The Prologue

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,If [b]Sarah[/b] goes upstairs, I'll go too. Otherwise, I'll remain downstairs.

[tormsen]

Sarah goes to check the doors on the first floor, but if there is nothing obviously of interest she goes upstairs as well.

[Cearlan]

Sarah goes to check the doors on the first floor, but if there is nothing obviously of interest she goes upstairs as well.

Shall I assume that you are just looking in from the doorways then?

[tormsen]

Pretty much. Unless something stands out, such as some books or a drawer or something, she will go upstairs.

[Priest]

Once at the top of the stairs Meredith, using his pipe stem as a pointer, indicates the rug turning to Mark he whispers, "There seems to be a deuced lot of rolled up rugs in this place", He then proceeds to cross to it and prod it with his foot.

[Cearlan]

Sarah and David,Sarah and David look into the first door on the left and sees that it is a sitting room. As you open the door you can see a sofa with a small table to the far side. A rolled up rug lies on the far wall and a fireplace on the back wall. A chair faces south west and bookcases adorn the wall with the door in it. Several books lie scattered on the floor, mainly round the chair. A sudden flash of lightning rattles the windows as light shines through the south and west windows. It must have landed close by given the almost immediate crash of thunder that shakes the whole house. In the brief flash of light more footprints on a dusty floor are illuminated. As you look back out to the street you can see the rain pouring down as your eyes readjust to the streetlighting outside. [url=http://s255.photobucket.com/user/Cearlan/media/Spawn%20of%20Azathoth/SorrellsGroundFloor_zps74dddabc.png.html][img]http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh150/Cearlan/Spawn%20of%20Azathoth/SorrellsGroundFloor_zps74dddabc.png[/img][/url] Following the lightning strike, you hear an exclamation [color=#0040FF]"Jesus!"[/color] followed by an ominous thump coming from the room directly above you. The exclamation sounded like young Michael.

[Cearlan]

Meredith Joseph and Mark,Nothing happens as Meredith prods the carpet with his toe. [color=#0040FF]"Professor, I'd suggest that is probably to keep the moths off the fabric whilst Sorrell was away. See how the dust has been disturbed more down towards that door let's look in these two rooms first so that we have no-one coming up behind us."[/color] Mark moves over to the door in the north wall of the hallway and pushes the door open slowly and peers inside. Inside there are two doors on the west wall and a window in the north wall showing the rain teeming down outside. A small cabinet is in the south west corner of the door, a chair sits on the north wall beside the bed against the east wall. [url=http://s255.photobucket.com/user/Cearlan/media/Spawn%20of%20Azathoth/SorrellsSecondFloorIV_zpsd7141df2.png.html][img]http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh150/Cearlan/Spawn%20of%20Azathoth/SorrellsSecondFloorIV_zpsd7141df2.png[/img][/url] [color=#0040FF]"Jesus!"[/color] exclaims Mark as a flash of bright light shines through the two windows on the street-side of the house. It is followed instantaneously by a deep rolling peal of thunder that you can feel in your very bones.[color=#0040FF] "Sorry, I was not expecting ..."[/color] An ominous thump comes from from the room at the front of the house, breaking the silence. Mark grips Meredith and Joseph's arms in warning ... as if it was needed.

[Mr. Handy]

"Hope nobody outside heard that," whispers David. "Whoever was in here earlier was probably searching through his books, but I think we'd better get upstairs and see if anyone needs help."

[Priest]

Meredith, feeling somewhat chastened by the obvious explanation behind the rolled up rugs, jumps physically at the sound. Suddenly in two minds as to turn toward the door from behind which came the noise, or, making a quick run for the stairs. He had come to the conclusion that maybe this boy's own stuff was not for him. In a low whisper he asks Mark, "Should we investigate that noise?"

[Cearlan]

Mark edges down the hallway and looks back towards the two professors. "Get ready - I'll go first." He heads down the hallway slowly with his back against the wall.

