Play@YSDC

Posted: **Wed May 01, 2019 3:10 pm**

Saturday September 21st

Arkham Sanitarium, 10am

The institution which houses the unfortunates suffering from disorders of the mind is just outside town. It is a fairly large place, containing beds for those who have voluntarily committed themselves, as well as more dangerous individuals.

The companions sign in and are received by a male orderly who escorts them to the high-security wing of the hospital. There, they are presented to Margaret’s doctor, Dr. Hardstrom. He is in his fifties, tired and careworn, but he receives the visitors cordially enough, although he appears a little cautious.

“Dr. Dwight and Margaret’s family are satisfied that you should be able to see her” he announces. “I however am a little more cautious, although I have granted their request. There has been no improvement in her condition so far. She maintains the delusions which led to the murder of her husband. She has been violent with staff and with herself, so she is under sedation and constant watch. Therefore, your visit will be supervised, and if there is any adverse reaction, it will end. I hope that is clear to you all.”

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2019 4:38 am**

"Thank you, Doctor," says Alice. "I understand."

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2019 6:03 am**

“Thank you” says Hardstrom. “Now, I must ask you, what is your reason for wanting to talk to Margaret?”

Posted: **Fri May 03, 2019 3:35 am**

"I want to try to understand how she could have done what she did," says Alice, "and help her if I can." And help Isadora, she thinks, but she keeps this to herself. She doesn't want her friend to end up in a padded cell next to Margaret's.

Posted: **Fri May 03, 2019 5:23 am**

Hardstrom nods. "Well, I hope you have more success than we’ve had so far.”

He leads the way to Margaret’s room, which is guarded by an orderly.

“Keyes here will be in the room at all times. Please refrain from touching Margaret or getting too close. She should be calm right now, but she can get easily upset.”

The room is unlocked and the companions enter. Keyes comes in behind them and locks the door.

The room is unfurnished apart from a bed bolted to the floor. The walls are padded, and there is a barred window which lets in a little light. Margaret is sitting cross-legged on the bed, bound in a strait jacket. Her dark hair is tied back but loose strands hang over her face which is pale and wan. She looks very tired.

She doesn’t look up as they enter. In fact she seems to be saying something. Getting closer, the companions can hear her reciting the same verses over and over…

“Yesterday upon the stair
I met a man who wasn’t there
He wasn’t there again today
I wish I wish he’d go away.
Yesterday upon the stair…”

Posted: **Sat May 04, 2019 5:36 am**

"Margaret, it's me, Alice Stanton," says Alice in a soft, soothing tone. "Do you remember me and my friends?"

Posted: **Sat May 04, 2019 3:29 pm**

Margaret stops her recital and her head lifts up. She looks over and sees Alice.

“Alice? Why yes of course I remember you! Why wouldn’t I? Contrary to what those doctors might tell you, there’s nothing wrong with my memory.”

She adopts an almost proud demeanor as she says this.

“How are things at the university?” she asks.

Posted: **Sat May 04, 2019 3:59 pm**

"Things are about the same as always," says Alice. "There's a lot of work to do with the fall semester getting underway. How are you doing?"

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2019 8:53 am**

“I’m absolutely fine,considering my present treatment. All of this is totally unnecessary”.

Margaret jerks her restrained arms inside the strait jacket for emphasis.

Posted: **Sun May 05, 2019 5:56 pm**

"Did the doctors tell you why you're in here?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Tue May 07, 2019 3:41 pm**

“Well, of course I’m locked up because of Thomas, Alice” replies Margaret. “But I’m not insane.”

Again she shuffles inside her strait jacket.

Posted: **Wed May 08, 2019 3:46 am**

"Why did you do it?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Wed May 08, 2019 3:00 pm**

“Well, it’s quite simple really” Margaret says, almost haughtily. “He’d taken up with that creeping woman in the walls. If your lover did that, I’m sure you’d kill them too.”

Posted: **Wed May 08, 2019 9:34 pm**

Harrison listen and observes Margaret from behind Alice.

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2019 2:36 am**

"Why didn't you kill the creeping woman?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2019 10:43 am**

Henry Glynn

"Did anyone tell you what to do Margaret?"

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2019 3:15 pm**

Margaret frowns at Henry’s question, declining to answer it. Instead she points towards the other remaining member of the party, Isadora, and answers Alice's question.

“How could I kill that woman?” she asks. “She’s right there with you.”

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2019 3:22 pm**

Henry Glynn

"Quite impossible - this is only our dear friend Isadora Carmichael"

Spoiler:

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2019 3:41 pm**

“Yes” Margaret sneers. “I’m sure that’s what she wants you to think.”

