our thoughts are hot and crazed, our brains are webbed in haze

At what speed must I live, to be able to see you again?

I can't believe I forgot Haunted Saddlemead! I swear, my head would fall right off if it wasn't stitched on so tightly.



Haunted Saddlemead has been a holiday fixture since I started doing these reviews, at least. Miss Lora Chadbourne runs the place, and she has a little more space this year. Did she go crazy with the scripts, did she throw in a lot of busy screaming monsters to leap out at people?



Unexpectedly, no--she's kept the quiet autumnal beauty of Saddlemead, and just added a few more spooky touches. Glowing red eyes here and there, a few more sounds, just that--nothing overt, nothing extravagant. Her precise and elegant touch pervades.



There's a glowing hanged man off in the orchard, and one of the floating candelabra in the house swirls around avatars, asking in an earnest child's voice, "Aren't you scared?"



But the pumpkin patch is still there, and the house with the haunted attic, and the hayride, and it's all just...pastoral and charming. I don't know how long it will be up, and I'm dreadfully abashed I didn't mention it sooner, so go and see!



In the meantime, as we're all of us scattered far and wee, I had to take the brief time I had (between extended bouts of limbo) to try to explore the Falln Sanitarium for the FallnAngels Brain Hunt going on currently (and ending in just under, or perhaps just over, a day from now!)

Of course I ran into zombies in trouble.

[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: >>:[
[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: Hello there.
[20:09] Emilly Orr: Are you having trouble?
[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: I am having a blast.
[20:09] Emilly Orr: Good!
[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: What do you really want to talk about?

Trust a zombie in a mental hospital to ask leading questions.

[20:09] Emilly Orr: Are you stuck?
[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: Do I seem like it?
[20:09] Emilly Orr: You seem trapped.
[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: Do you mind if I tell other people you say I am trapped.
[20:09] Emilly Orr: Please.
[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: OK I will tell them when I see 'em.
[20:09] Emilly Orr: Fantastic. Can you get out?
[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: That's an interesting question. I'll come back to that in a minute.
[20:09] Emilly Orr: Right.
[20:09] My Pet Zombie Loves Brains: I am glad we agree.

I was too, the problem, though, was I was talking to a zombie trapped in a green-painted service locker in an abandoned psych ward. This had the potential to go downhill, I thought, so I wandered off looking for more brains.

I found them--but I also found a zombie pushing a gurney into a side corner. Rather forcefully.

This didn't seem like it was the best plan.

[21:20] My Pet Zombie Nurse: >>:[
[21:20] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Hello there.
[21:21] Emilly Orr: You're stuck again.
[21:21] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Once more? I will tell my botmaster you said I am stuck.

They talk to their botmaster--Azriel Demain, owner of Fallen--a great deal. He reads them stories and gives them instructions. We should all be happy they work as well as they do--after all, they are zombies.

Then the zombie got existential.

[21:21] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Where are you located?
[21:22] Emilly Orr: Here.
[21:22] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Where is here?
[21:22] Emilly Orr: The Sanitarium.
[21:22] My Pet Zombie Nurse: What is that?
[21:22] Emilly Orr: Well, it's where you go when you're crazy.
[21:22] My Pet Zombie Nurse: How about that. I can understand that sentiment.
[21:22] Emilly Orr: Thought you might.

I admit, telling an undead nurse about psychiatric care, that was a new one for me.

[21:22] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Do you really think so?
[21:22] Emilly Orr: I think so. Come out of the corner.
[21:22] My Pet Zombie Nurse: I think so too. Where is out of the corner ?

This wasn't working. I took a running leap to try to climb over the gurney, and push the zombie away from the corner section. I failed, and ended up on the pose on the gurney.

Lots of flailing ensued before things got really odd.

[21:23] Emilly Orr flails a lot on the gurney
[21:23] My Pet Zombie Nurse: YOU? That remark was either too complex or too simple for me. We were talking about defchan.
[21:23] Emilly Orr: We were talking about defchan? When were we talking about defchan?
[21:23] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Ah yes, I remember now, it is the subject. It was back in the old days, long ago.
[21:23] Emilly Orr: When we had woodburning cats?
[21:23] My Pet Zombie Nurse: I am not sure I agree with your assumptions.
[21:23] Emilly Orr: Probably not.
[21:23] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Why the uncertain tone?
[21:23] Emilly Orr: Because I'm flailing on a gurney.
[21:23] My Pet Zombie Nurse: Good reason. It's good to meet someone who is flailing on a gurney.

I sensed limbo approaching again, so I scrambled off the gurney and went home. Far as I know, the zombie nurse is still pushing aimlessly into the corner of the Sanitarium.

Least he has a defined task. The other zombie in the locker has it worse...

So, all in all, sort of a lost day. I did manage to get my bat tokens in for the Deader than You tour, so yay for that--and I've worn the DV8 outfit (the Geishurai latex set in orange and black) more times in the past two weeks than anything else, so it was worth it. And I did find a few brains, and may find more tomorrow.

Still, I missed all the dances and all the costume contests. Ah, well. I'd say I'm becoming a recluse but I've generally been too busy to notice.

Is that a good thing?