Play@YSDC

The four investigators along with Jeremy go up the West hill, until they reach the top. The young fisherman leads them in a small wood. Here they find the Wellington cave´s entrance. Jeremy says the cave descends for three miles until sinking below the high tide level of the sea. Once entered, the cave becomes a tunnel indeed, about nine feet high and wide. It goes East, towards the sea. The ground tilts downwards, so that by walking on, the group descends deeper and deeper.

It is a cave mouth of impenetrable blackness, as they step in they watch the shadow dissolve into the surrounding darkness. It is dank and humid, being the only sound was the dripping water. On the ceiling are stalactites looking like the teeth of a hungry scary beast The floor is slippery, covered with moss. As the group keeps going down the smell of seawater begins to fill the air. The seawater must have penetrated the rocks deeply, as the water is falling drop by drop, following a rhythmic and disturbing ticking. The walls below the ridge smoothly curve to the floor, the walls above arch another fifteen feet up to the stalactites.

About a mile from the entrance, the tunnel curves to the right, continuing south. After half a mile in this direction, a noise of flowing waters can be heard. It is the sound of a small waterfalls or fountains. The rhythm of the flowing water is gently accompanied by a flute music. The notes pass between the rocks like a harmonious fluid, using the stone walls as a resonance box.

Secret rolls,Ivy [dice]0[/dice] Michael [dice]1[/dice] Emma [dice]2[/dice] Kathryn [dice]3[/dice]

Jeremy walks with the lantern in his hand, extending his arm to illuminate the new steps for the whole group. When the music begins he slows his pace slightly, perhaps out of fear. His face however looks determined to continue.

Ivy,Despite being a melody not resembling anything already known, the mind seem to understand its language, finding the melody enjoyable and relaxing. After the auditory perception, Ivy feels a strange flow running throughout the whole body, giving a sense of lightness and well-being, which makes her willing to forget about anything else.

Michael,The music is suave, but discordant at the same. In some points, the notes make quick chaotic and disturbing phrasing. In others, prolonged notes might be pleasant to hear. If it were not for the situation ... the idea that this music is coming from the depths of the earth causes in Michael not little suggestion.

Kathryn,The music is suave, but discordant at the same. In some points, the notes make quick chaotic and disturbing phrasing. In others, prolonged notes might be pleasant to hear. If it were not for the situation ... the idea that this music is coming from the depths of the earth causes in Kathryn not little suggestion.

Emma,Despite being a melody not resembling anything already known, the mind seem to understand its language, finding the melody enjoyable and relaxing. After the auditory perception, Emma feels a strange flow running throughout the whole body, giving a sense of lightness and well-being, which makes her willing to forget about anything else.

"Cripes, that music gives me the creeps. Where the heck is it coming from?" Michael stares at Jeremy with a frown. "I think you know more about what's going on than you let on. What's the real low down?"

No doubt to the others' surprise, the usually waspish Ivy beams a wide smile.

"Oh isn't it lovely? Such wonderful music!"

She begins to twirl around, humming in time with the melody.

"Not bad I'd say." Emma starts happily bopping her head to the melody.

"Are you two dames off your rockers?" Michael doesn't understand what's gotten into them. The music is weird, sometimes nice, sometimes not so nice, but nothing to get excited about. He figures maybe there's something about it that hypnotizes people, kind of like those fakirs in India with their flutes and cobras. He grabs Ivy by the shoulders and shakes her. "Snap out of it, kid! We've got serious work here!" Then he tries the same thing with Emma, maybe a little more gently, since he doesn't know her as well. "Come on, lady!"

"Yeah, there's something wrong with that music," says Kathryn. "Can't you hear how discordant it is? It sounds like it's coming from the depths of the earth. Anyway, the fact that someone's playing a flute means someone is here, so we'd better hurry before we're too late." She draws her revolver. "If Selma's here, the music may be having a similar influence on her."

Normally Michael's actions would earn him a stern rebuke at the very least, but this time Ivy merely sighs contentedly and begins to twirl down the tunnel towards the source of the music.

