Thread: Cult of Personality (Wade & Bliss)

We got a weird one today. A weird, dark, and strange story. One filled with hope and optimism for the future, but changed evermore to meet the demands of whom they look up to, and dare I say, even worship. Unintentionally, I should add, no one was expecting to be made what they became in this cult, and plenty of them might argue, 'it's not that bad.' That choice is left up to you, but we're getting too far ahead for that decision to be made. How did we arrive here, what are the key players, and who is this 'Ben?' To start off, we need to go to the eastern side of the city. In a small building, one you would usually be in if you were trying to get your driver's license renewed, or just past the driver's ed test, there were plenty of people hanging around in the main lobby, sitting in uncomfortable chairs as they waited for their number to pop up. Most of these people were drug addicts, former drug addicts who were down on their luck, the impoverish who could no longer afford to keep their home, the mentally ill who needed therapy and support, lacking the resources needed to get it, and a small amount of runaways who were seeking to get a better life away from what they grew up in. Broken homes, abusive parents, siblings who teased and tortured sadistically, and a house that felt like it would collapse with the smallest of breezes by the outside wind. Why were they all here? For the same reason. They wanted something better. The building was hosting a lottery of some kind. The lottery was hosted by a company that was promising to 'help and give a life to those who have never had one.' From the way it sounded, it seemed like a rehab center, or homeless shelter, just with fancier words. However, because of how many people wanted to join it, they didn't have enough room for everyone, and would only take in a couple from the hundred or so that put their names in. If it wasn't actually a hundred or so people, it certainly felt like it, as the lobby everyone was waiting in was cramped. With so many people fit into it, space was now becoming a luxury, and if you could find some space for yourself, make sure no one took it. You had to fight for it. Miserable? You betcha, staying here was like pulling teeth, the tedious waiting time, and the claustrophobic feeling, leaving was a really fine idea if you've been there so long, your legs have turned to iron by how uncomfortable it was. But, if you left, your chances of winning went down. You couldn't hear your name from outside, and if you were desperate, a wish and a prayer was all that you had going for you in being one of the few announced. All you could do was wait. Wait to hear your name echo over the loud speaker, or finally be able to leave returning to a life you wish was different. And unbeknownst to everyone in the lobby, that's exactly what the company was offering. Not just a home, and a community, but a completely new life. An actual restart. No one knew what the company actually did, and no one knew it's little secret for where their members truly lived. All anybody knew was it offered help and a home, that's it. Not the amazing opportunity it truly was.