Play@YSDC

Posted: **Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:44 am**

Friday March 14th, 1930 9.05pm.
The home of Ivy Ripley, Arkham, Mass.

Ivy had returned home, made a note about the people and places she intended to visit the following day, and made herself something to eat. She had washed the dishes and was just contemplating an early night when there was a knock at the door.

She opened the door to find Captain Keats standing on the step. “Miss Ripley? I need you to come with me! It seems that your colleagues have disappeared!”

Posted: **Sat Feb 27, 2021 7:10 pm**

Ivy’s irritation at having her evening disturbed is swiftly replaced with alarm.

“I beg your pardon? Disappeared?” Grabbing her coat and bag, she bustles out, shooing Captain Keats backwards. “Well let’s not dilly-dally; tell me what happened on the way to- where are we going exactly?”

Posted: **Sun Feb 28, 2021 12:27 am**

Keats lead the way to his car. As they drove off, he explained. ”We had a call from the proprietor at Oakfield House, some private nut house up in Cushing. Detective Reynolds and those two other gentlemen turned up to talk to Emily Livingstone - the girlfriend of James Fraser - and while they were there, there was some sort of incident and they ‘disappeared’. It wasn’t clear exactly how they disappeared; to be honest, the officer who took the call wasn’t sure if he was talking to one of the doctors or one of the patients!”

Posted: **Sun Feb 28, 2021 11:24 am**

Ivy purses her lips at this unsettling news. Had her compatriots fallen foul of another letter?

"When you say 'disappeared', did the officer mean completely? Are there any bodies?"

She doesn't bombard the officer with too many questions, as a visit to the hospital will no doubt raise plenty more.

Posted: **Sun Feb 28, 2021 1:44 pm**

”Disappeared is what I was told,” said Keats. “The call was just for us, no ambulance as far as I know, so ‘disappeared’...”

The rest of the journey was conducted in an uncomfortable silence. Keats drove too fast and a couple of times had to swerve to avoid traffic that was going too slow for his liking. Ivy could smell whiskey and she guessed he’d had a nightcap before the call had come his way.

After a while and to Ivy’s relief, Keats slowed down and they turned off the main road and onto a long driveway. At the end of the drive, there was a large house, colonial by the looks of it, with lights in all the windows. He parked the car and they were met at the door by a neatly attired but clearly rattled white-coated doctor, who introduced himself as Dr Roy, the director of Oakwood House.

As Dr Roy walked them through the house, he said, ”Detective Reynolds and his two colleagues arrived earlier this evening. They wanted to see Emily Livingstone, one of our guests. I took them through to our sun room where Miss Dufresne was leading the guests in their weekly art class....”

He paused, took off his glasses and cleaned them on the hem of his coat. ”After that, things got a bit surreal... As we went into the room, Miss Dufresne asked our guests to show their artwork. They had all painted the same, some weird symbol - nothing I’ve ever seen before. They dropped their papers and when they hit the floor, they somehow joined together and there was a... a... hole... is the best way I can explain it. It just hung there, in mid-air, and Miss Dufresne ran through it. Your detective tried to run after her and then his colleagues went too... They... they all just disappeared and then so did the hole... ... ...”

Roy looked at Ivy and Keats. ”I’m a psychiatrist. If a guest told me that story, I’d assume they were hallucinating. But I saw this with my own eyes...” He shook his head and walked on, then pushed open a door marked sunroom, into a large windowed room that overlooked the sea.

Posted: **Sun Feb 28, 2021 8:37 pm**

“If I hadn’t recently had certain experiences Doctor, I’d say you were more than hallucinating,” says Ivy curtly as she steps into the room.

Her eyes scan the floor for any remaining paintings.

“Did Miss Dufresne reside on site? If not, I imagine you have her address in your employee records? Captain Keats, I suggest you secure her place of residence.”

It doesn’t occur to Ivy for one second that she shouldn’t be taking charge of the investigation!

Posted: **Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:54 pm**

Keats raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

On the floor in the middle of the room there were sheets of artists’ paper in a rough semi-circle. Ivy had to repress a shudder at the sight of the all too familiar symbol drawn on the sheets, which appeared to be joined to their neighbours with some sort of withered vines.

”Miss Dufresne lived on site,” said Dr Roy. ”She is the daughter of a friend of mine and has worked for me for the last two years, but I have known her all my life. She has never done anything like this before. I am at a loss to explain it.”

Posted: **Mon Mar 01, 2021 11:22 am**

“Perhaps our first priority is the well-being of the missing persons,” says Ivy, tearing her horrified gaze away from the paintings. “Captain, circulate their descriptions; perhaps your contemporaries will spot them. I am sure Mr. Fraser will be glad to know you are looking for his employees,” she continues, shamelessly name-dropping to spur the man into action.

“Doctor, perhaps you could show me to Miss Dufresne’s room? With your permission I will take a look; in the meantime you can arrange an interview with Miss Emily Livingstone if you please,” she asks Dr. Roy. “Unless my colleagues spoke to the girl before this... incident. In which case I would like to see any notes that may have been taken.”

“Oh, and perhaps this room should be sealed off and a photographer called to document the scene before the paintings, paints, brushes and such are gathered up and sent to the university for analysis of possible pathogens. Based on personal experience, avoid all skin contact with anything!”

Posted: **Mon Mar 01, 2021 12:59 pm**

”That’s already been done,” replied Captain Keats evenly. ”Any sign of any of the missing persons is to be reported to me immediately and Amesbury PD are sending a photographer.” There was an edge to his voice. Taking control of the investigation was one thing; telling him how to do his job was something entirely different!

Perhaps sensing the tension, Dr Roy took Ivy’s arm and said, ”Let me show you Miss Dufresne’s room.” He lead her out of the sunroom and down a corridor, through a locked door marked ‘Staff Only’ and to the end of a series of doors. As Dr Roy unlocked the door, he said, ”Maria - Miss Dufresne - liked this room. She said she was inspired by the views.”

Ivy could see what she meant. The room was a good size, with a bed and chest of drawers. Windows overlooked the coast to the east and north and French doors lead to a small patio area outside. By the doors, an easel was set up with a partially completed painting. More canvases were stacked against the wall nearby.

Posted: **Mon Mar 01, 2021 1:47 pm**

Oblivious to the Captain’s chagrin, Ivy gives satisfied nod before following Dr. Roy to the room.

“May I take a look around?,” she asks, before inspecting the painting on the easel without waiting for a reply.

“Tell me, does the name Brophy mean anything to you?”

Posted: **Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:46 pm**

”I had not heard it before today,” replied Dr Roy. ”But I think it was the name your colleague called out before he disappeared with Miss Dufresne.”

The painting was good, executed with a fair degree of talent. It caught a morning sunrise just right and Ivy, despite herself, marvelled at the way the the colours had been captured.

Posted: **Mon Mar 01, 2021 7:18 pm**

"Miss Dufresne is certainly very talented," murmurs Ivy as she scrutinises the painting for anything resembling the symbol. "An artistic temperament perhaps? Have you noticed any changes in her behaviour recently Doctor?"

Posted: **Tue Mar 02, 2021 12:40 am**

There were no obvious signs of the symbol being incorporated into any the artwork on display.

”I had not noticed any changes in Miss Dufresne’s behaviour,” said Dr Roy. ”She was well-liked by staff and guests and I had no reason to think anything had changed.”

Posted: **Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:10 pm**

“Hm. Any noticeable change in the behaviour of your patients? Especially those in the art class?”

Ivy asks this while perusing the other paintings.

Posted: **Tue Mar 02, 2021 1:41 pm**

”Given the nature of what we do here, unusual behaviour is not unexpected,” replied Dr Roy. ”But I don’t recall anything that resembled the events earlier tonight. The guests appeared as if they were under some type of mass delusion or hysteria. They acted as one, which is not in itself unusual. Groups can adopt collective responses to certain stimuli but it isn’t something we have experienced here before.”

Posted: **Tue Mar 02, 2021 2:40 pm**

Ivy nods, before continuing to examine the other canvasses. If she finds nothing of interest she’ll start on the chest of drawers and bed.

Posted: **Tue Mar 02, 2021 11:54 pm**

The bedside drawers were full of sketch pads, pencils, charcoal sticks and what appears to be a journal. “Should, ah, you be looking through her private papers?” asked Dr Roy hesitantly.

Posted: **Wed Mar 03, 2021 10:24 am**

“Of course I should,” snaps Ivy, not deigning to look up from her search. “Clearly something very strange has happened to the girl and we need to discover what; unless people disappearing through holes in the floor is an everyday occurrence here.”

Posted: **Wed Mar 03, 2021 12:09 pm**

”It wasn’t a hole in the floor,” said Dr Roy, somewhat defensively. ”It was... I’m not sure how to describe it. It was in the middle of the room, hanging in mid-air...” He shook his head, as if he still couldn’t believe what he had seen.

Posted: **Wed Mar 03, 2021 4:24 pm**

"Then perhaps the time for semantics is past Dr. Roy," Ivy replies, her tone softening a little when she sees the conflict in the man's expression. "We need to get to the bottom of the phenomenon you witnessed and perhaps the key lies with Miss Dufresne; hence this invasion of her privacy."

