Play@YSDC

Jimmy and Henry,As your car approaches the gates to the asylum, you both observe an increased amount of activity going on in the grounds, with people with flashlights combing the grounds looking for something. The security guard on the gate is at first unwilling to admit you due to 'an incident. Other than this he is'not forthcoming with any more specific information about events but as soon as you tell him who you are coming to see he reluctantly lets you in with a warning to be careful and an instruction to go straight to the administration building where you will be met.

Sr Katherine and Sharon,As your taxi approaches the gates to the asylum, you both observe an increased amount of activity going on in the grounds, with people with flashlights combing the grounds looking for something. The security guard on the gate is at first unwilling to admit you due to 'an incident. Other than this he is'not forthcoming with any more specific information about events but as soon as you tell him who you are coming to see he reluctantly lets you in with a warning to be careful and instruction a colleague to escort you straight to the administration building where you will be met.

Sharon Williams

In the taxi with Sister Katherine on the way to the Asylum, Sharon says;
"I am glad that the official identification of my Brother can wait until tomorrow, this has been the worst day of my life and quite frankly I just feel so numb and drained ... Oh no! what's happening here, I hope it is not anything to do with the poor creature we brought here earlier."
As they pull up to the gate it doesn't look like they will be allowed in.
"What is it ... has something happened? We are here to see Mr Henry Atwater, please let us in ... this has been a very long day." Sharon says to the guard.
Once the guard on the gate realises who they have come to see he reluctantly lets them in telling them to be careful ... they are escorted to the administration building where apparently they will be met.

As Henry pulls away from the gates I look out the rear widow to see if I can make out what's going on with all the flashlights,
"Obviously lost something, or someone."
I turn my head to face front as the car pulls up at the administrative building,
"So, someone will meet us, and hopefully explain just what is going on"

He pulls up the car near the administration building and as he lights a new cigarette, he looks at Jimmy with a none too happy expression.

"Here's hoping that wretched creature we pulled out of the sand didn't escape."

He shivers involuntarily and quickly tries to ban the memory from his thoughts.

"Let's see what gives, Jimmy."

Henry gets out of the car and looks for whomever is supposed to meet them.

"What happened?" Katherine asks her escort. "Did one of the patients escape?"

As you all arrive within minutes of each other, you are escorted to the office of the administrator and it is busy with people coming and going with pieces of paper, reports maybe? You are ushered to sit and once the four of you are present, Dr. Hardstrom tells his secretary to hold all visitors for a few minutes while he talks to you.

"Well there is something you need to be aware of, and I'll not hold back, despite the peril this puts my position here in. You will have noticed on the way in that there exists a search in the grounds. This is because it seems that Herbert Atwater has somehow gone missing from his room, and yes this is despite his being gently restrained." He look at the four of you levelly. "I am doing all in my power to find out where he is, though he has eluded us so far." Spreading his hands at slightly more than shoulder width upon the table he continues. "That is the first person that you have been connected with recently. Now his manner of speech was as though he had come from Britain, specifically from Scotland. which seems out of type with his history."

"The second person has not been here long, the poor wretch is completely insane. The form of his insanity is somewhat interesting. He is claiming, from the fragments we have been able to get so far, that HE is in fact Henry Atwater - classic personality displacement. Though how such could have occurred we have not been able to discern as of yet. I'll be honest here and tell you that at present I don't know exactly what to make of it all."

"Yes, Doctor, I noticed the same thing when treating him at the hospital," says Katherine, not wanting to point out that Hardstrom had gotten Henry Atwater's name wrong the first time he had mentioned it. "I don't know what to make of it either. I called in a priest I know, and he couldn't make heads or tails of it, though he did rule out possession. He did, however, conclude that there was something unusual about his case. Did Henry Atwater say anything intelligible before he fled? And can we look at his room? We may be able to figure out how he got out and where he went."

Henry scratches his head and studies the doctor.

"Now, wait a minute here, doc. You're telling us now, that young Atwater spoke with a Scottish accent? As in Scotland, Europe?"

The Private Eye gives Jimmy a meaningful glance and then goes on.

"And the guy we found at the site, after we saw young Atwater here, actually thinks he IS young Atwater? If this is what you call a classic case of personality displacement, he must have known Henry Atwater, before he'd be able to think he was him, right?"

