Forums » General Roleplay » Crazy's Corner Arcade (Open)

New Marshfeild, Ohio: 2006

Ten years ago an insane asylum was torn down in the town over, the last few pacient a were taken to a "secure locatation" in New Marshfeild. But what actually happened was that they were brought into an old small warehouse and shot at point blank range. Each one of them, some were criminally insane, some were just innocent people who needed help, twenty seven killed and burned in that ware house. The building fell apart and people forgot, but in 2004 an investor opened up an Arcade called the Crazies Corner after a new article did a story on what had happened there so long ago. And in the last two years nothing but strange occurrences have been happening. Two mysterious deaths and one person went missing after working there, but gamers from all over Ohio and the mid-west still flauked to the pinball machines and old pac-man systems within.... None of them knew that the spirits of the criminally insane had adopted the personalities of the game characters within.

Tuesday

"Welcome to the Crazies Corner Arcade... My name is Rams, I'm the new manager." The dark haired boy ashes his cig in the ash tray and looked over an employment application. "So why do you want to work here?" The sounds of games filled the background. Someone had just gotten a new high score on the F-Zero racing game. Rams hated hiring new people but he couldn't run this place by himself. Noon-Midnight were the hours of the Arcade but they needed to show up an hour before and clean up from the night before. It was just a lot of work for one person. The Arcade made good enough money where he could afford to bring in two new people, and this being the only kid to turn in an application he kinda rolled his eyes. Mortal Kombat shouts outside Rams office cause some kids to cheer. And the manager stood up, walking over to the door he closed it, "ok why the hell do you wanna work her? The hours suck and if you haven't been reading the paper this place is 100% haunted." Rams flicked ash at the perspective employee, "but if ur adimate on sweeping, and selling sodas your hired I guess."

Mercy smiled at the manager. "I don't believe in childish stories, sir. I know what happened here, but that doesn't really matter. I've come here from time to time, playing games here and such. And I haven't seen anything yet. I'll gladly take this job, with or without money. I just need something to do and I think working here will be fun and entertaining." She stood, nodding her head towards him and offers her hand to shake his, to clarify and to finish this business before starting her new job. "Just tell me my work hours and you won't hear a peep from me!"

Rams shrugged, "I can assure you that if i didnt have to pay you i totally wouldn't." He laid some papers down on the desk, "we open at noon, so be here at eleven tomorrow, pay is nine dollars an hour." He clicked a pen and put his cigarette out, taking a sip of orange soda he put the pen on top of the papers he laid out. "Please fill these out and you can start tomorrow, any soda or candy you snack on does come out of your pay..." The lights flickered and some of the games shut down before powering up again, "Almost everyday now." Rams just wanted to go home but if he hired this girl he could come in late leave early and life would be good, his day would be made as long as he didn't have to bring in the damn mechanic to work on any of the arcade machines. If Rams didn't hate his job enough as it was i this stupid haunted arcade, he hated any day he had to bring in Sam... Rams rolled his eyes and watched the girl at work on the papers, "Just a piece of advice, please dont be late tomorrow, you'll be sweeping the place up and turning on all the systems." It wasn't too big of a deal, the first few hours of Crazy' Corner were very slow until schools in the area got out around 3, some at 3:30... "Just be on time, and dont plan on going home until 11:30, midnight."

She nodded, flipping threw the papers as she looked at them briefly. "Any rules while I'm here?" She took a pen out and started signing each paper quickly, smiling softly before looking up at him. " When the lights flickered just then... Do those normal power outs happen? Shouldn't you call someone to check them out?"

"Three big rules," Rams started, "first, don't be late. Second rule, everyone pays the same... $20 for a day of Gaming. They can stay as long as they want. $1 for a candy bar, and $2 for a bottle of soda. Lastly, DO NOT talk to the Animations!!!" Rams did not want to go into detail, but Animations were the insane ghosts that haunted this place, they had taken to living inside the games and showing themselves to the regulars, and if people befriended the spirits or showed them enough attention the spirit would grow to fond of that person and kill them so that they could stay and game... forever. But Rams was more then happy letting Mercy think that the ghost stories were just that, nothing but stories. "And as for the lights, the power never goes out. It over exerts sometimes because of all the uh, energy in the arcade. Along with over heating problems, the power surges cause the fuse to blow and sometimes the games power networks get shut down." Rams really didnt want to show Mercy what he was now about to show her but she did ask and he really didnt have a choice if she was to be working with them at the arcade. "This is Mr. Samuel, he works on games that go down." He handed her the mechanics card, "hes like an electrical mechanic for strictly arcade machines... ONLY CALL HIM WHEN COMPLETELY NECESSARY!" He hated Samuel.