If the poor Doctor is willing, she will bid him to help her search the room for clues.

Posted: **Wed Mar 03, 2021 9:11 pm**

After a moment’s contemplation, the doctor nodded. Wordlessly, he crossed to the other side of the bed to Ivy and started emptying out the contents of a bedside cabinet onto the bed.

Posted: **Wed Mar 03, 2021 9:34 pm**

Satisfied, Ivy goes through the girl’s belongings.

Posted: **Wed Mar 03, 2021 9:55 pm**

Posted: **Wed Mar 03, 2021 10:17 pm**

Posted: **Thu Mar 04, 2021 11:38 am**

It appeared that Miss Dufresne may have sketched a number of the guests as her sketchbook was full of portraits with names underneath. As she turned through the pages, Ivy came across a sketch of a shy-looking young woman with ‘Emily’ written underneath.

As Ivy studied the drawing, the features seems to morph before her eyes and the face of an older man - the man she had seen at Fraser’s mansion - leered at her!

Posted: **Thu Mar 04, 2021 1:43 pm**

Ivy lets out a startled yelp.

Posted: **Thu Mar 04, 2021 2:18 pm**

Startled by Ivy’s yelp of surprise, Dr Roy rushed over. ”What is it?” he asked. He took the sketch book from her, looking from the sketch to Ivy. ”This is the girl your colleagues came to see, is it not?”

Posted: **Thu Mar 04, 2021 7:46 pm**

"You didn't see... I could've sworn... Ahem, I mean, yes, I suppose so... never mind, there's been enough strangeness here for one day I think."

Regaining her composure, Ivy continues her search, before requesting an interview with Emily.

Posted: **Fri Mar 05, 2021 12:53 pm**

Dr Roy studied Ivy carefully. ”What did you see?” he asked. ”This is a sketch of Emily, one of our guests. It looks perfectly normal, yet your reaction to it was not. You saw something else, didn’t you?”

Posted: **Fri Mar 05, 2021 2:35 pm**

Ivy sighs, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

“I can fool myself perhaps, but not a professional... Ever since this strangeness began, I’ve been having visions of the same person...”

She tells Dr. Roy an abridged version of their adventures so far, including the murderous symbols, the waking dream she had at the bank, the figure in the mirror and now the face in the sketch.

“I very much think it’s this sinister Brophy fellow, even though he’s supposed to be dead. You can’t tell me I’m imagining things, not after what you yourself have seen today.”

Posted: **Fri Mar 05, 2021 3:08 pm**

Dr Roy looked at the photo once more. ”Well, you are seeing something I am not, so your brain is doing something different to mine. Some people claim to have second sight and claim to see things that others cannot. They cannot provide evidence of the things they claim to see, yet the the claims persist, so there are clearly things we do not understand. I don’t say this to judge whether or not you can see anything different to me, just that the possibility exists.”

He looked around the room. ”If there is nothing else here, I will ask Emily to join us in my office and you can speak to her.” He lead Ivy back through the house and left her in his office. He returned shortly with a tray of drinks and Emily following timidly behind.

As the doctor pulled forward a seat for Emily and handed out the cups of tea, he said gently, ”Emily - this is Miss Ripley. She is working with the police to find out what happened to Miss Dufresne and the other gentlemen. She just needs to ask you some questions.”

He nodded to Ivy to start asking her questions.

Posted: **Fri Mar 05, 2021 8:07 pm**

Ivy makes a stab at a friendly smile as she sits opposite Emily.

“Good evening Miss Livingstone, I hope the, I’m, incident in the art room hasn’t upset you. Would you mind telling me what happened?”

Posted: **Sat Mar 06, 2021 2:00 am**

Emily looked to Dr Roy, who gave her a reassuring nod. "I.. I’m not really sure," she said, weakly. "We were doing Miss Dufresne’s art class but I don’t remember anything of what I was drawing. She was talking to us and... and.. and I’m not sure what happened, but it sounded like a man talking. With a strange accent, like the ones you hear in films, sometimes. You know?”

”Anyway, I don’t know whether I drifted off with the painting but the next thing I know is that I see Dr Roy at the door with some of James’ friends. I wave to them but then I hear the man’s voice again - except it’s coming from Miss Dufresne this time. I can feel myself standing up although I’ve got no control over myself - it feels like I’m a puppet, with someone else controlling what I do.”

”I can’t stop myself - I have to do as the voice tells me so I show them my drawing and then drop it on the floor. All the drawings somehow join together and then a hole appears - like a door into another room except that it doesn’t have a frame - and Miss Dufresne runs through it, followed by James’ friends and that other fellow they were with. They just disappeared!”

Posted: **Sat Mar 06, 2021 1:36 pm**

Ivy scrutinises the girl carefully while she talks, trying to discern whether she’s as innocent as she makes out.
”What do you think of James’ friends? I gather both you and they have a mutual acquaintance in a Mr. Brophy.”

Posted: **Sat Mar 06, 2021 11:39 pm**

Emily shook her head. "Acquaintance? Does that mean friend? I don’t think of Mr Brophy as a friend."

”James’ friends have been good to me. They tried to find him and bring him home to me. They told me they tried but hadn’t been able to bring James back.”

"When Mr Brophy wrote to me he said he was a friend of James but I think that must have been after he... went away...” She dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. ”He’d never mentioned Mr Brophy before but he said James and I could be together again, so I just wanted to believe him.”

Posted: **Sun Mar 07, 2021 12:01 pm**

“And so you followed his orders and sent him his book. What happened next?” Ivy asks.

Posted: **Sun Mar 07, 2021 2:34 pm**

Emily shook her head again. "I didn’t send it to him. I did as Mr Brophy asked and went to the hotel to find it, even though it was creepy and it smelled disgusting.” She wrinkled her nose at the memory of it. ”It was where he said it would be, hidden behind a panel in the wall. The hotel was empty and it looked like somebody had smashed it up, but it was still there."

”I took the book home but Mr Brophy didn’t write to me again. I began to lose hope of seeing James so I thought if I read the book, I might be able to help him...” Her eyes filled with tears and she snuffled into her handkerchief once more.

"I’m not really sure what happened after that. It was like I was in a dream, like I was in my body but watching as someone else was making me do things. Dr Morris came to see me because he said Mrs Webster was getting worried about me and I was sent here. It got more foggy after that until a few days ago when I started to seem more like myself again. I don’t really remember much about the foggy part.”

Posted: **Sun Mar 07, 2021 3:41 pm**

“Where is the book now?” asks Ivy.

Posted: **Sun Mar 07, 2021 5:48 pm**

"I have it in my room,” replied Emily simply. ”In fact, Miss Dufresne had just mentioned it before James’ friends arrived. I’m not sure how she knew about the book as I hadn’t spoken to her about it."

Posted: **Sun Mar 07, 2021 10:58 pm**

"Had she mentioned anything strange recently? Brophy for instance?" Ivy continues, fighting the temptation to go and grab the book straight away. "How do you think Dufresne, and indeed myself, know about the book?"

Posted: **Sun Mar 07, 2021 11:56 pm**

"I don’t know,” replied Emily with a shake of her head. ”I-I hadn’t shown it to people. I think Dr Roy just thought it was a journal of sorts...” The doctor blushed red at that point, realising that he should have checked the book Emily had been admitted with. ”We try to respect the privacy of our guests...” he said weakly.

"Now I come to think of it,” continued Emily. ”Miss Dufresne referred to it as ‘my book’ a few times. What do you think she meant by that?”

Posted: **Mon Mar 08, 2021 1:20 pm**

“I suspect Brophy has some kind of hold over her; perhaps even to the point that she believes she actually is him somehow,” Ivy replies, considering the possibility that Brophy had somehow possessed Dufresne but not wishing to cause alarm by saying it out loud.

“Perhaps it was she who wrote the threatening letters to my associates... or did you have a hand in those?” she continues. “Doctor, perhaps you could obtain some handwriting samples?”

Posted: **Mon Mar 08, 2021 2:05 pm**

”From Miss Dufresne?” asked Dr Roy. ”We’ll have a sample somewhere. She’s bound to have... ...” He thought for a moment then clicked his fingers. ”I took her on as she is the daughter of a friend of mine, but she did write to me to apply for the job. I’ll have a copy on her file.”

He stood and moved over to a filing cabinet in the corner of his office. As he searched for Miss Dufresne’s records, he said, ”Do you have the handwriting you wish to compare?”

Posted: **Mon Mar 08, 2021 3:03 pm**

”Not with me, no; the letters are being held as evidence, but with your permission I’d like to borrow her application.”

OOC: Am I right in thinking she doesn’t have any of the envelopes?

Posted: **Mon Mar 08, 2021 4:25 pm**

”I’m not sure I can let you take it away,” said Dr Roy. ”But if you read it, would you not recognise if the handwriting was hers or not?”

He opened the file and handed it to Ivy so she could read the letter of application.

Posted: **Mon Mar 08, 2021 4:29 pm**

”Perhaps I can recall...” says Ivy, looking at the handwriting.