I tip my hat backward on my head and rub my left eye thoughtfully. To say I'm confused is an understatement things are suddenly getting more and more absurd.
"So your saying that two lunatics have managed to escape their rooms and even in their deluded state are managing to elude your guards?"
I dig my notebook and pencil from my jacket, lick the ened of the pencil and prepare to write, "My readers will be overjoyed to read this in their morning papers, Doc"

Hardstrom looks at you his lips compressed in a tight grimace as though he was struggling to maintain his self-control. He speaks very slowly and deliberately, his eyes burning into Jimmy's;
"That is not what I said Mr Vecchio, is this how you get stories? By misquoting people? I had thought better of you in all honesty. Mr Atwater has gone missing and the search continues even now, this much is factual, and it is further true that he spoke in a British accent which he had never done before." Hardstrom looks to Sharon for confirmation which she gives, for after all he was an American through and through. "But the deformed man that was only recently brought in, whom because we have no name for him yet, I shall henceforth refer to as John Doe - he seems to be obsessed with the concept that he is in fact Henry Atwater. John Doe still remains in our care, in fact would you like to go see him to satisfy yourself of this fact?"

OOC,Sorry if I wasn't clear enough ... Henry Atwater has gone missing. The deformed man - John Doe as named by Hardstrom above - lies in the wards of the Asylum. Now Doe believes that [i]HE [/i]is in fact Henry Atwater ... which of course is preposterous as Atwater has escaped and is being searched for even now.

[/color]

Henry gets up and straightens his jacket.

"I'd be delighted."


Henry's quick reaction belies his unwillingness to see John Doe. The bottom of his spine is gripped by icy hands, which he tries to ignore by walking to the door.

"Gotya doc", I grin as i replace the pencil and notebook in my jacket pocket, "And yeah seeing the John Doe guy is good"
These smart assed intellectuals get so shirty it makes my job fun. I think as I grin.

OOC,I understood just thought I'd play the annoying journalist card.

Hardstom calls out for his secretary and asks him to "Get someone to take these good people down to see the latest John Doe. Now if you excuse me I have a lot of work to be getting on with. You can wait in the anteroom if you'd be so kind." Within a couple of minutes an orderly escorts you down to the accommodation, which in truth are little more than cells.

As you descend the stairs to the next level down you can almost feel the temperature drop a few degrees with every half dozen steps you take down. Through thick wooden door you are ushered into a fairly long corridor and you can see that there is a steady light outside one of the 'rooms' about two thirds of the way down. The lights flicker intermittently, more on than off and the smell of damp mixed with urine and faeces is more than a little off putting. A pair of orderlies come out of the room and as they pass you, they give you strange looks. You can see that they carry soiled bedding and place them in a container at the bottom of the stairs then ascend the stairs.

When you reach the room you can see through the door that the twisted, misshapen soul lies on the cot within the cell. His head shifts almost constantly from left to right and he mutters almost constantly. A young male attendant sits with a notepad on a small desk, supposedly to be taking notes on what John Doe utters, but this is ignored as he reads a book in the dim light which casts the room in stark relief. He jumps up when he realises you are outside the room looking in. "Er hello there can I help you?

"Good evening," says Katherine. "I'm Sister Katherine O'Neill. Dr. Hardstrom sent us to visit John Doe."

Henry takes a step back when he notices John Doe. He feels his heart beating overtime and his throat feels even drier than usual.
He clears his throat and says in a somewhat croakier voice than usual.

Has the patient said anything that could be of importance?

The attendant makes a futile attempt to hide the book, but soon realises that it is useless. "Sorry folks, I'm just reading up some Freud ... I hope to study to be a psychoanalyst one day. As for John's incoherent ramblings, no ma'am. Nothin' new anyways. It's not always easy to understand him due to his dialect but the gist of what he's saying is that he is not himself."

The young man refers to his pad for clarification. "These are the notes I have taken 'I be Atwater ... get thee out ... return me to mine own' - sometimes he adds 'body' but mostly he doesn't. He did say something but only the once, and I'm not sure I heard it right. I think he said something like 'got to save ....' but I didn't catch who or what he was wantin' saving" He looks ashamed as he adds "Please don't be saying anything to Dr Hardstom about my reading and all, he don't like the idea that us from 'downstairs' can have any aspirations like he has. He would fire me if he were to find out."

