What Lurks - Alice 3

Hi all, and welcome the the first episode of What Lurks in quite some time.

Today I'd like to look at something I am super excited about, the possibility to have a hand in making Alice : Asylum, aka American McGee's Alice 3, a reality. Now for those unfamiliar with the series the Alice games 3rd person action-adventure platformers based on Lewis Carroll's original novels.

However, these games offer a far more macabre take on Alice and her Wonderland. Dealing with Alice's survivor's guilt and her suffering grip on reality, the horrific treatments she experienced at Rutledge Asylum and her own struggles to overcome that what haunts her.

Concept Art © American McGee 

After the success of Alice : Otherlands, American McGee announced he is working on a personal proposal for Alice 3. This being a series I am immensely passionate about and a story I've loved from a young age, I thought I'd ask everybody reading this to go check it out and consider supporting the creator in any way you can.

Concept Art © American McGee 

If this game does get made, I can assure you many beautiful nightmares will be had and I would love the opportunity to do another write up/review of this game one day. Hell, I'm installing the previous two as I'm writing this because they are worth revisiting and will have reviews up soon as I can.

Link to American McGee's Patreon : https://www.patreon.com/americanmcgee
American McGee's blog : http://www.americanmcgee.com/

- Vengi

Continue Reading...

See No Evil + Mind's Eye - Lampades and Carrie

Hi and welcome to another look into what lurks in my mind.

Recently, I've been thinking a lot about themes common across all stories of the dark, and a few stand out more than most. In particular I've been looking at some of my favourite stories & inspirations through a different lens. This has lead to me viewing the classic tale of Carrie as being very similar to famed greek tragedies. In particular the story of Persephone and her trip to Hades, and how Carrie herself might be viewed as a modern day interpretation of a Persephone. Hell, her entire life is just going from Scylla to Charybdis.

The moment when I fell in love with Carrie.

Let's look at some of the similarities, shall we?

First are the themes common to all great tragedy and that can be found in both Carrie and the story of Persephone. Those themes of love, loss and fraught relationships and also the ties of fate.
Starting with love, there is the obsessive love of Demeter trying her damnedest to keep her daughter pure and away from men. This is reflected in perhaps a bit more sinister way in how Carrie's mother uses religion as a means to control Carrie, although part of this is due to Margaret's own weak grip on reality. Loss, well there is plenty of loss in both stories. The loss of Persephone to the underworld is analogous in a sense to how Margaret loses Carrie to womanhood, to life, to the sins Margaret sees in this world. Lastly a quick mention on fate, in the case of Persephone the will of Zeus determines how she is to spend her life, in the case of Carrie, she ultimately accepts her fate and in some versions it is even implied that the curse/powers Carrie had are generational.

Looking at some of the other characters in the tale of Persephone, we find the Lampades and Hekate. The Lampades were said to help Hekate with her nightly haunting. Hekate's work is never explicitly stated to be wholly evil, but she was chief in the fields of witchcraft and communing with spirits of the dead so one can only infer her Lampades too had dealings of a darker nature. Though there is the oft overlooked fact that Hekate actually helped Demeter to find Persephone, by guiding Demeter through the underworld by the light of the Lampades.

My interpretation of a Lampade.

So by fire and the words of the dead did the Lampades help Hekate. Something similar is seen in Carrie, by fire and death did Carrie help her friend Sue. This also mirrors the Demeter and Persephone relationship, however in a far darker in a sense.

See, in the novel the opening scene is of Carrie freaking out over her first menstrual cycle ever, the novel ends with Carrie doing *something* that causes Sue to start menstruating as she's comforting the dying Carrie. That mother/daughter relationship between Demeter and Persephone is reflected here as earlier in the book it is heavily implied that Sue is pregnant, thus the lack of her period. In a sense, Carrie did *something* to have the child journey down to Hades. Hades too, for all intent and purposes, is where Carrie needs to go. It is after all the fate of Demeter to we Hades.

