The Cardboard Box Adventures - Part 7 (973 hits)
Category: GeneralLabels: cardboard_box_adventures
Rating: 2 on 26 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by <brdn_nkd.at.yahoo.com> (View user info) at 2005-12-27 11:28:49 EST
Part 6 - http://www.ubersite.com/m/81304
My name is Pickle. My people have followed me faithfully from place to place, each time setting up the new land's owner as "king". In reality we trap the owner, causing conflict and struggle, it's more fun than you can imagine.
When I met Ben I figured it would be the same simple process we always used. In fact, things were going just as they normally do. Ben received us with open arms, embracing us and offering his love in return for companionship. Ben built the houses we needed, the buildings for stores, and finally his own castle after I showed him how to do it. He didn't want to build a castle but as his closest advisor I stressed the importance of making his rule apparent, after all he is a new king. In reality the castle will soon become his prison. I helped him through the whole process including the construction of the maze that leads into and out of the castle.
My people have been doing this for a long time. We are what the owner needs us to be, our shape, our demeanor, everything about us we change to fit what we think will be most attractive to the owner we want to woo. We come to our new home and if we successfully sway the owner to take us in and to "rule" then we begin to harvest all that we can before we move on to the next leaving everything behind us decimated and ruined. This is the way it's always been and we've rarely failed.
Ben is different though, part of it may be his age, we don't usually try when they're this young but he became known to us at a time when he was vulnerable so we went for it. If we can pull this harvest off though it will be a major windfall for my people and will sustain us for some time, very different from our last harvest. That one was incredibly poor, the owner then was nearly thirteen and frankly didn't have much left that we could take from him.
Ben is different. He has discovered that he has some power though he does not know yet how much. He suspects that something is not right, and somehow Ben has brought his father here. I don't know how it's even possible. I wish I did, I wish I could stop it. It's scary to see that Ben is so powerful he can bring another person here. I've never encountered one as strong as him.
I'm walking a delicate line. The "Big Man" as he was dubbed by my people and Ben, the Ben from outside, know that something's wrong. I am friend and counselor to both, so far neither of them realizes it. I talk to each of them and I'm working hard to set them against each other. In the end they may be the ones to destroy this world, but hopefully we'll be gone by the time that happens and we can leave them to fight it out.
It's time to start it. The trap is laid and it's time to send the quarry to its jaws.
I found myself once again standing in the strange collection of trees once again. Through the canopy I could see the first sunrise I recall ever seeing here. Ben and the Big Man both seemed aware of my presence. I began running back to the town that Ben and I had spent so much time in before when suddenly I could hear Ben. I stopped in the road and looked for him but didn't see him anywhere. He wanted me to turn away from town and run to some house but I couldn't see him, when I looked where he wanted me to go I couldn't see any house, and I was sure he would need my help soon so I started running toward town.
This time it felt as though Ben had put the loudest PA system in the world inside my head. There was no way I could not do as he asked when his voice ripped through my head. I turned the direction he asked and this time walked, asking Ben, in my mind, where the house was and where he wanted me to go. When he answered it was in the same easy voice he'd used the first time, he told me to keep going, that the house would be there when I got to the top of the hill.
I kept walking in the direction Ben had told me to go and watched the hill for any sign of a house. I stumbled and was forced to look down to sort out my feet's reaction to the uneven ground and when I looked up there was a fair sized castle sitting on top of the hill. Behind me I heard some shouts and when I glanced over my shoulder I saw several Bangers running toward me with their strange weapons held out in front of them. I ran for the castle and just before I reached the door I felt the sting again. Even as I fell I thought I could feel Ben's presence and then I heard the door of the castle slam too and the cross bar fall behind it, before all went black. I woke some time later feeling thick headed and sore from sleeping on the cold, hard, stone floor. I got up looking around me and found myself in an empty room. I thought of Ben and then decided to see if I could reach him. All I felt when I looked for him in my mind was darkness, a chill ran through me as I stood there searching for some sign of him.
