Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-29868583-20160905062606

Hello! I just recently decided to put one of my ideas to paper; since it's my very first attempt at a creepypasta (or rather horror in general), I felt I should post it here for feedback.

In case you want to know my influences, this was mostly inspired by "Three Kings Ritual" and "11 Miles".

____________________________________________________________________________________ Ask yourself this question: Is there anything, anything at all, that you want more than anything? Something that is so crucial to you, so compelling for your heart and soul, that attaining it would leave you content and joyful for however long was left in your life? It's a very open-ended question; as each and every soul is unique, so too is its greatest desire, and thus it is entirely possible that your one true desire is the only one of its kind. Now ask yourself another question: If you had the means to attain that desire, would you muster the will to do so? If you have answered yes, then you are in luck, for there exists a being that can help you. Perhaps "being" is not the appropriate term, as that would imply it is alive; it is more akin a force of nature, rooted in the quantum realm, everywhere and nowhere at the same time. At any given moment, in any given place, this quantum being is listening to everyone who has summoned it, is summoning it, and will summon it, and judging their cases to determine the reward for their initiative. If you're confused, that's fine; a PhD isn't required to conduct the ritual. In any case, the important details are thus: you want to contact something that is not technically alive, and you want to do it for a desire so urgent it must be fulfilled now. Time for another question: Are you still willing to meet this object of your fascination? If you do not wish to do so, that is fine; there are many other viable means of accomplishing your goals, just as quick and easy to discover as this one. If, perchance, you are impatiently considering those routes because I should get to the point, stop. That means you want to contact the curiosity; if so, you can begin right now. First you need a writing implement; any will do, as long as the writing itself is thin and clearly defined. Next, you need a small piece of paper. Finally, you need a stone plucked from the closest river to your childhood home to act as a conduit for its power. I'm kidding about the last part. Instead, you'll need your intent to meet and deal with this harbinger. The ritual itself is not more complicated than the materials required to execute it. Take the piece of paper and draw a circle. Artistic skill is irrelevant; you could draw a shape more akin to a triangle than a circle, but as long as you intend to draw a circle it will suffice. Next, write your name and one word to describe your desire within the "circle". This can be as vague as you wish, as again your intent is the ultimate catalyst. Finally, place the piece of paper on the floor, and tap your foot against the ground three times, counting with each step, whilst simultaneously uttering the phrase "I petition for an audience with the Arbiter" in any language. This is the only stage of the ritual that must be executed as instructed, as it is the universal signal for the thing to approach you. You cannot fail at this stage; if you have mustered the effort to go through the admittedly effortless ritual to meet such a phenomenon, then the ritual is guaranteed to summon it. When the ritual is completed, the cause of your search will appear before you, anywhere from twice your arm's length to just close enough that it can hear you. Regardless of where it appears, it will approach you without much preamble, as it realizes how pressed you are to realize your ambitions. You may ask yourself the question: Why isn't the guide describing whatever I'll be summoning? That is because such an effort is useless; it is as malleable as intent itself, and so will generally appear in a form reflecting the minutiae of your wishes. Do not let your mind feed you images of horror; it is here to judge your case, not test your willingness to stand firm. All you need to know is this: you will recognize it by the time the ritual begins. Now for your evaluation by the Arbiter. You may cancel the evaluation if you so choose, but this will disgruntle the Arbiter; it may not be alive in the conventional sense, but it is still alive and so will be less willing to entertain your calling in the future. Should you decide to move forward, state your wishes. Try your best to be polite in your dealings; it is often said that you can determine someone's character by the way in which they treat their inferiors, and the Arbiter holds less power over you than you may think. Summarily, your etiquette will serve as your first impression, which can influence your prize - it has certainly done so for others. Once you are finished, fall silent; the Arbiter has heard your argument, and will take over the ritual from there. After considering your case - I cannot tell you how long that will be - it will touch one of your hands and... the closest possible approximation is that it searches your mind. It will observe every memory it can find, weighing the sins you have committed against your virtues, against your context and against your personality, against everything you are and everything you could be. This is arguably the most arduous component of the ritual, as it is generally an extremely disconcerting experience. Finally, the Arbiter will withdraw to the arm's length it first approached you at. This is where any description of the ritual would fall totally short; the Arbiter confers something upon you, according to your desires and its judgment of everything you are. You may find that this ritual does not reveal its true nature, but that is indeed the case - the Arbiter does not so much grant you your heart's one true desire as much as it grants you the greatest reward or punishment you deserve. Once it has, it will return to the dimension from whence it came, leaving you with only your judgment as a memento. You may wish to ask me: If there's no reason to believe I'll get what I want, why should I do this? I counter with this: what reason is there to believe that you won't? After all, the Arbiter takes all points into consideration; it may note your unpleasant upbringing and allow generosity to affect its judgment, or it may decide your wish is exactly what it needs to give. Perhaps it will find you wanting, and elect to make you hallucinate your worst conceivable fears for year to come, and then make them real; I cannot say what it will do. Now, for one last question: Knowing all this - the ritual, the Arbiter, the potential consequences - are you still willing to do whatever it takes to get what you want the most? 