History Literature / AntlersColorado

Antlers, Colorado (shortened to Antlers, CO or just Antlers) is a web serial about Austin Jones, a budding medium with an attitude problem. Austin flees from his home in Havenwood, Pennsylvania in the year 1999, running from a predestined position at the Department of Paranormal Research, an agency his family has run for decades. The ghost of his father, Richard Jones, follows him. But that's all in the prologue. The real story picks up in the fall of 2000, when Austin finds himself in the town of Antlers, Colorado, cut off from the family bank account by his older brother and shacking up with easygoing med student Otter Redford. In search of a job, Austin finds himself an unwitting consultant to Sheriff Monty Maxwell and her deputy Mac, who take advantage of Austin’s psychic powers to unravel the origins of the strange cases that only seem to happen in Antlers.

* ShoutOut: Chapter One, which contains [[spoiler:a monster disguised as a motel worker]], features a blink-and-you'll miss it reference to Hotel California. May also be a reference to {{NanQuest}}.

Anything from the currently running chapter will be marked as spoilers!

* AncientEvil: The lake entity qualifies as this.
* BloodMagic: In Chapter 3, the witches use blood magic to summon the lake entity.
* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Each of the characters on the cast page has an illustration with a particular color assigned to them. Austin and Landis' carry over into the banner for Chapter Two.

* CuteGhostGirl: Paper Museum qualifies; also the benign ghost girl haunting the Antlers library.
* DaylightHorror: Austin's fight with the skinwalker takes place at dawn.
* DemonicPossession: In Chapter 2, Austin is possessed by the lake entity; in Chapter 4, Otter is possessed by the lake entity.
* EyeScream: Mac's right eye is torn out by the skinwalker. Her ghost is still missing it.

* ItWontTurnOff: After the lake entity possesses a television to talk to Austin, the Paper Museum ghosts tell him there's no way to get the TV set to go back to normal unless he does what it says. Danton also reveals that several of Landis' books were possessed the same way, and Landis burned them when the text wouldn't go back to normal.
* LateArrivalSpoiler: Mac's death towards the end of Chapter One, and the fact that Landis is not actually the villain of Chapter Two.

* MagneticMedium: Austin's power as a medium is what attracts the lake entity to possess him.
* MeatPuppet: Austin while being possessed by the lake entity.
* MurderWater: The lake behind Landis' house is possessed by an demon that requires a blood sacrifice twice a year to stay dormant.

* ShoutOut: Chapter One, which contains a monster disguised as a motel worker, features a blink-and-you'll miss it reference to Hotel California. May also be a reference to {{NanQuest}}.
* SinisterSurveillance: Richard implies in the Chapter Two epilogue that Austin's older brother Jacob may already have someone in the town of Antlers looking after Austin.

* SpookySeance: In Chapter 3, the witches engage in a seance to summon the lake entity.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: Mac, just as it seems she's becoming more of a main character.

* TrappedWithMonsterPlot: In Chapter 4, Austin and Rabbit are trapped in the mines with possessed Otter/the lake entity.

* AbandonedMine: [[spoiler:Setting for much of Chapter 4.]]

* DemonicPossession: In Chapter 2, Austin is possessed by the lake entity; in Chapter 4, [[spoiler:Otter is possessed by the lake entity.]]

* MurderWater: The lake behind Landis' house is possessed by an evil, possibly ancient entity that requires a blood sacrifice twice a year to stay dormant.

* TrappedWithMonsterPlot: In Chapter 4, [[spoiler:Austin and Rabbit are trapped in the mines with possessed Otter/the lake entity.]]

Antlers updates every Friday over on its [[http://antlerscolorado.tumblr.com/post/93891622210/and-the-record-begins-with-a-song-of-rebellion Tumblr]] and [[https://www.wattpad.com/story/51659327-antlers-colorado Wattpad]] pages. Each chapter deals with Austin and co. investigating some paranormal phenomenon or crime in or around the town of Antlers.

* SinisterSurveillance: Richard implies in the Chapter Two epilogue that Austin's older brother Jacob may already have someone in the town of Antlers looking after Austin. Maybe not as sinister as it seems, given that we haven't met Jacob yet and only know what Austin thinks about him.

* MagicalEye: One of Austin's eyes allows him to see ghosts.
* AncientEvil: The lake entity qualifies as this.
* MagneticMedium: Austin's power as a medium is what attracts the lake entity to possess him.
* TrappedWithMonsterPlot: In Chapter 4, Austin and Rabbit are trapped in the mines with possessed Otter/the lake entity.
* DemonicPossession: In Chapter 2, Austin is possessed by the lake entity; in Chapter 4, Otter is possessed by the lake entity.
* SpookySeance: In Chapter 3, the witches engage in a seance to summon the lake entity.
* BloodMagic: In Chapter 3, the witches use blood magic to summon the lake entity.
* SerialKiller: Landis Holliday.
* AbandonedMine: Setting for much of Chapter 4.
* CreepyCrows
* ISeeDeadPeople
* SpiritAdvisor: Richard for Austin
* CuteGhostGirl: Paper Museum qualifies; also the benign ghost girl haunting the Antlers library.

* CuteGhostGirl: Paper Museum qualifies; also [[the benign ghost girl haunting the Antlers library.]]

* Cute Ghost Girl: Paper Museum qualifies; also [[the benign ghost girl haunting the Antlers library.]]

