# [d20 Modern] RESIDENT EVIL: Damnation [PG -17]



## KitanaVorr (Mar 15, 2003)

This thread is for current players only.  Please post any comments in the OOC Thread.

A roster of the Resident Evil Characters and any maps of the game will be located in the Resident Evil Rogue Gallery thread.  Please no one post there except for the TDM (Tyrannical DM--thats me).

My players, please do not post until I indicate in the OOC thread that it is okay to start posting in the IC thread.

That said...welcome to the first ever Resident Evil pbp game...I hope you survive  it....

TDM


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 15, 2003)

Umbrella Corporation 

At the beginning of the 21st century the Umbrella Corporation had become the largest commercial entity in the United States.  Nine out of every ten homes contain its products.  It's political and financial influence is felt everywhere. In public, it is the world's leading supplier of computer technology, medical products and health care.  

Unknown even to its own employees its massive profits are generated by 

military technology, 

genetic experimentation, 

and viral weaponry.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 15, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
50 miles from Raccoon City
December 29, 2002  20:00

The whirring of the metal blades echoed over the once silent courtyard.  In the winter darkness no one could see the H-60 BlackHawk glide over the treetops inexorably toward the mansion.  Its sleek shape encased in non-reflective black paint; its interior filled with silent soldiers.

For a moment the helicopter seemed to kiss the treetops, hovering there suspended until a few slinky lines of black began to unfurl from its belly.  Soon dark shapes followed those lines, sliding along the ropes until military boots thumped on the hard dirt.

When all reached the ground, one of them raised an arm, motioning half the team to the right, the rest to the left.  With those simple orders, the group fanned outwards in different directions, all of which led to the darkening mansion half a mile north of their position.

Just beyond the edge of their vision they were joined by a few more shapes, these ones lower to the ground.  No one seemed to hear the heavy breathing, smell the fetid breath as the shapes moved swiftly closer even as the helicopter distanced itself from the men and women it had just left behind.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 16, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion – Formal Gardens*
50 miles from Raccoon City
December 29, 2002  21:00

The garden looked as if it had seen better days…in the 1960’s.  Everywhere undergrowth, everywhere the slow strangulation of everything human-built as nature returned to take over.  In that gloom a lithe figure made its way nimbly over the roots.

For a brief moment the figure stopped…she could have sworn she heard gunshots…maybe even faint screaming but now there was only silence.

That was odd.

As her steps took her to closer to the house the darkness seemed to encroach even closer to her.  Perhaps her mind was playing tricks in the shadows with the breezes, shifting the vines as if they were alive…of course that would only make sense if there was a breeze…


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 16, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion – Front Entrance*
50 miles from Raccoon City
December 29, 2002  22:00

The  creaking of the front gate sent chills down the spine of any who listened.  It seemed loud somehow, incongruous to the silence of the surroundings with the exception of the low hum of the car waiting to be let in.

Stretching for nearly a mile, the lonely drive from the front gate to the actual mansion in the dark remained quiet even with two companions in the car.  No one wanted to speak, to break the hum of the car, the silence of the woods.

Stone pillars, curving steps…the place looked less like a mansion, less like palace and more like a tomb…a mausoleum.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 16, 2003)

That is the last thing any of you remember.

At 22:30 hours everything grows darker.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion
December 31, 2002  18:00

The sun has set.

You awaken on a hard surface, cold as ice, in unfamiliar surroundings.  Everything looks blurry.  Everything looks unfamiliar.  Your head feels like a million dancers tapped their feet on it all night, a hangover of immense proportions.

It’s cold and dark with only bare candle light in niches and empty fireplaces.  Around you can hear the sounds of people stirring, moaning, clothes rustling against the bare marble floors until you realize that *you* are one of those people.

Then an even colder realization chills your bones.  Everything you had with you is gone except for the clothes on your back.  No weapons, no technology, no Kevlar vest.  Nothing but thin cloth to separate you from icy marble.

A loud gong sounds from somewhere in the house…and you wonder…how long have you been unconscious?


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 16, 2003)

Entrance Hall Map


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


Maria looks up, still dazed, and gets tries to get up. When on hand and knees, she feels the pounding in her head. 

"Oh man, last time I felt like this was still in high school." 

She looks around the room, trying to get an impression of the hall she's in. Her eyes slowly adjusting to the lack of good lighting Seeing Carlson still unconcious, Maria crawls to him, shaking him.

"Anders, wake up man. Come on, open your eyes damn it!"


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor - Entrance Hall*

*"...me on, open your eyes damn it!"* is the first sound that rings Amelia's ears since who knowns how long. 

_Auw_

Pain drives through her head, from the inside and from the outside. She thumped her head against something and it hurts like hell. Then it gets to her and her eyes flash wide open.

