IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Louis
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Hesitantly, trying to ignore the broken cable, Louis stretches his hand towards the receiver, his hand shakes so much he nearly knocks it from the cradle. Grasping it he puts it by his ear.
“H-hello?”
“H-hello?”
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Notice stuff: 40%
Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Kyle doesn't nottice anything, so he still follow Harry.
Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Louis feels the hairs on the back his neck rise but he can’t help but strain to listen.
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Louis is too fixed on the voice to notice anything else. He turns to stare at the new doorway whilst holding tightly to the receiver.
“Grams, is that really you? I- I miss you so much.”
Louis thinks back to happier times and tears prick his eyes.
“I don’t think I want to go down there on my own, Grams- I’m scared.”
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
'Don't be scared sugar lump. I'm here for you. I'm downstairs in the basement. I've got a treat for you.' Louis realises that the phone line has gone dead. He's hearing Grams's voice through the open door.
Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Louis drops the receiver which dangles, swinging gently. He walks across the floor towards the door and then stops. Should I tell the others where I’ve gone? No, I won’t be long
He stops at the top of the stairs and looks down them.
“Grams?”
He stops at the top of the stairs and looks down them.
“Grams?”
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Louis stands at the top of the stairs, looking down the rough steps which stretch into the darkness, a black metal handrail running down the undressed plaster wall on one side. He can barely make out a weak glow that faintly glimmers from the basement.
Then there's a crash of thunder, a flash of lightning through the kitchen window, and the wind roars, howling through the boards and shutters on the windows, slamming the door between the kitchen and the hallway. And the flickering light blinks out, plunging Louis into complete blackness.
'I'm here sweetie. Just come down the stairs. Hold onto the handrail, I don't want my little sugar lump getting hurt. Come down the stairs. Grams is here. I'm waiting for you Louis. I've got a treat just for you.'
Then there's a crash of thunder, a flash of lightning through the kitchen window, and the wind roars, howling through the boards and shutters on the windows, slamming the door between the kitchen and the hallway. And the flickering light blinks out, plunging Louis into complete blackness.
'I'm here sweetie. Just come down the stairs. Hold onto the handrail, I don't want my little sugar lump getting hurt. Come down the stairs. Grams is here. I'm waiting for you Louis. I've got a treat just for you.'
Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
The door bangs, the thunder peals and Louis jumps and yelps in fright.
“I-I can’t see, Grams. I need a light.”
He waits, clasping the stair rail tightly, as his eyes slowly adjust. Now his only light is the flickering one down below...
He takes a step down towards it.
“I-I can’t see, Grams. I need a light.”
He waits, clasping the stair rail tightly, as his eyes slowly adjust. Now his only light is the flickering one down below...
He takes a step down towards it.
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Just as his eyes are adjusting to the almost complete darkness a faint light is visible again from down the stairs. It flickers and seems to barely illuminate anything. Louis takes a few steps forwards, placing his hand on the metal handrail and his foot on the wooden step, which creaks ominously.
From the top of the stairs he gets a whiff of the stale basement air. Mildew, dirt, and other even less pleasant odours he can't quite place. In the flickering light shadows lengthen and contract in odd and unsettling ways.
'Grams is waiting sweetie,' the voice more forceful this time.
From the top of the stairs he gets a whiff of the stale basement air. Mildew, dirt, and other even less pleasant odours he can't quite place. In the flickering light shadows lengthen and contract in odd and unsettling ways.
'Grams is waiting sweetie,' the voice more forceful this time.
Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Louis starts down the stairs, one step at a time.
“But why are you all the way down here, Grams? Aren’t you scared in the dark?”
“But why are you all the way down here, Grams? Aren’t you scared in the dark?”
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Each step creaks and groans as Louis slowly, tentatively makes his way down into the basement. The deeper he goes, the worse the smell gets. Over the damp and mildew, the stench of decay. Louis clings onto the handrail and continues his descent. The air has a weird quality, the sounds of his footsteps, the protesting wooden boards, they're dampened, muffled, it's hard to localise where noises are coming from - little sounds - scuttling and scratchings, dripping, the creaking of the house above - they're nearly constant. The flickering light isn't coming from the small room at the base of the steps, but from the room beyond it. Louis can barely make anything out. The illumination is inexplicably dim, shadows stronger, almost palpable, oozing into the edges.
Beyond the stairs the floor is rough-cut flat stones over dirt, unmortared. The wall to the south is also rough stone, the rest are rotting wood slats covered with crumbling horse-hair mixed mortar. The small space at the foot of the stairs is lined with shelves, some kind of pantry. There's no windows, only an opening off to the east where the light is coming from and another opening around to the south west, in complete darkness, opposite what seems to be a rusting coal-burning furnace - long cold and dark. The shelves are filled with shattered and burst jars. Stains of all kinds cover the shelves, walls, and floor.