* SpiritAdvisor: Richard for Austin

* ISeeDeadPeople

* CreepyCrows

* AbandonedMine: Setting for much of Chapter 4.

* SerialKiller: Landis Holliday.

* BloodMagic: In Chapter 3, the witches use blood magic to summon the lake entity.

* MagneticMediumSpoiler: Austin's power as a medium is what attracts the lake entity to possess him.
* TrappedWithMonsterPlotSpoiler: In Chapter 4, Austin and Rabbit are trapped in the mines with possessed Otter/the lake entity.
* DemonicPossessionSpoiler: In Chapter 2, Austin is possessed by the lake entity; in Chapter 4, Otter is possessed by the lake entity.
* SpookySeanceSpoiler: In Chapter 3, the witches engage in a seance to summon the lake entity.
* BloodMagicSpoiler: In Chapter 3, the witches use blood magic to summon the lake entity.

* SpookySeanceSpoiler: In Chapter 3, the witches engage in a seance to summon the lake entity.

* DemonicPossessionSpoiler: In Chapter 2, Austin is possessed by the lake entity; in Chapter 4, Otter is possessed by the lake entity.

* TrappedWithMonsterPlotSpoiler: In Chapter 4, Austin and Rabbit are trapped in the mines with possessed Otter/the lake entity.

* MagneticMediumSpoiler: Austin's power as a medium is what attracts the lake entity to possess him.

* AncientEvil: The lake entity qualifies as this.

* MagicalEye: one of Austin's eyes allows him to see ghosts.

* TongueTrauma: Landis nearly bites all the way through his tongue to escape from police custody.

Antlers updates every Friday over on its [[http://antlerscolorado.tumblr.com/post/93891622210/and-the-record-begins-with-a-song-of-rebellion Tumblr]] and [[https://www.wattpad.com/story/51659327-antlers-colorado Wattpad]] pages. Each chapter deals with Austin and co. investigating some paranormal phenomenon or crime in or around the town of Antlers. The Tumblr page contains additional goodies, such as a cast page and bonus ilustrations.

* AnyoneCanDie: [[spoiler: Mac, who is set up to be a protagonist, dies in Chapter One.]]

* DaylightHorror: [[spoiler: Austin's fight with the skinwalker takes place at dawn.]]
* EyeScream: [[spoiler: Mac's right eye is torn out by the skinwalker. Her ghost is still missing it.]]

* ItWontTurnOff: After the [[spoiler: lake entity]] possesses a television to talk to Austin, the Paper Museum ghosts tell him there's no way to get the TV set to go back to normal unless he does what it says. Danton also reveals that several of Landis' books were possessed the same way, and [[spoiler: Landis burned them when the text wouldn't go back to normal. ]]
* LateArrivalSpoiler: [[spoiler: Mac's death at the end of Chapter One.]]
* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: Austin's dream sequences, usually quickly glossed-over in the text, often contain clues as to what to expect in later chapters. See: [[spoiler: the PAPER MUSEUM REUNION TOUR dream in Chapter One, as well as the later Chapter One dream that features Austin facing a wall of ice as spirits on the other side reach for him.]] WordOfGod confirms that Austin's dreams are often premonitions.
* MeatPuppet: [[spoiler: Austin while being possessed by the lake entity.]]
* MurderWater: The lake behind Landis' house is [[spoiler: possessed by an evil, possibly ancient entity that requires a blood sacrifice twice a year to stay dormant.]]

* ShoutOut: Chapter One, which contains [[spoiler: a monster disguised as a motel worker]], features a blink-and-you'll miss it reference to Hotel California. May also be a reference to {{NanQuest}}.
* SinisterSurveillance: Richard implies in the Chapter Two epilogue that [[spoiler: Austin's older brother Jacob may already have someone in the town of Antlers looking after Austin. Maybe not as sinister as it seems, given that we haven't met Jacob yet and only know what Austin thinks about him.]]
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler: Mac, just as it seems she's becoming more of a main character.]]
* TongueTrauma: What [[spoiler: Landis]] does to [[spoiler: escape from police custody.]]

Antlers updates every other Thursday over on its [[http://antlerscolorado.tumblr.com/post/93891622210/and-the-record-begins-with-a-song-of-rebellion Tumblr]] and [[https://www.wattpad.com/story/51659327-antlers-colorado Wattpad]] pages. Each chapter deals with Austin and co. investigating some paranormal phenomenon or crime in or around the town of Antlers. The Tumblr page contains additional goodies, such as a cast page and bonus ilustrations.

* MisanthropeSupreme: Walker, if the bonus story featuring him is any indication. Also Landis, per Lacrimosa.

* ShoutOut: Chapter One, which contains [[spoiler: a monster disguised as a motel worker]], features a blink-and-you'll miss it reference to Hotel California. May also be a reference to {{NanQuest}}.

* MeaningfulBackgroundEvent: Austin's dream sequences, usually quickly glossed-over in the text, often contain clues as to what to expect in later chapters. See: [[the PAPER MUSEUM REUNION TOUR dream in Chapter One, as well as the later Chapter One dream that features Austin facing a wall of ice as spirits on the other side reach for him.]] WordOfGod confirms that Austin's dreams are often premonitions.

* MeatPuppet: [[spoiler: Austin while being possessed by the lake entity.]]

* ShoutOut: Chapter One, which contains [[spoiler: a monster disguised as a motel worker]], features a blink-and-you'll miss it reference to Hotel California. May also be a reference to [[Roleplay//{{NanQuest}}