Lost In Purple

Chapter 87: News Interlude

2013, July 26th

"Welcome back, I'm Damien Parrish for Monstropolis News at five. Our final story tonight, Monstropolis' world renowned scream factory known as Fear Company has grabbed headlines and gone viral this week with their announcement of two new unexpected hires that are allegedly teaming up with some of the worlds biggest names. On top of that is a rather melancholic, yet heartwarming story that has grabbed the hearts of many. Our very own Rookie reporter Alucard Welch is at Fear Company tonight to tell us all about this unlikely combo that's making even Monsters Incorporated jealous."

It's a story we are all too familiar with. Happily growing up within the confines of our community, only to realize that the small world we thought we knew was actually something much greater. The plans we had soon crumble and the lust for freedom and adventure die out. This was the case for Melanie Everett, Fear Company's recent scout pick, who says that she felt lost for the last year.

"Heh, um, I thought that everything would be easy if I just studied hard enough."

After growing up in one of the roughest areas in Monstropolis, Melanie believed that this would be her opportunity to change her families life once and for all. Unfortunately, things didn't work out that way.

"I had a rough time feeling like I belonged there. Monsters are, um, supposed to be intimidating and strong and…and brave, but I'm none of those things."

Melanie Everett was soon to face against many challenges that made her believe that she wasn't worthy of becoming a part of the next generation of Scarers.

"It was, um…difficult. What should have been easy was hard, and what was hard was easy. I had health issues. Other monsters, both friends and strangers, were trying to fight against me. It felt like I didn't belong anywhere."

But it was a fated fall day when she, with the help of Fear Company's newest COO who happened to be teaching at her university, overcame her first greatest obstacle by accident. Melanie, along side her father and grandfather, possess a scaring ability unlike any other. They can transform into a monster among monsters within a blink of an eye or a snap of a finger. Melanie just so happens to be the one who can become your next paranormal nightmare.

"I had these headaches for a while. I would wake up with them. Go to class with them, eat with them. I would even fall asleep with them. They didn't stop until I lost a friendship of mine that turned out to be built on lies. It was… traumatic for me, and that was what I needed for it to work."

Melanie's body can change into a ghastly figure. Her beautiful magenta scales seemingly turn transparent blue, the skin upon her bones dissolve away and reveal the decaying skeleton she lives with, and her characteristics that make her look alive become the exact opposite. She twitches, shakes, cries and screams. She becomes nothing more than a banshee waiting for her next victim to terrify.

"I was told it works kind of like chromatophores. I can blend in with colors and stuff, but it's of course not exactly the same. None of us know what it is, but it works well enough to, um, impress everyone who's seen it. Especially Johnny…he's always eager to see me like that."

Who is this Johnny you might be asking? Well, she's referring to none other than Johnny Worthington the Third, the next in line of the legendary Worthington family who have broken countless records and served Monstropolis since the invention of Scream Energy.

"I met Melanie by chance and I could immediately tell that there was something interesting about her. She's so small and feeble but becomes defensive and jumpy when talking to those she doesn't know. I just…simply couldn't help myself and had to figure out what it was that made her so special."

Not even Johnny Worthington the Third could prepare for what would come next. A final exam score high enough to be considered professional, a performance in the scare games that left peers in awe, the breakdown of a family, and the creation of something more than a normal friendship.

"Only she could go through such trauma and come out of it as if it never happened. She hates being put in the spotlight because she believes others should have it, she doesn't want her work to be a competition, and she would be willing to sacrifice everything she had to make her family happy. I love everything about her. She's everything I wish I could be and I felt like I could be who I wanted to be around her instead of conforming to the path my family laid out before me… I just wish I could have made things easier for her at the time when things changed. It's hard when you can't pay for hospital bills and have to decide if your family is more important than school."

Melanie would soon face her next obstacle that nearly left her family in ruin. One family member developed stage 3 Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, one had a heart attack, and another experienced a stroke that eventually killed them. That monster was none other than her grandfather, who was described to be a loving father and grandfather who did everything in his power to turn their suffering into something happier.

"I think it was his final sacrifice, whether he meant for it to happen that way or not. He died so that my cousin could live, and we've come to the conclusion that we wouldn't have had it any other way. We would rather remember my grandpa for who he was instead of forgetting who my cousin was. She hasn't had much time to become who she wants to be… and I know my grandpa would choose to let her live because of that."

Johnny Worthington the Third took his time describing his version of the past as well.

"I still feel like I could have kept all of this from happening. I was so focused on meeting the expectations of others that I found myself prioritizing my ego over her. I could have given her family everything they needed but I was nothing more than a stereotypical college kid. I was high on the feeling of being idolized as the next greatest Scarer, and promptly ignored her."