Posted: **Mon Mar 08, 2021 4:31 pm**

The writing in the letter showed good penmanship, although it was a trifle over-fussy to Ivy’s eyes. Nevertheless, she was sure it wasn’t the writing she had previously seen on the envelopes sent to Mr Fraser at the bank and his home.

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2021 8:44 am**

Ivy thanks Dr. Roy before turning back to the girl.

“Why did you send the letters to Mr. Fraser?”

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2021 12:28 pm**

"What letters?” replied Emily. ”I don’t know what letters you mean.”

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2021 3:41 pm**

“Are you certain? Not even under influence?” asks Ivy, eyes narrowing.

“Doctor, might I trouble you for a sample of Miss Livingstone‘s handwriting, just to make sure?”

Posted: **Tue Mar 09, 2021 4:46 pm**

Tears sprung to Emily’s. "I don’t know,” she said, through trembling lips. ”I don’t remember writing any letters, but I was in a fog..." She put her hand to her mouth and the tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Dr Roy opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a sheaf of paper. He pushed it across the desk to Emily with a pen. Looking at him, he nodded and she started to write down her address in Amesbury. As the pen scratched across the paper, Ivy instantly recognised the handwriting- it was the same as the envelopes sent to Mr Fraser!

Posted: **Wed Mar 10, 2021 10:50 pm**

Ivy shows the handwriting comparison to Emily, raising an eyebrow archly.

"Perhaps we'd better get this book, hm?"

Posted: **Wed Mar 10, 2021 11:57 pm**

Emily nodded mutely, tears running down her cheeks. Dr Roy stood and opened the office door to allow them to go out into the corridor, where Emily lead the way to her room.

Her room was small and a bit untidy, with some of her paintings stuck to the walls. Emily pulled open a drawer in her bedside cabinet and withdrew a book, bound in a greenish leather, with symbols etched into the cover. Wordlessly, she handed the book to Ivy.

Posted: **Thu Mar 11, 2021 7:33 pm**

Resisting the urge to open the book, Ivy tucks it under her arm. Truth be told she's unsure whether to immediately burn the hateful thing or look for a way to bring her colleagues back within it's pages.

She decides to wait and see, turning her attention to the conundrum that is Emily.

"Doctor Roy, do you practice hypnotism in this establishment?" she asks.

Posted: **Fri Mar 12, 2021 12:16 am**

The doctor raised a sceptical eyebrow. ”It isn’t something we would use, but I am aware of the technique, although I’m a little rusty. Are you proposing to hypnotise Emily?”

Emily herself looked rather concerned at the prospect of being hypnotised.

Posted: **Fri Mar 12, 2021 10:21 am**

Noting their discomfort, Ivy attempts to explain herself.

“Miss Livingstone, you followed Brophy’s instructions and collected his book, yes? Do you remember what happened after that? A number of, shall we say, poison pen letters, addressed in your handwriting, were sent to certain people. Yet you have no recollection of doing this.”

“Perhaps hypnosis can clear the smog between you obtaining the book and today. Unless you know of another way Doctor? I will of course bow to your professional opinion.”

Posted: **Fri Mar 12, 2021 2:42 pm**

Emily’s hand flew to her mouth. She looked visibly shocked and, unless Ivy had mis-judged her terribly, it appeared that the young woman had no recollection of what she had done.

Dr Roy studied her for a long moment, then looked to Ivy. ”If Emily is willIng to be hypnotised, then I am prepared to try,” he said. Emily nodded silently, her eyes wide and tears still flowing.

Dr. Roy glanced at the clock on the wall. ”Do you want to try now or in the morning, once Emily has had chance to compose herself?”

Posted: **Fri Mar 12, 2021 3:28 pm**

"Who knows what will transpire during the night?" replies Ivy. "If the hour is not too late, I suggest we do it now."

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2021 12:33 am**

Dr Roy sighed. The results would most likely be better in the morning but the woman was insistent. ”We’ll use one of the treatment rooms,” he said, and he lead the two women out of Emily’s bedroom and down the corridor, through some double doors and into a room nearby.

In the room was a examination table and a couple of easy chairs. Dr Roy bid Emily lie on the treatment table and close her eyes, while he quietly shut the blinds and lowered the light level in the room. He pointed to the chairs, indicating that Ivy should take a seat, then started talking to Emily in a low, sonorous tone...

After ten minutes, he said quietly, ”I have done what I can. You may ask your questions now.”

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:40 am**

“Emily,” Ivy says softly. “Take us back to when you picked up the book. What happened next?”

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2021 11:35 am**

Emily spoke in a monotone. "I brought the book back to Mrs Webster’s. I waited for Mr Brophy to write like he said, but he never did.” She paused for a while then spoke again. ”I thought if Mr Brophy was going to use the book to bring James back then I might be able to do the same. I tried to read it, but it didn’t make any sense to me.”

She paused again, longer this time, and her face twisted into a frown. ”I put it away but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every day, everywhere I went, it was all I could think about.”

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2021 12:26 pm**

Ivy takes notes in shorthand.

“Did the book tell you to write the letters? What else did it say?” she asks, certain that the girl wouldn’t have done such things of her own volition.

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2021 2:02 pm**

Emily shook her head.

"It was not easy to read, but I tried my best for James.” Her face screwed up in concentration. ”There were many words... spells... ... One said it could be used to speak to someone else... ... I tried to speak to James... ...” She gave out a wracking sob and Dr Roy quickly moved to her side to check on her well-being.

”Be careful!” he whispered to Ivy. ”The trauma of re-living these events could damage her mind. Precede cautiously!”

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2021 5:34 pm**

Ivy considers her next question carefully.

“But you spoke to Brophy instead of James? If he made you write those letters, it’s not your fault - you don’t have to feel bad.”

Posted: **Sun Mar 14, 2021 12:57 am**

Emily nodded tearfully.

"I saw James but there was fire and pain! So much pain!” she sobbed. ”I cried out to him but he didn’t hear me, someone else did!” Emily’s eyes were wide but couldn’t see anyone in the room; she was re-living the nightmare again.

"There was a man, crawling in the ditch, trying to escape! And people were hitting him, trying to drown him! I felt his ribs break and... and then he was gone...” With that, she slumped forward, as if in a faint.

Posted: **Sun Mar 14, 2021 8:03 pm**

Ivy sighs in irritation, partly at the girl's obviously wishy-washy spirit and partly at her own impatient and pushy questions.

"Perhaps you'd better make her comfortable Doctor. With your permission I'd like to try again - my colleagues are still missing after all an I need to find out the story behind all this."

After presumptuously ordering Dr. Roy to confiscate the girl's writing supplies, she dismisses him with a curt good-night. Then, following a brief check-in with Captain Keats, she will head home for the night, the accursed book tucked firmly under her arm.

Posted: **Sun Mar 14, 2021 11:16 pm**

It was well after 1.00am before Ivy returned home.

Dr Roy had two nurses help Emily to her room where she would be kept under observation overnight. Much to Ivy’s annoyance, Captain Keats had insisted on being briefed by the doctor before he consented to driver her back to Arkham. Ivy really wasn’t sure why she couldn’t have briefed him in the car!

When he eventually dropped her off at home, she placed the book on her dining table before completing her bedtime ablutions. When she was ready for bed, she returned to the dining room, where the leather-bound tome waited for her...

Posted: **Mon Mar 15, 2021 12:20 pm**

Ivy pauses for a moment, looking at the book as if it were an animal poised to attack.

“Somehow I doubt you’ll let me sleep for long, but I intend to try,” she snaps. “I’m no foolish, lovelorn slip of a girl.”
She locks the book in her writing desk before settling into bed.

Posted: **Mon Mar 15, 2021 2:52 pm**

Saturday March 15th, 1930 8.30am.
The home of Ivy Ripley, Arkham, Mass.

Ivy slept much better than she anticipated. If the events of the previous evening had impinged upon her dreams, she had no recollection of it by the time she work.

The day was bright and dry, with early spring sunshine coming in through her bedroom window.

Posted: **Mon Mar 15, 2021 8:16 pm**

Ivy washes, dresses and breakfasts with her usual brisk efficiency.

"No use putting it off Ripley," she says to herself over her grapefruit.

Still, she is honest with herself enough to give a nervous sigh as she opens her desk.

"Now, what can you tell me about all of this nonsense?" she asks the book (assuming it is still there).

Posted: **Wed Mar 17, 2021 12:09 am**

Posted: **Wed Mar 17, 2021 9:12 am**

Ivy will read the book. Not necessarily cover-to-cover though; she’s looking for a way to contact the others and find out where they are (if indeed they’re still alive). If she can recreate the ‘hole’ so they can come back, then all the better.

Posted: **Wed Mar 17, 2021 7:02 pm**

It was soon apparent to Ivy that skimming the book wasn’t going to give her the answers she wanted. After just half an hour her head hurt - the strange symbol from the letters sent by Emily Livingstone predominated but there were others that Ivy couldn’t look at for too long without feeling nauseous.

The language in the book varied from English to Latin to some other strange tongue. Ivy found herself murmuring, ”Iä! Iä! Gla’aki! Iä! Iä!” before catching herself. A shiver ran down her spine and she quickly looked around as she felt she was being watched.

