Murray's Journey: Finders Keepers

[Laraqua]

The side corridor ends in another door that has rotted somewhat in its frame, bulging slightly, and when he leans against the wall to steady his burden and tries the handle, he finds it stuck. They key won't even go in properly because the lock is too rusted to use. There's only one known way out and that's likely wherever Jack came in from - perhaps out through the theatre itself where that woman doubtless awaits him. Silent Hill sure is something else. If the bright lights and the dark shadows of the cities were meant to be dangerous, this fog-shrouded monster-haunted place was lethal. He'd be best served by grabbing a car and getting the hell out but Ash is still here, isn't she? The police station had people in it as well. Maybe he could go back there? Or maybe try the hospital again, though it was completely empty when he last saw it.

[Mr. Handy]

Murray hadn't been heading in that direction anyway. He wants to go through the door leading back the way he had come, to the section of hall where he had met Jack, and then on to the dressing rooms to look for a sewing kit. Afterwards, he plans to bring Craig to the hospital. Even if no medical people are there, medical supplies are highly likely.

[Laraqua]

Murray follows the blood smeared footprints toward the rearmost corridor, struggling under his blood-spattered burden, arms straining against the weight to carry him, but at least it's not far to the doors marked: dressing room. It'd be awkward to try to open the door with him in Murray's arms, with a greater risk of dropping him and causing further injury, so he lowers him to the ground and fumbles with the handle. At least there's no sign of that crazy person, Jack, now. Opening the door, he reveals the dressing room which appears much as he left it. There's a few drawers where a sewing kit could easily be kept. There's also a low couch against one wall where he could put Craig for now.

Show,if you'd really prefer to wedge him against the wall and try to move the door open, you'll need to roll a Dexterity x 3 roll with failure doing him 1d3 damage from the fall.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,No thanks, I wouldn't take a chance with that. I don't think I've actually been in the dressing rooms before. My character sheet's formatting is a little messed up now, and it doesn't yet reflect the recent changes. I now have 6 bullets spare (one fired at [b]Jack[/b] and missed, three fired into the monster), and my Sanity is currently 73.

Murray picks up Craig again and brings him into the dressing room, kicking the door shut behind him. He sets Craig gently down on the couch and then rummages through the drawers to find a sewing kit.

[Laraqua]

Show,Can I have a Luck Roll, a Listen roll, and a Spot Hidden roll?

[Mr. Handy]

Murray feels lucky as he hears something in the background and searches the drawers thoroughly.

[Laraqua]

The drawers slide open easily and quietly, revealing a small first aid kit and a sewing kit to one side. There is also a map of the town with several destinations circled in red with dates underneath. The locations are the Balkan Church - 1924, Police Station - 1935, Post Office - 1968, Annie's Bar - 2011, and the Indian Runner - 1987. There's also an old tape lying there whose name has been whited out that lies on top of the folded up sheath of maps. There doesn't seem to be anything out in the hallway at the moment though there is some vague noise coming out of a speaker sitting on the corner beside a folded up sweater. It's probably feeding the sound directly from the stage, perhaps to ensure people can be aware of when their part is coming up. At the moment it's been turned down but there is a dial that can be turned up.

[Mr. Handy]

Murray pockets the map, the tape and the sewing kit, taking out the first aid kit. He first makes sure that the doors leading out of the dressing room are locked, then turns up the volume on the speaker a little more, just enough so that he can hear what's going on on the stage, but not so loud that it can be heard from beyond the room. Then he sets to work properly cleaning, treating, and redressing Craig's wound.

OOC,I already made a successful First Aid roll when I stabilized [b]Craig[/b], so I'm guessing I don't need to roll again.

[Laraqua]

Show,Sure. Roll 1d6 for the effects of the first aid kit.

"Well, I suppose that's a wrap," says Mrs. Ash, over the speakers. Then there's a pause and a break.

"I wonder if anyone will see this. If they ever do, well, I'm sorry. I'm sorry because I've fucked up so often and I'm sorry because I never realised how good I had it. I thought ... I don't know what I thought. I thought it'd be easier, in the end, if I had no connections, no attachments, if maybe...." Her voice breaks in a sob. "It's so hard to always have to look over your shoulder, expecting it all to change, I never thought ... I never knew how to feel safe, and now.... Now I'm here, standing here, and I don't ... I don't know if I can go through with this."

"I thought it'd be easier on everyone if I were here but if I hadn't been so damn ... if Cecie hadn't been distracted ... then again, when wasn't she? I suppose I wasn't the one on the phone. She wasn't taking a call from me. But maybe, maybe if I wasn't there, maybe Katie would've stayed away from the water. I just ... I just want Katie to have stayed out of the water. I should've paid attention to where she was going. I should've...."

"They say there's a cure for death here. I've read about it. I think, though, I think it'll have a price. I think they always do. I doubt ... I doubt you'll get what you really want. You see, I ... well, I tried ... and ... it worked. It worked but it didn't work."

