Play@YSDC

Posted: **Thu Jan 11, 2024 10:35 pm**

Saturday March 14th, 1931 9.30am
Hebert House, Middle Ridge Road, Johnson Bayou, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

After the lateness of the evening before, everyone rose slightly later the next day. Mrs Hebert prepared a breakfast of coffee, juice and a stack of freshly cooked pancakes.

As they tucked in, she said, ”What will you be doing today? Nothing as exciting as last night, I shouldn’t think!”

Posted: **Fri Jan 12, 2024 4:25 am**

"I believe I'll be visiting Nashoba today. I want to see if he's in any state to answer some questions." Alex says. He offers the requisite compliments on their host's cooking, but to be honest his heart's not fully in it. He knows there are horrors in this area that defy comprehension. And yet again he finds himself on a collusion course with them. But perhaps this was to be his lot in life. Cursed to know the future, he and his friends needed to fight to protect the present.

Posted: **Fri Jan 12, 2024 5:51 am**

"I hope it's not as exciting as last night," says William. "Do exciting things usually happen here, or are we just lucky?" He nods to Alex. "I'd like to see him again too."

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 12:18 am**

Mrs Hebert pursued her lip disapprovingly. ”Was he involved in last night’s events? I shouldn’t put it past him!” she said.

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 3:16 am**

"He does seem to have had some involvement," says William, "though he also seemed surprised by some of what happened. I'm hoping he'll have something to say about it since he's had some sleep and come to his senses."

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 4:49 am**

"God have mercy on his soul." Lawrence mumbles, prodding a pancake repeatedly with his fork; he looks like he's slept for a number of hours that can be counted on one hand.
"Saw some real shifty types working out there, too. I'm sure everything will be clear, now that it's the morning and we've all had time to sleep on it. Who enforces the law out here, anyways? I don't suppose I've seen many policemen around here."

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 11:13 am**

”Until recently, we haven’t really needed anyone,” replied Mrs Hebert. ”We’re a small town and everyone rubs along alright. Nobody wants to be the subject of one of the Reverend’s sermons on a Sunday morning! He has a way of talking to you without talking to you, while the whole town listens in on the conversation, if you know what I mean!”

”As for the police, we could call on someone from Baton Rouge, if we had to, but no-one’s needed to do that in quite a while.”

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 11:23 am**

Despite all her bluster and ill-temper, Ivy can be an extremely shrewd judge of character.

Her eyes narrow - sometimes doesn’t seem right…

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 12:05 pm**

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 3:37 pm**

"The good reverend has had you in his sights Mrs. Hebert, hm?" asks Ivy, arching an eyebrow.

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 7:55 pm**

William had a similar thought.

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 8:53 pm**

"I don't believe we've met the reverend," says Alex. "Though we did run into the local priests."

Posted: **Sat Jan 13, 2024 11:27 pm**

Mrs Hebert stiffened, her eyes flicking to her daughters and back. ”That’s my business,” she replied, tightly and firmly. ”And as guests in my home, I would appreciate some respect for my privacy and that of my family.”

Posted: **Sun Jan 14, 2024 2:11 pm**

Ivy follows the woman’s gaze to the children.

“I have overstepped the mark, for which I apologise,” she says, softening her tone. “Should you wish to confide with another woman in private, I am here. Let us leave it at that.”

Posted: **Sun Jan 14, 2024 11:36 pm**

”That would be for the best,” said Mrs Hebert. She stood and picked up some of the dishes, taking them into the kitchen, where the sound of taps being turned on could be heard.

The two girls looked at each other uncertainly, not sure what had passed between the adults.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 12:11 am**

William enjoys his pancakes, thinking it wiser not to comment.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:45 pm**

Ivy smiles what she hopes is a comforting smile to the children, before standing up by the kitchen door.

“May I help with the washing up?” she asks. “By way of further apology.”

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:14 pm**

Mrs Hebert looked at Ivy for a long moment then stepped away from the sink and picked up a dishtowel to start drying the few things she had already washed.

”Thank you,” she said quietly.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 10:27 pm**

Ivy nods and briskly sets about the dishes.

