For the final part of the pre-contest phase, the 12 contestants worked on a chain story on the Fourth Fiction Twitter page. I provided the opening lines for the story at midnight, July 24th, and the contestants developed it as they wished, writing one post per 24-hour cycle. The chain story ended August 1st when a pre-competition poll was posted. See this video for more details about this pre-contest chain story.
THE CHAIN STORY
HOST: It was a dark and stormy night. There was a knock on the door.12:00 AM Jul 25th from webOMAR: The rain whipped in gusts against the windows. There was another knock. But louder. She couldn’t remember if she had locked the door.2:43 AM Jul 25th from TwitterFonCOCO: She thought of man who humiliated her last night. She hated herself for giving in to him. For enjoying it. Was it him at door?10:49 AM Jul 25th from webOLAF: The knocking stopped. Then the phone rang. She yanked the plug. It was a stupid thing to do. Almost as stupid as not getting caller ID12:05 PM Jul 25th from webFIDO: wasnt till knocking & ringing stopped she remembered she’d ordered pizza. Damn! Hot dogs again. While squeezing mustard, another knock1:02 PM Jul 25th from UberTwitterTUCK: “Enough pansying around,” she thought. She finished her dog, wiped her mouth, grabbed a butcher knife and went to the door.1:50 PM Jul 25th from webNORA: She looked through the peephole. A girl stood there, alone, soaking wet. She hid the knife in the wall cabinet and opened the door.2:58 PM Jul 25th from TwitterBerryIGOR: As if defying the slanting torrent, stripping the ancient sky gods of power, the girl stood unmoved in her own puddle. She was blind.6:22 PM Jul 25th from webISIS: Willow asked where she came from, who she was. The girl maintained a holy silence. So Willow took her hand, kissed it, and led her in.7:40 PM Jul 25th from webUTAH: Willow walked her to the bathroom, turned on the shower. She then fetched some of her daughter’s clothing. She had kept all of it.8:45 PM Jul 25th from webTESS: The girl took the clothes from Willow. “Your daughter is dead, isn’t she?” There was a pause. “So you do speak,” Willow finally said.9:17 PM Jul 25th from TwitterrificRHAE: “Just because I’m blind, doesn’t mean I can’t see.”11:17 PM Jul 25th from webCOCO: What arrogant girl. I bet she can’t see stains on bed. The tears. The struggle. The pleasure. Children think they know everything.3:28 AM Jul 26th from webNORA: “Yes, my daughter Sarah passed away four years ago,” Willow said. She noticed the girl stiffened. “Where are your parents?”9:18 AM Jul 26th from TweetDeckISIS: “They are resting with your daughter, waiting for us. But it’s not our time yet. We have a journey to go on. Thus spoke the oracle.”1:30 PM Jul 26th from webFIDO: Oracle? Damn this girl was a trip, yo! But willow dug her. So they left the next morning. On the road they met w/ a pack of thieves…3:29 PM Jul 26th from UberTwitterTESS: The thieves bound their wrists and began blindfolding them. “You don’t need to do this,” the girl said calmly. They missed the irony.4:21 PM Jul 26th from web
IGOR: A man tore the blindfolds off them. A cave. Weapons. Loot. Three dozen or so armed men. “This way”, he said. “Ali Baba is waiting.”6:45 PM Jul 26th from web
