Play@YSDC

‘Despite racing against the rain on your way northwards, the storm finally caught up with you in earnest and with it the night has fallen, abyssal black and riven by lightning. Conditions on the rain-swept road force your speed down to a virtual crawl so that your head-lamps can pierce the gloom and keep you on the path. The only thing certain now is that the weather behind you is worse than that which surrounds you, driving you onwards. What should have been an eventless journey has become something dangerous and unpredictable’

You are half involved in conversation, although the conditions tend to keep you alert. Now the rain is driving so hard against your windshield that the wipers are hard pressed to clear it. Inside the somewhat cramped Ford, the whine of the wipers and the heater do little to aid conversation. Lightning flares, its frequency increasing as the distance between each flash and the rumble of thunder decreases.
The vehicle groans with effort as it labours up a steep forest edged road. Without warning, with a suddenness that makes you jump, an enormous flash of forked lightning erupts in the road before you….

OOC:   You are in Thomas Furman’s Model ‘A’ Ford, so we begin with Thomas Furman making a Regular Drive Auto Roll.

Thomas Furman


Wow gentlemen looks like we are in for some nasty weather, hold on tight things could get bumpy

Seeing the fork of lightning Thomas jumps in his seat holding the wheel as steady as possible.

drive roll: 1d100 2

With a snarled curse Thomas pulls the car to one side as he slams the brakes hard. Luckily the slow pace of the vehicle combined with his alertness in the rough conditions stops the Ford from going into a spin.
For the sudden flash of brightness had revealed a pale figure rearing as if from nowhere in the road ahead. In the headlights of the swerving motor vehicle you have a momentary glimpse of what appears to be a female, her eyes wide and her mouth open in a scream…

When the car finally lurches to a stop, Luther twists in his seat to peer into the swath of blackness behind the car.

"Mr. Furman..." he says, already opening the car door. "...I believe I saw a young lady in the road!"

Rather ineffectively shielding his brow from the downpour with his forearm, he scuttles back towards the road where he thinks he caught sight of the presumably stranded woman.

"Miss!" he calls, free hand cupped to his lips. "Miss! Are you alright?"

Upon seeing the situation, Tobias exited the vehicle as well and looked towards the woman, "Miss, do you need a ride into town?"

"Americans" Barty mumbled under his breath.
Barrington Carter-Smythe,was the perfect gentleman,which meant that ,should the young lady indeed need a ride into town,she must be offered the front passenger seat,leaving himself and the remaining two gentlemen,to share the rear bench,which was none to spacious an accomodation (remembering the rather substantial amount of luggage) for a journey of unpredictable duration.
He would say nothing yet,but felt that whatever problem the lady may have encountered should probably be resolved before continuing the allready uncomfortable journey

Outside the relative shelter of the car, the full fury of the storm hits you. Pine trees that border a road that looks more akin to a river at the moment, creak alarmingly as they sway and dance whipped by the wind. Flashes of lightning, although not as close as that which had almost seen the car into the trees, continue to illuminate the scene with alarming intensity. For miles there had been no sign of habitation, some of you know that up ahead is the small town of Orchard Run, although town is a bit of a grand name for somewhere that is nothing more than a gas station and a diner. But wherever this female had come from was anyone’s guess, but it had to be fairly close because her clothes were hardy meant for the conditions.

For a few moments after Thomas has brought the car to a halt, she continues her scream. When combined with the noises of the storm it makes your blood run cold. Whatever she had been running from had been enough to drive her into the road in the path of the car. If not for the atrocious weather conditions the chances are that she would now be dead.

Shock and surprise sends you rushing to her aid, despite the rain and wind. She is tall and thin, not a gaunt thin but a willowy thin that you would expect of a teenage girl, but you estimate that she is around twenty, although her current condition makes it hard to judge. Her clothing, hardly appropriate for the conditions, is soaking wet, disheveled and ripped in places, no doubt a testament to her running through the thick woods.

You would imagine that under the right circumstances she would be quite attractive with dark hair and innocent wide grey eyes, but these are not the circumstances. Those eyes are now even wider and filled with horror and by the struggling light of the Fords headlights a livid bruise can be seen on the left of her forehead.

She shivers with the cold and babbles mindlessly in a barely coherent manner…

Realising the state of the young woman,Barty imediatly removes his overcoat and wraps it around the girl,leading her to the car and putting her in the front seat

"My dear child,whatever has happened to you?"

He fumbles for his flask and places it to her lips

"Take a sip of this child,it will help you"

He turns to the others

"I don't suppose any of you are Doctors?"

Thomas Turns the keys of the Ford ,pulls them out of the ignition and pockets them.
He opens the door and steps out into the pooring rain. "Oh boy, it looks like this definitely ain't my night".
He quickly pulls the collar of his trenchcoat up to cover his neck but that hardly helps to stop the rain from soaking him. "Rain, Lightning, hitchhikers, screaming girls what is happening"
As he rushes towards the girl he asks her, or rather the shock makes him yell, "Miss what are you doing here running around in the middle of the road? I could have hit you. What the hell happened to you? Are you ok?"

Lance looked at Thomas and shook his head. Easy there Thomas, can't you see the poor girl is in shock. Get her into the car out of this storm.

Barty has no difficulty in leading the young woman to the car. To the various questions being flung at her she shows no response, she maintains the wide eyed stare and seems not to acknowledge you in any way. She merely shivers despite the wrapping of Barty’s overcoat, causing him to enquire,

Previously Barty said:   "I don't suppose any of you are Doctors?"

The only change in her manner is the muttering of two words, “Grandfather” and “The light”.

There is something unsettling in the way she whispers “The light” something which makes you look over to the woods from where you imagine she had emerged onto the road.

OOC:   Please make Hard Spot Hidden Rolls (equal to or less than half of your skill roll)

Thomas Furman watches Barty escort the girl into the car and says "Well sort of..., I have a medical training but I'm better at examining the dead than the living.."

"light, what light is she talking about?"

Thomas peers into the darkness.: 1d100 99

"I see.Well she is most certainly alive for the time being"

Barty notices his new companion looking away into the darkness and also glances toward the place from which the girl emerged

D100..........61

Looking out into the stormy night Lance shivered. Did she say her Grandfather was out there?
Spot hidden roll (1d100=43)

Although she's already draped in Barty's overcoat, Luther slips off his own tweed jacket and lays it over the young woman's lap as an additional blanket. He watches her intently as she whispers, eyes hollow and vacant.

He tilts his head towards Lance slightly.

"She is indeed saying something about her grandfather Mr. Monroe." he states, "However, we've little hope of locating anyone else in this maelstrom. Better to alert the proper authorities and then assist in their search if anyone is so inclined."

"Mr. Furman," he says gravely, an impalpable hint of dread stirring somewhere behind his ribcage. "the young lady might do best with proper medical attention. I suggest we get back on the road as quickly as possible and find her a doctor. There's a small hamlet not too far from here. Orchard Run I believe it is."

OOC:   (Not to be rude, but can you guys not go too far ahead of me? Makes me feel left out)

After hearing these words from the woman, Tobias turned his head toward the forest, where the others were looking, "Light? Grandfather?"

