Play@YSDC

"That sounds like ball lightning," says Sean. "I've heard of it before, but I've never seen it. That would actually make sense."

Maynard looks thoughtfully at everyone before adding.

"Ball lightning has had many examples over the centuries, but serious scientist would scoff at the very idea. And anyway, the incidents are all singular events as opposed to several like we have seen here. In the mid 1890's, there was an unsubstantiated report of an unusually prolonged instance of natural ball lightning occurred somewhere in Colorado, which suggests it could be artificially induced from the atmosphere."

What a story Dorothy muses. A double murder mystery and a victim of ball lightning~! Then she realizes there are more important things than a scoop to worry about. "How's Emilia?" she asks Judith. "And what's all that racket going on upstairs?"

"Maybe we should carry her into the bedroom and let the poor thing sleep it off," Judith replies to Dorothy.

Kieffer arrives, curious as to the latest goings on.

"Is everything okay everyone? We found the power, obviously. I saw your flashlight outside Sean. Did you have any trouble?"

OOC,I'm assuming that Kieffer's been unable to hear what everyone's been talking about.

"You might say that," says Sean, calmer now. "I think the waitress was killed; all I could find of her was her coat and a pile of fresh ash. I nearly ended up the same way, but I ran back here fast enough. I didn't see what it was, but this young lady got a look at it. From her description, it sounds like ball lightning."

"Good idea," Dorothy replies to Judith's suggestion. "The poor thing has been through an awful lot."

Kieffer’s face goes white with shock. “Ash?　Like the man in the living room. Lightning doesn’t strike indoors!　There’s some other reason, and we’d better figure it out.”

His face is grim. "It’s about time we got some answers as to what the hell is going on here. Where is that girl, Emilia?”

In the cellar Keiffer throws the switch. Nothing happens obviously the power lines are down. Moments later Alister switches the power to the generator realizing that they need to start the generator itself. This takes a while so it is at the end of the conversation they arrive in the kitchen just in time to hear something about ball lightning…

So at this point we have everyone gathered in the kitchen. The lights have come on, courtesy of Alister and Keiffer, and it is quickly established that Emilia has fainted, no doubt from a mixture of shock and exhaustion. Looking outside no one sees any sign of the light that had upset Judith, excited Dorothy’s journalist tendencies, piqued Maynard's interest or scared the bejabers out of Sean. It was last seen, according to Judith, moving towards the south-eastern corner of the cottage. Which would put it outside the southern wall of the kitchen were you all stand, or perhaps outside the southern wall of the living room, where the dead bodies of the Doctor and his assailant lie...

"Ball lightning isn't like regular lightning," says Sean. "It could just fly in and out the windows - which means it could get in again!"

"Oh, great," Dorothy says. "No protection inside, then. As soon as we get Emilia settled in I'm going to take a look around where it came from."

Kieffer

Strain and fatigue are beginning to fray Kieffer's nerves.

"For God's sake!" he shouts. "We have three dead bodies, one shot to death and the others burned to ash. Let's not forget that weird event with the truck driver. Something very strange is going on here, so stop talking about bloody ball lightning!"

He calms down a bit. "If you see that body in the living room, you'd know. Emilia must be able to tell us something."

The intensity of passion in Keiffer’s voice reveals the depth of the strain he is feeling. For a brief moment the room is plunged into silence, a silence broken only by the noise of the storm outside and an odd crackling noise. A noise almost lost within the violence of the tempest that still rages outside and with each gust of wind sets the windows and doors rattling. However the noise is there and seems to be coming from the direction of the living room…

Kieffer

The noise raises goosebumps on Kieffer’s arms. “Oh God, what now?”

But he heads to the living room door. He still has the shotgun in his hand. With the other, he turns the knob and opens the door.

"Careful!" hisses Sean. "It could be in there!"

Alister instinctively takes a step backward...

Dorothy stands protectively over Emilia. She's worried about her own skin, too.

Maynard takes a step towards the door.

"I'll use my jacket as insulation, just in case."

After removing his jacket and placing it against the door he then puts his ear against the door to see if he can hear anything through the door and jacket.

Keiffer, ignoring the ice that seems to be flowing through his veins, snaps the shotgun closed and takes a determined stance at the living room door, closed although none can remember closing it.
From behind him Sean’s voice hisses in his ear, yet as if in oblivion to the possible danger, Keiffer snatches at the door knob and pushes it open…

Keiffer,As the door flies open, the first thing that you notice is a smell of burning, something is on fire. The drapes that hang from the window near the remains of the assailant are charred, slowly burning, a mere moment away from bursting into flame. It is this slow burn that is producing the crackling noise that had been heard in the kitchen…

Alister, showing less backbone, takes a tentative step to his rear. The open door of the doc’s study/bedroom seeming to provide a suitable place of refuge in the event that Keiffer’s actions unleash some new horror upon them…

In the kitchen both Dorothy and Judith seem frozen to the spot above the still unconscious Emilia. Maynard with a nod to the ladies, steps through the kitchen doorway in pursuit of Sean and Keiffer.

Maynard,Even with the jacket muffling any sounds from within the room, you can still make out the crackling sound. However your chances of hearing much more is quickly dashed when the shotgun armed[b] Keiffer[/b] pushes the door wide. Instantly your nostrils are assailed by the acrid smell of smoke...

“Christ!” shouts Kieffer. “The place is going to go up!”

He quickly looks around for something – a rug maybe – to beat the drapes with.