Posted: **Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:23 pm**

Ivy clamps her hand over her mouth, the alien syllables somehow leaving an unpleasant taste in her mouth.

"I can see how the girl was influenced by you," she mutters to the book. "Perhaps I'm in under my head - I must consult an expert I think."

Closing the book and locking it back in her desk, she picks up her phone and, glancing nervously out of the window despite herself, dials the university, hoping to speak to Professor Jackson, assuming she's contactable at the weekend.

Posted: **Thu Mar 18, 2021 12:26 am**

The operator at Miskatonic University said she would put the call though but couldn’t guarantee that the Professor would be there, but, when connected, the phone only rang twice before it was picked up and Ivy heard a voice at the other end.

“Professor Jackson speaking. How may I help you?”

Posted: **Thu Mar 18, 2021 11:21 am**

"My name is Ivy Ripley," says Ivy without preamble. "You spoke to my colleague Mr. Preston regarding an unusual symbol, drawn from memory from a poisoned letter. You should also have received photographs of the same."

She pauses for a second.

"Well, I've come into possession of what I believe is the source of these symbols: to wit, a book. A very dangerous book it seems. I wonder if we can meet, so you can inspect it. I... well... Mr. Preston and our associates have disappeared and this book has something to do with it."

Posted: **Fri Mar 19, 2021 1:05 am**

“Well, I’ve come into the office today to do some research,” replied Professor Jackson. “If you’re happy to come into the office, we can compare notes?”

Posted: **Fri Mar 19, 2021 10:16 am**

"Very fortuitous; I shall arrive shortly."

After arranging a suitable time with Professor Jackson, she calls Mr. Fraser to keep him abreast of what's happened. She spares no details, however weird.

Posted: **Sat Mar 20, 2021 12:58 am**

Mr Fraser had seemed nonplussed at Ivy’s update of event. ”Disappeared? You mean they actually disappeared? Seems rather far-fetched to me!’ he had grumbled, but nevertheless he told her to continue with her investigation. It was only after the call ended that she realised he hadn’t asked her about Emily and Ivy wondered if he was getting information from Captain Keats as well.

Shortly before 11.00am, she made her way to the Miskatonic University. There were a few students around and one of them was kind enough to take Ivy to Professor Jackson’s office. Really, it was little more than a cubbyhole and it felt smaller because of all the shelves full of books that crowded the walls. Ivy could just about squeeze herself into the spare chair so she could sit down.

Professor Jackson had the photographs of the strange image in front of her. “This is quite interesting,” she said. “What can you tell about it? Let’s start with how you came to find it.”

Posted: **Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:55 pm**

Ivy gives the Professor an abridged story of what has transpired over the last few days: the murderous letters, her hallucinations, the girl Emily, her colleagues’ disappearance, the patient’s artwork and finally the hypnosis session.

“...and at the heart of it all, I believe, is this.”

She puts the book down in front of them and sits back to gauge her reaction.

Posted: **Sat Mar 20, 2021 10:43 pm**

Professor Jackson sat forward, instantly interested in the book that her visitor had brought her. She opened the book and started to leaf through it. She turned the pages with one hand and made notes with the other, her pen scratching across the paper. As Ivy watched, she sketched the symbol she had seen in the book, sharp movements, the nib of the pen almost tearing through the paper, before she underlined it forcefully, twice!

Ivy shivered and thought that the book may have got to Professor Jackson but she looked up and smiled and the atmosphere lifted. “Fascinating, isn’t it?” she said. “As far as I can tell, the author worships some creature that he considers to be a deity of sorts, although what he gains from that worship, I’m not sure. It seems almost blind devotion, although the author seems to be an intelligent man.”

She paused, looked at the sketch and back at Ivy. ”Specifically, what is it you need to know from this book?”

Posted: **Sun Mar 21, 2021 12:11 pm**

“If owner of this book, who supposedly died, somehow possessed an art teacher called Dufresne.” Ivy explains. “And then used her students to create some kind of portal via their paintings, I would like to know how to reverse such a thing and bring my colleagues back.”

“This book seems to exert a sinister influence. Therefore I need someone with intelligence and an objective mind to help me. You, in other words.”

Posted: **Tue Mar 23, 2021 12:02 am**

”It’s kind of you to think that I am intelligent and objective,” replied Professor Jackson. ”But if I understand you correctly, you think this book will provide you with whatever you need to open a door to another place where your friends have gone. You understand how that sounds, don’t you? Whilst many civilisations believed in magic - including even our own at one time - there is no proof that such power is anything more than suggestion, deception and illusion. Certainly, some things remain unexplained, but that is because we haven’t found the answers yet, not because magic is involved.”

Professor Jackson sat forward in her chair, and looked intently at Ivy. ”I am willing to help you but I fear that whatever had happened to your friends may not be solved by the contents of this book..”

Posted: **Tue Mar 23, 2021 1:34 pm**

”Whether magic exists or not is irrelevant,” snaps Ivy. “The fact remains that people have either died or disappeared and this book is my only tangible lead.”

She pauses, visibly struggling to calm her temper.

“It all sounds very strange, I grant you, but a respected medical professional, not to mention his charges, witnessed my companions’ disappearance. Furthermore, from what I’ve heard of their previous encounters, I am inclined not to be so sceptical.”

Posted: **Tue Mar 23, 2021 8:09 pm**

Professor Jackson studied Ivy for a long moment. She cleared her throat and said, ”You read the journal and I’ll continue to look into the symbol. There’s a desk in the study room next door, if you want to use it. Let’s see how far we get by lunchtime.”

Posted: **Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:54 am**

Careful not to utter strange litanies again, Ivy pores through the book.

Posted: **Thu Mar 25, 2021 6:42 pm**

The journal was a mix of English, sporadic Latin and another language which Ivy could not decipher. As she read the journal it became apparent that it had been written over many years, if not decades. The first entries which seemed to date back to the previous century, referred to the writer - presumably Brophy - leaving their home country and making a new life in America.

‘It is abhorrent to me that we should be chased from this town by the wretched curs who live here. Nevertheless, leave we must, lest our lord and master be injured. Better to leave and give no cause for further investigation than to tarry and risk all being undone.’

‘In time, we hope to return but for now we go to make a new life in the Americas. Gla’aki - Iä! Iä! Gla’aki! Iä! Iä! - has foreseen that opportunity awaits us there!’

A later entry seems to refer to their journey to the New World.

‘Poor master Todd. Lost overboard they say. Sad that such a bright and inquisitive young man should be parted from his family as they sailed to a land of opportunity...’

‘Gla’aki c' ahmggoka vulgtmor! Sate ymg' llll h' bthnk!’

A further entry appeared to have been written once Brophy arrived and had settled in America. It seemed that they had moved around a few times at that point.

‘This seems a most suitable location for the continuation of our mission. The townsfolk are agreeable, without interesting themselves in each other’s business and I seem to have found an appropriate place for our lord and master to reside. We have been approached by a local itinerant who is down on his luck and seeking work. I have just the job for him!’

‘H' ephaiah ehyeog ot c' ah'hri! L' vulgtmah c' uh'eog ng uh'eog! Iä! Iä!’

It seemed however that Brophy and his brother had moved on as the locals began to take an interest in them. The reason for that interest wasn’t elaborated upon, but the inference was that they had come under suspicion for some illegal activity and it was best for them if they moved before the law caught up with them.

Brophy wrote with interest about the burgeoning use of the motor car, positing that it may present an opportunity for a more settled existence. A page or two later, then was a cut-out from a newspaper in 1923, referring to a sale of property by auction that was taking place in Arkham.

’Ahornah Gla’aki hafh ya. Ah'n'gha riuh'eor ahf' ph'nglui ah! Iä! Iä! Gla’aki! Iä! Iä!’

A later entry read, ’It goes well. We have guests regularly and our master is happy. I must go - another guest has just arrived.’

‘Gla’aki ephaimgep mgepnah ah'hri n'ghftyar!’

Posted: **Thu Mar 25, 2021 7:51 pm**

Ivy reads with a growing sense of foreboding. She knows a little of her colleagues' experiences with this man, but clearly Brophy had been luring unfortunates into his clutches for some time. As to who this 'master' is... she is not sure she wants to find out!

Nevertheless, she plunges on, hoping to find mention of portals, doorways, holes in the ground - anything that might allude to the others' disappearance.

Posted: **Sun Mar 28, 2021 12:41 am**

At the back of the book, Ivy found something unusual. There was a page which seemed to be double thickness but when she opened the journal to that page, it appeared that another, much older page had been glued into the journal. Its thickness and texture made Ivy wonder if it were parchment or even vellum.

On this page, handwritten in a shaky hand, were a series of passages in what looked to Ivy like Latin.

Fui sto hic illic in aeternum stabat inter primum nunc et in futuro. Et apertum est ostium, per gradus, et ego tantum accipere quia pertransibo in medio portae et immutabimur.

Quapropter et descensu triviis quam merge Quatuor pertransiet. Ego autem casu ad coniunctas, et Fatum, et Libet me inveniet viam meam et statim exilit ambulare.