Posted: **Fri May 10, 2019 3:13 am**

Harrison frowns. "We are trying to understand what happened. That is all."

Posted: **Fri May 10, 2019 3:41 am**

"Are you saying that the creeping woman has possessed Isadora?" she asks with a shudder. "Isn't there some way to get her out?"

Posted: **Fri May 10, 2019 8:16 pm**

HoneyDog wrote:Margaret frowns at Henry’s question, declining to answer it. Instead she points towards the other remaining member of the party, Isadora, and answers Alice's question.

“How could I kill that woman?” she asks. “She’s right there with you.”

When Margaret points at her, Isadora feels a burning spot on her chest... Wild emotions rise inside, and she wants to shout "how dare you", but instead just freezes from the shock. "I'm not her, I'm not her," she murmurs.

Posted: **Sat May 11, 2019 3:56 am**

“She’s not possessed – she is the creeping woman! Don’t deny it!”

Margaret is becoming more animated, and the orderly stirs uneasily at the door.

Posted: **Sat May 11, 2019 4:27 am**

"How did you plan to deal with her?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Sat May 11, 2019 5:19 am**

“How can I do anything?” cries Margaret. “She’s untouchable! I saw her sometimes in that city, but she was never close enough to touch. She isn’t real!”

Posted: **Sat May 11, 2019 5:47 pm**

"Elisa told us that the woman was angry with you because you tried to stop her from coming back," says Alice. "How did you try to do that?"

Posted: **Sun May 12, 2019 3:56 am**

“At first I thought it was just the wallpaper” says Margaret, her eyes distant. “If I could destroy that, she wouldn't appear. But then I realized that she had seduced Thomas. I knew that if I killed him, she wouldn’t have anyone to return to. But now she’s here again!” she cries, pointing at Isadora.

Posted: **Sun May 12, 2019 7:21 pm**

"How did you first discover the creeping woman?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Mon May 13, 2019 3:17 pm**

Margaret is staring off into space.

“She was in the walls! I saw her in the wallpaper. She looked a lot like me, same height, same build. It was like looking in a mirror. And then she showed me the city.”

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 3:37 am**

"Tell me about the city," says Alice.

Posted: **Tue May 14, 2019 6:07 pm**

Isadora Carmichael

Isadora takes a few steps back from Margaret's bed, and, if there's a chair, sits down. Her hands are trembling as she waits for the woman's account of the city... Which she expects to be all too familiar.

Posted: **Thu May 16, 2019 3:39 pm**

“It’s a dark place” Margaret murmurs. “The buildings are old, but they don’t seem to fit. The streets are narrow but when they are filled with people, you feel alone. It’s like you’ve always been there. I always sense someone following me. I never feel safe.”

She shudders inside her jacket.

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 2:13 am**

"How did you get out of the city?" asks Alice, reasoning that that would be a useful thing to know.

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 3:47 pm**

Henry Glynn

"What do you think the creeping woman wants?"

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 3:52 pm**

Margaret looks mystified at Alice’s question.

“I’m back in the room” she replies.

As Henry asks his question, she nods her head in the direction of Isodora.

“Why don’t you ask her?” she snaps.

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 5:00 pm**

Henry Glynn

"Would the creeping woman speak the truth? What do you think she wants Margaret?"

Posted: **Fri May 17, 2019 7:24 pm**

HoneyDog wrote:As Henry asks his question, she nods her head in the direction of Isodora.

“Why don’t you ask her?” she snaps.

"I don't get into the city..." Isadora murmurs. "The city gets inside me!"

Posted: **Sat May 18, 2019 5:47 am**

Margaret struggles to her feet.

“You want to destroy me, don’t you?” she says to Isadora. “That’s what you’ve always wanted! That’s why you took Thomas!”

Posted: **Sat May 18, 2019 3:14 pm**

"Do you know her name?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Sun May 19, 2019 1:16 pm**

HoneyDog wrote:Margaret struggles to her feet.

“You want to destroy me, don’t you?” she says to Isadora. “That’s what you’ve always wanted! That’s why you took Thomas!”

"I didn't take Thomas... That was somebody else, not me. Can't you see, I'm a victim here, like you," Isadora mutters in answer. "Tell us more, then maybe we can help us both..."

Posted: **Sun May 19, 2019 3:21 pm**

“Jeszebel! Usurper! Whore!” shouts Margeret. “Pick one of those names!”

The orderly, Keyes, moves forward.