"I meant what I said about confiding in me," she says quietly. "Should you wish to do so.

She flicks a dish rag ruthlessly across a plate. "I shall say no more on the subject."

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 8:40 am**

Mrs Hebert looked from Ivy to the dining room, where the three men sat talking as they finished their breakfast. ”Tell me,” she said, ”Have you been married long?”

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 9:30 am**

“No, not very long,” Ivy replies, trying desperately not to blush.

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 2:43 pm**

”And was it his idea to get married?” Mrs Hebert asked, still looking at Alex. ”He is younger than you, isn’t he?”

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 4:21 pm**

Ivy makes a show of checking that no one else is listening.

“Let’s just say it was convenient for the both of us. We’re very fond of each other though, don’t get me wrong.”

Posted: **Wed Jan 17, 2024 1:01 am**

Mrs Hebert glanced at Ivy and looked down. ”It was convenient for my husband too. I just wish he’d been honest with me from the start,” she said bitterly. ”I have my girls, but… …” She sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with the corner of her apron.

Posted: **Wed Jan 17, 2024 8:50 pm**

Feeling somewhat awkward, Ivy puts what she hopes is a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder.

"You may think me prying, but would you like to talk about it?"

Posted: **Thu Jan 18, 2024 5:30 am**

"I remember when I thought I'd end up getting married. I was young, then." Lawrence mentions to the other men, so as to not accidentally and awkwardly eavesdrop on the conversation in the other room.
"Nineteen twenty-nine... Those were the good old days."

Posted: **Thu Jan 18, 2024 6:03 am**

"Being away from my wife reminds me of how much I love her," says William. "When we were in France, I didn't know if I'd ever see her again, but I made sure I survived so that I could."

Posted: **Thu Jan 18, 2024 6:29 am**

"You're still young," Alex tells Lawrence. "Never say never."

"What is your wife like? I've not heard you mention her before." He asks William.

Posted: **Thu Jan 18, 2024 12:35 pm**

”Another time, perhaps,” she said, sniffing again. She took a compact from one of the kitchen drawers and critically examined her appearance. ”Oh, look at my eyes!” she exclaimed quietly, gently rubbing underneath them to try to reduce the puffiness.

”I have to keep up appearances for my girls,” she said.

Posted: **Thu Jan 18, 2024 6:57 pm**

"Almost forgot you had a wife, William. Does she have much to say about these trips?" Lawrence inquires.
"My family's learned to stop asking. I mostly just keep to myself when I'm not doing farm work."

Posted: **Thu Jan 18, 2024 8:34 pm**

“Quite so,” says Ivy, suppressing a sigh of frustration at this shilly-shallying. “Your girls are a credit to you.”

“Quite the contretemps at the oil site today,” she continues, hoping her host will appreciate this obvious change of subject.

“Their foreman seems quite the ogre - he must have been livid. Is he a local man?”

Posted: **Fri Jan 19, 2024 4:31 am**

"I met Amelia at Miskatonic University, when we were students there," says William. "We married after we graduated. She's beautiful, but I love her because she's beautiful on the inside. She's very caring, and it would break her heart if she knew what we'd been through. I don't talk about our business with her. She's better off not knowing. Still, she can sense that it's been rough, but she knows not to pry. When I go on these trips, she doesn't ask questions."

Posted: **Fri Jan 19, 2024 8:23 am**

Alex was impressed by William's willingness to keep risking himself when he had so much to live for. But he was also concerned.

"Not that we don't appreciate your help, but Lawrence and I are single men. I would hate if something happened to you and we had to explain it to your wife. I hope that this will be our last case-- for all our sakes, but especially yours. And there's no shame if you decide you can no longer continue down this path if things grow too dangerous.."

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 1:03 am**

”Oh no, he’s not local,” said Mrs Hebert. ”I’m sure if he were, he wouldn’t get away with acting like he does. If he was local, he wouldn’t be able to look anyone in the eye, the way he talks to people.”

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 4:47 am**

"Thank you," says William. "I've already decided this would be my last one. I wouldn't have even come on this one, but I owe it to Georgie."