SPOT HIDDEN - 94

The rain falls almost vertical, heavy enough to resist the effect of the wind, which howls and moans amongst the trees bordering the road. The darkness of the night is almost total, split only by the intense bolts of lightning that dance their crazy patterns further out in the woods. The storm is moving fast and threatens to engulf you with its full intensity at any moment. Already the road surface resembles the bed of a fast flowing river, and now mud and debris is building up around the wheels of the stationary car. Wait to long and you could be stuck on this road in the middle of nowhere, in possibly the worst storm in memory, with a girl in need of medical attention.

Spooked by the weather, the recent circumstances and the mumbling of the terrified female about ‘a light’ you find your eyes drawn to the edge of woods, but whatever light she is muttering about is not to be seen. However each of you feels an ominous atmosphere from within that dense barrier of blackness, as if someone or something was watching…

From the car seat she continues to mutter, “Grandfather” and “The light”, but shows no response to any questions. However the application of Barty’s and Luther’s coats seem to have helped, she is no longer shivering. As you attempt to make certain that she is sufficiently covered, you note that she has a small medallion attached to a silver chain around her neck…

Barty felt that, clearly no progress could be made by cotinuing to try to get the girl to answer questions directly about the immediate situation and with the storm growing worse with each passing moment,Barty would try a new tack.
"What a lovely charm that is you are wearing my dear,may I take a look? "
Gently taking the medallion betwean his fingers,Barty squinted in the darkness and attempted to see if there was anything about the piece that might give some clue about the wearer.
"It's a beautifull piece my child.Can you tell us anything about it?"
Barty felt faintly rediculous,but hoped that by giving the girl something to take her mind off whatever horror she had witnessed he could bring her back to her senses

Thomas Furman looks at the rain and mud surounding the wheels of his Model A. This doens't look good.I hope we don't have to push.

He follows Barty and Luther into the car, pulls out his car keys and takes place in the driver's seat.As he slips his keys in the ignition he turns on the engine.

I think it's time for us to leave, we will get stuck soon. I think we should be headed towards Orchard Run before the road gets even worse. I don't want to spend the rest of the night here.

Thomas overhears Barty asking questions about the medallion.
"Barty, does that medallion have any markings on it?"

"It is certainly an unnusual piece.It's difficult to tell in this light,but I am trying to remember if I have ever come accross anything like it before"
Without pulling the medallion about too much and struggling to see in the dark and wet conditions,Barty does his best to bring his skills as an antiquarian to bear

Your attempts to gain a better look at the medallion draws a reaction from the girl. More of an automatic reflex as opposed to a definite response she slowly raises her right hand towards the necklace - “NNNo!!”
Other than the ineffectual defence of the piece, and the forlorn cry, she makes no other movement.

In the limited light of the Ford's interior you can see that the silver chain holds a circular medallion roughly the size of a dollar coin, It has a serrated edge and bears a series of strange raised symbols. To all intents and purposes it looks like some kind of coin, but if it is it is the coin of no Nation you know, and the symbols bear no relation to any form of writing you have ever seen.

OOC:   Barty, you may roll Appraise and History

Luther, startled by the young lady's reaction to Mr. Carter's inquisitive glances, leans over his companion's shoulder and peers at the medallion curiously.

"An interesting piece, wouldn't you agree Mr. Carter?"" he remarks.

"INDEED IT IS MY FRIEND!"
Barty, feeling the weight of the expectation of his colleagues,remembers something that his friend Dr.Forfitt told him while they discussed antiques and Antiquarianism back in France............History roll 14% appraise 62%
"We must talk to the others at once,I am none too sure,but I think.................."

Barty,It looks as if it has age, but as to how old you cannot guess. As i said it has no historical meaning and therefore no historical value. To your eyes it is merely an enigma. If it has any value you cannot determine.

Luther,From where you are the necklace looks nice, a curio perhaps worth maybe $60 - $100.

Luther's cool eyes narrow in the dim light as he examines the necklace. The craftsmanship is crude to be sure, still it's enigmatic nature reveals it as worth more than perhaps a hawker's trinket. He frowns thoughtfully.

"I cannot place the piece's origin." he announces to the car's occupants before adding definitively. "However in my line of work, I've developed something of a sixth sense for determining value. The necklace is certainly authentic in it's craftsmanship. I'd estimate it to be worth no more than $100. Does it strike you any particular way Mr. Carter?"

From his place the Model T's rumble seat he leans forward towards the driver's seat.

"If there are no objections from Mr. O'Connell or Mr. Monroe..." he says diplomatically, casting a wayward glance at his fellow riders. "...I would highly recommend we be on our way. Things outside are looking a bit..."

He watches the flotsam and various debris wash over the nearly invisible road outside in the squall with muted concern.

"...rugged."

OOC:   Not exactly right, no rain or lightning, but it gives you an idea of what you can see outside the car.

"Sadly ,no.I rather thought that I had an idea for a moment,but no.I am affraid it means nothing to me"
Barty,feeling rather cold and wet and tired looks out of the car window and shivers.He glances at the girl once again and wonders why she reacted as she did when he touched the medallion
"is that a light up ahead?"
Barty is starting to feel rather anxious about the situation that the group of travellers have found themselves in and he reaches into his jacket and lightly brushes his hand over his revolver for reassurance.
"may I ask if any of you gentlemen are armed?.....if this young lady has indeed encountered some kind of shocking situation,then perhaps we ought to be prepared,in case we are not alone on this road"

Lance looked out of the car window and shivered. "I don't know about anyone else but I agree with our friend here, we need to be getting a move on, while we still can."

Tobias, being a bit cautious as he was, leaned over and lightly nudged Luther's shoulder, "I agree but let's try to take it slow. Even the car's lights cant shine too far. I can hardly see the road... If there even is one."

The starter motor turns several times before, with some hesitation, the Ford’s engine stutters back to life. Thomas Furman revs the engine several times until the motor is running much sweeter.
With limited vision supplied by the inadequate headlights reflecting off the rain slick road surface, he begins to slowly edge the car forward. Realising that any sudden movement with the roads in this condition could see the car amongst the trees.

It takes a while a nightmare journey fraught with the threats of flood and storm debris threatening disaster at any moment, combined with the idea that the dark wind whipped woods on either side of you may contain an unknown danger from which the now sleeping girl had been fleeing. Every flash of lightning causes your blood to pound – is this ‘the light’ she was babbling about?

About two miles from where you had found the girl, the small township of Orchard Run suddenly appears ahead. First little more than blurred lights on the windshield, they soon become solidified as a collection of three buildings off the main highway.

Two of the buildings are brightly lit and from signs you can see they are a gas station and a diner. As you look you can see that a flat bed cattle truck has been slewed across the road at an angle where clearly it has skidded to a halt in the mud, seemingly abandoned, its driver’s cab door is left open to the elements.
The truck almost, but not quite, blocks the road to Bolton. Its wheels rest half sunk into the thick, wet mud.
There is a single, two-seater Ford roadster parked out in front of the diner and another, older Packard lodged by the gas station office. No other vehicles are evident.

Through the rain blurred widows of the brightly lit diner you notice the shapes of people. The gas station looks empty, closed up…

Thomas Furman

Looks like the road to Bolton is blocked, lets head towards the diner. There should be someone in there that knows where we can find medical attention for the girl.
Maybe someone knows who this girl is .
We could also use a warm place to get back up to strength.