Henry frowns as he glimpses the pad.

I be Atwater...? Get thee out?

It sounds more like Old England than New England, are you quite sure that's exactly what he said?

As everyone crowds into the cell I look at the unknown man we had pulled from the mud. I push my hat back from my suddenly sweat soaked brow. Somewhere in the distance I'm sure I can hear the flapping of wings. I shudder at a memory that remains, fortunately, just out of reach.
"So this 'guy' insists that he's Atwater" I nod toward the writhing figure, "Simple test for that, if he is awake let Miss Williams here ask him a couple of questions. I'm sure she shares a few secrets with her brother that no one else would know"
I am hoping this gets resolved real quick as I'm not liking it here.

"Sure is sir. Word for word as I wrote it down. and as you can hear he does say it in English, but as it is spoken in Scotland according to Dr Hardstrom. I'm not that much of a linguist myself but I agree that it is not from this side of the Atlantic."

John Doe is not awake as such, but as before, is still drifting in and out of consciousness.

"Say Henry, remember what Peabody was saying about Mason and Fowler, I wonder if the speech of this guy would be closer to the speech patterns of them? Now as you know I firmly believe that all the witchcraft guff that the old man was spouting is little more than pure hokum but sometimes coincidences are ..well..too coincidental"

"An excellent suggestion, Mr. Vecchio," says Katherine. "I was thinking along those lines myself. It sounds like he believes that he switched bodies somehow. I've never heard of such things happening before, but that might explain Father Marsh's observation. But if he truly is Henry Atwater, why would he speak with a foreign accent? I'd have thought that the accent would go with the soul, not the body. By the way, what did Peabody tell you?"

Henry's facial expression betrays his scepticism and the incredulity of this body swapping nonsense, but he tries to remain civil.

"Peabody couldn't tell us much, sister Katherine, he's still working on a translation of an inscription we found near the site. He suspected something of European origin, but to go so far as to say our Scottish friend here and it are related might be pushing the boundaries of probability."

Henry casts a furtive glance at the patient and takes a step back.


"But anyway, I agree with the confrontation, maybe Miss Williams should try rousing him and ascertaining his identity."

Sharon Williams


"Well alright then, I'll try ... if you think it will do any good." replies Sharon ...
Sharon walks slowly toward the bed, steeling herself on the way. As she reaches the bedside, she takes a deep breath and begins to speak gently to the poor man lying there ...
"Please be calm, It's me ... your sister Sharon, do you recognise me? you are safe and in good hands, the people here just want to help you. Do you remember dear brother ... the time that you were climbing a tree and fell out? you broke a bone, I can't remember now was it your leg or your arm ... do you remember which bone you broke?"
Sharon stands silent for a moment, waiting for some kind of response ... She doesn't really know what to make of it all. As she looks to the others in the room, she can't help but think that it is all such a bizarre concept.

The prone figure on the bed, his eyes rolled back in their sockets as he twists his head from side to side. He lifts his right arm as far as the restraints will allow him to whilst shaking his left leg from left to right and twisting his foot from one extreme to the other. Suddenly he grabs for Sharon and his long fingernails, heavily calcified and blackened scratch deep into her flesh.

Katherine knows that she isn't strong enough to be of any direct help. Leaving that in the hands of the men, she hurries to fetch the attendant. "Quickly, your patient needs to be sedated!" she exclaims. "He's hurting her, but I don't think he realizes what he's doing."

"GNNAAAARRROOOOONNNNN HEEEEEEELLLLLPPPUS" then in a quieter voice as he lapses once more into unconsciousness "Help us please." His blackened claws slip off the flesh of Sharon's arm and flop onto the bed, trailing blood as they land with a silent rustle onto the crisp linen sheets. A nurse rushes into the room and after checking John Doe over she starts to fuss over the wounds on Sharon's arm.

"My dear, you really need to be more careful you know ... some of these patients can be very violent and you were lucky here that you were only given superficial scratches which will heal in a couple of days or so." She continues to admonish you in this manner as she expertly dresses your forearm.

Henry stood by, fazed, as John Doe's sudden movement triggered his horrible memory again. Not sooner than the patient has subsided does he come to his senses again.