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 8:32 pm**

"He's a deeply unpleasant man alright," Ivy concurs. "I'm surprised no-one has tried to do something to the oil field before. Surely someone has tried to sneak in?"

She leans forward conspiratorially.

"We're writing an article on the damage the oil company is doing to your town, but we can't get into the site for love nor money."

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 11:32 pm**

”Not that I’m aware,” Mrs Hebert replied. ”It’s a double-edged sword. There isn’t much in the way of work for local people and the worker’s spend money in the store. It has been a disruption, though.”

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2024 8:19 pm**

”Well, I must get the girls to do their homework,” said Mrs Hebert. ”So I’ll let you get on. Dinner is at six ‘o’ clock, if I don’t see you beforehand.”

She smiled wanly and went to round up her daughters, whose protests could be heard all the way upstairs…

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2024 8:57 pm**

Posted: **Mon Jan 22, 2024 9:17 pm**

Posted: **Tue Jan 23, 2024 3:15 am**

Posted: **Tue Jan 23, 2024 5:24 am**

Posted: **Wed Jan 24, 2024 12:59 am**

Leaving Mrs Hebert and her daughters to their homework, the party let themselves out and headed up the road that lead out of town, towards the shack where they had left Nashoba the night before.

As they approached the shack they heard raised voices. Nashoba’s wife was hectoring him in a shrill tone and the man himself was answering back, barking replies at her, testily. The language was foreign to them, of course, but it wasn’t difficult to surmise the tone of the conversation.

As they watched, the door to the shack was flung open so that it banged hard against the wall, threatening to break the timbers, and Nashoba staggered out, eyes sunken, his hair standing up in all directions, tripping over his own feet but somehow just about managing to stay upright. To Lawrence, no stranger to the illicit hooch distilled in the backs of barns and other out of the way places, it looked like the Native American was suffering the very worst of hangovers, barely able to keep his eyes open or his hands from trembling.

His wife appeared in the doorway behind him, continually berating him to no avail. Even when she tore off her moccasin and threw it at him, it barely registered and he stumbled past them in the direction of town without a word…

Posted: **Wed Jan 24, 2024 4:24 am**

Of all the sights Alex was expecting, this was not one of them. Given what the man had seen however, perhaps the bottle was a logical source.

He places a hand on the native's shoulder, attempting to gently but get the man's attention. "Good morning, Mr. Nashoba. We'd like to speak to you for a few moments."

Posted: **Wed Jan 24, 2024 5:35 am**

"If you'd like some food, I'm buying," says William, walking along with him. Having something in his stomach besides alcohol will help dilute it and sober him up, and it loosened his tongue the day before.

Posted: **Wed Jan 24, 2024 7:03 am**

Nashoba shrugged off Alex’s hand and carried on in the direction of town. Up close, he had the sour reek of smoke, of someone who hadn’t washed and had slept in their clothes, but not of alcohol. It seemed it was events of the previous evening that tormented him, not the demon drink.

He eyed William blearily. ”Lunch. Uh-huh,” he grunted as he almost staggered into the ditch at the side of the road.

Posted: **Wed Jan 24, 2024 10:07 pm**

Ivy's nose wrinkles in disgust.

"It seems our only lead is as reliable as ever," she mutters. "Remind me why we came down her again?"

Posted: **Thu Jan 25, 2024 4:53 am**

"To find evidence of the presence of Nyatanga or any of his people," says William.

Posted: **Thu Jan 25, 2024 2:31 pm**

“It was a rhetorical question,” Ivy snaps. ”That thing in the oilfield is evidence enough I’d say!”

Posted: **Thu Jan 25, 2024 3:45 pm**

Nashoba continued on his unsteady way, swaying from side to side as he walked. His progress was slow. More than once he seemed to get lost and stop in the road, peering around to get his bearings before heading off again.

It took almost twice as long as it should have to reach town but he eventually made it, tripping over the town sign before staggering into the general store and demanding food in a broken voice.

Posted: **Fri Jan 26, 2024 5:44 am**

"I'll pay for it," says William.