She jumped slightly when he yelled, taking the card and hands him the papers. "I'll be off then Don't worry, sir, I would be crazy to talk to animations. That just seems silly!" She looked the card over, waving goodbye to him before walking out the door and quietly closes the door behind her. She walks past some kids playing games, arcade games, and the snack bar. She stopped for a second, smiling when she sees kids running around, playing the games and chatting before turning around and walks out, excited for the next morning.

Rams rolled his eyes looking over the forums she handed it, what an ignorant little girl. He finished his soda and lit another cigarette, tomorrow would be a long day. But at least the week would be half way finished, "It would be nice to have another employee to help out," he said reviewing the papers. "And maybe an electrical mechanic to replace Samuel..."

Wednesday

Rams arrived at 11:25am and opened up the Arcade, turning the lights on he went into the basement and flipped the switches to turn on the air conditioning and the games. This was to be Mercy's first day, if she went to school around here she wouldnt be in until 3ish, but maybe she took off today or was home schooled. Rams really did have a lot of stuff to go over with her, and by a lot of stuff he actually meant that he just wanted to train her in two hours so he could go home and sleep.

Mercy arrived to her new job at 12:00, and very angry at her self that she was late. She hurried through the door. The lights flickered when she made her way towards him. "Sorry, sir! I forgot to mention that I am homeschooled!" She smiled at him, quickly putting her dark hair in a ponytail and rolls up her sleeves. "Is there anything else you need or shall I start sweeping the floor?" She looked around, humming quietly to her self as she looked a few games over.

"Already finished, games are on, floor is swept, just deal with the kids." Rams wasn't all to ticked off, he assumed through her employment she'd break each one of the three rules, she might even break all three before the week was over. It really didn't matter to him that much at all, he'd just take it out of her pay. And as far as the last rule, that one might just get her killed. "I'm probably gonna have you stay late then to make up the half hour so i wont have to cut any pay," The lights flickered again, it was growing in its occurrence. He really didn't wanna call Samuel, but it may just come to that. "Just greet the guys coming in, if you could be a bit more flirty maybe they'll buy more soda and Candy from us," Rams chuckled believing his joke was more clever then it actually was. "Anyway, I'll just be in my office unless you have any questions." Rams walked into his office and half closed the door, a moment later he re-emerged and hollered something out the crack in the door, "Oh yeah and apologize for 'Black Beard's Sea Battle' It has been out of service for the last few days." Returning to his office chair and opening a soda he concluded his statement with, "It's one of our most favored games."

She smiled, giggling softly at his little joke and looks around. She was thinking about the three rules she had to follow. She had already broke the first one, but that didn't matter at the moment. The second one shouldn't be a problem, but the second one was ridiculous to her. 'Who in their right mind would talk to one of the animations? What a silly rule.' She giggled again, grabbing a soda and sits by the door, waiting to for customers to arrive. "Perhaps... I can play a game for a small bit..." She said to herself, quietly, looking at the games again.

The games begin to buzz oddly and the images begin to shift between strange images, and then everything returned to normal but all the games were now on silent except for the 'Black Beard's Sea Battle' game. This game, which was now on and with double the volume, calling Mercy to it as a siren call's its pray. The game had a pirate ship wheel for steering and a button on each side to fire the left and right cannons. The point of the game was to sail around from port to port (level to level), and destroy cities. Bonus rounds occurred every other level where you got to fight famous pirates such as Jolly Rogers, Davy Jones, and lastly Edward Thatch... Black Beard! The Game had 5 Levels: Happy Harbor, Sick Boy Bay, Port Pueblo, Admiral's Archipelago, And Ship Wreck Reef. Then the bonus levels between Lv:2-Lv:3, between Lv:4-Lv:5, Then Black Beard at the very end. It was the among the three hardest games in the Arcade, but for some reason it was always on the fritz.

