The Game at Carousel: A Horror Movie LitRPG

"You're here?" I asked, but it was more of an accusation. My heart was beating, my muscles tensed.

I was standing. I wasn’t lying on the ground bleeding out anymore. I wasn’t gored by the claws of a wolf.

I was wearing my cardigan again. Jeans. I was me.

What a disappointment—to die after exerting every ounce of my will, to finally be done, only to be reminded that this was all a sick game.

Silas, the mechanical showman, stood about fifteen feet away, the front of his box pointed directly at me in the clearing.

There were no wolves. Kimberly was gone. Sarah—or Serena, whatever her name was—was gone too.

It was just me and Silas. The expressionless puppet.

Suddenly, I remembered our time in the forest so long ago, when he appeared to me, offering me my prize.

And when I pressed the button, I sealed my fate: acquiring Bad Luck Magnet and beginning my hundred years of torment.

Of hunger.

Of sleeplessness.

Of that little dribble of hope that somehow tricked me into believing that if I just walked a little further, I would make it out of the forest.

He looked at me blankly—because that was the only way he could look at you. His paint was chipped, and his lights crackled like they were ready to burst, ready to dim. He didn’t care whether you were gaining your aspect or being punished for the bad luck of being alone in the forest when a scapegoat was needed.

And I knew I couldn’t escape him. I had to press the button because this was a game. That was the truth.

I felt sick to my stomach. I was sweating. How long did I stand there, staring at him?

Who came and decided that I had to have this reaction? That this had to be me? That I had to stare at some little carnival machine and wonder if I was going to spend another hundred years in purgatory?

And I would have to stand there staring until I pressed that button. That red button that could ruin your life—and had ruined mine more than once.

As I walked toward Silas, I listened to see if the wolf inside was still there. He wasn’t.

I had killed his master, and I was now alone.

"Congratulations, you’ve won a ticket," Silas said again in his eerie mechanical voice that somehow sounded so intentional, so sarcastic—even though it was a recording, played every time he showed up.

I had no choice. I pressed the button.

He started reciting a poem—the same one he had when Kimberly had gotten her aspect. He was slow and deliberate.

“You can pick one from three, what will it be?

No matter the choice, no room to rejoice.

All three can save your skin or tear it off again,

The question remains, you must choose your pains,

In this game of dread, you can choose well and still be dead.”

Silas, the Mechanical Showman, laughed—just like he was programmed to.

He ejected a small ticket. I grabbed it quickly and read it.

You’ve reached a level where the game starts to get more difficult. Luckily, you are about to get the tools to fight back.

Having achieved Plot Armor 21 and having afterward accomplished the requisite feat of [besting a significant physical-based enemy in a contest of Mettle, Hustle, or Grit in the Finale], you have now unlocked your choice of aspect.

Choosing an aspect allows you to decide what type of [Athlete] you wish to be. Good luck!

"Bested a physical-based enemy…" I said, "I did beat her, right? I beat her in that fight. I killed her. Then why was she still moving? Why was she still crawling toward Kimberly? If she's dead—if I actually bested her in combat—why was she still alive?"

If it was a trope, I wished he could just tell me, but that wasn’t in the cards.

I must have beaten her. I must have. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here.

Silas had no answers.

Silas had tickets.

He ejected four more, one of which listed my three aspect choices—my potential rewards.

I read it carefully.

“As an Athlete, you represent the pinnacle of human health, spirit, and physicality. However, what you represent matters little in Carousel. What you do with your gifts is all that counts. You must choose among the different paths: the Sport, the Stud, and the Health Nut. The choice of aspect will shape your abilities and influence your journey in significant ways.

Sport: This aspect emphasizes the Athlete's physical prowess and competitive spirit, represented by participation in various sports. A character embodying this aspect leverages their athletic skills and teamwork mindset to tackle physical challenges and outmaneuver adversaries. Their defining stats are high Mettle and Hustle, showcasing their physical strength and agility derived from sports training.

Sport has tropes like Buzzer Beater, which boosts success in last-second efforts; Dirty Play, enhancing effectiveness with underhanded tactics; and Workout Montage, providing stat buffs and healing through training sequences.

Stud: This aspect highlights the Athlete's confidence, charisma, and natural ability to inspire and lead others. A Stud uses their self-assured demeanor and leadership skills to motivate their team, win over authority figures, and navigate social situations with ease. Their high Moxie reflects their charm and ability to gain favor with potential love interests, allies, and even the audience itself.

Tropes like TheShow Off, which boosts physical stats when trying to impress, Not Such a Bad Guy, which offers narrative redemption for earlier jerk-like behavior, and Be Cool, which enhances success through confident actions, make this aspect a perfect blend of athletic prowess and social dominance.