Posted: **Fri Jan 26, 2024 8:53 am**

Nashoba sat down heavily on at one of the tables, barely managing a wave of his hand as Bart greeted him. “Chief! You look sick as heck. Are you sure you shouldn’t be in bed?”

He looked at the others with obvious concern.

Posted: **Fri Jan 26, 2024 8:27 pm**

"He had a rough night," Alex adds, lamely. "We're hoping a nice meal will help him sober up."

Posted: **Sat Jan 27, 2024 4:53 am**

"I think he'll feel better once he's had something to eat," says William.

Posted: **Sun Jan 28, 2024 9:33 pm**

Ivy makes her opinion of Nashoba known with a loud 'harrumph'.

"It'll take a three course meal to sober him up," she mutters.

Posted: **Sun Jan 28, 2024 11:57 pm**

Nashoba frowned and stared at Ivy. ”Harrumph, yourself,” he said, testily but a bit more cogently.

He looked at the other three and frowned again. ”What do you want?” he asked.

Posted: **Mon Jan 29, 2024 1:22 am**

"We want to understand what happened last night," says William. "I get the feeling you don't fully understand it yourself, but maybe we can put the pieces together. There was an oilman we saw last night." He describes the one he saw in the church. "Do you know the man's name? Did you see him?"

Posted: **Mon Jan 29, 2024 5:18 am**

Relieved the man's back to his grumpy self, Alex smiles.

"There's also the fact of what you saw last night," he adds. "I don't think it's a coincidence you chose the exact pit whatever that thing was was lurking in to attack. I think someone manipulated you to strike there--wanted to unleash something horrible on the town."

Posted: **Tue Jan 30, 2024 12:51 am**

Nashoba shrugged at William’s question. It seems that whoever the man was, Nashoba either hadn’t seen him or didn’t know who he was.

To Alex he said, ”I told you. Well, one of you, anyway.” He looked around at the four of them. ”It’s the burial ground of my tribe. My ancestors lie there, beneath the oil and filth with which the whites pollute the ground.” He scowled at them, as if they were personally responsible.

Posted: **Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:46 am**

"Last night, you kept saying 'Nakka Mur,'" says William. "I was wondering what it means."

Posted: **Tue Jan 30, 2024 3:35 pm**

Nashoba frowned. ”It means ‘the black of night’. Our legends speak of an ancient spirit who haunts the dreams and hides in the shadows, spreading mistrust and causing discord.”

Posted: **Wed Jan 31, 2024 5:40 am**

"That makes sense," says William. "There's a lot of that going around. Do you have any idea what that thing that came out of the oil was? Could that have been Nakka Mur?"

Posted: **Wed Jan 31, 2024 6:19 am**

"I've been thinking a lot about things like that. I don't take every legend to be true, but they had to be inspired by something; I've seen the truth with my own eyes." Lawrence says. "Were there any stories in particular about this Nakka Mur?"

Posted: **Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:31 am**

Bart brought Nashoba a cup and a pot of coffee and the Native American spoke as he poured himself a drink with less than steady hands.

”The legends say that Nakka Mur came to be on a night so dark that even the moon went out. As the light returned, he was born out of the first shadows, and has lived in them ever since.”

“From the shadows, he talks to men, makes them doubt their own wisdom, doubt the own truth of their eyes. He sits on the shoulders of our chiefs and incites them to war, sits on the shoulders of the weak and incites them to steal. He thrives on the discord he creates.”

He paused and took a drink. ”Nuta - my revered grandfather - told me he saw him once. The village chiefs were discussing how to deal with the whites who would steal our land. Nuta should not have been there but he was a curious boy, hidden under the furs at the back of the tipi.”

“Some chiefs counselled peaceful talks, but others counselled war. Those who wanted peace were winning the argument until the eldest spoke up again. He said the whites would never stop and he said war was the only answer. Some expressed surprise at his sudden change of heart, but he carried the day and my people waged war on the whites. Many of them died, very few of us are still here to carry on and keep our story alive.”