OOC:   Do I need to roll to snap out of it?

"Looks like it's you and me, kiddo," Michael says to Kathryn. He also gets his pistol ready. "Hope you're a regular Annie Oakley with that thing. I got a feeling this ain't gonna be a Sunday School picnic." He lets Jeremy see that he's armed. "You lead the way, fella. I wanna have some words with that flute player."

"I sure am," says Kathryn, advancing with Michael toward the sound of the flute music. "You were unconscious, so you didn't see me gun down those three things at Amanda's house. Aw, who am I kidding. I'm not quite as good as Annie. She wouldn't have missed a single shot."

The tunnel makes a pronounced curve on the right. Following the tunnel for half a mile in the new direction, the music continues and the volume increased. The group is approaching the source. At some point the music comes along with a noise of flowing waters. It is the sound of a small waterfalls or fountains. Still half a mile after the curve, and the tunnel ends in the North wall of a big hall like cave. There is a glow of light coming from there, as if a lamp were somewhere inside this new place.

As the entrance to this new cave appears, the group hears splashes and laughter. A group of three people maybe four somehwere inside the cave. Masculine and female voices. The echo
the echo distorts the voices and no word is identifiable. The music continues, now is stronger and seems to be everywhere in side the big cave.

The tunnel ended close to the cave ceiling of the new place, in a point about thirty feet above the floor. The ceiling is fully covered with stalactites. To get down to the cave floor, this wall has to be descended. As far as their lamp and flashlights can illuminate, the group sees part of the cave floor. A big circular pool filled of stagnant water begins, and continues into the darkness beyond.


When the investigators eyes search for the source of the glow, they see the light comes from an oil lamp placed on the floor about a hundred feet from them. Some stalagmites cover the floor in this area. The lamp lies at the side of another pool of stagnant water, which continues beyond the light beam of the lamp.

The music, the waterfall noise, the laughters... they all come from beyond this lamp.

Secret rolls,Ivy [dice]0[/dice] Michael [dice]1[/dice] Emma [dice]2[/dice] Kathryn [dice]3[/dice]

Ivy,[quote]Do I need to roll to snap out of it?[/quote] I'm doing sectret rolls for you. Ivy has experienced that this music causes her a sense of well-being and tranquility, but it is not mesmerizing.. at least for now. Ivy can still control her actions if she think there is something strange about that. Just consider her feelings are somewhat in conflict...

Emma,The music caused her a sense of well-being and tranquility in Emma, but it is not mesmerizing.. Emma can still control her actions if she think there is something strange about that. Just consider her feelings are somewhat in conflict...

"We have to keep going, through the darkness," whispers Kathryn. "Let's keep quiet. We don't want them to know we're coming."

Roberto,Ok gotcha.

The strange scene brings Ivy out of her reverie somewhat. As she peers down into the cave, the smile on her face still remains however.

"Quiet... Yes, yes indeed. How strange that such beautiful music could come from such a dingy place. Perhaps we should climb down and investigate, although we'd have to be wary of those stalagmites down there. One slip and we'd be impaled."

"Any idea how we're gonna get down there? Looks like a pretty big drop to me." Michael tries to guess the distance to the floor of the room, see if he could maybe jump down. "I ain't no Harry Houdini. but maybe all the weight I carry around could keep me from from breakin' a bone if I take a plunge."

Mr. Handy wrote:

OOC,I think those maps are intended to be two-dimensional, with everything on the same level.

Michael isn't eager to make the descent, but this is the sort of thing gets him his salary from the taxpayers.

"I better go first," he whispers to the others, "in case there's trouble. Who's ever down there might not want to mess with a cop. Besides, whatever hocus pocus is going on with that weird music doesn't seem to mess with my noggin too badly, unlike certain people I could name."

He carefully stows away his pistol, turns off his flashlight and secures it as best as he can, and begins a reluctant climb down.