He puts his hand on Sharon's shoulder, trying to bestow some comfort and then looks around at the others.

"What as that he was yelling, sounded like some kind of name. Garon? Aaron?"



OOC: Good to have you back, Cearlan, I hope the wedding went well.

"I believe he was trying to say 'Sharon,'" says Katherine returning behind the nurse. Her first instinct is to help Sharon, but the nurse seems to have her physical injury well in hand, so she settles for putting a comforting arm around her. "Are you all right, Sharon?"

"Yes...that's what I feared...We never once mentioned Miss Williams's name in his presence.


Henry scowls, staring at John Doe, he takes another cigarette out of his pocket and sucks it pensively without lighting up.

"What do you make of this?"

"I think we must consider the possibility that they did indeed switch bodies," says Katherine. "Sharon, which limb did your brother break?"

I stay well back in the doorway, all this spooky stuff is beginning to bother me and try as I might I keep hearing the rustle of wings.

The nurse, having dressed Sharon's scratches shoos you out the room. "This John Doe might get agitated again because of your presence - he needs his rest now so I'll ask you to leave and take your conversations elsewhere. Bear in mind that we have a missing patient as well so I'll escort you to the stairs where you can be taken back to Dr Hardstrom's office." Giving no room for argument, she hustles you down the long corridor when the lights go out. The cries and screams from the patients becomes deafening as their rooms become suddenly dark.

After about thirty seconds, though it seems more like five minutes the lights splutter and come back on and you get the impression that the nurse is more concerned about having you down here than she is about the lights. "That happens all the time down here ... not to worry ... this way please." As she unlocks the door she speaks to a passing orderly and asks to take you up to Dr Hardstrom's office.

"Of course," says Katherine, going back to Dr. Hardstrom's office with the others.

"Lead the way, nurse."

Henry follows too.

Sharon Williams

When the lights go out Sharon stops dead in her tracks ... she seems unable to move ... as if rooted to the spot.
'Oh no I don't like this ... don't like it one little bit!' she's thinking.
Putting her hands over her ears, she tries to block out the pitiful screaming and crying.
'I really don't want to be here right now!' she thinks.
Sharon can feel the panic overwhelming her, all of a sudden the lights splutter back on again, she looks to the others and pleads ...
"Please can we get out ... quickly!"
As the group make their way to follow the orderly, Sharon makes to follow them.
"WAIT! ... PLEASE WAIT!!! ... HELP ME!" she shrieks.
"My feet! please help me ... I can't move my feet, Aaaargh ... my arm it is so painful, I can feel his nails digging into me ... I must get out of this horrible place now!"

"Miss Williams!", Henry exclaims and quickly turns to face the young woman.
He puts his arm around her shoulders and tries to makes some soothing sounds.

"It's alright, Miss Williams, it was just the lights, there's nothing wrong, everything is ok, you'll be just fine, we'll just go upstairs now..."

Rolling,In case I need to roll for either Spot or Psych, here's a roll: [dice]0[/dice]

The lights going out and the whimpering of patients was bad enough but with Miss Williams' scream of pure terror I start moving up the stairs fast. I'm sure that amidst all the other noises I can hear the beat of feathery wings.
"Ugh, I'll wait upstairs guys"

"Sharon!" cries Katherine, rushing to her side and examining her, trying to help her as best she can.

Sharon Williams

Sharon ... Still very shaky but feeling rather silly at this point, just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.
"Oh I'm so sorry ... I don't know what came over me. Thank you for helping me."
She says to Henry and Sister Katherine;
"I think I can move now ... I'll be alright if we can just get out of here ... I do apologise for being so silly and holding everyone up."

You all assemble at the top of the stairs and are pleased to feel the cool air from outside wash over you, chilling those who may have perspired in their recent exertions.

Hardstrom's secretary waits at the door for you and ushers you into his office.



Hardstom does not look up as you enter and still without making eye contact he gestures for you to sit as he finishes off writing something on a report. The silence stretches until he finishes, ignoring any comments you make until he is done and with a flourish, puts the lid on his pen and lays it down and closes the file before moving it to one of the trays on his desk. He leans back and steeples his fingers as he looks at the group in general.