Nuta always said that he was watching the old man as he listened to the arguments of his fellow chiefs. He saw the shadows move in a way that could not be explained by fire or flames, heard the faint whispers of Nakka Mur that changed the heart of the old man, that lead to the deaths of my people, who died in battle, of disease, of exhaustion on the long marches into captivity… …”

Posted: **Wed Jan 31, 2024 8:24 pm**

Ivy arches an eyebrow.

"Indeed? The area where they're digging for oil - is it somewhere that is particularly associated with Nakka Mur?" she asks. "Has anything else happened since the time of your grandfather that could be attributed to these whispers?"

Posted: **Wed Jan 31, 2024 9:19 pm**

"I wonder if Nakka Mur may have tried to influence you," Alex suggests. "Did you come up with your plan recently? It may have fed off your frustration and resentments. For what purpose I am uncertain, however. It may be that timely intervention prevented a worse outcome.""

Posted: **Thu Feb 01, 2024 4:54 am**

"Nakka Mur must have been responsible for the Great War too," says William, "whispering in the ears of the leaders of both sides, urging them to take revenge. Did your grandfather describe Nakka Mur's appearance?"

Posted: **Fri Feb 02, 2024 9:07 am**

Nashoba looked at Ivy and shook his head. ”Nakka Mur is not bound to one place. Those lands once belonged to us, part of a reservation, but the chiefs sold the land to the whites so they could take the oil and despoil it.”

As for my actions,” he said to Alex, ”I believe them to be my own. Whether Nakka Mur whispered to me in the darkness to steer me on my path, I cannot say. I will have to think on that a while.”

Turning to William, he paused for a moment, considering his words. ”Nuta said he was like smoke, or shadows. I do not know if he has a true form or whether anyone has seen it. Legends say when the night is black as pitch, he can be seen, but that could just be a tale of made up by those with nothing better to do than to try to outdo each other’s stories.”

“Whether he was involved in your war, I do not know.”

Posted: **Fri Feb 02, 2024 2:56 pm**

"When you attempted set fire to the oil field last night, you were attacked by something," Ivy states matter-of-factly. "Was that Nakka Mur do you think?"

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:43 am**

Nashoba shivered, then shrugged. ”I don’t know. Did it look like smoke to you?”

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2024 3:39 am**

"Not exactly," says William, "though there was smoke too." He describes what he saw.

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2024 4:54 pm**

William recounted what he had seen by the oil pits. While the oil had burned, he had seen the tentacles emerging from beneath the surface, bursting forth and writhing in the night air, glossy and black, hissing malevolently as they whipped about, catching Nashoba across his back.

Nashoba, who had after all, been looking the other way, studied William intently. ”I did not see it. I just felt its sting, but it sounds like nothing I have ever seen before.”

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2024 5:25 pm**

“How did you sneak into the site?” Ivy asks. “The foreman refused us access and I think we only got in last time due to everyone being distracted by the fire.”

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2024 6:16 pm**

"I've seen some strange things before," says William, "but nothing quite like that."

Posted: **Sat Feb 03, 2024 8:44 pm**

"We've been facing evils like this for some time," Alex tells Nashoba. "And we actually came to this land to hunt down a man who was involved in another incident that some of us barely survived. Now that we know such evil lurks in this land as well, we'd like whatever help you can give in fighting it. I can't promise we'll be able to assist with the oilmen, but given what we saw in those fields, its entirely possible this is connected in someway to them. Which makes it a problem for all of us."

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 12:38 am**

Nashoba nodded sagely. ”So what is your plan to remove the whites and their drills from my ancestral lands and return them to my people?” he asked, as Bart brought his food to the table.

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 4:25 am**

"Well, I am a lawyer," says William, "The best way to beat them is to use their own laws against them, and I know the law very well. It will require research, both of the law and the facts. It will take time, but it's ultimately the best way."

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 4:46 am**

"William's a good lawyer," Alex says once Bart has left, "And I'm an officer of the law. We can't promise you anything, and I'm going to be upfront about that with you. However, if a cult has spread up amongst the oilmen-- and we have reason to believe that at least some of their number are followers of something very, very dark-- as I said that makes them our problem as well. That's something we'd have to confront, and we'd all have better chances of success if we worked together."