Tobias began to think to himself. There was something on his mind and he couldnt let it go, "Luther, could you stop the car for a second?"

"Thomas Furman" shifts his head over in Tobias direction "No problem, by the way the name's Thomas"
He steps on the break and the car turns to a stop.

As Thomas slows the car to a halt, Luther wears an expression of thinly veiled annoyance. His eyes shift between the still muttering young woman and Tobias.

"What seems to be the matter Mr. O'Connell?" he inquires, his face lingering somewhere between curiosity and impatience.

Tobias got out of the vehicle and told Luther, "You can go ahead and park somewhere safer, I need to look at something."

He had then closed the door and approached the vehicle that had its door still open. There was something very suspicious about a new looking car with its door still open in the rain.

At last,Barty thought to himself,someone thinking,before stumbling blindly into God knows what predicament.
Barty also got out of the car and walking beside the young man said
"Earlier,no one answered me when I asked if anyone was armed.Personally,I would have prefered to stop the car further back down the road and reconoitre the situation with rather more care."
Barty,once again put his hand to his revolver and while not revealling it, was now very comforted that he had it with him.
His service in France had given him a new outlook on life more cautious and yet with more willingness to be decisive and like many others of his generation,who had seen death and used weapons on an allmost daily basis,he felt himself slightly apart from the man he was before the war,Now, he would be prepared to act in a manner and do things,he would have baulked at before the war.He had been widowed by the Influensa epidemic that seemed to be spreading rapidly through Europe and had fully accepted mans mortality
He said no more but now dropped back a few paces from Tobias and looked cautiously around for any movement

Outside of the car once the rain pursues its relentless assault as Tobias and Barty leave the relative shelter of the Ford and move toward the abandoned truck, suspicion rising in Tobias’ mind. Within those brief moments clothing that was still soaked from your earlier foray are made even wetter if that’s possible.

In the few yards between the idling Ford and the truck, Thomas, Luther and Lance watch through misted glass as Barty slows and drops back several paces behind Tobias…

Tobias,The drivers door to the truck is open to the elements as if the driver had quickly abandoned it. However other than the fact that it appears to have slewed off the road leaving the rear wheels stuck in the soft mud that borders the road outside the gas station, you can see no evidence of anything untoward. A quick glance tells you that without assistance the truck isn’t going anywhere…

Barty,Tobias O’Connell moves through the heavy rain toward the abandoned truck. For a few moments, he seems to disappear in the rain, before reappearing standing on the trucks step at the driver’s door looking inside. From the brightly lit diner comes the muted sound of voices, at times drowned out by distant rumbles of thunder.

Inside the Ford, its engine still rumbling with life, the girl opens her eyes wide in a terrible stare and screams at the top of her voice “The light!!!” before collapsing into insensibility once more. As if prompted by her cry, lightning flickers and dances like a wild thing in the dark woods.

Tobias the climbed up so he was at least in the car door. If he needed clues. They'd be inside the car. He examined the seat and dashboard, "Strange..."

OOC:   Just in case: SPOT HIDDEN = 51

As the young woman's hysterical wailing intensifies, Luther momentarily recoils before regaining his composure and taking hold of the woman's shoulders.

"Mr. Furman!" he barks, "I must insist you deposit us at the diner where we can at least bring this poor woman in out of the storm!"

Pushed to the point of open aggravation, the normally prim claims investigator looks edgy and prepared to spirit the woman the distance between the car and diner on foot if necessary.

Barty looks around anxiously,hoping that no one heard what was said,then runs back to the car.

"Please,give us a moment.Have you considered the possibility that this may be the very place the child was fleeing and that something very wrong maybe going on here?"
" I suggest,that perhaps we should leave her in the car and go into the cafe ourselves,to find out what reaction we receive"

Barty runs back to Tobias
"Have you found anything?......we are making so much noise out here I fear that if anything untoward is going on in the cafe,we might attract some very unwelcome attention and not be in a position to help the girl or ourselves!"

Lance got out of the car, turned back and looked in at Luther "You stay here with the girl while we check out the diner. We can't stay out here in this storm all night. then pausing only to grab his backpack Lance ran over to the diner, took a deep breath, composed himself, opened the door and walked in.

Raising himself up to the truck for a better look inside, Tobias takes a moment before responding to Barty’s question with a shake of his head - “Nothing here”.
Barty looks towards the lit windows of the Diner. Had anyone noticed them? It seems not for whatever is happening within continues without any apparent pause,

Without waiting for a reply Lance, opens the car door and begins, at a run, to head for the door of the Diner. Above the marked ‘Open’ a neon sign proclaims ‘Orchard Run Gas and Diner’; taking a deep breath Lance opens the door and walks in…

Lance,Your entrance accompanied as it is by a blast of wind that drives the heavy raindrops at least five feet beyond the glass door, surprisingly draws little attention. The small diner has five people within and one seems to be the focus of attention - [color=#0040FF]“I tell ya it was on account of that ‘Dead Light’ that I ran off the road”[/color]. Only one of the five seem to have noticed your entrance, behind the counter a young woman stops drying a coffee cup and looks towards you…

Lance looks round the diner, smiles at the people present and sits at a nearby booth. "Good evening everyone, what a foul storm this is," rooting through his backpack he transfers its contents to his jacket pockets leaving the change of clothes, sandwiches, and water bottle in the pack. The next few moments he occupies himself with filling and lighting his pipe whilst he casually watches the activity in the diner. Once he has the pipe lit to his satisfaction he shakes his match out, tosses it into an ashtray and leans back in his chair. "Nice to be in the warm and dry, haven't seen a storm this bad before, I'm sorry I'm interrupting you sir, did you say dead lights?

Luther remains skeptical that such a mundane establishment could be the source of the poor girl's catatonic stupor. However his impatience is at least partially sated as they pull in before the eatery and Lance exits the vehicle to gauge the environment within. He lays a reassuring hand on the girl's arm.

"Easy miss." he whispers, "We'll have you in good hands soon enough."

He turns to Thomas.

"My apologies for my outburst Mr. Furman." he says sheepishly. "I assure you that it originated wholly out of my concern for the young lady here."

Tobias began to think about this scenario, scratching his chin. This didn't make sense...

Tobias' mind went into full throttle at this point with him thinking thinking:   Quite the scene here, isn't it? Why is this vehicle abandoned in the middle of the road? It looks brand new. Even the cow trailer looks shiny and new, minus the damage from the rain. And why is the car empty? There is nothing in here at all. How does this make sense? Where is the driver? Why didn't he close his door in this storm? Its been raining for a few hours now... ..."

He took out his note pad and wrote down a few notes to this car mystery, afterwards putting it back in his pocket.

• - Brand new Cow trailer
  - New truck pulling
  - Abandoned in middle of road
  - Door left open in storm
  - completely empty

Barty,while admiring Lance's naive courage decides that perhaps the best way he will be able to help Lance,if as Barty is begining to suspect ,the occupants of the Cafe have some connection with the evenings strange goings on ,would be by reconoitering and staying in the background out of sight.
He made his way quietly and stealthily around to the back of the Cafe,all the time looking for a window where he could perhaps see into the cafe,
Could the girls Grandfather perhaps be inside,perhaps he had been the driver of the truck? Had the old man perhaps been pulled out of the truck and could the girl have escaped at that time?
Barty was at the back now and wondered if he would be lucky enough to find a window

Luther waits patiently in the car for the others to complete their summations of the diner.