UTAH: As they were marched deeper into the cave, Willow whispered into the girl’s ear, “My life wasn’t nearly as exciting before I met you.”7:46 PM Jul 26th from webOMAR: Willow thought the girl was too scared to respond. Actually she was singing “Rhymin & Stealin” to herself. That’s why she was shaking.9:13 PM Jul 26th from TwitterFonRHAE: They stood before Ali Baba. He was in suit and tie, signing papers at his luxury desk. He looked up. “Interested in a subprime loan?”10:37 PM Jul 26th from webTUCK: “Willow, eh? That wasn’t too nice of your parents now, was it?” He stood up, unzipped, and pulled his dong out. “Willow, meet Willy.”10:59 PM Jul 26th from webCOCO: Willow knows she cant fight man now. She kneels and begins suck. At least girl cant see this, she thinks. Then she bites it off.4:55 AM Jul 27th from webIGOR: Guttural revenge-cries trailed them as they ran. A dead end. Bats flitted. Willow wept. The girl calm. “Open Sesame”, she commanded.9:49 AM Jul 27th from webOLAF: But she forgot to say Close Sesame. The robbers soon caught up to them. Ali Baba hobbled up to Willow. His midsection was bandaged.12:11 PM Jul 27th from webISIS: “Forgive me, Willow,” he wept. The ice shackling her heart melted as they embraced, filled with Universal Love. “Marry me,” he pleaded1:43 PM Jul 27th from webOMAR: Next day they married. Thx to Ali’s generous corporate health package the severed penis was reattached. With coaxing, it even worked.2:42 PM Jul 27th from TwitterFonFIDO: so ali baba babbit, weeping willow and blind willy mcgirl scored a hamptons mansion with the insurance money. neighbors rarely said hi6:02 PM Jul 27th from UberTwitterNORA: THE END. Story 2: Alfred and Catherine lived a quiet untroubled life. But when their country came under attack everything changed.8:44 PM Jul 27th from TweetDeck
RHAE: Under attack from far right extremists who made Reagan look liberal. They waited like panthers in the shadows for their opportunity.
9:49 PM Jul 27th from webTUCK: At least that’s what Willow thought. But Alfred and Catherine knew the real threat was the freaky Baba family who’d moved in next door11:12 PM Jul 27th from webTESS: So Catherine and Alfred called up the police one day and reported suspicious activity next door. They weren’t used to amorous sounds.12:00 AM Jul 28th from TwitterrificCOCO: Police but came but when they realised it was famous Mr. Ali they said HaHa sorry Boss and instead they arrest Alfred and Katherine4:26 AM Jul 28th from webIGOR: Hooded, shackled, the ageing couple were interrogated at a metal table. A bare bulb buzzed overhead. Alfred’s pacemaker malfunctioned.9:31 AM Jul 28th from webOLAF: The interrogator emptied a glass of icewater in Alfred’s face. The pacemaker kicked back in. “I’m gonna ask you this one last time…”10:19 AM Jul 28th from webOMAR: “Have you knowingly sold fake Tamiflu at your pharmacy?” The interrogator paused. “Answer now you swine flu profiteering scumbags!”11:24 AM Jul 28th from TwitterFonTESS: “But we don’t even own a pharmacy!” Cath sobbed. “We never have. Al and I are retired. You must have confused us with someone else.”12:43 PM Jul 28th from TwitterrificRHAE: Cath and Al believed class conflict and nefarious rule only existed in other nations. They never suspected being government scapegoats2:11 PM Jul 28th from webNORA: They’d been set up, yes, but not by the government, nor by police. Other ‘nefarious’ puppeteers with agendas were pulling the strings.5:27 PM Jul 28th from TwitterBerryUTAH: In fact it was Ali Baba and Willow who were behind the Iran-Tamiflu Scandal. They sold fake swineflu drugs to fund Iranian dissidents.7:49 PM Jul 28th from webFIDO: while cath & al get the royal cheney treatment, willow & ali & girl b-line to tehran to deliver dope cash to anti-acnedingydad forcesabout 23 hours ago from TweetDeckISIS: In awe they wander Tehran in the sacred steps of Sufi Masters as profound song rings from minarets and Whirling Dervishes careen by.about 22 hours ago from webTUCK: So in awe is Willow, she fails to notice the sacred donkey turd underfoot. A Whirling Dervish careens into the girl, knocking her overabout 22 hours ago from web