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 4:47 am**

Picking up his knife and fork, Nashoba started to eat. ”And how long will your white man’s laws take?” he asked. ”They're drilling there now, and showing no signs of stopping!”

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 5:06 am**

"A lawsuit would take a long time," says William, "but we're due to meet with the Sheriff in six days. Any evidence we gather in that time, we can present to him, and then he can take immediate action against those responsible if there are criminal charges. It would then take some time to put them on trial, but in the meantime we could try to get an injunction to stop the drilling, and their reputations would be ruined."

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 5:48 am**

Nashoba pulled a face. ”Six days is a long time,” he said. ”How much damage will be done in that time? My way is probably best.”

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 6:10 am**

"You tried your way last night," says William. "It did not go well. It could be that Nakka Mur wants you to do things your way. Six days is a long time, but it's probably a lot less than they've already been drilling. Give us a chance to do it our way."

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 3:26 pm**

Nashoba shook his head stubbornly. ”My way is a way of action, yours is of talking. And what happens in six days? The police talk to the oil company, money changes hands and everything continues as before. At least I got a response last night. You mean well, but nothing will change for my people,” he said firmly.

Posted: **Sun Feb 04, 2024 9:08 pm**

"Mr. Nashoba is correct. That tentacle thing must be dealt with without delay," opines ivy.

"Dynamite, that's what's needed," she continues, suddenly an expert on all things monstrous. "Drive the thing out."

Posted: **Mon Feb 05, 2024 3:59 am**

"We may be able to do something about the supernatural evil," says William. "The Sheriff and the courts aren't really equipped to deal with that, but we have experience in that area. That evil is the real threat, and at least one of the oilmen seems to be connected to it, but the oilmen are not the worst enemy we face. Take away their supernatural power, and they are merely men."

Posted: **Wed Feb 07, 2024 12:07 am**

Posted: **Wed Feb 07, 2024 5:11 am**

"We need to find out who that oilman is that I saw last night," says William, "and preferably find a way to talk to him alone and find out what he knows. He's in this up to his neck."

Posted: **Wed Feb 07, 2024 5:35 am**

Posted: **Wed Feb 07, 2024 8:56 am**

"The oilman does seem our best lead," Alex nods in agreement. "It also is in our mutual interest to investigate him. If he's working with others in the company, that makes them all our problems-- and I'm willing to bet that if this involves into some sort of scandal that William can take to the press, the company will cut its losses and abandon the town."

Posted: **Wed Feb 07, 2024 12:28 pm**

“I concur; let’s find this fellow,” says Ivy.

Posted: **Thu Feb 08, 2024 11:42 pm**

”Great. I will get to finish my meal in peace,” said Nashoba, waving them away as Bart brought him a fresh cup of coffee and the bill for William.

- - - - - - - - -

They made their way along the coast road, the breeze from the sea cooling as the day began to warm up. They drew level with the oil pits, which still stank of burning from the night before, and could see the oilfields ahead, with the wooden huts which provided accommodation and storage, as well as the drills that brought the oil to the surface.

A few men moved about behind the chain link fence, getting on with their work and not paying them any more than cursory attention.

Posted: **Fri Feb 09, 2024 5:39 am**

William points out the building where he saw the oilman enter last night. "That's where he went, I think," he says. "That should be our first destination."

Posted: **Fri Feb 09, 2024 5:42 am**

"Any suggestions on how we should get in?" Alex asks. "The foreman's made his opinion of reporters known to Ivy and I, and its altogether dim."

Posted: **Fri Feb 09, 2024 6:05 am**

"Everyone's ignoring us," says William. "We can probably just walk in the gate like we have every right to be here. If someone tries to stop us, we can talk our way inside. We'll say we're here to see that man we saw last night."

Posted: **Fri Feb 09, 2024 11:20 am**

Posted: **Fri Feb 09, 2024 2:56 pm**

“We should keep a low profile,” Ivy mutters. “The foreman will be most objectionable if he discovers our presence.”

Posted: **Fri Feb 09, 2024 8:01 pm**

Alex also prepares to go in.