At Lance’s words several of the occupants look around. Whatever tale the guy had been telling, the looks on the faces of the listeners looked a cross between amusement and disbelief. The young woman quickly places the cup on the counter in preparation for your order.
One of the disturbed occupants,
a somewhat overweight man in his late forties, with a bad comb-over and a broom mustache that hasn’t yet faded to the same grey as what’s left of the hair on his head smiles a twinkle in his eye, “Dead lights? Oh you mean the thing that Jake here thought he seen? I wouldn’t go paying to much attention to Jake, sometimes he uses the corn for making something other than chicken feed on his farm”
At this everyone except Jake laughs good humouredly. The big farmer, aware that the mood of the place had shifted slightly, turns red faced. Something that even his thick growth of beard does little to camouflage, “I know what I seed, bright it were like some kind of…dead light…crossing the road up yonder about two miles away” the anger in his voice is evident, it would seem that he does not like being the butt of a joke.
“I tell you I seed it like something let loose from hell. Searching it were, searching the woods up near the Doc’s place.” He looks straight at Lance, “Coming this way too. I hit the gas and got outa there, Damn truck got stuck in the mud outside, and I sure as hell wasn’t gonna sit there and wait for it to come get me”

Barty,
You easily find a window at the rear of the diner which gives you a limited view of the interior (Mist inside, rain out). You can see Lance just inside the door he seems to be speaking, and even with your limited vision nothing bad seems to be happening. As you watch a sudden burst of lightning to your rear somewhere off in the woods makes you jump. And you just can’t shake that being watched feeling…

Lance smiles at the waitress, "Ah yes, I will have a coffee thank you," he turns towards Jake , "Care to join me and tell me more about these lights you saw? Out by the Docs place you say, is that far? "I wonder how long the others are going to be? Maybe this Doc could help the girl Lance thought to himself, trying to see outside for his companions. He puffed thoughtfully on his pipe, the tobacco smoke calming his nerves.

Hearing laughter from within the bar and seeing that Lance was obviously not in any immediete distress Barty decided to go back to the car and suggest to the others that it would be reasonably safe to follow Lance into the place
The wind and rain were still beating down and as Barty turned to to go he thought he heard something and shuddered,"Steady on old man" he said to himself "No trench raiders hereabouts"
He pulled his jacket lapels up as far as he could and ran back to the car
"Come along my dear.....come on chaps,everything seems to be quite normal,lets get into the warm dry Cafe"

Tobias had walked over to the cafe enterance as well, after his investigation of the truck. He opened the door for Barty and the young woman, with a small smile, "Anyplace is good if we're getting out if the rain, eh Barty?"

At the sound of the door opening Lance looked round and saw his colleagues entering the diner, Ah here they are now turning back to the counter he called to the waitress, "Excuse me miss, could we have some more coffees over here for my friends," Smiling at the waitress Lance pointed vaguely in the direction of the door with the stem of his pipe.

The car door swings open filling the car with the scent of autumnal rains. Barty's head thrusts itself inside and addressed the huddled occupants before vanishing from sight once more. Luther exits and takes the young lady by the hand, ushering her into the diner and taking silent stock of those within.

He sits at the counter and runs his hands through his dampened hair, slicking it back against his scalp. He looks at the waitress.

"Coffee please." he requests. "Black."

Lance helps the young lady to a table and turns to Luther, "Ah there you are, come over here and sit down Luther, Jake here was just telling me about the lights he saw, over by the Doc's house didn't you say Jake? Lance turns to Jake indicating that he should take a seat at their table.

Barty joins the group at the table and,takes a swig from his flask
"A nice cup of tea would be just the ticket,but Imagine its coffee or nothing,still as long as its wet and warm"

Luther offers a perfunctory nod at Lance's suggestion and after receiving his cup of coffee from the suddenly inundated waitress, moves to join him at their table.

"I would be very interested in hearing about these 'lights' you speak of. They could be the same lights this young lady has repeatedly referenced." he says loud enough for the diner to hear. "However, before you continue Jake, we found this young woman wandering in the middle of the storm. Does anyone recognize her? She seems to be lost in some sort of catatonic state repeatedly mentioning 'the light' as well as her grandfather."

He looks inquisitively around towards the locals.

"Anyone?" he prompts. "If not, is there a local sheriff or doctor we could consult?"

Tobias walked over to the table with his fellow men and sat down, ordering himself a coffee. He scratched his chin as he watched Luther trying to get answers. It wouldn't be so easy to get answers in such a small diner but that doesnt mean impossible

Thomas furman

While everyone enters the diner Thomas locks up his car.
He's in a hurry trying not to get soaked.
Lightning Flashes. He turns around looking at the stranded truck. "Is this weather never going to stop."
Thomas enters the diner, takes of his soaked coat and hangs it on a coat hanger.
He takes place at the bar a bit away from the rest of the bunch, takes out his pack of luckies and lights a cigarette.
Without looking up he adresses the waitress "coffee please, I'm up for a hot drink, It's raining cats and dogs and I've been out in this weather much more than I wanted to." Thomas sighs and inhales his cigarette. Note to self: never pick up hitchhikers"

At Lance’s request the crowd goes silent for a moment, turning to look at the stranger. “You want to buy Jake here a coffee?”
Loud guffaws from the other occupants, including the waitress, shows how the locals imagine Jake will react to this. However,
“Sure don’t mind ifn I do” the farmer slides from the bench and makes his way to the counter. The waitress shrugs and pours a second coffee for the big man.

The door to the diner opens to admit the rest of the group, all soaked and looking slightly worse for wear courtesy of the weather. Barty looks white faced and is shaking visibly, but it is the young woman who draws the attention of the crowd.
“Why its Emilia Webb. What in tarnation are you doing out on a night like this, and where’s your granpappy?” Says the mustachioed man pushing himself away from a booth and moving towards the young woman now identified as Emilia Webb.

Looking around the diner’s modern interior there are five occupants, other than your group, two females. One, elderly, shares a booth with one of the males, they have the look of a long time married couple, the other the young waitress currently busying herself pouring cups of coffee.
There are three men; the guy with the mustache, the farmer, and the elderly smiling man sitting beside the female at the booth.
It appears that prior to your entry the farmer, Jake Burns, had been the subject of interest, From his state, somewhat white faced and nervous, whatever he had claimed to see has shook him up.
From the wetness of his overalls and jacket it is easy to conclude that the truck outside is his.

Of course due to your dramatic arrival, and your new companion, all interest is suddenly yours.
Outside the warm, dry interior of the diner lightning still flashes, thunder still rumbles, rain still hammers down and the wind seems to have increased.

“Oooh Winnie, say did you see that?” asks the elderly man in the booth. While most attention had been focused on Emilia, he had been looking out the window…

Thomas Furman asks the waitress, "Miss do you know this girl and or her grandfather?"