"Well my good people ... what did you make of our John Doe then? An interesting case study if naught else. The delusion that he is Henry Atwater is of course preposterous, and we will start to treat him for this in the next day or so, once his body has recovered somewhat."

"I'm not sure what to make of him, Doctor," says Katherine, "but he seems to sincerely believe that he is Henry Atwater. It will be interesting to see what Henry Atwater has to say about it once he's found. Is there any sign of him or indication of how he got loose?"

"And on that note, do you require some assistance with the search, Doc?"

Henry doesn't look to happy either and would much rather get some fresh air.

Standing to one side of the door, in order to keep an eye on it should it open, I nod agreement with Henry's question.
"Yeah doc. Can we help with the search?" Of course I'm hoping he says no, and we can just get the hell away from this place. Too many birds hiding in the shadows.
Now what the hell put that thought in my head?

"Of course you may assist if you wish, we are stretched a bit thin it is true, and any help you give would be deeply appreciated. But I must stress that you are under no obligation to help." Suddenly there is a muffled thump from the French Window and a flashlight illuminates the outline of a bird in the middle of the centre pane of glass. The wings are spread wide and the head seems to be looking straight at you all. Looking down onto the ground you can see the confused bird struggling to get to it's feet, obviously dazed from flying into the glass.

"Oh, dear!" exclaims Katherine. "The poor creature. Whoever cleaned that window did too good a job. I'll assist with the search as well. Mr. Atwater may have injured himself. I think we ought to start in his room, so we can find out how he got out of it and which way he went."

Calamy's hand was halfway to his gun upon hearing the bang of the bird hitting the window. He exhales slowly, trying to take the edge of his nerves and says:

"I agree with Sister Katherine, we should start there."

I go white, I can feel it, at the collision of the bird with the glass. with a fast step i take refuge behind the flowing robes of Sister Catherine, "Jeesus, what the..."

Realisation dawns, "Sorry sister it just startled me for a moment"

"I forgive you," says Katherine. While she's disappointed that he has taken the Lord's name in vain, she understands why he did it. The bird had startled her too.

Sharon Williams

Sharon shrieks, as she jumps back and instinctively covers her face with her hands as she is startled by the bird hitting the window.
Sharon says:
"Well I'm not staying here alone that's for sure! ... so as long as I can search together with one of you, then I will help in the search too."

"I'll stay with you, Sharon," says Katherine, lending her an arm.

You are each given a handwritten pass that will allow you to search relatively unhindered and before you are allowed to leave Dr Hardstrom's office you are each given a whistle.



"If you see anything at all, no matter how trivial it may seem, use the whistle to call attention to yourself. Please be careful out there. There should only be staff out there, so if you are asked just show them this letter authorising you to search. Now where would you like to begin, in his room you say Sister? Well as we know you of old ... I suppose I can authorise you to draw a set of keys which would allow you access. Please keep them safe Sister - I am placing a burden of trust upon you."

"Thank you, Doctor," says Katherine as she accepts the pass, whistle, and keys. "You may depend on me." When Sharon is ready, she leads her to Henry's room.

Calamy thanks the professor for the laissez-passer and joins the women.

You make your way to the depths of the Asylum where Atwater's 'accomodation' was located. It was on the same level as John Doe's cell but you manage to get directions to where his cell was. The lights flicker as you proceed down the corridor, which seems to be longer than what it could be. At the end of the corridor shadowy shape sits, doubtlessly a guard who stops you when you get about ten feet away from his post.



"Naow jest hawld on the-ir folks. What is it yo'll be a'wantin' dawn hereabouts, dontcha know this is awff limits to folks such as yerselfs." He spits a gob of tobacco stained phlegm onto the floor as if to show his contempt of all and any who dare to intrude upon his area of control.

When you show him the letter you got from Hardstrom he changes his tune and becomes solicitous.

"Sorry folks but I git my orders from the man himself not to let anyone in ... I was jest a-doin me job, be sure to tell him that Benny is bein' alert a-dawn here. Hef ye any word on how the search is goin' they don't see fit to tell me a-naught, as is their right I s'pose, but I'd like to know how the search is progressin' ivory once in awhile. Heor Sister ... lemme git that door fir ye." he says as he rushes to open the cell door. "Ah'll git the light on fer ye."