"I'll be right behind you," whispers Kathryn, knowing that she too is armed and in full control of her faculties. "Lights out, everyone." She shuts off her own flashlight and stows it before carefully following him down.

OOC,DEX roll (80% stat) descending the slope: [dice]0[/dice]

Blissfully unaware of Michael's rebuke, Ivy is happy to comply with the others' suggestions. She switches off her torch and volunteers to climb down after Kathryn, relying on the lamp below them to see where she's going.

DEX 50% Pass,[dice]0[/dice]

Emma switches off her flashlight. "That's a rather inconvenient spot to have a party." She whispers to herself as she watches others descent, and prepares to climb down.

DEX 60%,[dice]0[/dice]

As the investigators get down and begin to walk on the cave floor they get a better idea about the place. The cave is about one hundred feet wide (from East wall to West wall) and two hundred long (from South wall to North wall). The ceiling is forty feet above the ground and is fully covered with stalactites. There are two big circular pools filled of stagnant water, whose diameter is about eighty feet. The two pools lie in the North and South half of the cave, respectively, and an array of stalagmites, up to six feet high, lie in the space between the two pools.

An oil lantern is placed on the cave floor, and is lighting the space between the two pools. Along with the lantern, there´s a small pile of clothes. Human bodies move inside the South pool, projecting shadows at the South wall.

As the eyes get used to the dim light of the lantern, other details of the cave become visible.
There are two other openings. One of these is on the East wall at the level of the floor. From here starts a tunnel going towards the sea. The other one is on the West wall, placed at thirty feet from the ground. This opening is narrower, being only a little more than three feet wide and high.
Two objects are on the floor between the two pools, among the stalagmites, a dozen feet from the South pool. One is a rifle, the other is a small wooden crucifix. They lie where the lighting circle of the lantern ends.

The light also shows vapors coming out of the waters of the South pool, like a kind of thermal bath. There are people in the pool, close to the South wall. The vapors coming out hides their features. The shadows on the cave walls are those of three young men and two young women.

"We need to hurry, before we're too late," whispers Kathryn, hoping they aren't already. "Those women must be Selma and Darcy. Someone without a gun can grab that rifle." She hurries onward, trying to move quickly but quietly.

OOC,Stealth roll (60% skill) if necessary, approaching the south pool: [dice]0[/dice]

Ivy picks up the rifle. Although she's not a particularly good shot, she feels the need for some extra protection despite the euphoria rushing through her.

She also picks up the crucifix, trying to examine it in the dim glow of the lamplight.

"Father Colby's maybe?"

A thought strikes her.

"Hey, this wonderful music we're hearing - I wonder if it has anything to do with that old book we found and the strange writing about a magic pipe?"

"It reminds me of the myth of Pan," Kathryn says quietly, "and that's not good. Whatever you do, stay out of the water."

"Gotcha, lady. This place ain't no swimmin' hole." Michael attempts to skirt the water, not being a great swimmer. He sidles up to Ivy when he gets a chance. "I can carry that crucifix if it's too much of a burden for ya, what with the rifle and all. Besides, I'm a good Catholic boy."

"Thanks Mike - here."

Ivy gives the crucifix to Michael.

"I agree. As much as I would love a dip, I don't think it's be wise to go in the water right now."

As the group approaches further, the air becomes warmer. people in the pool become clearer, when the vapors coming out of the water dissolve in the air. They indeed are two young women and three young men. None of the women resambles Selma. They look naked, even thought the lower part of their body, including genitals, is underbthe water of the pool. All of them are incredibly beautiful, their profile and features are harmonious and simply perfect, like Greek statues.

Secret rolls,Ivy INT 55 [dice]0[/dice] POW 75 [dice]1[/dice] Michael INT 88 [dice]2[/dice] POW 68 [dice]3[/dice] Emma INT 70 [dice]4[/dice] POW 80 [dice]5[/dice] Kathrlyn INT 60 [dice]6[/dice] POW 65 [dice]7[/dice]

The music continues, now is stronger and seems to be everywhere. The people in the pool laugh to each other. They make jokes, in a luxurious and provocative way. They have not realized about the presence of the group yet. Jeremy looks deeply fascinated and willing to forget about where he is.