At Thomas' question the waitress looks up from pouring the coffee, "Sure thats Emilia Webb, old Doc Webb's grandaughter" she stops chewing gum as she gives the pale faced girl a quick look over.
"Looks a mess. Been out in the storm has she? Not the best night for a walk." Attractive, if slighty over dressed for a job as a waitress, she returns to her task displaying no further interest in Emilia.

Tobias put his hands on the table and pushed himself to his feet before speaking, "Well, where may we find this 'Doc Webb'? Does he live nearby?"

The man with the mustache glances over at Tobias as he approaches Emilia, “Doc Webb has a place up the valley a piece on a side road off the Arkham road, you caint miss it, it’s the only road off into the woods for miles”

Moving up to the seated Emelia he looks at her then glances around, “Looks like the old doc may have to fetch his bag outa retirement, that’s a nasty bash she has there, any ideas as to how she got it?”

On your way down to the town you had passed what might have been a side road, but it was to dark to really make it out. If it had been the one that Keelham had been talking about it’s about a mile away in the same direction as the girl had been coming from.

Lance looked out of the window wondering what had caught the elderly man's attention. "I don't suppose you can telephone the young ladies Grandfather? Or will someone have to go and fetch him?"

The guy with the mustache who introduces himself as Sam Keelham the gas station manager, looks from Lance to the window, through which the running rivulets of rainwater and flashes of lightning can be seen. Beyond the brightly lit entrance a wooden sign can be seen dancing wildly in the wind its securing chains only just managing to hold against the wind that threatens tear it aside at any moment.
“Telephone lines have been down for a while now, and I aint sure that the doc’s place has a phone anyways" Turning away from the window he looks around the room, “I don’t see anyone willing to try reaching the doc’s in this weather anyways” an observation strengthened by the way that the majority look studiously away.

“Perhaps you might be willing, given that you have a car? And that you found the girl which kinda makes you responsible for her”

The elderly female snuggles close to the man, “Look Teddy all this rain makes me think of Angels crying”. At the counter Jake Burns picks up the coffee, “I tell you it was a dead light up near the doc’s place” he shudders which makes the big farmer look slightly pathetic, “I aint going back out there, no way”
The waitress picks up the now almost empty coffee pot and muttering something about putting some more on disappears into the kitchen.
From her seat a still unfocused Emilia whispers, “The light…Grandfather”…

Lance looks at Thomas "It's your choice Thomas, you know your car and driving skills best. Do you want to risk driving in the storm again to fetch the Doc?"

Thomas Furman looks at the redt of the group, I think we should bring the girl to her grand dad

"I agree Gentlemen. But taking the poor girl back out in this would be foolish and dangerous.
We should wait here until the storm subsides.We are far from sure where this Doctors home is and the road here was dangerous enough as it was.Goodness only knows what conditions we might find on any side roads."

Barty takes the last drop from his flask and his colour is begining to return,while his shaking hands are rather steadier

"I suggest we order some food,I for one am quite famished!"

As if to add emphasis to Barty's comment an enormous clap of thunder, that seems to be directly overhead, skakes the Diner drawing gasps and moans from the occupants. As if in reply to the thunder the rain hurls itself with renewed vigour at the window panes and the wooden sign, so long valiantly struggling against the wind, is torn free and vanishes somewhere in the darkness.
"There it is again" says the elderly man avidly staring through the window, "There! on the opposite side of the road, amongst the trees."

"What was it dear?" asks the old woman craning her neck to get a better view.

"A light"

"A dead light?" demands a suddenly animated Jake Burns standing to see, "Its followed me...Or someone" he adds looking towards Emilia, suspicion obvious in his hooded eyes.

Suddenly everyone in the diner has gathered at the elderly couples booth attempting to see what the old man saw...

"Where is your sense of chivalry Mr. Carter? Your sense of masculine duty?" Luther says reproachfully, "Why, to think you could eat while this poor girl in our stead sits bleed--"

His words are swept away by the sudden rush of movement towards the diner's window and the exclamations about the return of the Dead Light. Luther rises from his seat and finds an empty swath of window, from where he peers into the tempestuous blackness beyond.

Luther's brow furrows as he struggles to make out what resides in the nearly impenetrable blackless.

Tobias arrived at the window as well, trying to catch a glimpse at what they all saw outside

[dice]Spot Hidden: 68[/dice]

Lance peered into the darkness
d100=0

Vladd wrote:Lance peered into the darkness
d100=0

OOC:   Alas it seems that your roll didn't work, please try again

Barty remains seated.
Incensed that his courage is called into question ,simply because he feels the best course of action is not to drag the young girl into further immediate danger,he wonders how many of his new aquaintances tested their own manliness in France,when the Americans finally entered the war.
His friend Dr.Forfitt had travelled to France privately,while most Americans were happy in their Isolationism.
But, he told himself,now was the time to practice those qualities that set the British apart from their colonial cousins.He would remain calm and reasonable,he would not rise to the intended insult,but perhaps he would suggest that while he took care of the girl here in the relative safety of the cafe...... the brave chivalric heroes could go and find the good Doctor and bring him back

OOC:   Sorry 2nd try

Spot Hidden (1d100=21)

Barty calls to the waitress
"Can we have some ice over here,if you have any please my dear and one of your clean tea towels and perhaps a jug of warm water"
Barty slips into the empty seat next to the girl and gently pushes her hair back to get a better look at her injury
"Oh its not that bad my dear,lets just clean it up a little and I am sure you will be fine.......Did they say your name is Emelia?.......Thats a pretty name....can I have another look at your medalion?...did your Grandfather give that to you?........It looks quite old,is it some kind of family Heirloom?
Does your Grandfather know anything about the strange lights my dear?

In answer to Barty’s request the waitress emerges from the kitchen carrying a glass bowl of water. She places this on the counter and returns to the kitchen to re-emerge with a cloth and some ice, under one arm she carries a small tin marked ‘First Aid’.
“Anything else No…well I’ll get back to preparing food”

Those gathered near the windows straining to catch sight of this ‘Dead light’ are mostly disappointed, although for a moment Luther thinks he saw a flicker of light just within the woods edge. Whatever it was it wasn’t lightning, more like someone shining a very bright flashlight for a moment before extinguishing it.
“Did you see it? Was it a…'Dead light'?” panic sounded close in the heavy set farmer’s voice.

OOC:   Everyone except Barty please roll POW.

Barty’s administrations seem to draw no response from Emilia, it is as if whatever scared her has rendered her incapable of feeling pain. However at the mention of her grandfather, as quick as a flash she grips his wrist in her hand, and looks deep into his eyes. “Grandfather? Yes he’s hurt. The light…the light…keep away, arghhhhhh!”

The girls frantic cries momentarily breaks Luther's concentration, yet his eyes remain peeled on the forest's edge outside.

"Wait!" he hisses, voice low and suspect. "Did you see that? There at the treeline! I could have sworn I saw a flash of light..."