The cell door is right on the back wall of the corridor and there seems to be, in the gloomy, flickering light cast by the corridor's lamps nothing amiss with the door that you can discern. Upon entering the room, the first thing that hits you is a foul stench of rot and decay, though it's source remains hidden from you, it seems to pervade the very air of the room. As the lights flicker into luminescence, you can see that the room, approximately 10' by 8' with a bed and table with chair and a empty chamber pot by the head of the bed. The walls, ceiling and floor appear solid enough with no visible ways out. What passes for outside light would come in through the decaying rusted up window set high above the wall opposite the bed. A slight breeze issues from this window. The bed is slept in and the sheets dirty and unkempt.

"Thank you, Benny," says Katherine. "I'll be sure to let Dr. Hardstrom know what a good job you're doing. So far they haven't found him as far as I know, but hopefully we'll make some progress now that there are more of us assisting." She moves the chair underneath the window and stands upon it, where she examines the window closely. Then she looks out through it and peers at the ground below, looking for any trace of Henry Atwater. "This window is open; I could feel the breeze. He probably got out this way."

Henry looks around the room, looking underneath the bed, in between the sheets, in the corners and all other unlikely places, looking for anything unusual or indicative.

"Yes, could be...but I'm quite interested in what he was up to while he wasn't escaping from this cell."

Looking for clues roll,[dice]0[/dice]

Catherine,The window is rusted shut and the breeze is merely through the ill-fitting frame. You are underground, so the 'window' is or like a basement's skylight, sorry if my description was misleading

Henry,On the floor is the fainest of outlines of what looks like a circle drawn on the floor with some semi-obscured glyphs drawn inside,but the nature of the glyphs are uncertain as there have been too many people in the cell trying to discern how he got out and their traffic across the floor has smudged them. In fairness they were very faint to start with which is how they were missed by the earlier searchers

Henry lets out a "ha!" that turns into a terrible coughing fit. Moments later he stands up and breathes deep.

"I knew I should have worn a sweater when we went swimming..."

He tucks away the handkerchief he used to cover his mouth and then points at a circular pattern on the floor.

"Look here, it seems like our friend was busy re-enacting the bridge scene."

I move forward at Henry's words and peer at the faint pattern,
"What the hell, I thought the guy was too sick to have energy to spend drawing on the floor. Also, where did he the necessaries to draw anyway?"

Katherine steps down from the chair. "Well, he didn't leave that way," she says. "The window is closed, there's just a slight gap between the frame and the wall. It must get awfully drafty in here. What have we here?" She peers at the pattern on the floor.

The pattern on the floor is a simple circle that has been broken in several places by people moving round the room. There are also some smudged shapes and ... are they runes, you cannot tell such are their condition?



Benny says "I discovered he was a'missin when I came aon and when I double-checked, he was as gone as he is nahw. Funny thing was the smell though - there was a distinct smell awf rotten meat is as guid as I can describe it. It sahn went though."

Henry shakes his head as he gives the room another look.

Calamy thinking:   Rotten meat? It was a wondering anyone could smell anything down here...

"I don't think we'll get much wiser here. Maybe we should go up and help the search party."

Katherine nods. "All right, let's go," she says. "It's a shame whoever searched the room before us trampled on the drawing. It could have been a clue as to where he might head next."

As you leave the room, Benny tells you; "Funny thing was though, when I went in the room I kinda had the feelin' someone was a'walkin o'er me grave like - fair sent shivers daon me spine it did."

Benny's remark sends a cold shiver down Henry's spine, but he chooses to ignore the comment as he heads out of the hall and up towards the grounds.

"I didn't feel any presence in there," says Katherine, "but it may no longer be...present. I know such things are possible."

As you exit the sanitorium building, you search around the grounds, but your eyes keep getting drawn up to the trees. Are there birds up there looking down at you? Couple this to Benny's last comment before you left the basement leaves you feeling somewhat disconcerted as you search. I assume you have flashlights and other equipment suitable for searching the grounds in the dark.

OOC - Spot Hidden rolls please

Henry takes a few torches from his trunk and passes them around before making a tour of the outside of the sanatorium, his gun loose in its holster as he warily eyes the murder of crows.

Calamy thinking:   What a horrible word...