Michael,Michael notices that Jeremy´s eyes are staring at one of the women. Emma is doing the same with one of the men. He also realizes that the group in the pool is sexually specular to the group of investigators.

Kathrlyn,Kathrlyn notices that Jeremy´s eyes are staring at one of the women. Emma is doing the same with one of the men. She also realizes that the group in the pool is sexually specular to the group of investigators.

Emma,Emma hears the people voices accompanying the music sublimely. All this seems to be natural and amazing at the same time. She feels enormously attracted by one of the two men in the pool. The music and such beauty lights up an immediate sexual desire.

"Cripes,"Michael whispers, mostly to himself. "I wasn't expectin' to have to break up a sex orgy. Prob'ly been smokin' weed and snortin' cocaine, too. These hopheads must know somethin' about the missin' kid."

The time for discretion is over. A cop's got to do his duty.

"OK, folks, break it up. This is a police raid. Get your clothes on and get ready to answer some questions."

Kathryn groans inwardly as Michael gives up the advantage of surprise. She stands between Emma and the man she's looking at to block her view. "Don't look at him," she says. "Someone's trying to play matchmaker with us. Don't you see? We're two men and three women, and they're three men and two women. We've got to find that flute player and stop the music. That's what's making everyone act so weird. Ivy, Jeremy's affected too. Stand between him and the woman."

Ivy nods, and positions herself between Jeremy and the group in the pool. She takes him gently yet firmly by the arm.

"Stay with me Jeremy. Hold your nerve man."

Now that their presence has been given away, Kathryn lights her flashlight and, holding it in her free hand, shines it around in the direction from which the flute music originally came in order to try to reveal the player.

None of the people in the pool is playing any instrument and there is no visible flute player all around. The music is eveywhere as if beeing produced by the vapors raising from the waters. The majestic figures turn to the group. They ignore Michael´s words, as if those words were coming from a reality far away from their paradisiac pool. As they turn, their angelic faces capture everybody´s eyes. Their gaze is something deeply enchanting, like the magic of a Greek muse. One of the two women smile. Her smile is that of an innocent little girl who would make any teenager fall in love at first sight. Something of such teenager seems to have magically woken up and is throbbing inside you to come out. Like something buried by the heavy and ordinary years of monotonous adult life, which has lost the times when the world was magical and enchanting. The girl slightly move her finger inviting everybody to get into the pool. The others call with a laughing sweet chorus.

"Come here.... come....."

Jeremy and Emma walk on. Jeremy´s body in particular seems out of his control. Something draws him there and he does not what to do.
The others are not hypnotized, but as they meet those people´s eyes they need to struggle for a few seconds before thinking about a reaction.

Despite the feeling of well-being pulsing through her body and the allure of the beautiful bathers, Ivy knows something is wrong.

"Jeremy, stay where you are boy!" She hisses.

Still grabbing onto his sleeve, she pulls the boy back with all her strength.

"Can someone stop Emma too?"

"Gotcha. I'll take care of the dame. She musta got a whiff of whatever loco weed these sheikhs and flappers are usin'." True to his word, he grabs Emma's arm and keeps her from going any further.

Seeing that Mike is dealing with Emma, Kathryn helps Ivy restrain Jeremy. "I think we'd better all get out of here," she says.

Ivy is loathe to leave the beautiful music, but sees sense in Michael's plan.

"I think that's the best option."

She continues trying to pull Jeremy away from the pool.