_I'm lying on the floor..._

The cold seeps through her few clothes and as the frigid feeling tinkles her skin she feel her heart beating in her head as she gazes at the blurry sight of the ceeling of where ever she is.

_It appears that at least I'm not alone..._

Slowly she tries to push her body of the ground and looks around her as she lifts her torso just a bit. With narrowed eyes the world slowly slides back into focus and she sees other people lying around her. One of them sits over the body of a male and turns around and looks at her.

_I know that face..._

Then another stake of pain drives through her head and she slips down back onto the cold floor again. Its cold soothing her headache.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

_Ugh.

Floor? I’m inside, but where?_

Michael looks around, but the lack of light and his blurry vision make it difficult to identify anything.
Trying to get his bearing, he pushes himself up and gets on his feet. When he’s about halfway up, the full force of his headache hits him, and slams him back to the ground. He manages to catch himself, but nearly stumbles onto the blonde woman next to him while doing so.

“Ehm, sorry ma’am”, he says out of reflex, even before realizing that the woman is unfamiliar to him and that she isn’t moving.

_Huh, who -?_

Realizing he’s not alone, he looks around for others, and spots the figure of the Corporal hunching over another body. The sight of someone familiar seems to give him purpose.

_Ah, Moreno, that’s good, than the rest of the team will probably be here as well. Better get to her..._

After taking another look at the woman next to him, Michael tries to get on his feet once more. He moves over to Maria, steadying himself with his hands on the marble floor. The cold marble feels weird against his fingers, but at least it gets his blood flowing again.

It shouldn't be too long before he would be able to think straight, and remember what happened. At least, if the pounding of his head ever stopped.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


Maria hears the sound of another one waking up behind her. She swings her head in the direction of the sound, seeing Amelia trying to get up, but falling down again. 

*Sorry Ma'am"*
Maria looks over her shoulder, seeing Michael regaining counsciousness as well. He crawls up and moves slowly to Maria.

"Hey Smith" Maria says, keeping her voice down a bit as almost every sound in the room makes her ears go beserk. "Try to wake the others."

After that, Maria tries to get up her feet, still a bit dizzy and she stumbles to the south wall, leaning against it. She puts her hands against her head, as if she tries to keep it from exploding. She leans for a short while, supressing the headache, and then walks slowly to the windows. She looks through the it, trying to remember where she is and how she got there.

_Man, I hope this headache goes away fast._


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

_Hmm... headache... bad... sounds like left TV on... tiles... lying on kitchen floor... got very drunk... most interesting dream I ever had while drunk... ouch... better not think too loud, better turn down the TV too... wait... I never had surround sound..._

Isaac's eyes grind open and he surveys everything around him. His eyes go in and out of focus but he manages to notice women in the room.

_Heh, maybe this is another dream, those are some nice women... but my dreams wouldn't have other guys in them on the other hand... S!_

He gets up onto his elbows and looks at the people around him.

_F, who are all these people? What did I get involved in? This isn't gonna look good... wait, everyone has clothes on, ok then, not as bad as I had thought... oh, there's Amelia._

Isaac crawls over to Amelia, and tries to wake her.

"Hey little lady, you'd do well to get up about now, it appears we may have problems," he says quietly.

He reaches for his 'hang over cure' bottle of spirits he keeps but can't find it.

_Hmm, musta dropped it._

This is soon followed by a series of individual revelations that all of his stuff is gone.

_Not good..._


----------



## Fanog (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

As michael scurries up to Maria, he begins to get a measure of his surroundings.

_Hm, it's pretty big here, seems some kind of hall. Don't see too many people though. What happened to our team, are they all here --twelve of us? Are there that many bodies here?_

He tries to count, but the darkness makes it difficult to say for sure. The worry is plain on the young Private's face, though. A wave of relief comes over his face when he sees that the Corporal is with Sergeant Carlson.

Michael picks up on Maria's hushed voice and greets her with a quick nod of his head and a hushed "Corp'ral, ma'am". After receiving orders, he opens his mouth to ask Maria whether she's OK, but the woman is gone before he can start his sentence.

_Hm, oh. Might be for the better, Corp'ral usually prides herself in being able to hold up. Wouldn't want to appear to pamper her._ He shudders slightly at the thought of that, and can't suppress an awkward grin, despite the grim situation.

_Okay, to work. Let's hope they're all here and doing well._

With that, Michael hunches over the body of Sergeant Carlson, and puts two fingers against the side of his neck, checking for pulse. After making sure that Carlson is alive and stable, Michael scuttles to the other end of the room, where he can vaguely see some other bodies.

As he approaches the body of Borzakovsky, the observation that there are not twelve persons in the room, starts to sink in.

