A building stands tall, defiant of its ancient red bricks beginning to crumble under the stress of weather. It stands three stories high, with columns and rows of windows littered on the walls. The window at the bottom right is cracked in multiple places, but manages to stay attached to its wooden frame. The stone staircase has been weathered by the elements, yet it stands, offering a way to the boarded-up door. There is a sign hanging from the door, but the words are not visible from far away. Off to the side, is a shed caved into itself, no longer of use to anyone.
Surrounding the once-populated structure is a group of tall, dark trees, unaware of the secret they hide. A single dove can be heard cooing in a nearby tree, yet cannot be seen. The ground is overgrown with various species of plants, covering any exposed inch of dirt save one small, fresh trail where presumably a deer tromped through. Bugs can be seen skittering across the unmarked path, darting from one side to the other to avoid being exposed and ultimately preyed upon.
A group of four people slowly come into view in front of the building, crouching as they walk to be on their guard and remain less exposed. They form a line, and follow the leader through the foliage and on the trail to the stone stairs. The back two stay at the bottom and look around, feeling on edge while wielding their makeshift wooden spears. The leader keeps watch atop the stairs while another begins to pry apart the wood holding the door closed. They hear a guttural growl off in the distance, forcing the four to look frantically for the potential and eventual danger. The door is almost free of the wood blocking entrance into it, but one wood piece continues to elude them. They pull and pull, but can not pry it free, no matter what they try. The growl grows louder, as the sound draws closer. The two at the bottom grip their spears tightly, steeling themselves for what will emerge from the copse of trees. The fourth manages to finally pry the last board off of the door, and opens it. They hurry into the marble hallway and slam the door shut. The two with the spears begin to look for anything heavy to shove in front of the entrance door. A strong blow hits the door, blowing it open. The four stand frozen, staring at the doorway, and what walks through.
On this week’s episode of the Chompcast, we wrap up our final thoughts regarding Monster Hunter World and Shadow of the Colossus. We discuss Nintendo and our current thoughts regarding thes re-releasing games from previous systems, bolstered by listener responses. Morgan shares a few listener polls he ran on Instagram, and we share our opinions on a Bio Break article of scientists discovering the mechanism used by Cuttlefish and Octopi to protrude spikes from their skin.