As Emma nad Jeremy are stopped, the music stops as well. They both wake up from their hypnotic state. The people who were bathing immediately disappear in the vapors, and while images takes shape in front of the investigators. Two new figures appears in the pool. They are partially hidden by the vapors, but the lantern light is casting their shadows on the cave walls. One is a young girl, the other is hugging the girl and is somewhat humanoid. The thing immediately submerges. The vision of that moment is too brief to delineate this creature clearly, but it was something terribly non-human, whose contact with a human body would be absolutely unacceptable. As the thing submerges the girl´s features become clearer. She is dressed, but her clothes are all wet. The investigators recognize the girl. She is Selma, Jeremy´s sister.

Something is holding the girl up. A number of tentacles emerging from the pool are keeping her suspended upon the waters. Such elongated organs have animal features of slimy mollusks, but they keep that body as guided by something intelligent. As they are seen by the group, the tentacles start moving fast and chaotically, like an animal that reacts instinctively.

At the same time, two larger and horrible tentacles emerge from the waters. They seem to generate from the pool bottom, leaving their hidden and almost forbidden origin to be unveiled. They quickly grab Jeremy by the legs, dragging him violently and quickly under water.

Finally, a larger figure becomes visible, standing behind the girl, as suspended upon the waters. It is a big creature vaguely resembling a frog, as well as squids or octopi. It is 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide and a concave shape makes the rough body structure. The skin covering the head and the back works as a kind of armor, protecting the ventral and hollow and part of the body, from which big tentacles depart, appearing those of a giant octopus. One of the tentacles is holding a big flute.

Secrets rolls,Kathrin [dice]0[/dice] Ivy [dice]1[/dice] Michael [dice]2[/dice] Emma [dice]3[/dice]

"Hail Mary, Mother of God . . ." Michael mumbles the rest of the prayer under his breath, terrfied by what's happening. Whatever this abomination might be, it has to be destroyed. Michael holds the crucifix up high in his left hand, while firing his pistol at the monster. "Back to Hell, you evil sonuva..."

"My sentiments exactly!"

With the strange sense of bliss gone with the music, she hefts the unfamiliar-feeling rifle to her shoulder and fires.

Firearms (rifle) 25%,[dice]0[/dice]I will spend 4 luck for a pass.

She squeezes the trigger, and, more by luck than by judgement, the shot hits the creature.

Damage,[dice]1[/dice]

"Jesus Christ!" Emma quickly reaches for her gun and fires two shots at the creature.

First shot,Firearms (handgun): 27% [dice]0[/dice] [dice]1[/dice]

Second shot,Firearms (handgun): 27% [dice]2[/dice] [dice]3[/dice]

The first shot hits the water, but she manages to land the second one.

Damage,[dice]4[/dice]

Kathryn can only manage a terrified scream as she puts a bullet in whatever that thing is.

OOC,Wow, that was some nice shooting! 8-) If we're at point blank range, then that first shot hits as well. Please let me know if we are, as then I'll fire multiple shots this round (and the first shot gets a bonus die), though it may not be necessary if our first volley brings it down. Handgun roll (65% skill) shooting at the creature: [dice]0[/dice] Damage to creature from .38 bullet: [dice]1[/dice]

The shots fired by the group hit the creature and force it to retreat. As one bullet hit its tentacles, the monster throws the flute away, which floats upon the water´s pool a few feet from it. The monster´s mass floats above water, while the spirals drawn on the aphybious skin seems to move swirlingly, giving this being an even more unnatural and absurd appearance. It approaches Jeremy, and an indescribable fear is painted over his wide eyes. However, the other bullets that hit its chest dissolve inexplicably as soon as they clash into what seems to be a field of energy, enveloping the central part of its mass and mingling with the surrounding vapors. Jeremy manages to emerge and free himself to get briefly aired, but only to see the horror in front of his eyes.

At the other point of the pool, other tentacles coming out from the bottom begin to tighten the girl´s body. A long slimy protuberance wraps around her slender neck, just while she was about to get out of her trance state into this terrifying nightmare.

Darting forward while the creature is distracted, Ivy makes a grab for the flute.

Kathryn fires at the tentacles gripping Selma, hitting one of them.