I gave up and began to explore the castle. Every room was empty and it was dead silent inside. I found a stair leading out of one of the main rooms and followed it to the top of one of the turrets. Looking out from the balcony I was taken aback by the breathtaking beauty I could see from this new vantage point. I walked around the balcony taking it all in, actually enjoying the scenery until I found myself staring across the valley at the Big Man's castle. I felt the chill run through me once again. I don't how long I stood there staring at the castle but I know it was long enough for this countries newfound sun to begin its descent. As the light began to fade from the sky I saw the beginnings of the end, a battle was being waged and I knew not the stakes. The only thing I knew for certain was that my son was there and might be in danger. I ran through the castle trying every exterior door and window and found them all locked and barred against entry or exit. My son built me a prison? I returned to the turret and looked down, hoping to find a way to escape but it was a long way down and with nothing to use in the castle I could not imagine jumping from this height in the hopes that it would turn out ok.
I stood and watched; I stood and waited, until Finally Ben came to me in person.
User Reviews
Submitted by Stagger_Lee (user info) at 2006-04-12 02:22:45 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I wouldn't have spelt out Pickle's motivation and intentions and so on that clearly. Since the series has finished long ago, my criticism is a little late. However, I think I would have preferred if this aspect of it was revealed with more subtlety and over a longer period of time.
Still +2 material, though, without a doubt.
Submitted by Crystle (user info) at 2006-03-15 20:28:48 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by Nellypaal (user info) at 2006-01-13 06:08:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2006-01-08 01:13:16 (#)
Ranking: 2
Ah! I forgot about these. I'm picking it up from here again.
Submitted by thorpe (user info) at 2006-01-08 01:13:16 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Ah! I forgot about these. I'm picking it up from here again.
Submitted by Ditka (user info) at 2006-01-07 23:48:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
auto Cardboard +2
Submitted by JonnyX (user info) at 2005-12-29 15:14:21 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Kirbage (user info) at 2005-12-29 11:56:42 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
+2 as usual for you.
Submitted by ripple (user info) at 2005-12-28 18:25:37 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
nice work
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2005-12-28 10:07:17 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Check your mail for comments. (Survivor)
-Dave
Submitted by Pentameter (user info) at 2005-12-28 09:11:58 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
This series has a Chronicles of Narnia feel to it, which I really enjoy.
Submitted by Davros (user info) at 2005-12-28 02:59:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Good stuff.
-Dave
Submitted by Snark (user info) at 2005-12-28 02:08:57 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Very nice tie-in.
Submitted by Phinch (user info) at 2005-12-27 15:15:40 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
more please.
Submitted by bob (user info) at 2005-12-27 15:09:06 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
what the fuck is going on here?
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-12-27 15:07:54 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
coming together quite nicely...i really enjoyed #6 but i'm feeling a little frugel today
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2005-12-27 12:31:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
yes...?
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-12-27 12:27:00 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
need a hug?
Submitted by ghola (user info) at 2005-12-27 12:26:04 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm gonna be sad when this ends.
Submitted by Kel_Kel (user info) at 2005-12-27 12:09:10 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by jack11058 (user info) at 2005-12-27 12:00:36 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-12-27 11:42:33 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2005-12-27 11:41:49 (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm a white male, aged 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me! No matter
how dumb my suggestions are.
-- Homer Simpson
Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
haha, I wish I'd thought of it or you'd suggested it earlier actually.
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2005-12-27 11:41:49 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
I'm a white male, aged 18 to 49. Everyone listens to me! No matter
how dumb my suggestions are.
-- Homer Simpson
Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy
Submitted by wookie (user info) at 2005-12-27 11:39:55 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-12-27 11:37:27 EST (#)
Ranking: -2
"I found myself once again standing in the strange collection of trees once again."
Goddamn! I need to proofread better too.
Submitted by Brdn_Nkd (user info) at 2005-12-27 11:36:46 EST (#)
Ranking: 0
Shit the seperator didn't copy over. I'm sorry if it's a little confusing, I go from Pickle's perspective to dad's in the middle there. Thanks for reading.
Submitted by inion_de_trua (user info) at 2005-12-27 11:33:23 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
yay more!!! i wanna know what bangers look like without someone telling them what they look like.