Laura

[Mr. Handy]

"We have to get them out!" cries Victoria, already running toward the fire.

[SunlessNick]

OOC:   Making a morale check: Charisma 11, - 3 Cowardly Rolled 1D20: 5

Maggie freezes for a moment at the running at the fire, but she can't leave Victoria alone, and goes after her.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

As they run to the smoldering Rose Cottage, the women see the smoke dissipate rapidly, as a strong wind lashes at the trees. This may prove to be a mixed blessing, as it clears the air, lessening the risk of smoke inhalation, but also fans the flames burning inside. Through an open window, over the roar of the fire, the voices of those within can be heard.

"Don't be afraid, David. Come to me. The fire is so beautiful. Come, and we'll together forever and ever."

"Mother . . . Mother . . ."

[SunlessNick]

Skidding to a halt at the house, Maggie looks for a safe way in. Also, "DAVID! She's not your mother! You have to get out of there now!"

OOC:   Maggie believes that Laura's something supernatural by now, but "Not your mother" seems a more succinct thing to scream out.

[Mr. Handy]

"David, get out of there!" calls Victoria. "It's on fire!" She carefully tries the door, wrapping her hand in her handkerchief in case the knob is hot.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Skidding to a halt at the house, Maggie looks for a safe way in. Also, "DAVID! She's not your mother! You have to get out of there now!"

Spoiler:

unexplained die roll[dice]0[/dice]

Maggie's shocking statement draws David's attention. He turns to peer out the open window, but does not move away from the roaring fire just behind him. Laura can be seen through the dancing flames, just on the other side of the blaze from David.

"What do you mean?" David seems dazed, his words spoken slowly and calmly.

"Don't listen to her, David. I love you. Come to me, now."

Spoiler:

unexplained die roll[dice]1[/dice]

A small burst of flame, like something shot out of a Roman candle, rushes out of the window, passing harmlessly past Maggie's head, although she can feel its heat. It fizzles and dies out when it hits the ground.

Besides the front door, which Victoria is attempting to testing, and the open window, near to which David is standing, there are closed windows on both the left and right sides of the Rose Cottage, and a back door.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"David, get out of there!" calls Victoria. "It's on fire!" She carefully tries the door, wrapping her hand in her handkerchief in case the knob is hot.

Spoiler:

unexplained die roll[dice]0[/dice]

In his dazed condition, David does not seem to hear Victoria at all, continuing instead to stare at Maggie with glassy eyes.

The handle of the front door is not warm. The fire, although of alarming size and fury, seems to be confined to one location inside the Rose Cottage, just beyond where David is standing near the open window, and just in front of Laura. The door is, however, locked from inside.

[SunlessNick]

"You have to trust me, David. Come to the window, and I'll help you climb through. Your mother wouldn't want you to stay near a fire."

[Mr. Handy]

Victoria rushes around to the back door, hoping it isn't locked too.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"You have to trust me, David. Come to the window, and I'll help you climb through. Your mother wouldn't want you to stay near a fire."

David slowly approaches, as if he is moving through quicksand.

"LEAVE MY SON ALONE!"

Spoiler:

unexplained die roll[dice]0[/dice]damage[dice]1[/dice]

As Laura screams at Maggie, another ball of fire comes rushing out of the house. This time it strikes Maggie in the middle of her torso, burning through her clothing.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Victoria rushes around to the back door, hoping it isn't locked too.

Opening the back door, you see Laura from behind, and can now tell that she is actually standing in the flames, somehow unharmed. She is currently shouting at Maggie, and does not see you enter.

[SunlessNick]

Maggie screams as the fire touches her. She drops to the ground and if she can tries to roll and bat it out.

OOC:   The spoiler text said invalid dice code, so I don't know how much damage I've taken.

[Mr. Handy]

Victoria sneaks inside to get a hold of David and usher him out the back door while Laura is distracted.

OOC,I can see it. It's 4 damage.

[SunlessNick]

OOC,Huh, so can I now.

Ok, Maggie's screaming big time trying to get her fire out.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

I wish I could draw a diagram. Anyway, imagine a map of the Rose Cottage. The back door is "north" with Laura (in the flames) just south of it, and David just south of that. Grabbing David and getting him out the back door is going to take two successful DEX rolls. [dice]0[/dice] Oh-oh.

Victoria tries to reach David, but finds it impossible to get past the roaring flames surrounding Laura. Sensing the intruder, Laura turns around to face her. She seems completely unaffected by the fire, although she should be seriously burned by now. Raising her hands in a threatening manner, eyes wide open, she screams "David is MINE!"

Meanwhile, outside the Rose Cottage, Maggie has managed to roll out the fire, but is badly hurt. Through the pain she can hear sense someone standing over her.

"Got to the mansion," Burke Devlin gasps. "Called firemen. On way. Got to get David and Laura out."

Obviously still suffering the effects of smoke inhalation, he half-runs, half-stumbles to the Rose Cottage. He puts his shoulder to the front door and bashes into it.

Spoiler:

[dice]1[/dice]

It's no use; the door is too solid. He tries to make his way through the open window.

Spoiler:

[dice]2[/dice]

It's too small for a grown man. Maybe if he can grab David and pull him out?

Spoiler:

[dice]3[/dice]

Just barely able to reach the boy and lift him out through the window, Burke places him safely on the ground. This draws Laura's attention away from Victoria. She screams without words.

Spoiler:

[dice]4[/dice]

Another fireball flies from the house, through the window, and lands on the ground. This times it lands on some old, dry twigs, starting a fire in the woods. After all this effort, Burke collapses. Sirens shriek nearby.

David lies on the ground, unconscious.

[SunlessNick]

Maggie crawls over to David and Burke, to make sure they're still breathing. As loudly as she can manage, she screams, "Vix! He's outside. Get out of there! Get out!" If she can, she'll stagger to her feet and stagger round to the back door.

[Mr. Handy]

Victoria scrambles out the back door and runs around to the front.

[SunlessNick]

Victoria finds Maggie with tears down her face, getting visibly more unsteady. "I'm hurt. We're all hurt. Burke called the fire department," she says weakly.

[Mr. Handy]

"You're going to be all right, Maggie," says Victoria, taking hold of her and treating her burns.

Victoria,Using Cure Light Wounds.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Victoria's ministrations, although unaided by any first aid equipment, do a remarkably fine job of easing Maggie's pain, and beginning the healing process. David is uninjured, although dazed, while Burke seems to be mostly suffering from exhaustion, with some small amount of smoke inhalation. The firefighters reach the Rose Cottage, and have the blaze under control in good time, since it seems to be confined to a small area. They provide the necessary medical care for the victims.

"Nobody inside, thank goodness," one of the firefighters reports, after examining the ruined interior of the cottage. "Just a big pile of ash in one spot. Big piece of furniture or something, I guess, although there's nothing left of it now. Must have been the source of the fire."

Noting that Victoria has escaped without injury, the fire chief says "You want to tell me exactly what happened here, Miss? I'll have to report this to the police if there's anything suspicious about the fire."

As if in harmony, David asks "What's going on? Where's my mother? What are all these firemen doing here?" He doesn't appear to remember anything about the fire.