Health Nut: This aspect underscores the Athlete's dedication to maintaining peak physical, mental, and spiritual health, highlighting their wisdom and their intelligent approach to fitness and wellbeing. Health Nuts use their high Savvy to make strategic decisions, enhancing their overall endurance and adaptability in challenging situations. Their healthy lifestyle is reflected in their elevated Grit, showcasing their resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks.

Health Nut has tropes like I Don't Drink, which boosts Grit through visible health-conscious choices; Deep Breathing, which enhances focus and Hustle by simulating slowed time; and Keep Your Eyes Peeled, which allows Savvy to reinforce Hustle in dodging, making this aspect a strong blend of inner strength, tactical thinking, and physical endurance.

Choosing your aspect is a crucial decision. It not only determines your abilities but also sets you on a unique path. Whether you're a Sport, a Stud, or a Health Nut, your athleticism will make you powerful, but your approach to it will define your journey. Choose wisely.”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

I had been preparing for this choice for so long—ever since Camp Dyer. I had met players of all three aspects.

I read over the aspect trope for the Sport.

Practice Makes Perfect

Type: Rule/Buff

Archetype: Athlete

Aspect: Sport

Stat Used: Mettle or Hustle

In sports movies, repetition is the language of growth, a visual shorthand that speaks directly to the audience about dedication, struggle, and triumph and justifies even the most unbelievable of physical performances. Each deliberate motion refines your skill, turning practice into precision and consistency into greatness.

Torchbearer: the player will represent the virtues of their aspect, providing boosts to saving throws and causing all tied stat matchups to favor the players.

As a Sport, you are the Torchbearer of Mettle and Hustle. With you in the story, Mettle and Hustle checks and saving throws will weigh more in favor of the players, and even lost rolls may result in less severe penalties.

Repeatedly performing the same physical action—such as scaling walls, throwing punches, wielding a specific weapon, or sprinting—across multiple scenes grants a powerful stacking buff to Mettle or Hustle, making you increasingly skilled and efficient at that exact act. Only scenes that will make the final cut will provide a buff.

This ticket is granted after the player bests a significant physical-based enemy in a test of Mettle, Hustle, or Grit in the finale following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Sport aspect.

“Mastery isn’t born in a moment; it’s carved out by every repeated attempt.”

My brother was a Sport. Christian needed to be powerful on his team because he was their main fighter. Still, he had to work hard to break out of that role and often used backgrounds instead of his aspect trope.

I was the main fighter on our team, too, but somehow that rang hollow. What use was I as a fighter if I couldn’t even control myself? If walking through a forest was like walking into a rut in my mind, where I never knew if one train of thought could derail me and turn me back into Straggler-Antoine?

Pure buffs to physical stats could be useful, but we rarely chose storylines that were straight-up fistfights.

No, I couldn’t be a Sport.

The Crown of Confidence

Type: Rule/Buff

Archetype: Athlete

Aspect: Stud

Stat Used: Moxie

In movies, you can always pick out the main character—the leader—at a glance, radiating confidence and charisma that draws everyone in. When it comes time to put up or shut up, you best hope that confidence isn’t unearned.

Torchbearer: the player will represent the virtues of their aspect, providing boosts to saving throws and causing all tied stat matchups to favor the players.

As a Stud, you are the Torchbearer of Moxie and Plot Armor itself. With you in the story, Moxie and Plot Armor checks and saving throws will weigh more in favor of the players, and even lost rolls may result in less severe penalties.

Your lowest physical stat is added to your Moxie stat.

This ticket is granted after the player bests a significant physical-based enemy in a test of Mettle, Hustle, or Grit in the finale following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Stud aspect.

“Everyone will be looking to you now. Whether you succeed or fail, you’ll do it with all eyes on you.”

The Crown of Confidence. What a joke.

I had tried so hard to inspire my teammates, to hide the straggler within me. But I hid that about as well as I hid the wolf.

Adding my lowest physical stat to my Moxie—now that was quite the buff. It would be incredibly powerful to have high Moxie, like Riley or Kimberly, who seemed to be able to mold the story to their desire.

I could use it to power up my You Were Having a Nightmare trope. It might even be powerful enough to make me forget about the Straggler Forest. Powerful enough to make me the old Antoine again.

The guy who could take it all in stride.

Who had nothing to regret.

Who had no shame.

Who could do it all so effortlessly.

I could make it all go away if I had enough Moxie. But I could never put enough points into that stat before because I was the fighter. I needed my stats to be in Mettle, Hustle, or Grit. Moxie was a luxury.

But with this trope, I could get extra Moxie for free. I could end my troubles, and I could just forget all the bad things.

Like I had been.

Like the wolf promised me.

I could be the old Antoine. I’d never even remember being the new, lesser version of me.

Could I do that? Could I truly forget?

Just thinking about it sent electricity through my gut—an excitement I could hardly contain.

I could forget this.

I could forget Wolf-Antoine.

I could forget Straggler-Antoine.

I could be everything I was pretending to be. All my time since the Straggler Woods could be gone.