OOC,Am I at point blank range? Handgun roll (65% skill) shooting at the tentacles: [dice]0[/dice] Damage to tentacles from .38 bullet: [dice]1[/dice]

Following Kathryn's suit Emma shoots at the tentacles around Selma.

Handgun: 27%,[dice]0[/dice] Damage: [dice]1[/dice]

OOC:   How far away from us is Jeremy?

Bullets don't seem to faze this thing, so, against his better judgment, Michael decides to toss aside the pistol and crucifix and dive into the water after the girl, hoping he can grab her and pull her away from the creature.

After the shots fired by Emma and Kathryn the tentacles of the creature relax their hold on the girl and rush into the air rhapsodically among the vapors, as if reorganizing for a new disposition. Selma agitates by resorting to the full force of despair. Michael helps her by pulling her towards him. One tentacle still binds the girl's arm. Her body is contended between Michael's grip and the last damned tentacle. Her cry echoes throughout the cave, in a mixture of pain and fear.

The body creature stands like an upside-down tree, with a myriad of tentacles that sink into the waters and re-emerge at different points. A set of them now directs towards the body of Jeremy with an impressive speed, like an independent organism, while the others might grasp again Selma at any moment.

Jeremy doesn't even have time to scream. Ivy picks up the flute and when she raises her head, something terrifying is consumed before her eyes.
The tentacles hit the emerged part of the Jaremy body in several points. For a moment, his body seems to disappear into the vapors. When the infernal things recede with a gesture of complete, quick and natural indifference .. the silhuette of Jereme´s chest has disappeared.
They have crushed Jeremy like a mass of hot butter. What remains is a slime that collapses on the water causing a red circle that increases its circumference,
whose vision invades the minds of the others with the unbearable weight of such a horrible reality. Selma faints.

Horrified beyond words, Michael tries to forget what he's seen and concentrates on getting Selma to safety. He's heard stories from old sailors about sea monsters, but always thought they were full of baloney. Now he's not so sure. If he can get Selma out of the water, he'll check her pulse to see if she's out of danger.

Kathryn fires at the last tentacle holding onto Selma, striking it.

OOC,Handgun roll (65% skill) shooting at the tentacle: [dice]0[/dice] Damage to tentacle from .38 bullet: [dice]1[/dice]

Ivy is horrified by what she sees and backs away hurriedly from the edge of the pool. Though stunned by the whole unnaturalness of the situation, she forces herself to think about what they've learned.

Magical flutes that aid the casting of spells; special seals and symbols. What if...?

She fishes out her notebook and quickly fines the unusual star symbol she had copied. Holding it up before the creature with one hand, she holds the flute in the other and blows into it.

Emma was used to the sight of death, but the situation was still difficult for her to stomach. She begins wading towards Michael and Selma to help get her out of the water as soon as possible. She's trying to keep an eye out for any tentacles that get too close.

"Yeah, help me get this poor kid out of the water," Michael says to Emma. "Might need some first aid. Could be sufferin' from hypothermia or somethin'."

After the shooting the last tentacle breaks and Selma finds herself in Kathryn's arms, while the group comes out of the water. No one has hypothermia problems, rather the vapors that rise from the water become warmer. The creature looks at Ivy and her huge and deformed eyes seem strangely curious, then she utters a confused cry that could be a laugh if it had something human.

A group tentacles come out of the water and concentrate towards Selma, hitting the poor girl in the head and in her back.
One tentacle also hits Kathryn's shoulder.

OOC:   Kathlyn loses 3 hit points.

"RUN!!!" screams Kathryn, taking Selma out of harm's way and away from the tentacles as fast as she can, before any of them can latch onto either one of them, toward the cave entrance.

"Yeah, make like Barney Oldfield!" Michael isn't going to let go of the poor local girl, but now he's got more casualties to worry about. "The lady PI's taken a hit. Better check her out, too," he says to Emma.

"I heartily concur!"

Shoving the notebook and flute into a pocket, Ivy wipes her mouth - suddenly realising what had been playing the flute before she put it to her lips.

