The Ballad of Bass Rock - Introduction

[PatGrillo]

Cynthia glances around for something by way of a better mirror. Then looks out to see if there is any sign of "the beastie."

[Priest]

"Do you know where the beastie is now?" she asks the boy gently. "Or have you not seen it for a while?"

At Claire's question Aidan looks up sudden normality shining forth from his gaze, "No, not since the sounds of banging from outside."

He watches as William and the fast moving Cynthia rush up the stairs in pursuit of Emily. "I hid up there beneath the sink. I heard the beastie sliding around as if searching, then the Irishman ran in, I heard him shout then scream and I heard him no more."

William and Cynthia enter the accomodation floor to find Emily sat cross legged in a pool of half congealed slime cradling a torn and discoloured scrap of tweed material, similar in pattern to the jacket Michael O'Keefe had been wearing when last seen. She looks around as you enter her eyes unseeing as her lips move in a silent prayer.

Cynthia,Please make a Know Roll @ 80% (Since Invis Castle seems to be no more either use the forum dice roller or roll yourself. I trust you we are not children)

[Mr. Handy]

William stops and lowers his head. If he hadn't lost his hat in the storm, he'd remove it now. "I'm sorry, Mrs. O'Keefe," he says.

[PatGrillo]

Cynthia know roll [dice]0[/dice]

[Priest]

At William's voice Emily looks towards him, but he sees no hint of recognition in her eyes. "Mmmmichael...Michael"

You stand, as Cynthia can tell you, on the first of the accomodation floors. Here there is a simple kitchen area and an even simpler bathroom area.
The kitchen seems sparsely furnished with little more than the bare essentials, a stone sink beneath which a open cupboard door shows where Aidan probably hid, two small cupboards, a rather quaint two ring electric stove, which from its state was in desperate need of cleaning, and a small table flanked by two mismatched chairs. Within the kitchen area you see various plates and mugs atop the cupboards along with a large iron pan, with the end of a spoon protruding from its top, on the stove. A closer look at this pan reveals that it is coated with a gelatinous furry sludge that may once have been a beef stew.

The washroom also contains little of interest, basically a small tin bath and a ceramic basin set within a wooden surround. On the shelf of this surround is someone’s shaving gear and a small block of hair wax.

Both rooms show evidence of the creatures earlier presence. Other than this there is a small window, which overlooks the beach upon which you arrived, and further steps up to the floor above.

Cynthia,you recall that there were several peices of the magnifying glass, several of which were of a sufficient size to prove usefull in the act of signaling.

[PatGrillo]

Cynthia: The glass! The big magnifying glass. There were bits of that that would catch the sun well enough to signal with I feel sure. But... the creature... do you think it's up there?

[Mr. Handy]

"If it were, all of the noise would have drawn it down here," says William. "Aye, the magnifying glass may be just the thing to signal the boat." He sighs. "I dinnae ken what to say to help Mrs. O'Keefe."

[yockenthwaite]

Claire smiles, glad to see Aidan looking more normal again. "That's ok, you did well. Hiding was the correct thing to do. Try not to worry yourself about the beastie now. I'm sorry I asked you about it, but we needed to know." She looks up as the others move on. "Shall we go up after the others, and see if we can see the boat that might rescue us?" she asks him brightly.

[Priest]

Suddenly, from the floor above, there is an ominous crashing sound as if something heavy had either fallen or dropped onto the floor.

The noise has an imediate effect on Emily, who leaps to her feet and with a waivering cry of "Michael!!" rushes towards the upward spiraling stairs...

****

Claire: Aidan nods and you begin to climb the stairs to the floor where the other are when you hear first the crash and then Emily's despairing cry.

[yockenthwaite]

"Wait here on the stairs," says Claire to Aidan urgently. "Let me check first what is happening up above. I won't be long, I promise." She squeezes his hand for reassurance, and then climbs up to where the others were.

[Mr. Handy]

"Wait, be careful!" calls William, racing after Emily to stop her.

[PatGrillo]

Cynthia follows close on William's heels, anxious for the deranged woman's safety.

[Cearlan]

I follow as close as I may behind Cynthia as she ascends the stairs towards the crashing noise.

[Priest]

Without pause or caution Emily rushes through the doorway into what is the main quarters of the lighthouse keeper. Luckilly her sudden appearance disturbs the occupant and sends it screaming in a blur of greyish white feathers to a broken window that faces the same direction as those below.

The scene that confronts you as you enter is one of devastation. Little remains unbroken of the sparse furnishings that had been seen before by Cynthia and Claire. Some of the scattered debris is recognisable as pieces of bed or wardrobe, but these and everything else are covered by the same gellatinous goo that you have seen elsewhere. It would appear that the creature had been searching for something, whether it had been succesfull in is quest or not, there is no way of telling, but it was gone. Either it had left by the broken window or it had climbed the last set of steps to the light room above.

Amongst the debris you find a smashed grainy photograph of a rather plain woman in a tarnished and now distorted metal frame and a scrap of writing paper so soaked in the slime that it is now unreadable.

[PatGrillo]

Using a fragment of goo-free furniture, Cynthia Isham attempts to fish out the piece of paper.

[Mr. Handy]

"We'll have to be quiet and careful in case it's up there," whispers William. "I'll go first."

[Cearlan]

"Hsst" I call out "I'm right there with you my brother in arms." I heft a suitable piece of wood to use as a weapon. "Let's go then!"

[yockenthwaite]

Claire continues to climb up to find the others, moving cautiously. She turns round one more time towards Aidan, and again indicates to him to stay where he is, and then continues on her way.

[Mr. Handy]

Gripping his metal bar, William heads silently up the stairs.

[Priest]

Cynthia,you successfully manage to remove the paper from the goo, but it is too badly destroyed to provide any clue as to what it may or may not have contained.

William, no doubt showing the bravery and intrepidness that carried him through his war years, slowly and carefully ascends the last flight of stairs to the light room of the building. Carruthers, with a show of equal valour, follows closely.

Aidan whispers to Claire as she turn towards him, "Twas from up there that I looked for sign of ma Dad. Of course that was before yon beastie arrived".

William and Carruthers,A metal door opens into what is the lamp room. Its centre is occupid by a lamp, possibly once oill powered but, as most things now, altered to electicity. Behind the lamp stands a large magnifying glass fitted to revolve around the lamp on small rails. At least it would if not for the sad remains of a partialy digested body who from the tatters of clothing still adhering to the carcass would seem to provide evidence of the whereabouts of [b]Michael O'Keefe[/b]. The entire room is composed of panels of glass, many have been shattered and provide copious shards of varrying size scattered around the room. From the sticky goo that has liberaly coated the surrounds it would appear that the creature had been here for a while. The door to the iron walkway outside stands open, and the obvious sign of the creature is present both outside and within the doorway. But as to whether this indicates its coming or going is impossible to tell. Would those within the lamp room please roll Spot Hiddens. I'm presuming that [b]Emily[/b] is still below.