_This doesn't look good. What they heck happened, where are we...? --why don't training missions prepare for this --could they even?_


----------



## Velenne (Mar 16, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha opens her eyes and immidiately faces off against the pain in her head.  She visualizes the pain as a gaseous blob, thrusts it into a bottle and tosses the bottle away.   Taking a deep breath, she makes a mental sweep of her person.  No apparent injuries, no gear either.  

When she hears movement all around, the PFC rolls over on her stomach and scans the room.  _There's the Corporal, so that must be the Sarge and the other Private._  The buzzing in her ears relents and she can hear them talking.  Amisha clears her throat to speak,

"Private First Class Patel, reporting in.  What happened?"  Her voice is alert yet calmly confident. 

Still in her focused state of battle-stress, the lithe soldier pushes up onto her knees and continues to take stock of the room.  Her fingers flex and she rolls her firm shoulders to bring some form of suppleness back into the stiff muscles.  She marks entrances, exits, and the other people in the room with her dark, cold, slitted eyes.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion
December 31, 2002  18:00


*Maria and the Southern Window*

The smell prickled along your noise reminding you of the time you were five and your mother took you to see where they had entombed your grandmother.  That cold marble mausoleum, empty, silent, and filled with rows and columns of the dead.  The ghost stories your nana used to tell you…they began to play through your head unbidden.

Candles flickered in the room, in corners, on chandeliers.  Ornate paintings with scrolled framework, beautiful Chinese vases, lush tapestries, all these had a fine layer of dust on them as if it had been a while since anyone had bothered to maintain such priceless treasures.

As you stumble toward the windows that line the southern part of the room, you notice something in the dim lighting outside.  There’s a car sitting on the curving driveway.  It looks quiet and dark with the doors wide open.


----------



## Keia (Mar 16, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Anders snapped awake rising into a sitting position with an inhale not unlike a person who’d been underwater too long and just reached the surface.  Then, silence as he looked around the room and reached for his Beretta at the same time. _What the heck was going on? And that dream, again with the raven-haired spy . . ._ Anders thoughts stopped as his eyes finally focused on those in the room.

An strong thrust of his arms and Anders was standing again, cracking his neck as he flexed his shoulders and tilted his head to each side – his signature ‘time to go to work’ move to those that know him well.  His eyes locked briefly on the woman haunting his dreams lying on the ground not 30’ away.  He then turned and strode over to his squad.

With a nod to each, Anders quietly spoke concern evident, “Patel, Smith, you alright?” With more command and a smile, “Moreno, what’s the status?  Doesn’t look as bad as that time in Madrid, but . . . it’s damn close.”


----------



## mistergone (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

_You're in the backseat of Chad's car, riding back from the party by the lake. The warm summer night air blows through all four open windows and the moon-roof and ruffles your hair and your lucky Metallica t-shirt as you gaze absently out the window at the stars twinkling through the tops of the trees that line the highway. Chad and Jenny are talking about... something... probably how Jenny thinks it's stupid that everyone had to pony up five bucks for the keg which will most likely not get returned anyway... and the radio is playing a song you think you almost recognize, but you can't hear anything clearly over the wind. Something touches your hand and all the hairs on your arm stand up on end. You look over at Sarah as her hand slides into yours and gives it a gentle squeeze. She turns to you and smiles and her hair is whipping about her face and her eyes are twinkling just like the stars... and man oh man you fool why didn't you kiss her tonight? Not like you didn't have a million chances to, and everyone thinks you're a couple already, anyway. Summer will be over in a couple weeks and she'll go back home and you will have blown it, man. What? She's saying something... at least her lips are moving... something about... what? You lean closer... And the world explodes into a violent spin cycle. Chad never braked, he didn't see it coming. Metal smacking into metal at 65 miles per hour or so is SO loud, and then you can't hear anything... can't feel anything... it doesn't seem quite real. Now you're lying in the grass by the side of the highway and you're numb and you don't know if you're alive or dead but you can hear something over the pounding in your ears. "Yuri...? Yuri...?" Sarah? So faint and weak and far away sounding. You get up and stumble onto the road and towards her voice. There's twisted hunks of metal all over and you smell gasoline and something's burning. "Yuri...? Yuri?" There she is... she's lying there, reaching for you... You kneel beside her, and try not to look at how her entrails just run under what must be the remains of Chad's car. Did she drag herself this far? You take her hand and hold it tight, and look into her eyes, which are so wide and bright. You can't speak though you try. "Yuri?" she whispers to you, and as you lean your face close to hers, a drop of what must be your own blood falls from your forehead onto her cheek and rolls slowly down it. "Yuri... look at the stars... they remind me of you..." And she gasps, and her eyes close. And something's wrong... No, not that, something else. That was was a long time ago, you were 17. You haven't been 17 for years, man. Wake up."_

Yuri sits bolt upright with a shout that only barely escapes his lips. He blinks a few times, then starts to look around, only to squeeze his eyes shut again and clap his hands to his temples.