IGOR: Apologies. Overtures. An invitation to tea. They smoke the ghelyoon. Then opium. “I can see”, the formerly blind cries. “I can see!”about 17 hours ago from webCOCO: Girl could now see into present but lost power to see into future. And she was now opium addict. To celebrate they smoked hashish.about 13 hours ago from webOMAR: The Sufi stoner vows to join their effort. Secretly he has eyes for the girl, tho he knows, at 10, she’s still a year or two too youngabout 10 hours ago from TwitterFonTESS: The girl isn’t ‘blind’ to ways of men but she’s ok with it. It’s like scoring free cocktails at bars. She flirts for the opium hookup.about 9 hours ago from TwitterrificTUCK: So hippy strumpet, rapist gangster, sufi pedophile and druggy pre-teen freak head to the protests. Eat your heart out, Addams Family.about 7 hours ago from webFIDO: streets r hoppin, hot chicks in veils, dudes w/ mad beards… & dig this: aint elections theyre protesting but detainment of cath & alabout 4 hours ago from UberTwitterRHAE: The mass media had deceived the public about the real reasons for the Iranian protests. But through Twitter, the truth was revealed.about 2 hours ago from webUTAH: The infamous tweet reproduced on newspaper headlines around the world: “America, stop torturing your senior citizens. Free Cath & Al!”about 3 hours ago from webISIS: The Twitter Revolution evolved into a Twitter Haj. Pilgrims journeyed on bended knee to Tehran to tweet messages of love & world peace10:06 PM Jul 29th from webNORA: But CNN then exposed the tweet as a red herring fabricated by pro-Ahmadinejad groups. Have no doubt, the Iran protests were about Iran10:31 PM Jul 29th from TweetDeckTESS: Actually CNN had no clue. Al & Cath were released & flown to Tehran to meet Willow and Co for high level Tamiflu negotiations #cnnfail11:20 PM Jul 29th from TwitterrificIGOR: The infected writhe and moan and die. The government has abandoned Teheran. Cath and Al arrive too late to prevent the H1N1 pandemic.6:20 AM Jul 30th from webISIS: The sick abandoned people, desperate for holy guidance, plead of Cath and Al, the new messiahs, to lead them out of this wilderness.9:35 AM Jul 30th from webRHAE: Al and Cath, suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s, had no idea what they were doing in Iran. They were crowned leaders of Tehran anyway10:15 AM Jul 30th from web
FIDO: meanwhile willow & co discover their fake tamiflu taken w/ opium kills swineflu. step aside salk & pasteur cuz da babas r in da house!12:17 PM Jul 30th from UberTwitterOMAR: Tens of thousands of sick recovered instantly. News of magic “Tampium” spread like wildfire. Every nation except U.S. legalized opium.2:48 PM Jul 30th from TwitterFonNORA: Yes, instead of legalizing a lethal drug, US researchers developed a harmless, effective and non-addictive substitute for opium.4:34 PM Jul 30th from TweetDeckUTAH: But pricey. Rich Americans were able to kill the virus, the virus killed poor Americans, and drug & insurance companies made a killing5:53 PM Jul 30th from webCOCO: Now mega celebrities Willow and Ali Baba travel on world glamour tour for they’re new cutted edge reality show $ex and The Swineflu”6:53 PM Jul 30th from webOLAF: Back in the Royal Palace, Alfred turns to Catherine: “It may be age, love, but I can’t seem to get a grip on what’s going on anymore.”7:29 PM Jul 30th from webTUCK: She drags on opium hookah sufi gave her after 3-way w/ girl, then hands him nozzle. “Get a grip on this. It’ll make more sense after.”8:55 PM Jul 30th from webHOST: Contestants, the chain story will come to a (slightly premature) end tomorrow at midnight. More details why then. #4thfiction11:00 PM Jul 30th from webHOST: Hint: it involves readers voting and judging.11:02 PM Jul 30th from web
