Princess Barn: A Short Story

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While in the barn, Princess looks for any piece of information that could benefit her. Whether it's more weapons or film equipment, she has entered detective mode. But before she can find anything worthwhile, Chromeskull enters the barn. In a quick and silent panic, she seeks cover behind a casket. He glances as though there's suspicion residing behind his mask. But then, he makes himself comfortable in what I presume to be his home. This moment put me on the edge as I could feel a scare was coming. Through a small crack, she peeks through the casket and spots the body of a female lying prone. She's blonde, half-naked, and either dead or unconscious. There are ropes around her wrists and ankles. Her positioning resembles a BDSM-type bondage. …show more content…
And better yet, we start to see Princess becoming more independent than she was before. That plot progression is a crucial element of the final girl. Not only is she adaptive by using her surroundings to her advantage. We see her do so when she seeks cover in the barn behind the casket. But she also starts thinking ahead of the killer. After all, you'd figure three confrontations would allow her to familiarize herself. Thus, she can have a sense of both his vulnerabilities and tactics. It's with this advancement that the final girl becomes more than any helpless victim. Rather, she's relying on her wits to give her a chance of surviving. And the audience's investment shifts over to her because she's assuming control. That aspect of Clover's theory does allude to a progression of the female identity. Not only is she outlasting the killer's pursuits. But she's standing toe-to-toe with him. That aggressive and independent stance is where gender fluidity comes into play. For its behavior that you would expect from a man. And yet, you see it through a woman. So it leaves you to assume that women do stand a chance in the face of male dominance. And they can do so without the need of other men. Moreover, this moment represents the character's peak development in the story. She realizes that running away is only delaying the conflict. Thus, Princess is casting aside her "old self." Clover …show more content…
Now, not only do they now have a means of calling 911. But the camera's footage could reveal further insight on the killer. So Princess looks through the recordings. And in one of them, she sees the killer talking to the old man he had killed in the first scene. As it turns out, that man was a mortician who made a pack with Chromeskull. Their agreement was that he would kill these girls to keep the funeral home in business. But with each new murder, the mortician begins having second thoughts. He wasn't expecting all this blood to be on their hands. So he decides he wants no part of the coalition anymore. But, before he can venture off on his own, Chromeskull doesn't want him to be a liability. So he kills him as an official relief of the man's duties. Now, this exposition has no link whatsoever to Princess. Yes, it provides a backstory to an extent. But you still don't know why he started killing in the first place. Not to mention, why is he only worried about girls? The only suggestion I can make is that they are the easiest targets. But that conjecture doesn't set him apart from any other killer within the slasher genre. The only dimension it adds is the idea that Chromeskull is a bad business partner. So like me, Princess doesn't know what to make of the footage. And instead, she's contemplating what last-ditch decision will guarantee her survival. In the meantime,

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