These then are a few ways in which the tale of Perspephone and Carrie are alike. It brings up my favourite idea, "Every story that can ever be told has already been told." Reflected in modern times are stories from centuries past. It is a thought that makes me equally happy and sad...

Well, there you have it. Some more of the weird thoughts that inspire me.

-Vengi

Continue Reading...

Stories From My Mind - The Library 2. Silence Is Golden

26^th April –

Today was not quite as successful as I had hoped. There was one girl who looked just about right, but her friends simply would not leave and I get nervous around groups of people. I do not mind that she had friends, I wish I had more... I just wish groups did not make it so hard for me to meet people.

Oh, how beautiful she was. Skin as pale as the moon. Does that make sense? I mean, it makes sense to me but... She was really pretty and she had these emerald green eyes that seemed to just invite me closer. Oh, oh, oh, and her hair was just amazing. Locks of copper with golden highlights falling down to her shoulders. I must admit, it seems such beauty is ever more rare these days.

I wonder if I will get to see her again. I only get to go to the library once a week but odds are I could see her there again, right?

3^rd May –

Today was a good day. Damn, do I have a lot to write about today.

First off, I am exhausted. A lot more so than I normally am after my trips to the library, but I did get to spend some time with a really pretty girl so that was nice.

I first noticed her as she walked in, I was sitting at a desk to the right of the entrance, near the back wall. As you know, this is my favourite place to sit because the light is not too harsh and I can see almost the entirety of this floor of the library from here. The only place I cannot see is the little cave-like reading space behind the kids section, which is my other favourite place because it is isolated and quiet. Come to think of it, I can hardly even remember the last time I saw a kid in the library.

Oh yes, back to the girl I met. She strolled in wearing mostly black. Cute black pumps, black leggings, black denim shorts, a sort of turquoise tank top with a black zip up hoody… so much black. It is not my favourite colour. Still, she looked really nice and her makeup was well executed. The vibrant shade of magenta lipstick contrasted so well with her milky skin. She had a gradient fade of purple eyeshadow that not only highlighted her beautiful green eyes but also matched nicely with the dangling blue tanzanite earrings. I could only stare as she headed towards the children’s section.

After putting down the book I was reading, I decided it would be as good a time as any to go introduce myself to the wonderful lady I saw earlier. I left my book on the table, reached down to grab my sling bag and off I went. She was sitting on a small step in the weird cave section where few would be able to see her, even if there were eyes around to see. I met her just as she was getting up, slipping my knife from my bag.

I approached her from behind, swiftly moving one arm around to cover her mouth. “Shhhh. You have to be quiet in the library or we’ll get kicked out.” I told her as my left hand slid the blade in just below her ribs, twisting it quickly as I pulled it back out. I held my hand tightly against her mouth, anticipating she would scream.

The next home for my blade would be her throat. You know how after the first time I learned that stabbing people in the guts just doesn’t cut it? Hahaha, I made a pun there. She seemed so happy, smiling at me, or the knife… I’m never sure, but the knife always leaves such pretty smiles, such pretty smiles, such pretty smiles, such bloody smiles.

As she bled out I started the next part of the ritual, always keeping in mind that I have to be quiet. I would hate to be banned from the library for making too much noise, after all. I lay her down on the steps, her back against one of the caves’ supporting pillars. Then I stabbed her again, and again, and again. Four times to the abdomen. Four times to the chest. Four times to the neck and legs. Twelve stabs makes such a pretty mess.

She was nearly dead then, and I dreaded having to say goodbye. I looked into her pretty, pretty jade eyes. “I love you Jessica.” They are always named Jessica, aren’t they? I kissed her cheek before going to fetch my things, throw on my jacket and then going about my day.

17^th May –

It was a good day. I saw a pretty girl at the library today. She came to sit with me. She had deep cherry red hair and such alluring sea green eyes. I was so awestruck by her beauty that I could not even talk to her. “I’ll be here again next week this time” she said after a few minutes of awkward silence before getting up to leave. She left a note with her name and her number. Her name is Jessica.

-Vengi

Continue Reading...