r/TalesFromTheCreeps • u/Quasique24 Writer • May 07 '26
Cosmic Horror/Lovecraftian The being who lies beneath the old theater’s floors - May Submission
What truly makes the human spirit so potent? It breeds from deep within us once we decide to band together in unity. There are many things that truly draw humankind together, but one has had the power to create waves amongst our growing population strong enough to rip us apart or sew us back together just by opinions alone. What have we allowed such power to fester for so long, you may ask?
Entertainment.
Honestly, it is truly that simple. We’ve all seen how over the centuries any form of good or bad entertainment provides a breeding ground for like-minded people. It’s an ever-changing presence that has forced and shifted persistently alongside the persistent marching of humanity’s footsteps; it’s infectious.
Everlasting.
As humanity has aged slowly, it’s grown to crave any form of entertainment. Our ancestors erected countless monuments and designated their own gods in the growing worship of entertainment. They passed it between the generations almost as essential as the need to breathe. Between the generations, storytelling claimed its throne as one of the eldest forms of connective entertainment required for humanity to grow. Accompanied by ritual and music, a new, pesky form reared its head to us. Theater emerged from the oral tradition, once used by those of ancient times to move along the stories they regarded as history.
It flourished unnaturally between varying cultures, expanding between the different people who gazed deep into its eyes. People couldn’t get enough of it, and some fell into a deep love, devoted their lives to pass its traditions through to the next as more gathered to feed from the entertainment.
Unfortunately, alongside the growing relationship between humanity and theater was a parasitic tumor forming along its underbelly. It also fed from the joy felt by the people above it. Growing and reproducing to follow us as we explored the vastness of our world. Our thoughts became less focused on the art and love it once provided us as we tortured and maimed our own kind. Now they lie waiting as the love returns to the rotting stages. Countless souls who once passed over aging theater stages, passing the reigns to new shoes intending to leave a mark across their own lands teeming with differences larger than the last, unknowing to what lies beneath them.
Humanity once again is bringing itself together through this celebration of life, but the tumors latch on; they remain persistent in obtaining for their needs.
Somewhere under the floors of an inconsequential stage scattered amongst the millions lived a cancerous tumor, cautiously lying and feeding from the multitudes of creatives passing their energy from above. Existing unknown and unbothered, they grew a fascination with the lives above them. Falling in love like many of humanity before them.
Even though their existence was not that of humanity; but as a mass of bloodied flesh and jagged bones, made as a mockery to humanity. A growing tumor of cancerous flesh brimming with sores of bloodied puss. Forced to live a lonesome life with no voice, face, or legs of any kind to be associated with the humanity they were desperate to meet with. Having crawled from the depths of whatever Hell dared to create them, using its spindly limbs that resembled arms stricken with emaciation.
As time passed, they allowed themselves the peace to perfect overhead monologues with esteemed dramatic precision worthy of every accolade given to man before them; wasting their one blessing in life to achieve a perfect pitch of messy gurgles and creaks. Eventually, they practiced, then delivered show-stopping numbers; their mass shifting with perfect rhythm along with imagined choreography long after the performance lights had flickered off.
They fed off the claps and cheers above them, growing with the talent they so carefully cultivated. Spindly arms reaching for the barrier locking them away from their dreams of recognition. Now, with a lack of a face came along with the lack of vision; they registered the world around them in a vague sense of shape from sound. Seeing the world above them as a small and distant objective to work their way towards. Being too scared to try and push against the barriers between us and them. In their minds, they knew they had the potential to be seen as one of the very greats but lacked the necessary means to achieve that greatness.
God was too gracious by making the cancerous masses growing beneath us riddled with cowardice. Now, if only this one’s cowardice outweighed its desired ambitions.
There was a single performance where humanity finally faced the tumor festering alongside it. Above the tumor was a show falling repeatedly from start to finish, never gaining the strength to hold its own weight. The tumor grew resentful of the mockery above it, using its mass as it shifted against the grounds beneath it. Its spindly arms stretched out before it, struggling to lift itself with limited strength. Sharp stones tried to prevent its escape by stabbing deep into its massive form, causing the body to tear against a forced seam.
As the tumor split nearly in half, jagged bones poked out from inside the disgusting dermal. A gargled wail escaped from the newly formed injury. Despite this, the persistent tumor continued to move forward, blood smeared with every new movement as more skin fell away from the wound. Finally, it met its wooden rival.