In response to Louis's question about the dark, a reply comes from beyond the opening to the east, where the dull light emanates. 'Don't you worry about Grams, sweetie, I've got my candle.'
Beyond the stairs the floor is rough-cut flat stones over dirt, unmortared. The wall to the south is also rough stone, the rest are rotting wood slats covered with crumbling horse-hair mixed mortar. The small space at the foot of the stairs is lined with shelves, some kind of pantry. There's no windows, only an opening off to the east where the light is coming from and another opening around to the south west, in complete darkness, opposite what seems to be a rusting coal-burning furnace - long cold and dark. The shelves are filled with shattered and burst jars. Stains of all kinds cover the shelves, walls, and floor.
In response to Louis's question about the dark, a reply comes from beyond the opening to the east, where the dull light emanates. 'Don't you worry about Grams, sweetie, I've got my candle.'
Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
“Ur, well don’t let it go out.”
Louis stops and looks around, realising he has no light of his own.
He strains his eyes into the black hole to the southwest and then turns back to the East.
He starts walking towards the light.
Louis stops and looks around, realising he has no light of his own.
He strains his eyes into the black hole to the southwest and then turns back to the East.
He starts walking towards the light.
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Everyone
Staggering towards the eerie orange glow, Louis still can't see any sign of his Grams. Through the opening there's another room, packed full of extra storm windows, boxes of useless plumbing supplies and assorted junk. There's one high window in the stone wall to the south, a crash of thunder and flash of lightning illuminates the room for a second, through the smashed glass and boards. Several small brown shapes scuttle away into the piles of junk. The white light highlights a metal grating in the stone floor, and beside it, a small, dusty mirror, hanging on the wall.
Louis's vision is washed out by the lightning, but as the room is plunged into darkness again he sees that rather than there being a candle, the dull light actually seems to be emitted from the small mirror. His eyes burning with the afterimage of the lightning he can't make out anything in the mirror from where he's standing. From somewhere in front of him, coming out from amongst the junk, a dark shape emerges, and rushes towards him along the floor. There's a hiss and, Louis feels a sharp, stinging pain in his left shin. The dark shape issues a yowl and scampers towards the grate, seeming to disappear through the bars and out of sight.
From the corner of the room, the mirror maybe, he hears 'Come over here Louis, let Grams get a good look at her sugar lump.'
Louis's vision is washed out by the lightning, but as the room is plunged into darkness again he sees that rather than there being a candle, the dull light actually seems to be emitted from the small mirror. His eyes burning with the afterimage of the lightning he can't make out anything in the mirror from where he's standing. From somewhere in front of him, coming out from amongst the junk, a dark shape emerges, and rushes towards him along the floor. There's a hiss and, Louis feels a sharp, stinging pain in his left shin. The dark shape issues a yowl and scampers towards the grate, seeming to disappear through the bars and out of sight.
From the corner of the room, the mirror maybe, he hears 'Come over here Louis, let Grams get a good look at her sugar lump.'
Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Louis
“Ow! Blasted rat!” Louis bends down to rub his leg, an inch lower and the rat would have bitten gum boot. The pain brings Louis to his senses,
“I oughta check my leg, Grams. You can get typhoid from rat bites. I’ll come back down, I promise.”
He turns around, putting his hands out in front of him, and tries to walk back to the stairs.
“I oughta check my leg, Grams. You can get typhoid from rat bites. I’ll come back down, I promise.”
He turns around, putting his hands out in front of him, and tries to walk back to the stairs.
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Re: IC - 1 - It Was a Dark and Stormy Night - Louis
As soon as Louis turns around the light from the mirror stops, plunging the basement into complete darkness. He struggles to orient himself, where are the stairs? He blunders wildly in the direction he hopes will take him back upstairs, following the faintest of grey in the blackness. Is that the moonlight filtering through from the kitchen?
The whole house seems to creak and hiss. The whistle of the wind rattling the shutters and boards, the house itself letting out a shiver. And other sounds seem to be coming from out of the darkness. Thuds, and stamps, and moans, That's coming from upstairs isn't it? That's just the others walking about... And nearer, somewhere near Louis, maybe here in the basement, there are other noises. Scuffling, scuttling, scratching, sniffing. And something higher pitched. Whispers? They're coming from somewhere around him. In the dark. What are they saying?
The whole house seems to creak and hiss. The whistle of the wind rattling the shutters and boards, the house itself letting out a shiver. And other sounds seem to be coming from out of the darkness. Thuds, and stamps, and moans, That's coming from upstairs isn't it? That's just the others walking about... And nearer, somewhere near Louis, maybe here in the basement, there are other noises. Scuffling, scuttling, scratching, sniffing. And something higher pitched. Whispers? They're coming from somewhere around him. In the dark. What are they saying?
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