Aperite portam! Qui tamdiu non sum ostium portae quae pergit sine loco et non tardabit. Aperite portam! Ego flos per id, quod omnia in mundo meo est dominicum. Aperite portam! Voluntatis est peregrinatione mea et ego non ullis cavillis sit obnoxia.

Attende, vento et quaerere consilio tuo. Ego offerre donum spiritus meus in haec verba loquor. Ad ostium portae quae non video: inter locum et locum. Loqueris ad me: ventus. Et tu iter quo nunc - porta hoc dicite mihi, quid latet in parte altera.

Sto loco isto amet porta ultra mundum. Et magicae simul coniungere istis: nunc autem hic late proris exaratum portal.

Posted: **Sun Mar 28, 2021 10:16 am**

Not being conversant in Latin, Ivy takes the book to the Professor. Perhaps she can make sense of the passage?

Posted: **Sun Mar 28, 2021 4:34 pm**

Professor Jackson looked up from the book she was studying as Ivy entered her office. She listened as Ivy showed her what she had found.

”This looks to be considerably older,” she said, examining the page with the Latin writing.”It appears to be have been taken from another book. You can see here” - she indicated the slightly ragged border running down the left-hand margin - ”where it has been removed.”

She read the text with a frown on her face. ”I’m not fluent in Latin by any means,” she admitted, ”But many words we use have their roots in Latin. Porta for example, means Portal or Door. And pertransiet and ambulare might refer to travel. ” She looked at Ivy quizzically. ”What do you think this means?” she asked.

Posted: **Mon Mar 29, 2021 9:57 pm**

“Honestly, I have no idea,” sighs Ivy. “Perhaps it points the way, a method if you will, of travelling through a door?”

Posted: **Tue Mar 30, 2021 10:08 pm**

Professor Jackson smiled wanly. ”It’s a possibility,” she said. ”I’m not saying that it’s anything more than a story or a poem, but I will ask one of my colleagues if he can translate it for you.”

She gently closed the journal and pulled another book towards her. ”I have looked into your symbol and have found some examples.” She carefully opened the book and turned it so Ivy could see it clearly. ”It occurs at only a few locations around the world - at Kaali in Soviet Estonia; Saarijärvi in Finland and in a town called Brichester, in England. It isn’t really clear what links the three locations, but the same symbol was found in all three places.”

A full colour plate of what appeared to be a weathered stone carving of the now familiar symbol filled one page, and Ivy felt a shiver of trepidation down her spine.

Posted: **Thu Apr 01, 2021 10:59 am**

"Beastly thing!" Ivy declares. "Are there any theories as to what it means? Clearly it's use was somewhat widespread at some time."

Posted: **Sat Apr 03, 2021 12:49 am**

”I’m not sure widespread is the right term. After all, it was only found in three locations,” replied Professor Jackson. ”As for it’s usage, it’s difficult to say. We can’t always decipher the reasons why a symbol is used, although it could be significant that it is used in three locations so far apart. That suggests there is a link, if nothing else. I can make some further enquiries, if you like?”

Posted: **Sat Apr 03, 2021 8:02 pm**

“Yes, if you would be so kind,” Ivy replies. “Your assistance is very much appreciated as, alas, I lack the academic know-how.”

Posted: **Sat Apr 03, 2021 11:39 pm**

”Very well, let me take your address and I’ll let you have anything I can find out,” said Professor Jackson and she made a note of Ivy’s address on a scrap of paper on her desk.

”Is there anything else I can help you with?” she asked.

Posted: **Sun Apr 04, 2021 10:21 pm**

“Yes, there is one more thing,” says Ivy. “I was led to believe that there was something in the book that supposedly allowed one to communicate with others who would otherwise be... indisposed. Have you found anything like that within its pages?”

Posted: **Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:11 am**

”Indisposed?” said Professor Jackson with a puzzled tone. ”I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

Posted: **Mon Apr 05, 2021 10:26 pm**

"Dead," replies Ivy, matter-of-factly. "Supposedly it can be used to talk to the dead."

Posted: **Mon Apr 05, 2021 11:56 pm**

Professor Jackson raised a puzzled eyebrow. ”You mean in the way that a medium might claim to communicate with the deceased? I saw nothing to suggest that in the journal.”

Posted: **Tue Apr 06, 2021 4:26 pm**

"How very odd; the last person to read this was sure that was the case, and she is hardly the sharpest tool in the box."

Ivy frowns, scrutinizing the Professor's expression.

"Are you absolutely sure?"

Posted: **Tue Apr 06, 2021 5:40 pm**

Posted: **Tue Apr 06, 2021 5:53 pm**

Posted: **Tue Apr 06, 2021 6:44 pm**

”You read the journal. Did you see anything in there about it?” Her tone was decidedly cooler - she didn’t appreciate Ivy’s line of questioning, especially as she was trying to help her out.

Posted: **Wed Apr 07, 2021 12:27 pm**

As usual, Ivy pays little attention to the feelings of others!

“No, nothing I could see. Would you like to keep hold of the book for your research?”

While undoubtedly important, she is not keen to keep the evil tome in her possession.

Posted: **Wed Apr 07, 2021 1:55 pm**

”I’ll need it if my colleague is to translate the Latin passages,” replied Professor Jackson. ”I’ll be in touch once they have finished. Now, if you will excuse me, I really must be getting on.”

Posted: **Wed Apr 07, 2021 2:40 pm**

Posted: **Wed Apr 07, 2021 11:48 pm**

Posted: **Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:00 am**

Posted: **Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:21 pm**

Monday March 17th, 1930 8.00am.
Arkham Town Hall, 551 N Peabody Street, Arkham, Mass.

The rest of the weekend had passed at a crawl for Ivy. No matter what she did, it felt like she should be making progress with the case, but she couldn’t. A call to the Police Precinct hadn’t been returned and even a call to Mr Fraser hadn’t been able to hurry things along.

It was no surprise then that Ivy found herself outside Arkham Town Hall at 8.00am on Monday morning. The janitor had barely had chance to unlock the door before she was inside the building and making her way to the town clerk’s office.

As Ivy entered her office, Janet Larkin - the town clerk - was just taking her seat. She glanced at the clock on the wall and said, “Good morning, Miss Ripley. To what do we owe the honour of your company at this hour?”

Posted: **Thu Apr 08, 2021 8:39 pm**

"Good morning to you," nods Ivy, returning the greeting as politely as her she can, given the rush she is in. "I'm doing some research for Mr. Fraser on two brothers, both now deceased, who used to run a lodge just outside Arkham."
"They went by the name of Brophy. Mr. Fraser was most insistent that I find out as much as I can about them," she continues, shamelessly name-dropping in order to solicit the woman's assistance.

Posted: **Thu Apr 08, 2021 11:17 pm**

Janet is made of sterner stuff than to be cowed by the mention of Mr Fraser’s name; she does work for the Mayor, after all.

She takes the details of the property that Ivy is interested in and returns shortly with a buff-coloured file which had ‘Squatter’s Lake Hotel’ stencilled on the front cover. ”You can’t take the file away but we can make copies of any of the documents inside,” she said, and she pointed out a desk where Ivy might sit and read.

Posted: **Fri Apr 09, 2021 3:18 pm**

Ivy settles herself at the desk and starts to work through the file. Her aim is to find out whatever she can about the Brophys, including background information, finances, addresses, naturalisation documents etc. Anything that might open up new avenues of investigation.

Posted: **Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:14 pm**

There were no records of the Brophy’s immigration or naturalisation but Ivy recalled from the journal that they had moved around so Arkham may not have been their first place of residence when they arrived in America.

Ivy did find the records for the purchase of Squatter’s Lake Hotel, which had been completed in the fall of 1923. The purchasers of the Hotel were listed as William and Robert Brophy of North Windham, Maine. Other than the fact that they were cash buyers and they had subsequently applied for a business licence, zoning ordinances and a licence to manage a fishing lake, there was little other information.

Posted: **Sun Apr 11, 2021 12:27 pm**

Sighing with frustration, Ivy seeks out the newspaper section. Perhaps the brothers, or their hotel, are mentioned somewhere?

Posted: **Sun Apr 11, 2021 5:14 pm**

Posted: **Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:24 pm**

Ivy’s lips purse as she comes across something interesting.

Posted: **Sun Apr 11, 2021 10:32 pm**

In the spring of 1924, the Arkham Gazette carried an advert for the Squatter’s Lake Hotel, opening for the season under new management. It offered, so the advert claimed, affordable accommodation for the discerning traveller, as well as fishing for those who were interested. There was another advert the following year, but that was the last one.

One thing that Ivy did notice, having scanned the newspapers over the previous seven years, was the number of people who seemed to have gone missing without trace...

Posted: **Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:32 pm**

Ivy tries to dig deeper. Are there any strange stories: sightings, hysteria, legends and the like, even if written in a mocking, ‘believe it or not’ style, in the papers?

Posted: **Tue Apr 13, 2021 12:01 am**

It seemed that the number of missing people had gone unremarked in the local press. Ivy could see that the reporter’s names changed on a fairly frequent basis so perhaps that was why no-one had looked into it further.