Posted: **Sat Feb 10, 2024 3:55 am**

William is ready to go in too.

Posted: **Sat Feb 10, 2024 11:21 am**

The main gate in the chainlink fence stood open and a rough dirt path lead into the oilfield itself, where the huts and the drills sat side-by-side. The air was thick with smell of oil and everything had a grimy look to it.

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Posted: **Sun Feb 11, 2024 7:30 am**

Lawrence chooses to hang around the pits by himself to keep an eye out for the man he saw last night, although not before rubbing some dirt and grime on his hands, face, and shirt in order to look like he belongs here. However, he can't keep his eyes from straying towards the oil itself every now and then, glancing at imagined movements.

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Ivy nods, somewhat relieved not to find any more, possibly wriggling, carvings.

“Either way, we should avoid the foreman - he’ll have us thrown out, or possibly something worse.”

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"I guess he knows what he's doing," says William. "I don't want to leave him by himself, but I also don't want to interfere now that he's in their good graces."

Posted: **Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:57 am**

"Well we do have some leads we can research," Alex points out. "Lawrence is likely safe here during the day, and I'm sure he'll head back to the house whenever he's done here. We can meet him there and fill him in on what we've found out."

Posted: **Mon Mar 04, 2024 4:59 am**

"I agree," says William. "Let's go."

Posted: **Mon Mar 04, 2024 8:07 pm**

Leaving Lawrence behind, the three returned to the village.

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”Brian Tucker?” said Father Ortega, when they approached him at the church. “Why, yes. He’s the poor fellow buried outside. I didn’t attend to him - I was too busy dealing with Billy Trahan on account of his wife leaving, so Father Daigle took care of his funeral.”

They found the older priest by his wife’s grave. He looked up as they drew closer and nodded when they mentioned Brian Tucker’s name. ”There he is, poor fellow,” pointing to the grave next to his wife’s.

Posted: **Wed Mar 06, 2024 4:13 am**

"What exactly were the circumstances of his death?" asks William.

Posted: **Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:04 pm**

Ivy lets William continue with his questions, but frowns. Billy Trahan’s name has cropped up before. There’s no need to suspect the unfortunate fellow of anything untoward, but, lacking any other leads and nothing to do until midnight, perhaps it’s worth paying him a visit?

“Does Mr. Trahan live nearby?” she asks.

Posted: **Thu Mar 07, 2024 12:47 am**

”It was very sad,” said Father Daigle, standing up. ”He came here to work, I understand. A lot of fellas do, without really understanding what the work entails or just how isolated it can be here. He missed his wife and little girl but he said he couldn’t find work back home so came out here to try to provide for them. Can’t blame him for trying, I suppose.”

”He started coming to church more regularly towards the end of last year. I think he saw it as a way of dealing with the loneliness but he really got into it in a big way. He was fascinated by the story of the creation - Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden - but most of all about the serpent and how it tempted them into wickedness. Brian became obsessed as the months went by. Every time we had Bible study, he was there, but he always wanted to turn the conversation around the serpent. Why did Satan choose that form? Could there be other serpents seeking to lead him from the path of righteousness? Like I say, an obsession.”

”Eventually, I had to say something as it was affecting the other parishioners who attended. I suggested we might talk about other aspects of the Bible but he always turned the conversation around. I was quite firm with him and he didn’t take it well. Said the church was rejecting him…” The old priest paused, looking down sadly at Brian’s grave. ”The next time I saw him, he was in a bad way. His health had deteriorated and it was like he was hallucinating. He said he saw snakes everywhere. He became really paranoid about them. He used to disturb my sermons with his ranting and I’d made my mind up to say something, but he didn’t show up for church that night. It was only next day that I heard he’d been found dead, out by those oil pits, bitten more than a dozen times by snakes…”

= = =

”Billy Trahan?” said Father Ortega. “He lives just a few doors down from Mrs Hebert. His wife leaving him hit him hard though.”

Posted: **Thu Mar 07, 2024 4:08 am**

"Sounds as though he had reason to fear them," Alex observes. "Though a man with such an obsession may well have sought them out, perhaps in a misguided attempt to kill them and be free of the hold he felt they had on him. A tragedy regardless. Are snake attacks common in these parts?"

