Arc II, Chapter 84: The Loft

Even as we stood there in shock at what had just happened, Carousel started to come back to life all around us. Silas Dyrkon’s Sound Stage was disappearing.

I could hear that the Centennial Celebration, the modern one, was starting up in the distance. Every time I closed my eyes, it was like I was closer and closer to leaving the story world behind.

The cries and screams in the distance turned to laughs as NPCs rode the rides and played the carnival games.

The Ferris wheel was starting back up again. I could hear it, but I couldn’t see it. The Die Cast had knocked it down in the storyline.

I was turning as I heard things brightening up around me until suddenly, in a blink that I didn’t remember blinking, we weren’t in the “original” Centennial anymore.

We were in the present. It must have been Carousel Proper. Everything was alive in a way I had never seen before.

I saw people walking around in modern clothes with smartphones, and I heard music that might have played back on Earth or some version of it.

We stood there and didn’t speak as we took it in.

Well, most of us didn’t speak.

“You guys realize,” Isaac said, “That the Centennial and the founding were not one hundred years apart in that story, and none of us questioned it.”

We had questioned it, but with the help of some mental manipulation, we had dismissed it. Still, I couldn’t help but laugh.

I wasn’t the only one.

Somehow, the stress and overwhelming dread were easing. A weight was lifted off of us, leaving us hopped up on happy chemicals. I had read the same thing happened to people who went through near-death experiences.

We just stood there and laughed in the midst of the celebration. People stared at us. Was that something that would have happened in Silas’ Throughline? Did people react properly? I couldn’t remember.

“You’re not going to let that go, are you?” Antoine asked.

“Nope,” Isaac said, as if he had actually known what was going on from the beginning.

It felt like we were in a different place, and I hoped we actually were.

We still had one thing left to do.

“Congratulations,” Silas the Mechanical Showman said, “You won a ticket.”

“And you guys are just going to push that button after what just happened,” Isaac said. “When that’s the very thing that got us—”

Antoine held up an arm

“Don’t push your luck,” he said with a smile. “If I have to press the button, so do you.”

Antoine pressed the button. He retrieved his tickets and money.

“But we don’t know what happens if you don’t press the button,” Isaac said. “Maybe Carousel loses power over us, and we get to go home.”

“I bet that’s it. I bet nobody’s ever tried that.” I said as I pressed the button. Jackpot. Tickets, money, and… something else.

I unfolded it.

“Writ of Habitation,” I said aloud.

We had read about Writs of Habitation in the Atlas. They kept you safe from Omens. They were an essential part of building a base of operations in Carousel. Camp Dyer had been one.

The rest of us hit the button except for Isaac, who still wasn’t ready.

Kimberly got a writ. So did Bobby and Ramona for some reason.

I had to unfold it to read it.

The Cantor House… that was my character’s house. The glass abomination. This writ would let us stay there, but only for three months in the fall, which could be anytime in Carousel.

I passed it around.

It… wasn’t a great deal. We couldn’t use it yet, and even when we could, we would be limited.

Bobby got a writ for the house where he was staying with his dogs. The same terms applied as when he stayed there in the storyline, too. Stay quiet or else, seemed to be the gist, but it was available now.

Ramona got some random cabin on Lake Dyer. She didn’t understand why. Neither could I. It could only be used in the summer.

Kimberly, she got a good deal.

Most of her terms were like mine. The relevant differences were:

Allcraft Lofts
3028 Main Street
Downtown, Carousel

Extensive Boundaries: The bearer is granted dominion over the Allcraft Lofts, including all bedrooms and the entire fourth floor. The bar and restaurant on the first floor, as well as the back stairwell between the two and the roof, are also covered as safe.

Protection from Omens: The Allcraft Lofts are safeguarded from the activation of any Omen by accident, ensuring the bearer’s safety and those within their party from unforeseen malevolence. Omens are allowed on the street and sidewalk beneath and they may roam the main stairwell leading to the front entrance of the loft. There are lots of roaming Omens who will try to gain access but will leave if denied.

Amenity Assurance: The Allcraft Lofts are in mild disrepair but have good structural integrity. They are equipped with essential amenities, suitable for habitation and guest reception. This includes drinkable water and basic sustenance, though the luxury level of these provisions may vary.

Duration of Habitation: This Writ grants the bearer habitation rights for a period of one year starting immediately, ensuring short-term security and ownership.

Rental Terms: Rent is due at a rate of twenty percent of earnings per month.

“One year?” Kimberly said. “This… this is the loft my character had in the storyline.”

The time frame must have spooked her. We weren’t going home anytime soon.

Curiosity must have overwhelmed Isaac because he eventually gave in and pressed Silas’ button, too.

He got a writ as well. The unique elements of his writ were as follows:

Historical Carousel Jailhouse
75 Cull Lane
Old Town, Carousel

Extensive Boundaries: The bearer is granted dominion over the Historical Carousel Jailhouse, including all areas within the premises.

Protection from Omens: The Historical Carousel Jailhouse is safeguarded from the activation of any Omen by accident, ensuring the bearer’s safety and those within their domain from unforeseen malevolence from the outside. The spirits that haunt some of the cells in the basement, made from pure steel, will stay locked away but are a nightly nuisance and liability.

Amenity Assurance: The Historical Carousel Jailhouse is clean but maintained in its state from over a hundred years ago, suitable for habitation under these historical conditions. Essential amenities are provided, including drinkable water and basic sustenance, though the luxury level of these provisions may vary.

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