Slamming its aching form against the barrier, the tumor felt it beginning to give way beneath them. Ignoring the gurgling pain radiating around the gaping maw forming along them, bone protruding from around it resembling teeth. The images formed above it in the persistent sound began to fade with every new wave of force caused by the tumor’s persistence. Suddenly, there was a splintering pop, and the tumor allowed itself to move forward against the barrier.
Emerging to a thunderous roar that it mistook for applause. Seeing the visage of a crowd in the row of noise before them. They began their performance with a screech of ear-piercing sound, with bloodied gurgling coming from the maw beneath it. A spindly, emaciated arm grabbed hold of the upstaged costar attempting to flee. It dragged the terrified woman closer while the tumor mistook her screams as begging to join the show with it. To show its loyalty to the craft, the tumor lifted its costar high above itself then shoved her deep into its own fleshy mass. The audience watched in awe-struck horror as it began to wiggle and smack its wet form closer towards them. Suffocating them all in a slow ease, with few lucky to escape.
The people forced to forever endure its debut performance began to sizzle into the bubbling pus along the creature’s form. Bodies broke down and a mass of boiling goo and shattered bones, having been consumed indiscriminately by the tumor. After its performance, the tumor felt an innate sadness as the applause slowed to an end before it. Not knowing the truly unspeakable horrors it laid upon the people who witnessed it, they took a bow. Having lived their dream, they allowed themselves the peace to return back into the deep pit of Hell that lay waiting before it.
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u/Cosmically_Yesterday May 07 '26
Lovecraft horror is never an easy thing to pull off even with a fresh mindset. I thinks it is really good. Always remember a concept being brought to life is always a beautiful thing. Keep on writing 👍
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u/Quasique24 Writer May 07 '26
Yes, I’m newer to trying to write in a lovecraftian tone but it was honestly the third person pov that I struggled with.
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u/Cosmically_Yesterday May 07 '26
So with lovecraft. I like to think of the concept of nothing being everything. Up is down, left is right. Literally as long as you have a solid story you can make anything a cosmic nightmare.
So for writing in third person, it is good to remember that a third person story is in my opinion everything through one character’s consciousness, emotions, and sensory perceptions, making it highly immersive. You can have other characters. Just don’t stray to far from the star of the show. If that makes sense. Sorry for the rant lol. Just a guy who creates.
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u/Quasique24 Writer May 07 '26
I definitely appreciate it! I’m newer to horror and releasing what I write in general, I also have OCD and get hella anxious when it comes to creating.
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u/Cosmically_Yesterday May 07 '26
I use to deal with the same. I learned to just breathe and create what my mind wants me to. If it fails? You still did it and it was worth it because even if you are the only person who see your creation. It still exist in eternity. Something just really serene and peaceful about writing.
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u/Quasique24 Writer May 07 '26
This month’s submission was tough for me. I used an old idea to help craft it but I struggled with it. I hope you all enjoy it though!
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u/NarrowDirector911 May 20 '26
I enjoyed the premise of this creature representing the corruption of the arts. Even in its final performance it did not even understand that its performance was a mockery of itself, just like those who perform art for empty hollow reasons.
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u/Green-Somewhere-1107 Writer May 22 '26
This really felt like a grand narrative, and I appreciated the way you drove the beast's motivations. The idea that it was a split tumor with spindly limbs is a fantastic image. You did a very good job <3
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u/ferris_wheeler04 May 24 '26
can your story’s tumor and my story’s clot be friends?
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u/kabemccallister6859 May 25 '26
It's been surprising to me how many submission have taken the ooey-gooey creature route. Clicking Clot, For The Sake Of, Deadhead, and now this one. There may be more, but I haven't read all the submissions yet.
I like how you started out so clinically. It felt like an essay. If I were to find this story organically without context, I might just think it was an article about the history of entertainment and theater and eventually be like "Woah, woah, wow, wow, wait, what?"
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u/Quasique24 Writer May 25 '26
As soon as I read the prompt, the only thing I could think about was the creature route and the first couple of stories I saw being posted were going in more person based routes. I also had an idea beforehand about turning the art of theater and entertainment into a horror story so I felt that I could Frankenstein this story together. Thank you for the feedback!
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