Other than an occasional feature on Native American customs, there was nothing out of the ordinary reported.

Posted: **Wed Apr 14, 2021 7:24 pm**

Ivy drums her fingers on the desk, unsure of how to proceed. Perhaps she could find some history books containing facts and legends about Squatters Lake or North Windham? This will no doubt mean a trip to the library.

Posted: **Thu Apr 15, 2021 6:31 pm**

Posted: **Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:11 pm**

Ivy delves into the library.

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2021 12:24 am**

In Arkham Library a bit of research by Ivy eventually turned up A Native History of New England, within which she found the following reference to Squatter’s Lake:

...were a tribe called The Abenaki who lived in the Connecticut River Valley in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

The Abenaki originally owned the land around Squatter’s Lake, though they were driven away by English settlers in 1722. Originally named “Ponki-mkazas” (the crow) by the Abenaki due to the abundance of crows scavenging around the lake, the settlers found that moving there was a bad idea due to the poor hunting and fishing the area. Also, the Hemlock trees were worthless for burning and the untreated of their houses quickly succumbed to rot.

The settlers moved further north, leaving their settlement behind, and over the years the decrepit shacks became homes to vagrants, escaped slaves and deserters from the army until they were finally swept into the lake in a flood in 1805. Locals living near the lake began calling it Squatter’s Lake, a name that survives to this day.”

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2021 4:46 pm**

Posted: **Sat Apr 17, 2021 5:58 pm**

The quiet of the library was disturbed by the creak of a door. Ivy heard footsteps approaching and a librarian glanced over with a puzzled look on her face. ”Is everything all right?” she asked.

Posted: **Sun Apr 18, 2021 10:50 am**

Huffing in annoyance, Ivy’s head snaps up.

“What?”

Posted: **Sun Apr 18, 2021 11:45 pm**

”Was that man not with you?” the librarian asked, with an uncertain look.

Posted: **Mon Apr 19, 2021 12:22 pm**

“Man? I neither saw nor heard a man,” Ivy replies curtly, looking around for the fellow.

She frowns, as the penny drops. (Possibly).

“Please describe him, if you will.”

Posted: **Mon Apr 19, 2021 11:47 pm**

”I... I’m not sure!” stammered the librarian, hesitantly. “Quite tall, dark skinned. He was standing behind you. Quite close - I’m surprised you didn’t notice. He looked up, saw I was watching and walked off between the stacks. I heard the door go not long after so he must have gone out - there’s no-one else here, as far as I’m aware.”

Posted: **Tue Apr 20, 2021 3:59 pm**

“I wasn’t aware of anyone; most odd...” Ivy replies tartly. “I shall check if the fellow is still lurking around the shelves,” she declares, rising to her feet.

Posted: **Tue Apr 20, 2021 4:06 pm**

A quick turn around the stacks confirmed that only Ivy and the librarian appear to be present.

Posted: **Tue Apr 20, 2021 4:09 pm**

On the off-chance, have any books been taken or indeed deposited?

Posted: **Tue Apr 20, 2021 5:20 pm**

The librarian checked but nothing seemed to have been taken or returned.

”That was very odd,” said the librarian with a shudder. “He definitely seemed to be watching you and as I said, he moved away as soon as he realised I had seen him.”

Posted: **Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:32 pm**

Ivy frowns; first visions of Brophy and now a tall, dark-skinned fellow might be stalking her.

"Well, I am at a loss... I'm sorry if this has caused you any inconvenience," she says to the librarian. "I think a little fresh air is required."

Assuming she can think of nothing else to do in the library, she decides to sit quietly in a nearby park to collect her thought.

Posted: **Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:37 pm**

It was bright but with a chill wind in the park. Whether people were busy or if it was the temperature keeping them away, Ivy wasn’t sure, but it was quieter than normal. Even the sounds of the children playing on the swings was muted.

As Ivy sat trying to collect her thoughts, she had feeling of being watched...

Posted: **Thu Apr 22, 2021 8:51 pm**

Ivy takes a few minutes to enjoy the fresh air, despite the sullen atmosphere. For a second she thinks she can hear something, but the moment passes.

Posted: **Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:03 pm**

Ivy heard a faint crack as if a twig had snapped but when she looked around, there was nothing there, just leaves waving in the breeze.

Posted: **Fri Apr 23, 2021 5:21 pm**

Posted: **Mon Apr 26, 2021 9:39 am**

Bereft of any particular plans, Ivy opts to do a little shopping for essentials. If she really is being followed, perhaps the fellow will slip up and show himself?

In readiness for this eventuality, she brings her nightstick to the top of her bag, ready to be whipped out.

Posted: **Mon Apr 26, 2021 4:35 pm**

Posted: **Tue Apr 27, 2021 6:42 am**

Posted: **Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:12 am**

Tuesday March 18th, 1930 3.30am.
The home of Ivy Ripley, Arkham, Mass.

Ivy had finished her shopping although she was on edge, frustrated by her lack of progress and unable to shake the feeling that she was being watched. She was relieved to get home and close the curtains against the outside world, and she ate her evening meal with the radiogram playing as the sound of silence was unnerving.

Fortified with a brandy, she had taken herself off to bed and slept a fitful sleep, until a faint noise in the still of the night abruptly woke her up. She lay in bed, blinking in the darkness, her senses straining to work out if she had actually heard something or whether she had dreamt it, when she realised there was a tall, dark, man-shaped shadow at the foot of her bed... ...

Posted: **Wed Apr 28, 2021 12:39 pm**

Momentarily disoriented, Ivy gasps in alarm and pulls her bedclothes up to her chin.

Then, chastising herself for acting like a nervous old maid, she tries to get a grip on herself.

“I thought at least you’d have the good manners to knock,” she blurts out, reaching for the bedside lamp switch.

“Well? What have you to say you for yourself, hm?”

Posted: **Wed Apr 28, 2021 4:00 pm**

The light switch clicked but no illumination was forthcoming.

”Why are you interested in Ponki-makazas?” came a deep voice from the shadow at the foot of her bed.

Posted: **Wed Apr 28, 2021 8:19 pm**

Considering her rather helpless position, Ivy decides that telling the truth is the best policy.

"Squatters Lake? I was investigating two brothers by the name of Brophy, who owned a lodge on it's shores. I believe they murdered anyone unfortunate to stay there. My colleagues supposedly killed the Brophys, but I have been seeing visions of one of them. My colleagues have since dissapeared; hence my investigations."

"May I ask your name sir? What is your interest in this?.

Posted: **Wed Apr 28, 2021 11:43 pm**

”My ancestors do not sleep, for the place is cursed. This Brophy of whom you speak has poisoned the land that was once ours, was stolen from us, but will belong to us again,” came the shadow’s reply.

Posted: **Thu Apr 29, 2021 2:50 pm**

Ivy relaxes ever-so-slightly, sensing a possible, if mysterious, ally.

“It seems we share a common goal in defeating Brophy. Wouldn’t you say”

Posted: **Thu Apr 29, 2021 9:38 pm**

Again, the shadow chose not to answer Ivy’s question.

”What happened to your colleagues?” he asked. ”Where are they now?”

Posted: **Fri Apr 30, 2021 8:50 am**

Ivy shrugs.

“Disappeared. I think Brophy somehow possessed someone and made them conjure up some kind of... doorway? Portal? Brophy jumped through it and my colleagues followed.”

Posted: **Fri Apr 30, 2021 11:54 am**

The shadow seemed to consider this information for a moment, then there was a movement that could have been a shrug.

”The lake stills bears the taint of evil that he brought with him. It must be purged.”

“Will you bring your colleagues back?”

Posted: **Fri Apr 30, 2021 12:43 pm**

“I would if I knew how, if only to put paid to whatever Brophy is scheming,” replies Ivy.

“Will you rid your lake of his taint?” she asks, trying to turn the tables somewhat.

Posted: **Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:01 pm**

”My ancestors demand it,” came the sonorous reply. ”It must be purged so they can rest again.”

Posted: **Fri Apr 30, 2021 2:26 pm**

“And how do you intend to do that, hmm? You have sought me out for a reason; do you propose that I, or my colleagues have a role to play?”

Posted: **Fri Apr 30, 2021 7:29 pm**

”I do not know,” replied the shadowy figure. ”But you were trying to find out about the lake and something called to me.”

There was a long pause. ”The blight on the lake must be dispelled. That will require a sacrifice.”

Posted: **Sat May 01, 2021 4:28 pm**

Mention of ‘sacrifice’ causes Ivy to tense up.

“I see... sacrificing a life?”

Posted: **Sun May 02, 2021 12:10 am**

”The man, Brophy bespoiled the lake. His will be the sacrifice,” came the reply.

There was a long pause, then, ”The ancestors tell me that his body has died but his spirit still lives. Bring him to the lake and he will atone for all that he has done.”

Posted: **Sun May 02, 2021 9:19 am**

“Hmm... I don’t know how to do that... I see visions of him sometimes - some kind of haunting I suppose - but could I capture the spirit, if that’s what it is? I haven’t the foggiest.”