"Everything I'd heard about him made him seem like such a hero and I swear, I swear I thought ... maybe he could help me find a way because she isn't dead yet. Katie isn't dead. It's like she's lost her mind. She's so still.... A coma. A deep coma where any deeper and she'd be brain dead. I thought the cult might've taken her. I was raised with the stories. So many stories of what happened here and in Shepherd's Glen and the magic that was possible for those who believed. I believed, but perhaps my faith wasn't pure enough, because what came out of that morgue.... He didn't even look at me. Not really. It was like he was drawn on strings, back to that place, and I tried ... I wanted to ... I couldn't stop him. I was too afraid."

A pause, a long drawn out breath.

"I saw him again. I didn't know what to do but I was prepared with ... from the hospital ... I had them and I could.... Those damn cops. Those damn fucking cops locking me up in there. Only I don't think they're cops. Or if they are, they're not just cops. They belong to Her. They belong to the Cult. If I ever find them again, I swear I'd...."

"But then I'd have to come down from this ledge. I'd have to come down and I'd have to risk it all again but I've found the light and it's safer here and I don't want to risk the world down there but I wonder ... I wonder if I do what I came here to do ... I wonder if I'll ever truly leave."

"Well, I suppose that's a wrap," says Mrs. Ash. Then there's a pause and a break.

"I wonder if anyone will see this...." The speech continues.

[Mr. Handy]

The first aid kit doesn't do much for Craig, but it's better than nothing. "I think we're hearing what's playing on the stage. I'd love to get a look at it, as it might give me some indication as to where Ash is, but there's still a monster out there. How are you doing? Do you think you can move under your own power?"

[Laraqua]

"I think I can walk, yeah," muttered Craig, struggling to his feet. "Don't think I can take another hit like that, though." He winces, clutching at his bandaged wound. "No one makes bandages like Silent Hill does."

[Mr. Handy]

"We'll go to the hospital after we leave here," says Murray. "Maybe we can find more there. If we're really lucky, maybe we can find a doctor to go with them." He consults the map of the theater. "The back is sealed off, so we'll have to go out the front. We already know we can't get there through the hall on the right side of the building, so that leaves the left. Let's try the door to the backstage area. I left the curtain down, so it'll separate us from that monster lurking around in front of it. Maybe while we're there I'll have a peek out onto the stage behind the curtain and see what the location shown on the screen is. We can make our way through backstage all the way to the left hall, and then we can take that to the lobby and the front entrance. You ready?"

[Laraqua]

Craig nods weakly, and staggers alongside Murray, clutching onto him like he might fall over at any second. The hallway outside is clear, as is the backstage corridor, and then the backstage area. Through the flickering projector's light, a woman's silhouette is blown up against the screen, but Murray can still see the back-to-front image of a woman by a railing, speaking into some sort of tape recorder while glancing idly at a small walkie talkie in the other hand. Behind her is fog, and she is alternately cast in shadow and light in a rhythmic fashion.

Ash continues to speak: "They say there's a cure for death here. I've read about it. I think, though, I think it'll have a price. I think they always do. I doubt ... I doubt you'll get what you really want. You see, I ... well, I tried ... and ... it worked. It worked but it didn't work."

[Mr. Handy]

Murray nods when he sees the image, trying to place the location where it was filmed. Maybe that's the Lakeview Hotel, he thinks. I know she was staying there, and that could be a balcony. She probably did it with the camera I found in her room. He helps Craig along, moving quietly through the backstage area to the door to the hall running along the left side of the theater.

OOC,Was there a balcony at the hotel?

[Laraqua]

Show,no, there were no balconies. The lighting pattern seems strange as well and not what you'd place at a balcony. The railing itself seems circular rather than straight, as though it encloses a circular or semi-circular platform.

[Mr. Handy]

No, not the hotel, thinks Murray as he proceeds. Maybe it's the amusement park, then. I know she went there.

[Laraqua]

There are no doors to the corridor in the back part of the stage behind the curtain but its an easy matter to head out through the Backstage area and then out through the leftmost corridors until he reaches the lobby. An empty and dilapidated foyer opens up before him, lit only by the greasy, sickly sunlight slanting in through the largely papered over the window glass. It's an old-fashioned theatre, still very much in the 1940s style from when it was last renovated, and that shows in its cracked walls and faded red carpet. There are doors that lead out of the theatre itself, or the little box office, or up the stairs.

[Mr. Handy]

Feels almost like home, thinks Murray, looking around in admiration. "I want to check the box office before we go," he whispers. "Remember when we were out front and looked in through the window? There was something written down on the tickets there, but I couldn't make it out from that angle. Of course, it also looked like someone was inside, so we'll need to be careful." He listens at the box office door to hear anything on the other side and looks to see if there's a keyhole through which he can peek.

[Laraqua]

There is no keyhole but there doesn't sound like there's anyone in there. Of course, if they were merely standing in one place then there'd be no way to tell. That last monster he'd dealt with didn't look like it were about to breathe.

[Mr. Handy]

"Better take another look through the window from outside first," whispers Murray, "see if whatever was in there earlier is still there." He tries the front door leading outside on the left.