She follows the others to the exit, helping the injured as much as she can.

"Will do, let's get out of here first!" Emma runs alongside the rest, keeping close to Kathryn.

The nearest and immediate escape route is the tunnel that goes to the sea. The creature follows the group but must stop in front of the mouth of the tunnel, as it is too narrow for its size. As they walk throught the tunnel, the group feels the icy sea breeze and the sound of waves coming from the beach outside.

The group ends up in a beach indeed. The beach is deserted. Silence and tranquility reign. Selma is still unconscious, but out of danger. The day is still sunny and the air is cold. As they look outside, they recognize the landscape depicted in Timothy´s drawings. The boy must have copied a picture of this place.

The beach is about two miles long and goes from the harbor at South to the rocks at North, where the long breakwater begins.
Along the beach towards the South end, just before the breakwater, the sandy ground ends, and begins a stretch of about fifty yards, formed by the rock mantle. Large rocks have been chaotically placed above the mantle. The cave entrance the group came from is actually hidden among those rocks. The same kind of rocks make the breakwater, which goes towards the sea and has a lighthouse at its edge. The sea waters begin relatively far from the beach and from the rocks, indicating a low tide. The water level would probably reach and cover most of the rocks and the entrance, were it not for the low tide.

The lighthouse stands tall on the rocky edge of the breakwater, before the group´s eyes. The structure is ninety feet tall and nearly twenty feet in diameter and can be accessed through the trail covering the breakwater. The structure is painted red and white.
Due to the low tide, the break water has no contact with the sea, whose wave are extinguishing far from the shore.

There are footprints of two persons walking away from the lighthouse and getting to the cave entrance. The footprints are of adult size. Female shoes. Two different kind of shoes.

OOC:   I will soon post about the objects you found in the cave....

"These footprints must belong to Darcy and Selma," says Kathryn, gently setting Selma down and doing what she can for Selma's injuries before she does anything about her own. "I wonder where Darcy went afterwards, but they were at the lighthouse immediately before."

OOC,First Aid roll (30% base skill) trying to treat [b]Selma[/b]'s injuries: [dice]0[/dice]

Ivy has yet to collect her thoughts, so she silently sets about helping Kathryn administer first aid to Selma.

First aid 65% PASS,[dice]0[/dice]

Emma takes a moment to catch her breath. "That's a good question. The other one is what will we tell the authorities." She waits until the others are done seeing to Selma, before looking at Kathryn's injuries. "Alright, let me look at shoulder of yours."

First Aid: 61%,[dice]0[/dice]

"Thank you, Emma," says Kathryn with a shaky smile, reloading her revolver. "Well, we can't tell them the whole truth. They'd lock us up as lunatics! But we could tell them the parts they might believe, and just say we were injured in Wellington cave getting Selma out of there. We got there just in time. That...that thing was about to have its way with her. Not the one with the tentacles, the smaller man-shaped one. How many other women has Darcy delivered here? This is what happened to Emma Weeks, and Jane Norris. My bet is that it happened to Alyssa too, years ago. No wonder she killed herself. I think we just found Timothy's real father. He didn't look like...that, though. I guess he takes more after his mother."

"That thing musta been an incubus,"Michael says, in an awed whisper. "I know I look like a dumb mug, but I've done some readin' about such things. When things settle down, I wanna arrange for a priest to perform an exorcism. Strictly on the QT, so I don't get thrown in the loony bin. Meanwhile, I say we head for that lighthouse, before the tide comes in. Might be some supplies there, help this poor kid before she freezes to death. Besides, might be some evidence about what's going' on down in that cave." He shudders a bit as he says this.

"I agree."

Having regained her composure, Ivy arches an eyebrow.

"I dread to think how many times that thing has sown it's wild oats, but I'm willing to bet that Darcy and her pals are the facilitators. Once we're all revovered we need to stop her from luring other young women to such a fate."

