"Hey Alex, check this out!" Will exclaimed, holding up a small, peculiar statue. "It's like something straight out of a Lovecraft novel!"
The two friends had stumbled upon the local yard sale, a weekend ritual of scavenging for forgotten treasures and oddities. The statue, no larger than a fist, was a ghastly representation of an otherworldly creature with tentacles sprawling from its core. It was a stark contrast to the garden gnomes and knick-knacks surrounding it, seemingly out of place amidst the suburban clutter. Despite the unsettling aura the statue emanated, its price tag of a single dollar was too enticing to ignore.
Alex squinted through his glasses, his eyes widening with curiosity. "Where did this come from?"
The yard sale owner, an elderly woman with a penchant for tie-dye and a knowing smile, leaned in. "Oh, that old thing? It's been in the attic for ages. My late husband was quite the collector. He said it was some kind of ancient artifact from a distant land, but I wouldn't know. All I know is that it gives me the willies," she chuckled, handing the statue over to Will.
The moment Will's fingertips grazed the cold, porous stone, he felt an inexplicable surge of power. The tentacles seemed to quiver, almost alive in his palm. He looked over at Alex, who had also noticed the strange sensation. Their eyes met, and in that moment, they both knew that this was no ordinary trinket. Despite the goosebumps that prickled their arms and the unease in their stomachs, they couldn't resist the allure of the mysterious artifact.
"We'll take it," Will said, trying to sound nonchalant as he handed the dollar to the amused old woman.
As they walked away from the yard sale, the statue grew heavier in Will's pocket, the tentacles seemingly tightening around his consciousness. It was as if the creature within the stone was urging him, whispering dark secrets that only he could hear. Alex, noticing Will's change in demeanor, shot him a concerned look. "You okay, man?"
"Aaaa... yes, it nothing," Will forced a laugh, his voice unnaturally high. "It's just... it's just that I've got a science project to work on tonight. You know, the usual nerd stuff."
That evening.
The cramped dorm room buzzed with anticipation as Will and Alex laid out their yard sale bounty across the worn-out carpet. The tentacle statue sat atop a pile of comics and forgotten VHS tapes, a macabre crown jewel amidst the kaleidoscope of nerdy knickknacks. The room smelled faintly of stale pizza and the lingering scent of their excitement from the day's finds. They eagerly rummaged through their haul, occasionally sharing a laugh at the cheesy action figures and vintage board games they had scored.
Will's hand hovered over the statue, feeling the pull of its enigmatic presence. He couldn't shake the feeling that it was more than just an oddity. "Alex, I think we might have stumbled upon something... special," he said, his voice thick with curiosity.
Alex looked up from a stack of comics, his eyes sparkling with interest. "What do you mean?"
Will pulled out the statue, the tentacles seemingly carving shadows into the air as he held it aloft. "Look at this, it's like nothing we've ever seen before." He paused, his thumb tracing a tentacle. "And when I touched it, I felt..."
Alex leaned in, his curiosity piqued. "Felt what?"
Before Will could respond, he accidentally nicked the tip of his finger on one of the statue's jagged tentacles. A tiny bead of blood welled up, and without thinking, he brought his hand closer to inspect the injury. The moment the crimson drop made contact with the stone, the room plunged into an eerie silence. The statue began to pulse with a purple light, casting a ghastly glow across the room. The air grew thick with an electric charge, and the hairs on the back of their necks stood on end.
With a sudden, deafening crack, dark bolts of electricity shot out from the statue, arcing through the air and skittering across the walls like the legs of a giant spider. The lights flickered erratically, and their computer screens fizzled to life with static before going dark. The room was alive with a power that was palpable, a power that seemed to resonate within their very bones.
Who get hit?
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