Exposition Problem

[evolution_rex]

I've been outlining a horror story that takes place in present day, set in a small town near a big forest. I've ran into a problem involving a character whom I've realized was built just to give exposition.

Here's a scenario; the main character is a pizza delivery man, and he's keeps seeing mysterious creatures, and then realizes that they may be following them. In the story, I built a set up that our main character delivers pizza to an eccentric character the pizza is for a get together with a club (which has cult-like implications) which takes they hold in the forest. He is friendly and tells the main character about how knowledgeable he is of the forests. After being followed by the creatures, he comes back the man and asks his advice to see if he knows anything about the creatures. He does, and tells him he has the face one of them, which requires going into the middle of the forest and preforming a ritual at night. Thus the ending happens, a very specific ending which I really do not want to deviate from.

The cult-like club is sort of irrelevant to the story, I originally wanted it because I thought it would add a bit of strangeness as well as it might help build a mythos for the fictional town. But does it sound forced? Might there be a better way for the main character to get the information?

 

[Penpilot]

The way you have it is fine.

 

[evolution_rex]

Well, if no one else has anything to say, then thanks!

 

[FifthView]

Basically, it's about a normal guy who happens to stumble into an on-going, odd situation. Seems to me the horror focus would be about him coming to grips with the oddness, the horrifying situation. Basically, it's like a milieu story (a la the MICE quotient.) The fact that there's another guy who knows what's what—well, that other guy and the club in question are part of that odd milieu. For a short story, this is not a problem at all.

 

[evolution_rex]

I don't plan on it being a short story. At least I don't think so at this point.

EDIT: Perhaps exposition wasn't the best word to use here.

 

[ThinkerX]

If this is to be a longer story, then give your 'exposition' character another interest: say a girlfriend, ill relative, or an obsession with the local sports team (100% convinced his former classmate will hit the majors). Said interests can be mentioned repeatedly or appear in passing without taking over. (GF wants to go on a date, got to get meds for the ill relative, attend the big game.)

 

[evolution_rex]

Well, the character is suppose to be mysterious. So I don't want to go too in-depth with the character in that form.

 

[ThinkerX]

You don't have to go too in-depth. Just enough to make him something other than a walking info-dump. Have him mention a GF. Make an offhand comment about the baseball team. So, in the course of the conversation, it would go; normal, normal, weird.