[dice]Pow - 39 (Success)[/dice]

carnage_lee wrote: Apologies for interrupting. There seems to be some confusion as to how the dice roller works on this site. I have added details on how 'dice rolling' works for members here

So the above roll should have been:

[­dice]1d100[­/dice] (example of code - do not copy)

[dice]0[/dice]

Everyone looks to where Luther is indicating, but if there had been a light no one else saw it and no matter how hard you all stare into the darkness there is nothing to see. Although each of you (those who made their POW roll) has a feeling of being watched from within that dark mass of trees.
After a few moments the occupants of the Diner drift towards their previous positions. Jake Burns mumbling something about the “goddamn dead light” as the elderly woman strokes her husbands arm and says, in a somewhat wistful tone, “Gee Teddy, maybe it was the lightning reflecting from an angels wings”.

Keelham moves close to the girl, Emilia, who despite Barty’s attempted first aid is showing little improvement, “Tell me girl..us…what’s happened to your grandpappy?” he looks over to where Jake Burns has retaken his seat at the counter and is moodily staring into his coffee cup, “And this light. Tell us about this light”…

Luther blinks and the light is gone leaving only an inky blackness and his own uncertainty in it's wake. He stands from the window and seems to consider things for a moment before turning and approaching where the others are gathered at the table.

"Mr. Furman," he says flatly, "I believe the task falls upon our shoulders to retrieve the good doctor. Perhaps, given the state of affairs outside, the girl is better left within the diner where at least she can be watched after. You and I can head up to her grandfather's house and escort him back here as quickly as the roads allow. Does this sound reasonable?"

He glances down at the first aid kit left by the waitress and peers inquisitively at his companions.

"Perhaps though Mr. Furman, it may be best if you try and tend to the girls wounds first as best you're able."

Striding to the counter, he locks eyes with the station owner, Sam Keelham, sizing the portly figure up before addressing him.

"Mr...Keelham was it? Luther says, offering his hand. "We shall retrieve Doctor Webb and return with him as quickly as possible. By any chance do you have an electric torch we could take with us?"

Keelham steps back a pace, his face above the bristle mustache goes from white to red and back to white. "I... ughh...I would love to accompany you but I cant leave this place unattended...my contract and all that"
Looking around it seems no one is too keen to brave the elements, maybe all this dead light stuff has got the locals spooked. The elderly man, Eddy, pulls a set of car keys from his jacket pocket, "Looks like your on your own young fella...The roadster outside take that if your so all fired up to go looking for this doctor fella. Though be careful with her, I want her back in one piece"

At this moment the lights in the Diner flash then go out. In total darkness with only the occasional flash of lightning to break it, you hear the howl of the wind, the rumble of thunder and the swoosh of rain being flung against the glass. And amidst that you hear, from somewhere to the left side of the building, the unmistakeable tinkle of breaking glass.

From the direction of the kitchen comes a high pitched scream of terror... "Arghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!"

"Protect Ms. Webb!" Luther barks, skirting the counter and pushing his way through the kitchen door.

"Make a wall around her!" Tobias stood by the young girl and was on the alert for anything. He was not the greatest fighter but he would try his hardest to protect her. Two words kept ringing in his ear though: Dead Lights.

thomas Furman

Thomas yells "what the hell was that?" he jumps over the counter and heads into the kitchen.
he takes out his lighter and tries to make some light in the dark kitchen.

Lance grips his pipe firmly between his teeth and takes up position next to Tobias to protect the girl, There's something nasty in those trees, I can feel it.

In the darkness you bravely gather around Emilia in a defensive circle. At that blood curdling scream, however, all attention seems focused on the swing door to the kitchen beyond the counter.
“Mary? Dear God Mary, what is it?” The question comes from Keelham although given the flatness of his voice and the dread contained within it’s difficult to recognise.
In response an eerie silence seems to descend upon the diner, even the wind seems to be holding its breath in anticipation…
Footsteps, slow and deliberate, come from beyond that door. With a Crash the door is flung open, almost sweeping Thomas into a display of cakes, and in a sudden flash of lightning you see the waitress, Mary Laker, half supporting, half dragging a young man.
“It’s Billy…Billy Esterhouse and he’s hurt bad”...

Thomas Furman gets hit by the swinging doors "OOMPH", thrown back he lands on the floor "Augh". "This is not the time and place to break my legs,"
Dazzled by the knockback he gets back up on his feet.

Schocked from the display of wind and weather and the kick in the stomach, he speaks in a sillent and terrified voice
"How did he get hurt? What happend, Did he get hit by a tree or something?"

Thomas hurries to Billy to check his medical condition.

check Billy's condition ( Firt Aid): 1d100 5
(Extreme Success)

Thomas,The examination by torchlight shows that Billy is sporting a number of minor wounds which may be attibuted to having recently pushed his way through tangled undergrowth. He carries any number of thorn scratches all of which are just superficial and easily treated with some iodine and sticking plaster, all of which can be found in the first aid kit that [b]Barty[/b] was recently using on [b]Emilia[/b]. However the state of the young man bears more in common with someone suffering from exposure. His recent exposure to the storm might explain some of this, but to get this far gone he would have had to have been out in it for a while, probably the same length of time that [b]Emilia[/b] had been. There is little doubt that he is showing the same kind of dissasociation as she.

As willing hands reach and take the well built youngster from the waitress, he babbles childlike. "Old man....box...light...Noooo! keep it away." he reaches out and grabs Thomas' sweater front, "Gota run...musn't let it catch me"

"Hell" shouts Jake Burns suddenly running for the door, "If Billy was being chased by it and he's here then the dead light's not far off. I'm outa here"
"And where you gonna go?" says the old man, Eddy, "When the good lord calls you aint no sense in running"...

Luther pins Billy's groping arms to his side and attempts to sooth the babbling young man, allowing Thomas to work unimpeded.

"Easy now Billy. We're here to help. he whispers. "Mr. Burns! Perhaps rather than considering going back out into that storm, you could occupy yourself by taking hold of young Billy here."

"Mary," he calls over his shoulder. "where did he find you? Did he say anything?"

He takes a cursory look at the wounds. This was beginning to look like something more than a mere night out in the rain.

"What do you make of it Mr. Furman?"

After examining the boy Thomas replies Luther:

It's just some scratches, I think he ran from something trough some bushes and thorns.
He looks like he's in some kind of shock. This worries me more than his wounds.
Something must have scared him senseless

Tobias held the young girl close to his body, in case of a last second attack. He stroked her arm gentle, hoping it would calm her down. Speaking quietly, so she could hear him, he spoke an old nursery rhyme, one that he used to enjoy as a child

"The Queen of Hearts she
made some tarts,

All on a summer's day;

The Knave of Hearts he stole those
tarts,

And took them clean away."

Priest wrote:

OOC:   Tobias needs to make some rolls here. First a Regular Persuade Roll (to try and keep Emilia calm) and second, a Regular Psychology Roll

OOC:   Persuade - 16 // Psychology - 15 Success

Thomas Furman,

"Barty can you hand me that medicine kit? I need to patch up Billy, nothing to serious but I don't want him to catch an infection."

When Barty hands Thomas the medicine kit Thomas patches up Billy.

Thomas patches up billy: 1d100 6
ooc: extreme success

Depite the limited light Thomas quickly uses the tiny first aid kit to patch up the lad's scratches and scrapes.
All the while Tobias gently soothes Emilia, trying his best, under the circumstances, to keep her calm.
Mary Laker, the waitress, her hair and clothing showing the effects of her supporting the injured lad, responds to the question from Luther, “I was in the kitchen. The lights went out, there was a crash of breaking glass and there he was near the back window”

Tobias,there is something in her voice, you can’t quite place it but you get the feeling there is something she’s not telling.

