone else's part.

Spooky quickly hides nearby as everything on set resets. She doesn't pay much attention to the door as it opens and someone walks in.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" the voice asks.

The voice is deeper, that's not right. Maybe her mind is playing tricks on her. Spooky says her line as though nothing's wrong.

"Welcome to your final resting place! A mansion of a thousand evil rooms teaming with horror unimaginable!" Spooky says cheerily.

"And who are you supposed to be?" the voice asks, it seems more male than female.

"I am the architect of your worst nightmare!" Spooky says with as much energy as the first time she did October of 2020.

"Uncle Bill?" The voice sounds familiar, like Spooky has heard it before, but not as Gwen's character, as someone else...

"What? No! I- I'm fear incarnate, death itself! I am the all powerful, spine chilling specter known as Spooky!" Spooky exclaims, running into the middle of the floor as to be there on time when Gwen's character turns around.

"I'm sorry, what?" The figure turns around to face Spooky.

It's not the right person. It's a portly man with a receding hairline. He's wearing a shirt, shorts, and sandals. Spooky is caught off guard.

"Who are you?!" She asks.

"I'm Nate. I'm trying to figure out how I ended up here..." he scratches his head while looking around.

"Wha-? You-... I-... You're not supposed to be here," Spooky slams her hands down at her sides in disappointment.

"I'm sorry, do you want me to leave?" He points towards the door he came through.

"No..." she crosses her arms and begins to pout.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry I ruined- whatever this is... but I need to get back to where I was," he says.

"Well, the Narrator will arrive shortly to escort you to your correct musical," Spooky walks to her chair and sits.

"I'm not from a musical," he says.

Spooky raises a brow, "Then you're from the Shovelware Wolf?"

"Yes and no, I acted in that, but I'm not... from it if you mean what I think you mean."

Spooky sits up a bit, a little more perky than before.

"Where are we?" Nate asks.

"We're in the set of Spooky's Jumpscare Mansion," Spooky responds, twirling her hair a bit.

"I can tell, but where is that?"

"In AJ's brain..." she responds slowly.

Nate staggers back a bit and chuckles.

"You're funny, tell me the truth, where are we? Is AJ behind this?"

"That- is the truth. Are you alright, you look like you've seen a ghost," Spooky stops herself, "Well, duh, you've seen me, but I mean, figuratively speaking."

Nate sits on a chest, confusion plastered on his face. He's pale, it may be the poor lighting, but it also may be the fact he's not meant to be here. Inside of Nate's head, confusion and knowing whether or not he should panic is all that's there.

"I should call the Narrator," Spooky walks over to a wall where there's a phone with a wire hanging.

She begins to dial the number, but when she does, is instantly put on hold. Baby I Love You plays as she stares at the ground.

"We were moving props to the prop closet," Nate says finally, "AJ was excited about one of the props we had gotten recently."

Spooky looks up slowly.

"He kept repeating 4 numbers, 0607..." Nate adds.

"What were those numbers?"

"0607."

It clicks the 4 digit code, that must be it... Spooky looks at Nate, she could kiss him if that were part of her character. But she couldn't get to the vault without someone, without a patsy, a decoy... She scans Nate... Her patsy.

"Hello?" A voice crackles on the other end of the phone.

She hangs it up slowly, she needs an excuse to break out of her musical and she's found it.

"I thought you were calling someone?" Nate says.

"I decided we'll pay them a visit in person... Why don't you come with me," Spooky motions him towards her.

Nate stands up slowly, still confused, but somehow, she seems trustworthy. Spooky opens the door slowly and lets Nate out first.

"I think we're going to have some fun together," she says as she closes the door behind them.