When Kimberly looked at me, it wouldn’t be out of pity. She wouldn’t have to protect me. She could look up to me—at my Crown of Confidence—and I could be the man I always wanted to be again.

But what if it didn’t work?

What if I tried and tried, and that damn trope could never let me forget? Because you can’t really forget when you know the nightmare isn’t just a nightmare. It can’t fade into your memory; it becomes a ghost, a specter staring over your shoulder, whispering in your ear.

Going days praying not to remember the truth. Hoping I wouldn’t get lost in thought and end up back in the forest. Seeing people in the distance and having a visceral fear that they might be one of the other stragglers.

What if all of this was a hallucination? What if I might still be in the woods?

Could I deal with that? Would I even know that fear? Would I remember it?

Forgetting only works if you can forget absolutely.

But I couldn’t do that.

So much of what I had become—and what we were attempting to achieve—had come to involve my flaw. My memories were tainted.

Could Carousel rebuild my broken mind so well that I forgot it was ever broken?

I didn’t know.

I didn’t know.

I didn’t know.

Finally, I read the third trope. If I picked this one, it would give me the aspect of Health Nut.

The Mountain as a Metaphor

Type: Rule/Healing/Buffn/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Archetype: Athlete

Aspect: Health Nut

Stat Used: Grit

In movies, physical trials represent mental or spiritual obstacles, turning something that is literally a challenge of the body into a metaphorical achievement as well.

Torchbearer: the player will represent the virtues of their aspect, providing boosts to saving throws and causing all tied stat matchups to favor the players.

As a Health Nut, you are the Torchbearer of Grit and Savvy. With you in the story, Grit and Savvy checks and saving throws will weigh more in favor of the players, and even lost rolls may result in less severe penalties.

Physical challenges, particularly those in climactic moments, will serve as concrete representations of the player’s physical, mental, or spiritual struggles or as manifestations of complex intellectual obstacles they face. Overcoming these physical challenges will aid in resolving those struggles, even healing physical, mental, or spiritual injuries, and provide a boost to Grit or Savvy, depending on the context.

This ticket is granted after the player bests a significant physical-based enemy in a test of Mettle, Hustle, or Grit in the finale following the achievement of Plot Armor 21. Selecting this ticket aligns you with the Health Nut aspect.

“You spend your life climbing the mountain until the climb becomes your life. Every stone beneath your feet carries the weight of your becoming.”

Health Nuts back at Camp Dyer did yoga. They did breathing exercises.

Could that be me?

I read over the trope. I found myself reading it multiple times, making sure I understood it. Controlling my mental health problems with physical challenges?

I wanted to make sure I understood that correctly.

Could this really work? How would I know if this was any different than just making me forget?

"Overcoming these physical challenges will aid in resolving those struggles… even healing injuries..."

A cure? I looked at Silas and asked him—because who else was I supposed to ask?

"Will this actually fix me, or will it just be more of the same? Hiding in the shadow of the wolf, forgetting but not forever?"

Silas didn’t answer.

But I knew the answer.

If I picked Stud, sure, it would be helpful. The extra Moxie, the ability to be like Kimberly—a crowd favorite. I would be able to use my Nightmare trope to just forget.

But forgetting wasn’t a solution.

I was the man with the bad memories. I was the man lost in the forest.

To forget would be to kill myself in some small way. It would be to give in to the wolf again, to his promises of peace and happiness.

I stood there before Silas, just thinking.

What if this was a real cure and not just some cheat?

And then, as I thought about it, a beautiful vision spread out before me in my mind.

What if I could become the man who beat this problem? What if I could remember the forest, and the wolf, and all my mistakes—and not shudder, and not desire to hide in the shadows?

What if there was a future where I remembered, and I was still okay?

If that future existed, I could never get it with all the Moxie in the world. That future required Grit—not just the stat. It required me to tough it out, to stop hiding.

I took the aspect tropes for Stud and Sport, and I put them into Silas’ slot. They were sucked back in.

And then, in an instant, I was lying on the ground again. The blue lights in the trees lit up the sky, but they didn't bother me anymore.

The gashes were back in my chest, and yet somehow I felt like the lights on all of my statuses were blinking less often—that my dead status specifically was barely lit at all, and not for long.

I had lost one of my tropes. It had come unequipped. But now The Mountain as a Metaphor was equipped.

Was this it? The faint assistance that trope promised in healing and Grit?

It didn’t matter. I was alive enough to see Kimberly—or what had become of her—even if I wasn’t strong enough to get to her. I could at least see it.

I saw her standing tall amongst the wolves. She was On-Screen.

Next to no time had passed while I got my aspect.

I couldn’t protect her—not from all the way over here. Not bleeding out. Not now that I had lost the wolf.

She was the only one of us left.

The timer in my head had disappeared. If I had beaten the pack leader, then all she had to do was survive, to end the movie on a high note.

It would have to come down to her.