With that there is a sharp fizzing sound and the lights come back on. But it seems the relief is but temporary for as quick as they return they are gone again. Plunging the interior of the diner into darkness broken only by an intense flash of lightning.
“Christ on a cross” someone probably your companion Barty, jumps.
“Now, now, son” comes the voice of Eddy in response, “Taking the Lord’s name in vane aint gonna help none”
“Oh look dear. Now I see the light its crossed the road and seems to be heading round back” says the old lady, in another flicker of lightning you can see her pointing to the diner windows to the left…

OOC:   Anyone caring to do so can try a Hard Spot Hidden

Thomas looks at the waitress,

"Are you allright dear? Finding that bloody boy must be hard on you"

By asking the question Thomas tries to figure out if the waitress isn't going in the same kind of shock.
psychology roll: 1d100 25 (regular success)

Luther places an appreciative hand on Thomas' shoulder as he appraises the man's patchwork on Billy.

"Well done Mr. Furman." he says, "It may be worthwhile to address Ms. Webb's wounds as well while we have the li--"

At that exact instance, the lights cut out in the tiny diner plunging them into lightless limbo once more. At mention of the lights return, Luther squints towards the window curious to affirm or refute whatever it is he thought he had seen earlier.
Despite his best efforts, the prim claims investigator can only make out the blackened treeline churning angrily in the wind. He turns his attention back to the shaken Billy before him, considering the boy's nonsensical ramblings.

"Easy now Billy." he whispers, "You said old man earlier. Are you speaking of Ms. Webb's grandfather? Doctor Webb? Did you see him? Is he alright?"

Tobias looked down at the girl and listened to her talk, "What is it, lass? Is something wrong?"

OOC:   Spot Hidden - 12

Lance joins the old lady and peers out into the darkness
Hard Spot Hidden (1d100=68)

Tobias,gets nothing from Emilia apart from the usual mumbled reference to a grandfather and a light. It was something in the waitresses, Mary Laker, voice that leads him to think she is holding something back. At the old ladies exclamation he had quickly turned in the direction she was indicating. There may have been something, but the glimpse was to short to be sure. A faint luminescence perhaps, one moment there then gone. But if he had seen the light the old lady had been on about she may have been right it was across the road and to the north, Bolton direction, of the diner.

Neither Lance nor Luther saw anything beyond the blackness of the window. However at the mention of the Doctor, Billy had turned a dead white, “Old man…the box…Goddamn light, gotta get away from here it’s coming!!” he finishes by trying to struggle to his feet. The panic in his voice has an immediate effect on the big farmer, who rushes over to the front door and rips it open, to admit a blast of wind and rain. “I’m outa here” is the last words you hear as he disappears into the storm.
“Jesus H, shut the goddamn door” screams Keelham as the wind smashes the glass paneled doors open with horrendous force…

OOC:   For those interested it is probably fifteen minutes since you arrived at the diner, some twenty since you encountered Emilia on the road and the storm shows no sign of abating

Thomas takes a chair from the diner,
Puts his full force on the door to close it and tries to put the chair under the handle to prevent the door from opening again.

Tobias looked toward the windows before pulling the young woman to behind the counter, "Come on, we need to take cover."

Despite Thomas’ quick thinking, the glass in the door had fallen victim to the storm and now the blinds merely thrash around in the wind like crazed animals.
Tobias drags Emilia to the relative cover of the counter.
In the limited light of the flashlight things look strange. Odd shadows are thrown everywhere, moving with the light and the wind.

Barty, sitting frozen by the turn of events, turns his face to the door to the kitchen, the recent source of their latest visitor, from beneath the table at which he sits comes the ominous click of a revolver being cocked, “If anything comes through that door…” voice shaking with terror he never finishes that sentence.

From outside the front door, loud above the howl of the wind and rumbles of thunder comes a female voice,
“What the hell is going on in there? Sam…Sam Keelham, you in there?”

A shuffling noise and Keelham rises to his feet, even in the flashlight you can see the fear in his face,
“That you Doreen? Something odd is going on. Storm has taken the lights out, and the glass in the doors. We have two injured kids in here and it seems the docs missing…”

“Right open this door now, or I’ll go round the back to the kitchen”

OOC:   Sorry about posting delay, down with flu at the moment

Luther's own leery gaze hovers on the kitchen door for a moment longer before turning towards the ruined front door. Shooting Tobias an appreciative nod for dragging the girl from danger, he brushes past Thomas and pulls the door open, using the opportunity to scan the rain-swept road for any sign of Jake's whereabouts.

Luther pulls the door open assisted by the wind. And a rather distressed looking middle aged woman in a drenched raincoat pushes past into the diner,
“Well Sam Keelham are you going to tell me what’s happening?” she raises a oil lamp and by its light looks around at the diner, “So? And why did I just see that big idiot Burns running toward his truck as if the devil was hot on his heels?”

From her manner you get the feeling that this lady is not to be trifled with. When the light hits the figures of Emilia and Billy, it stops. “Emilia by all the saints, what the heck has happened girl and wheres your grandpappy? And Billy Esterhouse too, but I don’t see Clem anywhere.” She lifts the light up until the waitress can be seen, “Mary where’s that no good Clem Miller it aint natural to see Billy without his friend”
Mary shrugs, “Aint seen Clem for two days or so, Billy neither until tonight”

Luther,You can just about see the errant [b]Jake Burns[/b] in the cab of his truck, as you watch you hear the whine of the trucks starter motor – once, twice, three times it turns without sparking the engine. You are just about to turn back inside the diner when you hear a scream from the trucks direction…

As Luther turns to close the door, you all hear a sharp scream that seems to cut through the noise of the storm. A scream so terrible that it almost freezes your blood.
Barty's voice rises in a nervous pitch, "Dear God what was that?"
The elderly couple start to sing in their best go to church voices, "What a friend we have in Jesus..."

Luther throws a forearm across his brow in an attempt to shield his eyes from the rain and catch sight of whatever catastrophe might've befallen Jake.

"Will this madness never end?!" he gasps before turning back towards the diner's interior. "Mr. Furman! Mr. O'Connell! We must help Mr. Burns! Mr. Carter-Smythe, keep an eye on Ms. Webb!"

Without awaiting a response, he sprints from the diner's entranceway, slowing only to tip his hat to Dorothy as he brushes past.

Lance puts his coat back on, along with his hat and runs out after Luther. "I'm right behind you Luther,"

In a flash of lightning Luther rushes past the newcomer and into the rain and wind. Footsteps slapping in the puddle forecourt behind him tells him that at least one of the others followed. With the wild wind tearing at his clothing and the hurled raindrops stinging his face and limiting vision, he forges on towards the looming shape of the truck, where moments before he had seen the blurry outline of the big farmer, Jake Burns. Then had come the scream, perhaps it had come from the truck, it was difficult to pinpoint amongst the noise of the storm, but one thing he knows for sure that since the scream there had been no movement within the cab of the abandoned truck…

Lance followed close. Ahead of him he could see Luther’s destination, a black shape against the deeper blackness of that treeline. The abrupt flash of lightning did little to help apart from destroying any night vision that was available. Increasing his speed he soon was running abreast of Luther and together they reached the truck…

From within the relative peace of the diner the others watched as the two disappeared in the storm filled darkness. The last they saw of them was a moment of lightning filled illumination as they headed towards the truck that the farmer, Burns, had abandoned on the road.