Johnny Worthington then explains quite a shocking revelation. The two young Scarers said that they were experiencing dreams that contained two prominent figures within the Scaring world. They were none other than Carina Kennedy and "The Ghost." With journals, paintings, and verbal confirmation, the Worthington family has decided to let it be known that "The Ghost" was their esteemed ancestor Walter Worthington, one of the founding Scarers of Monstropolis and creator of the modern day Scaring method that's taught in universities today.

What's even more surprising? Melanie Everett is a descendant of Carina Kennedy.

"Everything that happened between Johnny and I mirrored what happened to them…except for one pretty big detail of course. They…um… fell in love, they had big dreams of becoming Scarers, there was an obsession about becoming world famous, we broke up…the list goes on and on. We were told that the world was correcting a mistake it made centuries ago."

After all of that, both Melanie and Johnny would eventually reunite at Fear Company, but not by themselves. Melanie's father, Ronan Everett is alongside for the ride. This marks yet another great feat for the company as they've even obtained the remarkable work of Chip Goff, the son of another legendary figure who is putting up similar numbers to these two.

However, it's the addition of Ronan that's causing these headlines to explode. Ronan Everett is reportedly the grandson of the founder of The Nevermore, an infamous domestic terrorist group. Questions surrounding Melanie and Ronan Everett have been raised. Are monsters going to be safe with them around? Can the public trust them with the handling of Scream Energy? Does this set a precedent for companies hiring allegedly dangerous monsters? Whatever the case, Melanie speaks for both her father and herself when asked about her position as a Scarer.

"Everything that my dad and grandpa did was to survive. I know it sounds suspicious, but it's true when we say that my dad was working nonstop like anyone else does for my whole life. I'm, um, hoping that he doesn't have to do that anymore, and that the public will…trust him enough to let him do that. It's all that he and I have wanted to do for decades anyway."

It is a complex and incredible story that everyone is curious to unravel, Damien. We agree with Melanie that it does sound suspicious at first but as the public delves deeper into the Everett's story, they find themselves taking their side. Of course there is a small minority that believes they should not be serving the public, but the majority thinks that the Everett's bring about a new level of safety in regards to the increasing rates of dead-dooring.

We asked for more information about the Everett's origins to help educate the public about who it is they've hired, and we talked to none other than Blake King, the very COO of Fear Company who helped Melanie and her father become the next biggest Scaring sensations. This is what he had to say.

"Ronan has told us some very shocking things that only reveal some injustices that this city has been refusing to address."

"And what are those injustices? Could you elaborate for us, ?"

"Well for starters, I personally have already taken action against Scaring Companies for falsely denying qualified Scarers a try-out. Ronan had supposedly gone years searching for a scaring position, but was told that he would not be given a chance because he 'didn't look the part.' This business philosophy directly contradicts the purpose of even going to college for Scaring in the first place. Aside from that, there is an extreme lack of care for the monsters who have no choice but to live in Cormeadow. Barely any authority exists down there according to Ronan. Gangs, sexual offenders, and drug peddlers sweep the streets without repercussions. One of the only ways to survive down there without being promptly abused by workplaces is to join a gang, and Ronan's father was forced to do that because of his terrible parents and lack of education. It is within that gang that Ronan and his father actually were held a gunpoint and had to defend themselves to the death."

"So your saying that they've killed be-"

"Yes. We've talked to criminal justice lawyers and experts, and it's been determined that Ronan and his father acted within their rights. Their lives were threatened, and they retaliated with a similar amount of force that essentially saved their own lives. And while Ronan's father is no longer with us, we can assure anyone and everyone that he was not someone to be afraid of. We can also assure everyone that Ronan and Melanie are NOT here to cause trouble, nor have they ever tried to willingly cause trouble, they are simply here to live just like any other monster and pursue their love for Scaring. The Everett family has also been vouched for by many people. From students and teachers, to farmers out in the rural areas of Cormeadow, to neighbors, and to small business owners. Everyone big and small has said that Melanie and Ronan are not only scary, but reliable, kind, diligent, and more. It's just that this family had to unfortunately endure the worst that society brings forth at every corner."

…

Again, that was Fear Company's COO, Blake King. We asked to reach out to Ronan directly for further comments but he promptly denied being interviewed, and we were told by Melanie, his daughter, that he wishes to let his past remain in the past. However, Fear Company has stated that if anyone would like to learn more about Melanie and Ronan Everett, then they should visit their website and go to their Scarer page. Everything regarding Ronan's past, as well as Melanie's story are given in great detail. The public can also expect some incredible individual Scare Cards of those two in the future, as well as 2 one million limited edition prints. One will be of Melanie Everett and Johnny Worthington the Third that just so happens feature Walter "The Ghost" Worthington and Carina Kennedy, and one of Melanie and Ronan that Scaring fans will not want to miss. These Scare Cards will reveal to the public the sheer magnitude of scream energy that has been harvested by just these three alone in just a few weeks. With these three on the frontlines, it is safe to say that the Scream Energy Crisis will not be as bad as we thought it would be.

Back to you, Damien.