Summary

Professor Will, a Nobel laureate, confronts a supernatural deal's consequences after confessing his deceptions, realizing he must seek redemption at a potential cost to his life.

Abstract

The narrative titled "The Poltergeist Gambit" under the broader concept of "Two Headed Horse Tails" unfolds as Professor Will, a celebrated academic, is cornered by a haunting presence that has been aiding him in exchange for loyalty. After admitting to his students and himself that he has been lying, the professor decides to break the pact he made with this entity, despite the dire warnings from it. The story, a collaborative effort by artists Fox Kerry and Smillew Rahcuef, is part of a series and invites readers to engage with and contribute to the concept of "Two Headed Horse Tails," which metaphorically represents a tug of war for control of a narrative or situation.

Opinions

The entity, possibly a Juggalo spirit or a trickster figure, is portrayed as menacing and manipulative, reminding the professor of their deal's binding nature.
The professor's internal struggle reflects a conflict between integrity and the temptations of success, suggesting that personal ethics should prevail over external rewards.
The narrative implies a critique of the academic system, where appearances and recognition (like the Nobel Prize) can overshadow the pursuit of truth.
The reference to "Faygo," a signature element in Juggalo culture, hints at a hidden world or alternative reality affecting the protagonist's life.
The authors encourage audience participation and the breaking of established rules, indicating a desire to challenge conventional storytelling and creation.
The story hints at the possibility of redemption and the idea that one can always seek to make amends, no matter the cost.
The entity's aggressive response to the professor's change of heart emphasizes the high stakes involved in reneging on one's commitments, especially when supernatural elements are concerned.

Two headed horse tails

The Poltergeist Gambit

Play it once or twice, no more

The chalkboard was writing by itself. Professor Will dropped his folders.

“You’ve been lying to your students, Dr., what’re you going to do about it?”

The academician thought about his Power-Point Presentations. His Notebook Programs. He didn’t even use the Erase Board any longer. It was for antiquity purposes…

Professor Will took a chalk and wrote, “They trust me; they even gave me the Nobel. And I am a LIAR. Can’t do this anymore. I need to come clean.”

The chalkboard replied instantly.

“NO! We had a deal, Professor. For the greater good, remember? The end justifies the means?”

Juggalos couldn’t be trusted, thought the Intelligentsian. But to break no-longer-wanted devil-deals? He remembered writing it Instagram letters. It’d greeted as a half-clothed woman, intimating his writings smart. He’d been easy-flattered. Soon it’d granted access to unclaimed bank-accounts, then pages to fewly-read books.

All these years, a faygo a day had kept the Juggalos away. But Will had become negligent. He hadn’t replenished the stock. Once. Twice. He had drifted away from the painted path.

“You forgot your roots.”

White and red letters didn’t stop at the chalkboard, they covered the walls now.

I’ll give the money back, he thought. I’ll apologize to Marla for cheating, She doesn’t need to take me back. I’ll return … the … Nobel —

The classroom walls started bleeding again. The old words were disappearing.

“We will kill you, Dr. “There was no exit clause to our deal!”

Ackchyually, there’s always an exit clause, thought the professor. You have to go to the boss upstairs, that’s all.

Will perfectly remembered the path followed forty-two years ago. It had been part of his dreams every night since.

Armed with nothing but his longing for redemption, he set forth.

This story was co-written by Fox Kerry (the artist) and Smillew Rahcuef (banana eater).

We call the concept the Two Headed Horse Tails. (Check the previous stories for more information on the name)

As Fox (digital art specialist) describes it, Two Headed Horse Tails can be a tug of war. Two people (one of them could be YOU) are trying to get a tale into the corral, sometimes even against each other’s will.

Here are the rules (made to be broken, but not read by anybody):

200 words total. (we broke it, and made it 300. Aren’t we crazy?)
Each person gets 40 words for their paragraph/portion, where whoever starts a story would get 1,3,5 (120 words), and the second would get 2,4 (80 words). (we broke it, and made it 6x50 this time, it’s more fair)
And they can switch back and forth as to who starts it. (or not! We do.)

What about finding yourself another horse writer (!) and giving it a try? (Do try this at home!)

This was our tenth tale! Here are the previous ones:

Have a great day! Except, Paul. Have a fantastic day, Paul!