As he pauses by the door, another thump emanates from within the room, then another. Crouching down, Mark runs his hands through his greasy hair before wiping his hands on his trousers, seemingly oblivious to the fact he is wearing gloves. He reaches slowly into his jacket pocket and draws out a snub nosed .32 revolver, flipping the safety catch off. "It never hurts to be prepared ... for anything!" he adds quietly as he smiles ruefully at the astonished looks he gets from the assembled academics.

Mark looks at everyone making sure that they are all ready as he reaches out and turns the door handle and gently pushes the door open before flattening himself against the wall as the door swings gently open.

OOC - Can I have everyone's position please - I'll assume that Mark will wait to open the door so that anyone coming upstairs will be where they want to be.

[tormsen]

Sarah looks anxiously at the ceiling, then back at David. "You go up there, I'd be less than useless in a physical confrontation. I'll stay down here."

Spoiler:

If David goes upstairs,Sarah will pick up the books and look through them. If there are any sounds of violence or confrontation from upstairs, she will grab a suitable weapon (perhaps a fire poker?) and lurk behind the door.

[Priest]

At sight of the gun, and hearing more noises from behind the door to which Mark is creeping, Meredith blanches and quickly drops into a crouch taking little nervous steps into the previously examined room, Guns, he thinks, Nobody said anything about guns he shudders and cowers behind the wall.

OOC: The room is the one to the rear of the building, the opposite end to the one Mark is at

[Cearlan]

[Mr. Handy]

"You'll be safer if you're up there with the rest of us," whispers David. "Just stay behind us and you'll be fine. You shouldn't stay down here alone. Follow me." He heads up the stairs and stands at the top.

[tormsen]

Sarah smiles, but makes a face when David turns his back. Fine, if the man wants his way. She quickly checks the fireplace for a poker, grabs it if there is one, and follows him upstairs. She keeps several steps behind him, only going far enough up to see into the floor above.

[royya]

Joseph takes position opposite to Meredith and observes Mark's doing. He will jump after him if any medical aid will be needed.

[Cearlan]

OOC,If I have everyone's position right, then Mark shall enter the room crouching low



A flash of lightning illuminates the scene before Mark who immediately fires his gun. A loud cry sounding more like a howl is quickly joined by a loud crash of thunder. This is followed a split second later by another gunshot. Mark emits a scream of pain as he staggers out of the room clutching at his shoulder, drops his handgun and staggers with the small of his back against the handrail. Another shot rings out and Mark jerks before he careers over the handrail to the floor below, screaming all the way down until he hits the floor with a sickening thud.

He lies on the floor below, face up with blood seeping from his head his legs twitching spasmodically.

The figure of a tall slim woman appears in the doorway of the room, looks around and seeing that she is outnumbered, leaps down the lightwell to the floor below. As she lands, she screams out in agony and her handgun goes flying off towards the bottom of the stairs. Her agonising screams increase as she clutches her right leg. Looking pale and drawn she slowly raises herself to her feet and hobbles towards the door, leaving a trail of blood, both hers and Marks behind her.

She draws herself to her full height, looks back at you all and suddenly cries out, clutching her forehead, before falling to floor. She twitches as though suffering a brain seizure. After a few seconds of obviously agonizing pain, the poor woman dies.

OOC,I think we'll have some SAN rolls please

[Mr. Handy]

David remains calm, turning back to head down the stairs. "We need to get out of here, out the back!" he hisses. "The cops will have heard that and be on their way."

OOC,Invisible Castle is down, so I used Dark and Moody's dice roller. I got a 7 on my Sanity roll.

[tormsen]

Sarah gawks at the body, then runs down the stairs, goes into the side room, tosses the fire poker back into the fireplace and grabs a handful of books from the ground (as many as she can carry). She then exits the room and intends to follow the others lead.

Spoiler:

Invisible Castle is down, but I rolled a 33 with another online roller.

[Priest]

Meredith stands eyes wide, mouth open in a soundless scream.

Spoiler:

Failed San, Invisible Castle down, rolled over at Dark and Moody 73