Posted: **Sun May 02, 2021 11:55 pm**

There was another pregnant pause before the figure at the end of the bed stepped forward, so that the shadows fell away and Ivy could see her visitor more clearly. He was a Native American with a strong, ageless appearance, with the sides of his dark hair shaved to the skin.

”Bring the Tsi-noo to Ponki-makazas and it will be the end for him and his wretched curse! You will find a way!” he said forcefully, in a tone that brooked no argument.

Posted: **Mon May 03, 2021 11:11 am**

Somewhat taken aback by the fellow’s appearance and uncompromising manner, Ivy coughs and splutters a little.

“That’s all well and good, but how does one lure a ghost?”

Sensing that her visitor’s patience is nearing an end, she pushes for one more answer.

“And, should I achieve this, what do I get in return?”

Posted: **Mon May 03, 2021 7:19 pm**

”Your colleagues will be returned to you,” was the reply, the unstated inference being that that should be enough.

”Open the gate by which he passed and he will return.”

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 10:50 am**

“Easier said than done,” replies Ivy. “I have someone studying Brophy’s book; I will speak to them tomorrow - maybe they have translated it.”

Posted: **Tue May 04, 2021 12:29 pm**

”Maybe.”

Her visitor stepped back into the shadows. ”Sleep now,” he said, and despite herself, Ivy felt her eyes close and her head slumped against the pillow, the light susurration of her breathing the only sound to be heard... ...

- - - - -

Tuesday March 18th, 1930 7.00am.
The home of Ivy Ripley, Arkham, Mass.

Ivy awoke to the sound of her neighbour’s door slamming. No matter how many times she mentioned it, he was yet to sort the problem out.

Looking down the bed, there was no sign of her nocturnal visitor, she was relieved to see.

Posted: **Wed May 05, 2021 8:26 am**

Deeply troubled and bemused by the encounter, Ivy performs her ablutions before breakfasting and heading to work.

As soon as she can, she calls the university see if they’ve made any progress translating the book.

Posted: **Mon May 10, 2021 11:41 pm**

Ivy couldn’t speak to the Professor but her secretary told that she was expecting her call and there was a parcel waiting for her in the office.

When Ivy called by to collect it, she found a parcel wrapped in brown paper and tied with string. Inside, she found the journal and a note with a neat handwritten transcript of the Latin text that she had found earlier.

I stand here, there and ever was standing between now and the future. And open the gate, step by step, and I accept that I will pass through the gate and be transformed.

The ships of fate will merge in transience. I have spoken and the fates will help me find my destination.

Open the gate! That is so I can continue without place and without slowing. Open the gate! I flower by the notion that everything in the world is my domain. Open the gate! I will travel there and I can not be gainsaid.

Heed the winds of time and seek their counsel. I offer a gift to breathe life into these words. I cannot see the door to the gate, nor place to place. Talk to me, winds, tell me what lies on the other side.

I stand in this place with the gate beyond the world. The magic links the here, the now, the there and the then! Open the gate!

An underlined note in the margin - Better in Latin! - was the only other thing written on the paper.

Posted: **Tue May 11, 2021 11:48 am**

Ivy frowns, baffled by the nonsensical passage. Is this something she’ll need to read aloud in Latin? She wonders.

In search of further clues, she decides to check in on the Livingstone girl in case she has remembered anything else, before contacting the police photographer to examine the photos that have been taken over the last few days.

(OOC I can’t remember if she’s got copies or not)

That leaves the strange paintings; clearly part of whatever ritual Brophy/Dufresne used to open this ‘gate’. No doubt the police will have taken them as evidence; perhaps she can get hold of them?

Posted: **Tue May 11, 2021 10:04 pm**

Tuesday March 18th, 1930 9.35am.
Arkham PD, 302 E Armitage Street, Arkham, Mass.

Ivy had called ahead and an envelope with photographs was waiting for her, as was Captain Keats. ”Miss Ripley,” he greeted her. “How goes your investigation?”

Posted: **Fri May 14, 2021 11:47 am**

“Frustratingly,” huffs Ivy. “There are certain factors that, frankly, defy explanation. It appears that the Brophys are at the heart of the matter, but the more I learn the stranger things become.”

Deciding against mentioning her nocturnal visitor, she continues.

“Tell me, what do you know about Squatter’s Lake and the disappearances linked to the place?”

Posted: **Sat May 15, 2021 5:09 pm**

Keats studied Ivy for a moment, then nodded his head in the direction of his office.

Once seated, he said, ”Prior to events last year, we didn’t have any reason to think there was an issue. It was only when those boys went up there looking for James Fraser that it became apparent that something had been going on for a while. I mean, there’s always people going missing but it’s a big country. Nothing stopping anyone upping sticks and moving to the coast, giving themselves a new name and starting afresh. You’d never find them lessen they wanted to be found.”

“I’m Arkham born and bred but God knows I’d be the first to admit there’s nicer places to live where the sun shines and you can walk on the beach...” He gave a sour grin. ”But this is home, so it is what it is.”

“Getting back to Squatter’s Lake, it seems those Brophy brothers bought it a few years ago to run it as a hotel and fishing lake. All his paperwork checked out and we never had no complaints so there was no reason to think there was ever any problems up there.”

Posted: **Sat May 15, 2021 5:54 pm**

"So what happened when our mutual acquaintances investigated the hotel?" asks Ivy. "I know poor James is no longer with us, but did the Brophys kill him, like I assume they killed others?"

Posted: **Sat May 15, 2021 11:21 pm**

”As far as I understand it, Brophy escaped and fled to the south, taking James with him. He re-surfaced a few months later and the boys went off down to Louisiana to try to bring James back but that didn’t work out. He died in the attempt, but as far as I knew, Brophy got his comeuppance too.”

Keats glanced out the window for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. ”It cost them, though. I don’t know all the details but something in them changed, like some of the boys who came back from France who just can’t begin to tell you what they saw out there.”

He shook his head. “Four of them went down but only three came back. There was a student friend of James - Howard - he got hit by a train. His poor parents losing their boy like that! And one of my officers, Thomas Riddell; well, he came back but he won’t be right for a while, I reckon. Memories are keeping him awake at night - he’s got black rings under his eyes like he’s gone a round with Jack Dempsey!”

Posted: **Sun May 16, 2021 9:56 am**

“Most troubling,” says Ivy.

“Brophy’s influence still lingers, even if he is dead. The disturbance at the hospital that led to our colleagues’ disappearance was instigated by Miss Dufresne; she in turn seemed to be in Brophy’s thrall. I take it she too has yet to be found?”

She pauses for a moment to consider her options.

“I have a favour to ask: assuming you have collected the paintings from the hospital; May I have them? Or failing that, full photographs of each one. I wish to recreate the circumstances of the disturbance.”

“Also, if you can spare the resources, I would appreciate a thorough investigation into the Brophy brother’s background.”

She nods curtly.

“Yes, that will suffice for now.”

Posted: **Sun May 16, 2021 11:00 pm**

”We’ve seen neither hide nor hair of her since that night,” replied Captain Keats. “Nor Detective Reynolds nor the other two gentlemen, neither. The Doc said they vanished into thin air - for all intents and purposes they have - we can’t find a trace of any of them anywhere!”

“Obviously, the papers themselves are evidence so you can’t have those but I don’t see any harm in you having photographs. We’ve had a photographer at the crime scene so I’ll get some prints run off for you.”

He checked a file on his desk. “Brophys came over here from England and moved around a bit before they bought that hotel. Apart for asking for permits and the like, they never crossed our path. What is it you want to know about them?”

Posted: **Mon May 17, 2021 12:25 pm**

Ivy decides against telling the Captain that she wants to recreate a magic ritual to reopen a portal, so opts to tell a half-truth.

“I’d like to know where they lived, places they visited and if they left anything behind; clues to what they were doing and how they did it. If they are indeed responsible for the disappearance of Dufresne, Reynolds and all, perhaps such breadcrumbs could help us find them.”

Posted: **Mon May 17, 2021 7:09 pm**

Keats reeled off a list of places that his detectives had tracked the Brophys to. It seems that they had moved around frequently, before they had settled for a while in North Windham, before moving again to Squatter’s Lake.

”If you’re thinking of going up there, let me know and I’ll ring ahead. See if I can’t get our country cousins to give you a hand,” said Keats.

Posted: **Tue May 18, 2021 12:44 pm**

Ivy purses her lips for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

“Yes, I think North Windham should be my next port of call. I would be much obliged if you could indeed call ahead.”

Unless Keats has anything else to add, she will collect the photos before calling in on Emily, prior to her trip to North Windham.

Posted: **Wed May 19, 2021 11:45 pm**

Tuesday March 18th, 1930 12.00noon.
Oakwood House, Cushing, Mass.

Ivy had reported her latest findings to Mr Fraser, who, on hearing she planned to both visit Emily and then North Windham, put a car at her disposal.

The day had brightened as it had gone on, but it was still cold and Ivy was hunched and tense from the unexpected driving when she arrived at the sanitarium. Before she was even halfway from the car to the front door, the white-coated figure of Dr Roy was bustling in her direction ”Good afternoon, Miss Ripley,” he greeted her. “Have you any news of Miss Dufresne? We are all terribly worried!”