FIDO: al’s about 2 go insane in the membrane but he sets hooka aside. “Yo how bout beers instead? I hear thats how leaders resolve problems”11:55 PM Jul 30th from UberTwitterIGOR: “What do you fancy?” she asked. “I’ll go with a Newkie Brown”, Alfred said. “Cheers. Just so long as it’s not that Bud Light shite.”about 23 hours ago from webRHAE: After this “beer summit,” Alfred confessed being confused as ever. Outside it was a media circus. “They are acting stupidly,” he said.about 17 hours ago from webTESS: And what a media circus! TV anchors held fire hoops before lions while newspaper reporters climbed into cannonballs. Crowd drank beer.about 15 hours ago from TwitterrificOMAR: All get on beer wagon. Even enemies share a bronson of choice–Israel & Iran, N. & S. Korea, Obama & Osama–and world peace ensues.about 13 hours ago from TwitterFon
NORA: With calm in Iran, Alfred and Catherine flew home. Their queer drama had ended earlier than expected, but they were glad it was over.about 11 hours ago from TweetDeckOLAF: Next day sunrise Alfred walks to shore. Out yonder, a fishing vessel. “They got no idea what I been through,” he thinks. He was wrong.about 9 hours ago from webUTAH: Willow and Ali’s pre-reality show tour ended. It hadn’t generated quite the hype they’d hoped for, but then again, hype is overhyped.about 8 hours ago from webTUCK: Say that again, Utah. This pre-contest has gone to shit. Way to go, host. We got less banter all right. And less readers.about 7 hours ago from webCOCO: Tuck, you just ruined story, u naugty man 😉 And what do you mean less readers? There is lots of readers… whole 12 of them Hahahaabout 7 hours ago from webTUCK: Twelve? Is the 12th Fyor or is it Host? Cause as far as I can tell, neither of them have spent much time around here lately.about 7 hours ago from webCOCO: No the 12th is u because u count for 2 man 😉 And u broke rules and did 2 twitters today (me 2 haha). Eufff. Its 3:30. Time 4 (-_-)zzzabout 7 hours ago from webTUCK: Host broke rules. I’m just following his lead. And in my defense: RT @annasbones “hey! nice to see you guys tweet as yourselves again”about 6 hours ago from webTeSS: LOL tuck fido coco annasbobes. It *is^ nice to here from u all. Sorry host I’m ready 4 punishment (& excited 4 voting). More mojitos!!about 4 hours ago from TwitterrificISIS: “Our paths will now branch,” the Sufi tells the girl. “I must return to the desert.” Her eyes are clear as her heart: ~Not without me~about 3 hours ago from webTUCK: So they wandered off into the desert, where they soon died of dehydration. At least the opium made their final moments easier.about 3 hours ago from webHOST: Chain story is now over. Poll now up on FourthNight webpage. Vote for your favorite contestant:http://bit.ly/f4NPzabout 3 hours ago from web
2 Comments To "The Chain Story"
#1 Comment By JDEvolutionist On August 3, 2009 @ 3:00 am
The idea is good but the implementation is too superficial. Maybe I’m a generation or so too late (I’m 61) but rape, cock sucking and dope are all a bit boring. Not that I could do any better but I think the contestants should aim for something that is creative, ‘novel’ and inspiring. It all needs to evolve a bit – recognising, of course, the evolutionary significance of the mind, and its potential for error, on the course that the evolution takes. Keep it up there is potential.
#2 Comment By Constantine Markides On August 4, 2009 @ 8:58 pm
“Rape, cock sucking and dope are all a bit boring.” That would make an interesting blog tagline… We’ll have to see what happens when they actually start their individual novellas. I’ve actually never come across a successful chain story. I just wanted to try it out to see what would happen. I think any evolutionary potential gets sabotaged along the way when you bring a group of people into the mix, especially when they’re participating in something as freakish as a reality show. Thanks for the frank comment.