Spot Hidden-Fail,[dice]0[/dice]

Katherine carefully searches the grounds, but it is too dark for her to find anything.

Try as I might I can't stop looking towards the trees. I'm sure they are filled with birds. I can feel their cold eyes on me from here. In fact I'm sure I can see something...

Spot Hidden,65% 1d100 → [19] = (19) http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4308803/

You find a footprint right outside the window that you believe to be Atwater's ... and another couple in a gap in the hedgerows - you feel that you have found out how the escapee got out of the grounds - if not out of his cell.

The air is oppressive and it feels as though the trees are closing in around you. You believe that birds always sleep at night, normally - yet up there in that oak tree ...

I direct the torch beam towards the footprints, "Seems he went this way"

I gaze warily upward into the oak,

Jimmy thinking:   what the hell is up there, some kind of bird or something?

"You guys go check I'll stay here"

"All right," says Katherine, following the tracks.

Henry nods at Jimmy and joins the sister in her search.

"You watch our back, Jimmy..."

This whole thing has his nerves way too frayed...

The tracks lead through the bushes and to a dilapidated part of the wall, not too far from the gate. Know or idea roll please - whichever is highest

On the tumbledown brickwork you can see some muddy footprints which indicate that he did in fact come this way. Spot Hidden roll please and finally a track roll should about do us I think

KNOW 70%,[dice]0[/dice]

Spot Hidden 55%,[dice]1[/dice]

Track 55%,[dice]2[/dice]

Although Henry's mind fails to come to any astounding conclusions regarding the wall, he does spot something significant.

Katherine immediately realizes something when she looks at the wall, and her eyes have adjusted perfectly to the darkness now. However, she cannot tell much about the footprints.

I'm staying put. Although the darkness means I can't see what's up there, in the tree. I really don't want to know.

Jimmy thinking:   there's something yellow up there, like a birds eye.

I shudder, and it aint the cold, "That's right guys you look. I'll watch our backs"

OOC,Those who made the know / idea roll remember that the wall was solid when you first came in to the asylum, meaning that the escape occurred since your arrival this morning. The spot hidden showed some blood on the fallen masonry. The track showed the footprints heading across the road before they turn towards the town. You note that the blood seems to dry up after several steps and you lose the tracks in the undergrowth opposite the asylum.

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Once back onto the road ... you feel the oppressive nature of the asylum seem to lift, though some rustling in the trees draws your eyes upward, though you cannot see anything avian up there ... well not distinctly anyway.

"That wall was undamaged this morning," says Katherine, pointing it out. "I also see blood on the stones. He must have escaped that way."

Henry clambers over the wall and follows the tracks until the blood dries out.


"Damn it! He's heading into town!"


Calamy fidgets in his pockets and gets the keys to his car.

"Go back to Jimmy, Sister Katherine. Inform the staff and then follow the road in the direction of the town." Henry hands over the keys and takes deep breath.
"I'm going after him on foot. He'll be able to hear the car from a mile away, but he won't hear me. And with any luck, he won't see me."

He smiles wryly and gives the sister a parting nod.

"See you soon and don't worry, I won't stray far from the road."


With that Calamy sets off at a trod.

"Be careful, and Godspeed," says Katherine, taking the keys and hurrying back to find Jimmy.

Henry,The road heads more or less straight back into town and the tracks head straight into the streets of Arkham. The tracks keep to the shadowed side of the road, but there has been no effort to conceal them, or is the fluttering in the trees putting you off - no there is another footprint - you are still on the right track. Unfortunately on the outskirts of the town is where you lose the trail.

Katherine,You pass the information onto the staff and quickly find Jimmy.

Katherine and Jimmy,Katherine approaches you at a quick pace and tells you that Henry is following the tracks back to town.

"If we take your car, we can catch up with Mr. Calamy on the road and give him a ride," suggests Katherine.

The sudden reappearance of Sister Katherine makes me jump.

Jimmy thinking:   Jeez I don't like this at all.

"Fine. Let's get out of here, this place is giving me the creeps"

You pass the relevant information to the guards who run off to report to Hardstrom. You then head off into Arkham and just a few streets into the city proper, as the tracks have fully disappeared the sound of the car carrying Jimmy and Katherine breaks the relative silence of the town. A thick mist seems to have descended upon the town muffling any noises from your ears. Streetlights seem to be mere pinpoints of light, their distance seeming to lessen and grow as the mist coils around their lamps, almost as though it was trying to strangle the light's effect.