Posted: **Thu May 20, 2021 9:46 am**

“I am afraid she is still missing,” Ivy sighs.

“Although the police are still searching. How is Emily today? Has she or the other patients remembered anything else?”

Posted: **Thu May 20, 2021 11:40 pm**

Dr. Roy lead the way through the sanitarium, talking as they went. ”Some of our guests were badly affected by events of the other evening,” he said. “One or two have had to be sedated for their own safety, and we are all feeling the absence of Maria - Miss Dufresne. As for Emily, she is much improved. She is naturally concerned about Miss Dufresne, but in herself she is much better and may be ready to go home soon.”

He showed Ivy into a room where Emily sat gazing out of the window. She turned and smiled as they entered, although Ivy’s stern countenance soon caused that the falter...

Posted: **Fri May 21, 2021 7:10 pm**

Ivy suppressed a sigh, forcing herself to smile at the foolish child.

"Good morning Emily, I hope you are having a pleasant day. I'm afraid Miss Dufresne is still at large, but the police have their best men on the case. I wonder, Emily, if you can remember anything else that might help us locate your friend: something she may have said or perhaps a passage from that book you found?"

Posted: **Mon May 24, 2021 7:29 pm**

Emily looked upset at the news about Miss Dufresne. "I liked her.” she said tearfully. ”She was nice to me but she started to go a bit strange towards the end.”

She sniffed loudly as she thought about Ivy’s question. ”Before she disappeared, she was speaking to us, but it wasn’t anything I recognised. When she finished speaking, that’s when that... hole... appeared and James’ friends arrived.”

Posted: **Mon May 24, 2021 7:59 pm**

“May I ask, Emily, if you can remember anything that was said that you could repeat?” Ivy asks as gently as she can (in case the foolish child bursts into hysterics.)

Posted: **Mon May 24, 2021 11:19 pm**

"I’m not sure...” she stammered, looking to Dr Roy, who gave her an encouraging nod. Emily closed her eyes, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, and took a deep breath. Haltingly at first, but getting more sure, she began to recite the words she had been taught, ensorcelled, to say...

”... Attende, vento et quaerere consilio tuo. Ego offerre donum spiritus meus in haec verba loquor. Ad ostium portae quae non video: inter locum et locum. Loqueris ad me: ventus. Et tu iter quo nunc - porta hoc dicite mihi, quid latet in parte altera.

Sto loco isto amet porta ultra mundum. Et magicae simul coniungere istis: nunc autem hic late proris exaratum portal.”

It was just an excerpt of the Latin text that Ivy had found but she could feel a change in the air, like a static charge but faint, as if it were just out of reach.

Posted: **Tue May 25, 2021 8:40 am**

Ivy nods, confident that she is on the right track.

“Thank you; I will press you no further,” she says. “I hope in time that you will recover from this unpleasant episode.”

Thanking Dr. Roy, she takes her leave and begins her trip to North Windham.

Posted: **Tue May 25, 2021 11:45 pm**

Tuesday March 18th, 1930 3.00pm
North Windham, Maine

The journey up to North Windham took over two hours. The rain had blown in and Ivy needed the windscreen wipers on the borrowed car so she could see the road ahead. As she coasted over a rise and the town opened up before her, she could see it was dominated by a large stone-built prison that towered over the town like some sort of malign, brooding entity just biding its time.

Beside the road, she could see the distinctive striped garb of the prison work gangs, toiling in the fields as guards on horseback watched on. The guards wore their sou’westers but the convicts had no such protection against the elements; and their uniforms were soaked through.

North Windham itself had obviously seen better days. It had neat rows of clapboard houses but most looked like they needed a lick of paint and here and there some were missing altogether, like a broken tooth rotted down the stump.

The town centre, such as it was, comprised a handful of civic buildings, again in a clapboard style and, like the rest of the town, in need of some attention. The centre was pretty much deserted, the rain keeping people indoors for the most part. As Ivy brought the car to a halt and switched off the engine, it was quiet except for steady beat of the rain on the car roof...

Posted: **Wed May 26, 2021 3:12 pm**

Muttering in annoyance and hunched up beneath an umbrella, Ivy seeks out the local police station.

Posted: **Wed May 26, 2021 11:38 pm**

The Police station formed part of a town hall cum courthouse. Ivy pushed open the door which squeaked alarmingly, its echo reverberating in the gloomy hallway behind. A large clock ticked steadily and the sign on the main reception said ‘Out to Lunch’ even though the lunch hour was way past.

In the corner, a light illuminated the glass panel of one of the doors leading to offices beyond. A sign on the door stated it was the office of ‘Wm. Kurchak, Sheriff’. Turning the handle and opening the door, she was greeted by the sight of a uniformed officer with his feet up on the desk, perusing the red-sunned cover of his ‘Short Stories’ magazine. Startled, he almost tipped his chair as he dropped the magazine and struggled to sit up. ”I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said. “You caught me off-guard. How can we help you today?”

Posted: **Thu May 27, 2021 12:09 pm**

Ivy manages to suppress a sigh, but still glares at the hapless cop.

“Ivy Ripley,” she announces tartly. “From Arkham. You should have heard from Detective Keats.”

Posted: **Thu May 27, 2021 3:28 pm**

The officer checked the day book then nodded. ”Ivy Ripley, from Arkham. It says so right here.” He tapped the entry on the page.

He looked behind him and took an envelope from a row of pigeonholes on the wall behind the desk. “The sheriff left you this, ma’am. He’s had to go out of town on account of his father-in-law being taken ill. He lives upstate and his wife don’t drive, so...” He shrugged and handed over the envelope, inside of which was a sheet of paper with the words, “Brophy, Waterfield Plantation, off Mt. Hunger Shore Road.”

Posted: **Fri May 28, 2021 10:26 am**

Ivy takes the envelope with a curt nod of thanks.

“Are the Brophys well-known in the area?” she asks.

“Assuming they are still live around these parts.” she continues, hoping that a little display of ignorance will get the slovenly cop talking.

Posted: **Fri May 28, 2021 12:20 pm**

”No, ma’am,” replied the officer. “They moved out a few years ago and we ain’t seen hide nor hair of them since. Good riddance too, no-one liked them. Most folks would cross the street rather than give them the time of day.”

“They ran that plantation up in the hills. Lots of itinerants working there. People drifting from town to town as the work takes them, know what I mean?”

Posted: **Fri May 28, 2021 12:35 pm**

“What caused them to move away? If you don’t mind me asking.”

Posted: **Fri May 28, 2021 2:13 pm**

”I’m not rightly sure, ma’am. Most folks was glad to see them go so no-one asked too many questions about why.”

Posted: **Fri May 28, 2021 2:32 pm**

“I see. Well, you have been most helpful,” Ivy replies. “Oh, I wonder, does your town have a newspaper? If so, where might I find their office? Additionally, if one were to stay the night here, where might one find lodgings?”

Posted: **Sat May 29, 2021 12:05 am**

The officer shook his head. ”A newspaper? Sorry, ma’am. Windham’s not big enough to have its own newspaper. Some of the churches had their church newsletters but that was mainly parish notices, weddings, funerals and christenings. Not much in the ways of ‘news’, as such.”

“I think Mrs Peabody lets out the occasional room - we don’t get many people staying so we don’t have a hotel or anything like that. I can give you her address - she doesn’t have a telephone.”

Posted: **Sat May 29, 2021 8:59 am**

“How quaint,” mutters Ivy, sotto voce.

“Very well, I will make arrangements with Mrs Peabody and then take a trip to this plantation. May I ask that, if for some reason I fail to return this evening, you alert Detective Keats of my absence?”

“Oh, and one last thing: the lake that the Mount Hunger road runs along - any unusual legends about it?”

Posted: **Sat May 29, 2021 9:43 pm**

”Not that I recall, ma’am. Mrs Peabody might be able to help you there, she’s lived here since forever.” The officer made a note in the day book. “If you don’t check in before my shift ends, I’ll ask the Sheriff to give your Captain Keats a call,” he said.

He gave Ivy directions to Mrs Peabody’s house and ten minutes later she found herself stood in front of a neat, if rather tired, two storey clapboard house. The woman who answered the door had grey curly hair and half-moon glasses. Ivy estimated that she might be in her fifties - perhaps not quite as old as the police officer made out!

The woman looked at Ivy, glancing from her to the car parked at the kerb and back. “Can I help you?” she asked.

Posted: **Sun May 30, 2021 6:00 pm**

“I certainly hope so,” replies Ivy. “I gather you have rooms to let. I’m visiting the area for a day or two.”

Posted: **Sun May 30, 2021 10:54 pm**

“Lodgings is a dollar a night, including breakfast,” replied Mrs Peabody. She opened the door further and invited Ivy inside, where she showed her a compact but clean bedroom. “You’re welcome to use the bathroom or I can get you a bowl and jug of warm water if you’d prefer to wash in your room,” she added.

“Will that be to your satisfaction?” she asked. “It’s basic, I admit, but we don’t get many visitors up this way.”

Play@YSDC

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