"Agreed," says Kathryn, shuddering. "We need to be wary of the lighthouse keeper, though. Remember, he and Darcy are both close to the Coney Island folks. He could easily be in on it. Maybe we shouldn't bring Selma there."

"Jake with me if one of you wanna stay here and keep an eye on the gal. Personally, I'd like to give that lighthouse keeper a piece of my mind, if it's got anything to do with this monkey business."Michael adds, patting his pistol.

"I think she needs a doctor," says Kathryn. "So do I, for that matter. I don't think staying around here is such a good idea. That huge monster might not fit out of the cave entrance, but there could be other dangers, especially so near the sea."

"Another option is for the uninjured amng us to put the 'squeeze', as my colleague might say, on Darcy. It might be safer to pay a visit to her house than isolate ourselves in the lighthouse."

The group has now time to examine the three object they found.
The flute is made of metal. It is light and shiny like gold. It is about one feet long and slightly trumpet-shaped at its end. It is made of incredibly strong and light metal alloy, not looking like anything already seen before. Unknown hieroglyphics decorate the entire surface, being this a highly precision sculpture artwork.

The crucifix is a common wodden crucifix with its Corpus Christi, the inscription INRI, and a metal chain. Cross size is 1,5 inches, while the chain size is 18 inches.

The rifle is not working, being encrusted with salt. It has been submerged in very salty water for a long time, but it can be cleaned and fixed. There is a label on the rifle butt, it is quite faded but still readable "Marlin 1895G, MC shop"


Selma wakes from her uncouscious state. She has a few bruises on his face and shoulder, but no serious wounds. More than anything else, she is deeply confused. She feels sick and tired and barely keep her eyes open. She got a headache. She doesn´t remembers anything of what happened in the cave. She does not even remember about having been inside a cave. She recognizes the investigators, she remembers about them. Her last memory dates back to last night, when she left the Inn with Darcy who accompanied her home.

"Darcy is responsible for what happened in there," Kathryn tells Selma. "We only barely got you out of there." She doesn't have the heart to tell her yet about her brother's death.

Selma wants to go back home and eventually, wait there for his brother to come back. She is very tired and still confused, and wants to have some rest. She tells the group where Darcy lives. Her house is downtown, not far from the Herder Inn. She seems surprised when she hears the investigators talking about Darcy. She doesn´t remember about being anywhere other then Kenneth beach. She remmeber being there with Darcy to have a drink and some talk. She must have fallen asleep while going back home. She considers Darcy a good friend and a confidant person. But, there´s something weird in the girl's voice when she said that. She does not say so with conviction. Something buried in her mind disturbs her. She definitely doesn´t want want to deal with that. She makes her way home.

"Selma, wait!" calls Kathryn, going after her. "You're still in danger! Darcy must have put something in your drink. You need to know what almost happened to you, and you need to know what...what happened to Jeremy."

Michael takes the others aside and whispers to them when he has a chance. "Poor kid is shell shocked, like she's been at Verdun or somethin'. She needs one of us to keep an eye on her all night, in case that Darcy dame tries to get at her again. Meanwhile, I still wanna check out that lighthouse, ask a few questions of the keeper. Later, it'll be time to pay a little visit to Miss D, too."

Ivy rolls her eyes and tuts in frustration.

"Typical of you to choose the most dangerous option!" She huffs. "Very well, but I'm coming with you - you'll only barge in and make a mess of things without me."

The girl turns to Kathryn. Her eyes are full of fear, but a fear moved by something that even she can't understand.

She finds the stenght to give an answer, but with a hesitant voice. Not even she seems to believe what she´s saying.

"Jeremy ... Jeremy went fishing today. Soon he'll come home. I ... I'm ... I'm fine .. I just need to rest."

OOC:   Sorry Mr. Handy, I had missed that.

Emma whispers to Kathryn "I think we should wait until she recovers. She can barely process the situation she's in." She then goes up to Selma "I understand, but you're in no state to be walking anywhere alone."

Kathryn nods. "We'll come with you, Selma," she says. "It's not safe for you to be on your own."