Mercy bit her lip as she looked at the game. "I thought that one was out of order..." She slowly moved closer to it before touching one of the controls. She looked around her, at the games and at the managers door. "One game won't hurt..." Her fingers wrapped them self's around the wheel as she inserted a coin in and pushed start.

The game started up where the seas pulled the wheel causing the actual wheel to turn. On screen text placed the scene and black beards voice came through the machine, "Level One: Happy Harrrbor!" A small city appeared on the right side of the screen and text explained the two buttons were the left side and right side cannons and the wheel as the control steering. Then the game began...

Mercy giggled quietly to herself at Black Beards voice before starting to play. As she pushed the buttons and turned the wheel. She smiled each time she fired and and destroyed a piece of the harbor but frowned when the level ended quickly. 'That was too fast...' She thought to herself before looking at her watch. Time had went by quickly also, like it always did when playing a game. "One more level... I don't think I can save my progress, like on other games. Its just an arcade game..." She said to her self quietly, about to insert another token when a small group of teenagers walked through the door. She snapped out of it and smiled at them, placing the coin on the control panel and walks towards them with a friendly smile. "Hello! Welcome to Cazy's Corner Arcade! If you would just give me $20, then you can play for the rest of the day. Just come to me if you are hungry!" She smiled at them and took three twenties from them before going around the counter and puts them in and sits by the door.

In the background the game made noises before the voice of Black Beard yelled, "GAME OVER YE MATEY." But as the teens scurried off to their perspective games, thick bootstraps scraped against the floor, and the steps clunked loudly. "Why did you stop playing girl?" The animation of Black Beard had manifested into what looked like a fully formed human. "You are quite the gamer Miss..."

Mercy blinked then giggled. "Ha ha, nice try, Mr. York. I'm not going to fall for-!" She stopped, looking at the animation fully. "What in the world? How are y- no, nope! Don't talk to it, Mercy, you already broke a rule earlier! You can't get fired, not on your first day..." She gulped, trying her best to avoid looking at the animation of Black Beard. But she was so curious about how it was talking and moving, that she was tempted to ask it a few questions. But, being polite, she had to answer his question, just one. "I-I need to work... Y-Your game was fun, but I need to focus. Excuse me." She said quietly before walking past him, going over to the snack bar and grabs a chocolate bar, opens it, and breaks it into pieces to eat.

Rams walked out of his office as the animation fizzled away, vanishing almost instantly. "Who are you talking to Mer, toss me a pop," Rams tossed his empty bottle out and noticed the chocolate bar in her hand. "Also that's one dollar." Rams took two more bottles of soda and went to check on the teens ask them how they were doing, sold one of the drinks and beat the other two teens in a Mortal Kombat torniment. After a good half hour he returned to the front, "gaming with guests is a good way to keep them coming in..." Rams returned to his office, closing the door with a bottle of Dr. Pepper in his hand and a fresh cig in his mouth.

She smiled at him, slightly nervous that the animation disappeared. "Oh, no one really, sir. Just thinking out loud in habit." She placed a piece into her mouth and hums quietly in delight, placing a dollar in the cash register. "I'll try playing with some later!" When she looked at the games, then ran to his door and peeks her head in. "Oh, and sir, Black Beard's Sea Battle started working again. What luck, huh?" She smiled before closing his door and walks to the kids, chatting to them and watches them play, but her eyes suddenly look at Black Beards game and walked up to it and picked up her token. She touched the stirring wheel and looked at the screen. "Should I? That experience was weird but it was interesting..."

The rest of the day went normally, no more animations appeared and everything went regularly. Only a few customers came in that day but the business made just about $200 that day. The way the arcade worked was you payed $20 and gave an ID of some sort and you got a golden token that could be reused over and over on any game all day. Then you turn in the token when you leave and you get your ID back. It was a simple system that worked well for the little business. But being slow on most Wednesday's the Arcade closed around 10pm so it was not really to busy. "Go home get some rest, I'll see you at noon tomorrow... Almost $90 you earned today," Rams smiled, "good work Mercy, see you tomorrow!"

She smiled and nodded at him, looking around at the games again before looking down. She looked back at him and bit her lip and tilts her head. "Sir? Um, I need to tell you something. Earlier today, when Black Breard's game started running again, I wanted to see if it was really working. It was and I stopped when a few players came in. When I took their money and went to put it away, an animation was behind me... How is that possible? It can't be!"