Party Kill Accelerator! (short story)
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Party Kill Accelerator! was the fifth story in the Iris Wildthyme anthology The Panda Book of Horror. It was written by Blair Bidmead and introduced his recurring characters Theo Possible and "Kelsey".
Plot
On the cusp of night and day, Iris Wildthyme and Panda trundle their way through thick, grey, mud, following directions written on the back of a cigarette packet to the Zona Oscura Festival. They arrive at their destination, with a doorman granting them access, and giving them VIP lanyards.
Panda, fed up with the mud and the walking, insists that they purchase drinks. So they head to Madame Moiré's Burlesque Escapade, and as Iris fails to explain to Panda about why Jimmy the Mandrill invited them in the first place, he is captivated by a rotund stripper, Ms Carmen Tranquil. Iris leaves Panda to show his affection to Carmen and she heads to the VIP tent.
Meanwhile, the doorman realises that he hasn't eaten for longer than he could remember. Upon this revelation, he dissolves.
After a while of walking, Iris finds a place to sit down, meeting Derek and Mavis. Talking to them, they reveal that they've been exactly where they are for as long as they could remember in order to enjoy every performance of The All-Star Dance Company. Mavis suddenly accuses Iris of knowing her husband previously, startling Iris. Concurrently, where the doorman dissolved, a new entity forms, the Beast, and Panda gets acquainted with Carmen.
Characters
(In order of appearance)
- "Katy Manning" Iris
- Panda
- Ron
- Carmen Tranquil
- Derek
- Mavis
- the Beast/Jimmy the Mandrill
- Kelsey
- A troubadour
- Octopus
- Jimmy the Mandrill
Referenced only
References
- The previous night, when it was believed Iris had left Panda to go to a party, Panda watched David Attenborough.
Food and drink
- Iris gives Panda a large gin and tonic.
Medicine
- Ron dissolves like Alka Seltzer.
Notes
- To promote the story and anthology, Bidmead shared an excerpt of the story accompanied by an exclusive illustration of Iris and Panda standing in the drizzle outside the Zona Oscura Festival.[1]
Continuity
- Kelsey is a member of Faction Paradox. (PROSE: Now or Thereabouts, Weapons Grade Snake Oil)
- Some of the party guests are outdated servo-furnishings. (PROSE: Sick Building, Enter Wildthyme)
