The End?
The final Bugtime Story reaches its climax!
Hey there, bad bugs,
It’s time to catch up with Ralph and see how things are…evolving for him:
Without missing a beat, Ralph ran into the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time. He still had no idea where to go, but he figured there might be a fire escape or something on a higher floor, so he headed up. Far below him, he heard a scurrying sound like the rats in his old apartment.
“What the fuck now?” he thought.
Huffing and puffing, the delivery driver yanked open the door to the fourth floor and threw himself into the dark hallway. The scurrying sound was getting closer and more frantic. Ralph slammed the door closed and ran straight ahead into the darkness. The air here smelled like chemicals trying to cover up something far worse. He held his nose and barreled ahead, hoping that his eyes would adjust soon.
DING!
To his left, a blue arrow pointing up flashed to life, followed by a thin white line below it that slowly expanded. The elevator had arrived.
Not waiting to see if the receptionist was the one getting off, Ralph felt along the wall until he found a doorknob. Quietly as he was able, Ralph opened the door and crept into the room, closing it gently behind himself.
Moments ticked by without a single sound from the hall. Ralph let out a sigh of relief. Then his cellphone began to vibrate. The buzzing was so startling that he nearly dropped his phone as he struggled to get it from his pocket.
“What an idiot!” he hissed to himself. “I just need to call 9-1-1.”
In all of the stress and confusion of the evening, he had completely forgotten it. Without checking the number, Ralph answered.
“Hello?” he whispered.
“I’m surprised you didn’t try to use your phone yet,” a familiar voice said. It was the man from the video earlier. Michael.
“How?”
“I see everything, Ralph. Every choice you’ve made. Every dumbass mistake. It’s been very entertaining so far.”
“I just want to go home,” Ralph whispered, holding back sobs.
“You are home, Ralph,” Michael said. “Just look around you.”
The lights in the room flickered to life. The square room was filled with cardboard boxes. Some were splitting at the sides, while others lay toppled over, spilling their contents onto the floor. The boxes contained comic books; thousands of them.
With his shaking free hand, Ralph lifted one and looked at the cover. The trade dress said the book was published by Wicked Insect, and the title was Ralphordia. On the cover was a noir detective that looked like Ralph battling a tentacled monster. Another was called Ralphiwinkle, in which Ralph was dressed as an elf. Astro Ralph. Ralph Chainsaw. Ralph the Lost Warrior. In a panic, he tossed the books away.
“What is this!?” he asked Michael.
“Your life, Ralph,” Michael said. “You’re just a character, Ralph. An experiment in branching narrative, and that experiment has come to an end. Now, how do you want to wrap this up? I’ll let you decide this time.”
The line went dead, leaving Ralph in dumbstruck silence. Then the phone buzzed again, a single time. Ralph looked to see a text message from Michael.
He opened it and read his two choices.
Danger Jane #1 - An actress from a failed 60s TV show is recruited by the CIA to go undercover and spy on a movie producer tied to an evil organization.
STARTING TOMORROW!
ONLY ON BADBUGMEDIA.COM!
One Last Question!
That’s it for Bugtime Stories for now! I’ve had a blast writing them, and I hope y’all have had a blast reading them. We are working on the next iteration of the newsletter and what awesome content it will include, so stay tuned!
Bugs and Kisses,
Kris and the Bad Bug Team