“Mrs Hannigan” he says calmly. “Please try to calm down. I’ll have to sedate you if you don’t. I know you don’t enjoy that.”

Margaret frowns at Isadora and shuffles back to her bed, where she sits down heavily.

Posted: **Sun May 19, 2019 8:10 pm**

Alice stands between Isadora and Margaret, hoping that Margaret will calm down if she can't see her. "Has she ever spoken to you before?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Mon May 20, 2019 3:17 pm**

“No, she’s just there. Just looking at me. Watching me” Margaret scowls.

Posted: **Tue May 21, 2019 2:40 am**

"Did she ever speak to Thomas?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Tue May 21, 2019 3:38 pm**

"She must have!" Margaret snaps. "She seduced him, didn't she?"

Posted: **Wed May 22, 2019 2:37 am**

"Do you have any idea how she got in the house in the first place?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Wed May 22, 2019 3:42 pm**

Margaret clucks her tongue in annoyance.

"I told you! Through the wallpaper!"

Posted: **Thu May 23, 2019 2:38 am**

"How did she manage it after you destroyed the wallpaper?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Fri May 24, 2019 4:01 pm**

"I didn't destroy it" comes the reply. "I wanted to, I tried. But I couldn't remove it with my bare hands. And Thomas and Beth wouldn't let me."

Posted: **Sat May 25, 2019 1:28 am**

"How did you find out she had seduced Thomas?" asks Alice. "Did you catch them together?"

Posted: **Mon May 27, 2019 3:39 pm**

"I knew it" says Margaret, in a whisper. "I could tell when he was in the room with me. The way he looked at the wallpaper".

Posted: **Mon May 27, 2019 4:19 pm**

Alice looks to her companions to see if they have any further questions for Margaret.

Posted: **Mon May 27, 2019 4:29 pm**

Henry Glynn

"How can we get rid of her? The creeping woman I mean. Not Mrs Carmichael ..."

Posted: **Tue May 28, 2019 3:14 pm**

Margaret shakes her head, staring at the floor. She seems to have forgotten Isadora.

"Maybe there's only one way. The final way." she says quietly.

Posted: **Tue May 28, 2019 3:45 pm**

Henry Glynn

"You mean ...."

Posted: **Thu May 30, 2019 7:29 pm**

"If only there was a way to get to the city where she came from. Then maybe we could prevent her from coming back. Harrison says hesitantly. "Did she try to stop you when you fought with Thomas? Or have any reaction at all?"

Posted: **Fri May 31, 2019 3:10 pm**

"There's only one way to stop her" mutters Margaret.

She stands up and looks straight at Isadora.

"You must kill her!" she shouts.

Posted: **Sat Jun 01, 2019 4:39 am**

"I'd like to talk about your writing," says Alice, changing the subject. "I've had the opportunity to read it recently, and it's quite good. Tell me, where do you get your ideas?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 05, 2019 3:01 am**

But Margaret is up and pacing around.

“I think we’d better stop here” says the orderly. “Please sit down, Mrs. Hannigan.”

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:37 am**

Henry Glynn

Henry turns to Alice:

"I think we should leave now my dear. All of this must be very upsetting for Isadora."

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 3:09 am**

"Yes, for her and for Margaret," says Alice. She ushers Isadora out of the room.

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 12:42 pm**

Henry Glynn

"Don't worry Mrs Hannigan - everything will be alright." says Henry, but his words lack conviction.

Posted: **Thu Jun 06, 2019 4:58 pm**

Harrison will leave with the others. "That wasn't very enlightening." He says.

Posted: **Sat Jun 08, 2019 7:17 pm**

Henry Glynn

"Poor woman. I'm not sure how we can help her - dispatching Mrs Carmichael not being an option."

Posted: **Sun Jun 09, 2019 2:42 pm**

Keyes locks the door behind the companions. Dr. Hardstrom comes up to them.

“What did she say?” he asks, trying to mask his eagerness.

Posted: **Sun Jun 09, 2019 8:24 pm**

"She was surprisingly open and forthcoming," says Alice, "though I think she was putting on an act. She freely admitted to killing her husband because she believed he was having an affair with the woman in the walls, who she's now convinced is Isadora."

Posted: **Sun Jun 09, 2019 8:38 pm**

Henry Glynn

"Have you ever known such a case Dr Hardsrom?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 10, 2019 3:21 pm**

“Well, yes” says Hardstrom. “It's not so uncommon. This appears to be a classic case of insanity due to depression. Margaret’s mental decline has been prolonged and has eventually led her to kill her husband. The story of the woman in the walls and the city are a fabrication – a way to justify her crime to herself and others.”