Barty looked grim and pale faced into the darkness which had swallowed the pair. Maybe he should have gone with them, after all he does have a gun, but then he hadn’t come all this way across the Atlantic, to die unremarked on some out of the way road in Massachusetts.

Luther and Lance,Your run to the truck comes to an abrupt halt near the cab, feet skidding in the wet mud that the truck had thrown onto the road when Jake Burns had lost control earlier. The drivers door still hung open although not as wide as earlier, and moved slightly in response to the wind. The cab looks empty, with no sign of the farmer. In the darkness you can just make out a shape on the floor of the cab something tube shaped about a foot in length…

"Mr. Burns!" Luther bellows into the tempest, the whipping winds quickly carrying his voice away. He turns to Lance with a look of fearful uncertainty. "I'll check the other side of the truck!"

He skirts the truck's front end and stands face to face with the ebon treeline which he scans for any sign of the errant farmer.
However the darkness and deluge of rain conspires to conceal any such indication of Jake's whereabouts and Luther jogs back around the vehicle to rejoin Lance.

"There's no sign of Mr. Burns!" he shouts through cupped hands. "Were there any clues in the cab?"

Tobias had stood up to see Luther before looking at the girl, kneeling down to be eye to eye with her, "Now, you stay right here, sweetheart. Don't come out until we tell you its safe."
He walked around the counter and went over to the other two men, "Whats happening?"

CrowTheAlmighty wrote:Tobias had stood up to see Luther before looking at the girl, kneeling down to be eye to eye with her, "Now, you stay right here, sweetheart. Don't come out until we tell you its safe."
He walked around the counter and went over to the other two men, "Whats happening?"

OOC:   I presume you mean Thomas and Barty as Tobias and Lance have as yet not returned from outside?

Lance searches the inside of the cab and looks at the tube. "All I can see is some tube, I don't see much else."

Lance,At the abndoned truck, Lance, searching the empty cab finds a long black rubber flashlight. Turning it on it emits a powerful beam of light, turning it to the ground outside the cab he can see footprints in the soft mud. They seem to be leading into the trees. That they are recent can be seen by their freshness not yet having been marred by the rain.

Luther,A sudden beam of light fashes from the side of the truck were Lance is. Looks akin to a flashlight beam.

Tobias and Thomas,
Inside the diner most peoples attention seems to be focused on the obscured shape of the truck. Thomas looks on as if mesmerised by the rain running down the windows, while Barty continues to mumble to himself something about the war.
With a sudden shout Keelham points at a sudden burst of light near the truck, "My God, is that it?"

OOC:   Apologies Crow, got my characters mixed there I meant Luther and Lance are outside

Billy turns his face towards the newcomer, "Old man...Box...Clem...Light chase me". Awareness suddenly flashes over his face, "Gotta go must find Clem and the Doc"...

Lance calls to Luther, "Over here," and waits for him to join him before following the tracks.

Tobias stayed in the diner, since Emilia was still behind the counter. He could not leave her in the building alone but the others were leaving too... He sat at the counter and began to think quickly

Luther gives the truck's cab a final cursory inspection before joining Lance and regarding the trail of footsteps leading into the underbrush. He cups his hand to his mouth and shouts over the downpour.

"Considering the circumstances, following Mr. Burns into the woods may not be the wisest choice!" he says,

Luther sees nothing of note in the trucks cab, but in the flashlights beam he can easily make out a distinct trail of footsteps leading towards the trees. From the span of the footsteps he thinks the owner had been running…

That’s when he sees the headlights…

Inside the diner Tobias sits at the counter and thinks. Suddenly the interior is lit up by a swathe of light…Headlights a car has just pulled up outside.

There are several moments of confused questions from the occupants, that tail off as the front door opens and a rather elegantly dressed gentleman enters.
“Good evening, Barnaby Erasmus” he doffs his hat in a most polite fashion, and looks around at the dark diner, “I’m here to see Dr Godfrey Webb” He walks up to the girl, Emilia, “Ah Emilia my dear, how are you and do you still have the necklace?”

Tobias had taken immidiate action. He stood up and stepped in front of Emilia, "And who, pray tell, are you?"

The gentleman, without taking his eyes from Emilia, produces a small card from the inside pocket of his rather expensive looking ‘Astrakan’ overcoat. With a flourish he hands it to Tobias, “Professor Barnaby P Erasmus of Boston. My business is with the good doctor. I thought I might find him here despite the inclemence of the weather.”

The small business card identifies him as a ‘Purveyor of antiquities and esoteric artifacts’

He is, as noted, a rather dapper dressed gentleman of advancing years. He looks like your idea of an academic, one who has spent too many years locked away amongst ancient texts and things.

Taking his eyes off Emilia, he glances around the diner. Taking in the storm damage, the pale worried faces, and the attempts at first aid to both Emilia and Billy.

“My, my…what has happened here?” his gaze alights on the elderly couple, “Ah, Edward and his delightful wife, Winnie, how are you both?”

Seeing the approaching vehicle and not wanting to stay out in the rain Lance turns to Luther and shouts "I think you are right, it's probably a good idea to go back to the diner," He then heads back to the warmth and dry inside the diner.

Luther trails his compatriot back to the diner and follows him inside, shaking the rain from his drenched clothing as best he's able. As he runs his hand through his sodden hair he takes in the newest arrival inquisitively.

"It would appear as though Mr. Burns has fled into the woods." he announces to the diner, eyes still locked on the primly dressed figure before him whom he now extends a hand towards. "Luther Auttenberg at your service."

At Luther and Lance's entry to the diner, the newcomer raises a quizical eyebrow. With Luther's subsequent introduction he holds a gloved hand out to be shaken, "Barnaby P Erasmus. I was just explaining to these people here that I have an appointment with Dr Webb, this young ladies grandfather. This Mr Burns you speak of, is there a reason why he should not go into the woods?"

The enquiry seems sincere but his attitude seems to display a lack of interest. For several moments the diner is subjected to a period of unsettling silence, quickly broken by another intense flash of lightning and a roll of thunder.

In the light of the flash you can see the elderly man, Eddy, staring intensely at the professor, a look of pure hatred on his face. His wife, Winnie, makes the sign of the cross.

Luther opens his mouth to reply when he catches sight of the fearful faces residing behind Erasmus.

"Spending a night in the woods alone in such terrible weather seldom yields good fortune." he replies gravely before changing the subject. "Dr. Webb is not here. My colleagues and I found Ms. Webb wandering the roadway, soaked to the bone. Mr. Furman and I were just about to head up to Dr. Webb's house when Mr. Burns fled the building quite unexpectedly. I'm afraid the inclement weather has everyone quite on edge."

He gestures to Thomas' silent automobile outside.

"Mr. Furman has his car outside. Perhaps you'd be willing to follow us in your own car? Just in case of an accident?"