Sample 3

-----

Could you drop some reviews? It helps to get this fic a rating.

Read till chapter 50 for free on Patreon.

------

Even Jodie Foster, who was well-acquainted with horror movie conventions, had begun to grow curious about the appearance of the spectral killer. She cast a sidelong glance at Christian, who signaled her to look down.

In the original version of "Wrong Turn," the mutants, serving as the killers, had few distinctive characteristics beyond being ugly in their depiction. However, Christian's adaptation of "Wrong Turn" was distinct. Thanks to a collaboration with the Ghost tiger, some features of the Mandrill were integrated into the mutant weird's design, preserving its grotesque qualities while infusing an air of mystery and religious reverence.

As Christian once explained to makeup artist Annika, it resembled a totemic figure in primitive religious worship. This, indeed, was the essence of the mandrill.

So, when Jodie Foster finally laid eyes on the mutant weird's depiction, she was genuinely astounded.

She had anticipated its grotesqueness, as people instinctively associated ugliness with terror, even though they weren't inherently related. For instance, Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame " epitomized this bias. However, Jodie hadn't foreseen the other elements. She marveled at how the film crew's makeup artist had added an aura of mystery to the grotesque figures with just a few subtle touches. This sense of enigma compelled Jodie to scrutinize the mutants' appearances more closely, intensifying her fear.

"What remarkable makeup" exclaimed the Shadow Queen, praising makeup artist Annika's work.

Yet, what truly impressed Jodie Foster was the behavior of the four leading characters, as the other two had met their end early on after stumbling into the mutant's lair. This series of scenes left her in awe.

She couldn't fathom how Christian had achieved it. Although the human teeth in that jar were terrifying, and the cabin was intentionally arranged in a grimy and eerie fashion, other horror movies could achieve this. But Jodie, viewing it through the screen, sensed the tension and dread that concealed countless perils.

"Maybe this guy is genuinely adept at making horror films" Jodie mused, sneaking a sidelong glance at Christian and raising her estimation of him.

"On another note, what symbols are painted in blood on the floors of those mutant weirdo homes? Why does it remind me of a dark sacrificial magic circle?" Feeling a bit fatigued from watching, Jodie Foster paused the footage playing and took a breather while seeking clarification from Christian about the puzzling aspects. Christian's response was straightforward.

"That indeed is a magic circle of Chinese origin, its intricate patterns form a unique form of script, which signifies 'North.'"

"'North?'" Jodie Foster found this perplexing. "I recall that 'Wrong Turn' was initially a pure splatter film when I first read the script. It later incorporated elements of dark magic, particularly from China. Isn't it challenging to blend them seamlessly? I thought you'd be dissatisfied."

"It's not impossible" Christian replied thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "In the conventional narrative, the circle serves as mere decoration with no real significance. Its greater meaning lies in serving our secondary storyline."

"Secondary storyline? What is that?" Jodie Foster inquired, sounding bewildered. "I never saw that in the script when I invested"

Puzzled, Foster sought answers. Christian did not elaborate but merely winked.

"Watch the entire film multiple times, and you'll naturally grasp it."

With those words, Christian reminisced about his encounter with the Ghost Tiger the previous night.

*****

"Are you merely aiming to use the footage from these days to terrify those watching outside and inspire awe toward me?" After receiving the news, the old director entered Christian's tent. In the eyes of Christian, a pale apparition visible only to him, an ethereal ghost, entered the tent.

"Why do you ghosts always show up uninvited?" Christian muttered and, upon observing the ghostly figure within his tent, suddenly recognized it as his former boss, Alan McElroy, who had been devoured by the Ghost Tiger and transformed into a ghost.

Yet, the tone of the words suggested that it wasn't Alan himself but rather the Ghost Tiger controlling Alan's transformation. This ghost served as a surrogate or puppet.

"What brings you here?" Christian wasn't overly concerned about spirits that remained unseen and didn't manifest substantial paranormal activity. He rolled his eyes and yawned as if chiding the figure for disturbing him in the middle of the night.

"I've come to remind you not to forget your promise to me"

"Of course not" Christian remained nonchalant. "Aside from everything else, the runes painted on the mutant's faces and the magic circles on the cabin's floor were crafted according to your preferences. Don't they represent your identity? When viewers are frightened by the weird characters or the cabin, their awe will naturally transfer to you. Once enough awe accumulates, you can transition from a mandrill to a mountain god, right?"

Christian spoke with a hint of regret, "It's a shame you refuse to appear in person. Your mere presence could terrify audiences in blockbuster films. This would yield a more direct impression, obviating the need for transfers and undoubtedly boosting the accumulation of awe."

"Go straight out?" Alan—no, the Ghost Tiger chuckled.

"Do you take me for an ordinary, mindless ghost? Since you are acquainted with Taoism, how could I so easily expose my form to you?"

"Seems you're not entirely unintelligent, but in reality, you're not much brighter," Christian also chuckled.

"Now, do you think I'm still unaware of your true identity, Wei Changhui?"

Wei Changhui fell silent at the mention of his name, then burst into laughter. "It's been a while since I heard that name. How did you figure it out, kid?"

"Was it really that challenging?" Christian raised an eyebrow. "Setting aside everything else, I've known for some time that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom didn't have many mandrills. When you started in Jintian, you divided the Four Kings into East, West, South, and North because each controlled one Mandrill. Although these mandrills were later lost, even if you wished to transform people into mandrills, they'd need prolonged exposure to the mandrills, absorbing their aura to facilitate the transformation."

Christian paused, adding, "Furthermore, the magic circle you instructed me to create in the cabin represents the north, and the characters you had me paint on the actors' faces portraying the mutants are essentially the 'Wei' character from Yin runes. Am I wrong?"

"You, a foreigner, are familiar with Yin runes?" Wei Changhui was surprised, but he soon laughed again. "Yes, I am Wei Changhui, the Northern King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. What do you plan to do now that you've unmasked me?"

"What else can I do? We'll continue our previous arrangement" Christian nonchalantly yawned, seeming indifferent.

"Although I possess some spells, facing a mandrill on the verge of transforming into a mountain god, there's not much I can do. I don't fear you much, of course. In that case, it's in our best interest to stay in our respective lanes and not stir the waters. Everything can proceed as usual."

"Very well," Wei Changhui nodded, his expression slightly regretful. "If you ever entertain any devious ideas, you'll learn the consequences the hard way. The blonde girl who accompanied you last time won't escape my grasp."

"My relationship with her isn't what you assume," Christian explained casually.

He continued, "However if we maintain the status quo and continue our arrangement, could you do me a favor and help promote our movie?"

"Promotion?" the Ghost asked.

"That's right" Christian nodded, recalling the plan he and the producer Westwood had devised before shooting began. He then glanced at Wei Changhui, who wore Alan's face.

"I'd like to borrow your current appearance for a particular purpose."

----

References- 

1. The Hunchback of Notre Dame- is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. (Animated by Disney in 1996)

2. Wei Changhui- was the North King of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom during the Taiping Rebellion.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to support me check out my patréon at

https://www.patreon.com/Dark_sym

I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions of them so you can read up to 10 chapters ahead as a bonus.

Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.