Posted: **Thu Mar 07, 2024 5:45 am**

"His friend Andre Haggerston told us that Brian Tucker was responsible for carving the snake," says William. "His fear and obsession must have gotten the better of him. Mr. Haggerston is also terrified of snakes, no doubt because of what happened to his friend, and that they'll kill him. I gave him a dose of antivenom, which may make him feel better, but I don't know if it will be of much help if he gets bitten as many times as his friend did. I think he could benefit from your counsel."

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 12:23 am**

”Common? Not especially,” said Father Daigle. ”Perhaps not more than one or two year, and Mr Tucker is the only one I can recall who died as a result of being bitten.”

”And please tell Mr Haggerston that he’s welcome to come to the church at any time. Father Ortega will be happy to talk to him.”

Posted: **Fri Mar 08, 2024 5:39 am**

"I will, the next time I see him," says William.

Posted: **Mon Mar 11, 2024 9:10 am**

Posted: **Mon Mar 11, 2024 8:33 pm**

"Did the unfortunate Mr. Tucker tell you any of his life history? Where he came from? His previous occupations?" asks Ivy.

Posted: **Tue Mar 12, 2024 3:43 am**

Posted: **Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:27 am**

”I know he had a wife and child,” replied Father Daigle. ”But he didn’t say much about his life prior to moving here. I think he might have mentioned he was a busboy in a family restaurant, but I really can’t be sure.”

Posted: **Thu Mar 14, 2024 7:59 pm**

"A very sad situation," say Ivy. "Poor fellow. Thank you for answering our questions - I hope we're not making ourselves too onerous"

Posted: **Thu Mar 14, 2024 8:02 pm**

"We do appreciate your help," Alex adds."For now, I think paying Mr. Trahan a visit and seeing if he's up for company is an excellent idea."

Posted: **Fri Mar 15, 2024 11:10 am**

Saturday March 14th, 1931 1.30pm
Trahan House, Middle Ridge Road, Johnson Bayou, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

Compared to Mrs Hebert’s immaculate house two doors down, the garden of the Trahan house was a mess. The grass hadn’t been cut, the picket fence had a couple of broken panels and the paintwork was peeling. As they approached the front door, they saw a couple of cardboard boxes full of empty bottles, just left to one side.

Posted: **Sat Mar 16, 2024 4:32 am**

William examines the bottles, checking for labels that might indicate what their contents had been.

Posted: **Sat Mar 16, 2024 2:11 pm**

There were no labels but with a sniff at the neck of the bottle, the contents were unmistakable - moonshine!

Posted: **Sat Mar 16, 2024 3:07 pm**

Ivy's nose wrinkles in disgust as she sniffs the bottle.

"Another weak-willed man seeking solace in alcohol," she spits. "What are the odds on either a morose drunk or an angry one?"

Posted: **Sat Mar 16, 2024 7:32 pm**

Alex resists the urge to haul the man in, before remembering he does not have arrest authority down here.

"Hopefully he can provide some information to us, but Its entirely possible his problems have nothing to do what we are interested in. Let's keep a skeptical ear for now."

Posted: **Sat Mar 16, 2024 11:33 pm**

"I suspected as much," says William. "Let's hope he's in a morose mood and not an angry one," says William. "Shall we knock?"

Posted: **Sun Mar 17, 2024 12:25 am**

As they stood by the front door, a man stumbled around the corner from the rear of the property. “Who the hell are you? Lawyers?” he slurred, as he started digging the bottles, trying to find one that wasn’t empty.

Posted: **Sun Mar 17, 2024 1:06 am**

"Lawyers, sir?" asks William, wondering if it's that obvious. "Why would you be expecting lawyers?"

Posted: **Sun Mar 17, 2024 8:15 am**

“My damned wife! Wasn’t here more’n five minutes and she’s still chasing me for alimony!” He tipped the box onto the porch, groused when he saw all the bottles were empty, and kicked one of them into the long grass of his front lawn.

“Well, if you ain’t lawyers, who are you and what the hell do you want?”

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