Posted: **Mon Jun 10, 2019 3:36 pm**

Henry Glynn

"I see. I see. But her story really is quite novel isn't it? Is there any hope of a cure?"

Posted: **Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:32 pm**

Hardstrom shakes his head.

“It’s not novel. It’s commonly seen affliction. Homicidal delusions brought on by insanity. There’s no cure, I’m afraid.”

Posted: **Tue Jun 11, 2019 4:04 pm**

Henry Glynn

"I mean the actual story - the woman in the walls - I've never heard such a tale and I write this kind of stuff."

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 2:22 am**

"So did Margaret," says Alice. "It was a good creative outlet for her. It's a shame her husband wouldn't allow her to write any more. That may have contributed to the tragedy."

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 3:52 pm**

Hardstrom frowns as he considers his answers.

“Yes, I’m aware of her history of writing. Dr. Dwight informs me that she has always had an active imagination, ever since her youth. No doubt this may well be the reason for the intricacy of the fantasy she has constructed.”

He turns to Henry.

“Individuals construct their own worlds, based on their own experiences. Henceforth, every story is different. No, I haven’t heard Margaret’s story about the woman in the walls before. But I’ve heard stories like it. It’s pure paranoia.”

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 6:29 pm**

Henry Glynn

"Will we ever understand the workings of the human mind I wonder?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 8:39 pm**

"I wonder if that's all this is in the end. A sad case of a man mistakenly doing what he thought was right for his wife and it ended in tragedy." Harrison ponders out loud.

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2019 8:41 pm**

"What else did you learn from Dr. Dwight?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Fri Jun 14, 2019 3:44 pm**

“Well, yes” says Dr. Hardstrom. “I wouldn’t usually discuss a patient in such detail you understand,” he says quickly, “but I think the circumstances warrant it. Dr. Dwight told me about the treatment that Dr. Hannigan had proscribed, and I must share his view that it is likely to have exacerbated Margaret’s condition.”

He looks thoughtful. “I believe he did make several bad decisions, decisions he wasn’t qualified to make.”

Posted: **Sat Jun 15, 2019 3:42 am**

"Yes, I think we're all in agreement there," says Alice. "How does Margaret regard Dr, Dwight?"

Posted: **Sat Jun 15, 2019 3:58 pm**

"I'm sorry" says Hardstrom. "I've really no idea. She has never talked about him to me."

Posted: **Sat Jun 15, 2019 4:11 pm**

"Have you ever been to the Bosworth house, Dr. Hardstrom?" asks Alice.

Posted: **Sun Jun 16, 2019 7:27 am**

"No, I haven't" comes the reply. "I didn't know the Hannigans".

Posted: **Mon Jun 17, 2019 1:23 am**

"Is there any chance that Margaret's delusion could have at least some basis in reality?" asks Alice. "Perhaps there's no woman in the walls, but could there have been another woman?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 19, 2019 3:46 pm**

"I believe that the police investigated the possibility and found nothing" says Hardstrom. "It's possible I suppose, but it may just be Margaret's way of justifying her actions, mainly to herself".

Posted: **Wed Jun 19, 2019 4:22 pm**

Henry Glynn

"What will happen to Margaret?"

Posted: **Thu Jun 20, 2019 3:30 pm**

"She'll remain here for treatment. Hopefully, after time, she'll begin to comprehend what she's done, and eventually come to terms with it. But we have to accept that that may never happen. We'll do our best for her."

Hardstrom looks grim but determined as he says this.

"I want to thank you all for your interest in Margaret. I hope her family will begin to recover with your support. These... events... the families are often the ones who are left behind."

Posted: **Fri Jun 21, 2019 5:05 am**

"You're welcome, and thank you for helping her, Doctor," says Alice. "It's going to be especially hard for Beth and the baby, but at least they'll have each other."

Posted: **Fri Jun 21, 2019 2:37 pm**

Hardstrom nods his thanks, and moves off on his rounds, after asking the orderly to escort the companions out.

OOC: If you have anything else to ask, you can stop him.

Posted: **Sat Jun 22, 2019 4:36 am**

Posted: **Sat Jun 22, 2019 5:34 pm**

"I don't think we can do anything more for Margaret... poor woman. We must try to stop the energy or whatever it is from bleeding over to our world. Harrison says. "We must protect Isadora from being drawn any further into this mess."

Posted: **Sat Jun 22, 2019 11:18 pm**

"Yes," says Alice, "and that means we're going to have to brave the house again."

Play@YSDC

Chapter 11: Margaret

Chapter 11: Margaret

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