Henry sees the familiar car and waves it down

"Would you like a ride?" Katherine asks with a smile.

Calamy grins as he gets into the back of his car.


You should be careful who you pick up in this kind of weather. There's all kinds of characters around.

He lights another cigarette and reclines in the back seat.

I lost his trace as he entered town, he could be anywhere by now.

At least you know he is in Arkham Township, but the oppressive fog laden streets and the news that the trail has gone cold leaves you deflated. Whither now brave investigators ... or should that be foolhardy? The hour is late and with this fog, there is little point in doing much out of doors. A check of everyone's pocket watches indicate that it is about 10:50 at night.

"I'm going to drop see you two dropped off at home or wherever you will. I might drop by the Historical Society to see if the professor is still there before turning in though."

Calamy takes another drag and stares out into the fog, feeling the clammy cold touch of it tightening around his spine.

I glance to Calmy, "Oh no" I shake my head, "I aint going home I'll stick with you big guy"

Jimmy thinking:   I aint going anywhere alone until this little mystery is solved.

I'm not sure but somwhere I'm sure I heard the flutter of feathery wings. I shudder.

"I shall accompany you too," says Katherine.

As you approach the Historical Society, you can see that it is in darkness although a light seems to be burning,upstairs, around the side of the building. You knock on the door but recieve no response, and checking it proves that it is locked. If he is still there, he is not responding.

"Odd that nobody answers," says Katherine. "I suppose he could have fallen asleep with the light on, but the knocking would have awakened him."

Calamy curses, as he looks around the streets surrounding the Society.

I'm rubbish with locks...Maybe he forgot to turn the lights off...

That last didn't sound too hopeful.

Glancing up towards the lighted window, I shrug at Henry's words, "Me neither. Maybe there's another way in, or, maybe we need to knock louder?"

OOC:   Are there any downstairs windows or other doors we have seen?

There are several windows which are above ground level and going round to the rear of the house reveals a back door which is similarly locked. You could reach the windows by possibly climbing on something, but assuming you will try this - the windows are securely locked and fastened.

Katherine frowns at Henry's foul language. "Well, I don't think it would be right for us to enter uninvited," she says. "Knocking louder is a good idea, though. I don't see any other indication that anything is amiss."

Your louder knocking still elicits no response, whether it be on the front door or the back.

"Could they simply have forgotten to turn off the lights before they left?" asks Katherine.

Yes, sure, everything is possible...

Calamy scowls as he glares up at the illuminated window.

I'm not too sure I'm willing to put my faith in that, sister, if you'll pardon the expression.

Cearlan,Does the door round back look very robust?

"What should we do?" Katherine asks. "Surely you can't mean to break in, and we don't have enough to go to the police. Is there a telephone? We could go somewhere else with a phone and try placing a call."

Call me paranoid, but I have a bad feeling about this.

Calamy lights another cigarette and looks around.

We could either stake out in the car and see if someone leaves or enters. Or we could try to force the back door.

I glance nervously around.

Jimmy thinking:   Too many bushes, too many perches for birds.

"I vote for forcing the door, I don't like standing around here" I turn to Sister Katherine, "Maybe if you turn aside for a moment Sister?"

"I shall wait in the car," says Katherine. "I'm going to trust you gentlemen to do the right thing."

Henry,The back door is not as robust as the front door, but not in any way flimsy enough to ... for example be shoulder-charged.

OOC:   A successful idea roll will remind you that E.L. Peabody, the curator, told you that he was going to be working late on the rocks that you have left him with. From the positioning of the light, you realise that it is shining in his office. Perhaps he is just absorbed in his work, or maybe simply nodded off?

After having put a tentative shoulder against the back door, Henry lets out another curse.

We're not getting in this way, Jimmy. Not without drawing the entire neighbourhood here. But so is no one else.

Calamy didn't want to think about the mysterious method of escape and lit another cigarette.

Let's go.


He started walking back towards the car, still not comfortable with not getting a reaction to their knocks, and he casts a final look over his shoulder at the lit window.

Everyone head over to day three

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