"Oh man." he slides his hands to cover his face then parts his fingers slightly and peeks out, gazing over himself, then around in front of him. Slowly, he lowers his arms and scans the room, taking it all in. He winces and glares into the shadows, trying to make out the figures now moving around. 

"What the Hell..." carefully pushing himself up, he unconsciously feels for his gear, that should be strapped to him. "What the _Hell_?!?" It's not there. Not even his med-kit.

"Sarge?" Yuri walks over to Anders. "What the Hell happened? I think I blacked out... Uh... are you okay? Am _I_ okay?" He looks around for his squad members. "Is anyone hurt?" he says a little louder. "I... uh... I got a bad feeling about this."


----------



## Velenne (Mar 16, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Patel stands up when the Sarge does and strides soundlessly across the marble floor over to him.  She nods, then returns her attention to the perimeter.   She remains silent, defering her comments until they get the Corporal's assessment.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


Maria smiles as she sees Carlson has awakened. She turns back to the window, feeling very uncomfortable. 

*“Moreno, what’s the status?"* she hears behind her. 

"As far as I can tell, we're all still in one piece. All equipment is missing, sir. And there's a car outside, on the driveway. Dimmed lights, doors open. And I have no idea what the hell happened here. I don't even know where the f*ck we are for sure."

She then turns back to Anders. "And I got a freaking migraine."


----------



## Fanog (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

With five members of his team up, Michael seems to regain something of his spirit and pace. 

_Ah, Amisha is up. She seems to recover fast, wow. The Sergeant and Corporal also seems to have regained consciousness, good._

He turns to face Sergeant Carlson: "Yes sir, doing fine regarding cicumstances."

When turning back to continue to the Corporal, Michael sees Amisha striding past him. He gives her a nod and a compassionate smile to as she walks past him. "You OK?"

Than he turns his attention to Borzakovsky, who seems to a harder time getting up. "Sir, are you doing all right?"

He offers Borzakovsky a hand to help him stand up, but the Corporal seems to have regained himself. While turning to walk with Borzakovsky, Michael notices the body of a slim asian woman, lying in the corner of the hall. 

_Hmm, more strangers. Well, we'll get that sorted out later. First things first. Let's get everyone together..._


----------



## mistergone (Mar 16, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri, rubbing the back of his head and frowning, looks Amisha up and down. "Hey Patel, lookin' good, all things considered. I guess not all is lost, eh? You freakin' out? I'm on the verge, myself." He flashes a smile and winks, then calls over to Maria "How 'bout you, Moreno, you okay? Need me to check you out? Make sure nothing's broken?"

"Smith? Sarge?" he glaces back and forth between them. "Oh yeah, and who..." Yuri waves a hand at the man kneeling over the blonde woman. "...the Hell are they?"


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


"The only thing that's gonna get broken is you if you don't watch your words Borzakovsky. So can it."

"Smith, Patel, follow me. We'll check the upper floor. Borzakovsky, you stay here and see if everyone is okay. And keep your sweet talk to yourself."

After giving the orders, Maria slowly walks towards the stairs. When Smith and Patel join her, she walks up, being very causious that the group might have some company in this mansion.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"Yes ma'am."

Before following Maria, Smith turns to to Barzakovky and point to the far corner of the room, in the direction where Amisha awoke.

"Sir, there's another stranger over there, Sir. As asian woman, didn't know if you had seen her yet, Sir. Thought I might point her out..."

After that, he has to hurry to catch up with Maria. Michael shakes his head a couple of times, trying (without succes) to shake out the headache and the anxious feeling he has got.
His hands fiddle at his belt, not finding a gun. His hands feel empty, his fingers can't stop moving, like they're nervous and not at all ready for what's about to happen.

_Glad to be away from him for a while. His talking gave me the creeps, he ought to know better. "on the verge" Pah, get his act together. At least Moreno knows what she's doing --glad to be with her, now._

Michael's fingers seem to have resigned themselves to the fact that they're on their own - no gun or flashlight. Years of training come to the fore and his hands settle in a semi-flexed state; two fingers straight, two bent. 

_Ok, this is it. Let's go._

He falls in behind Maria, looking out for signs of trouble.


----------



## Velenne (Mar 16, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Patel falls in next to Moreno.  As Smith approaches, she wordlessly reaches out, grabs his lapel and puts him behind the pair of women.  He may be a soldier, but he's a techie and she knows he spends far more time in front of a computer than any opponent -sim or real.  

Amisha hadn't known Maria very long, but she didn't need too long to recognize a tough bi†ch when she saw one.  And she likes that.  The PFC is eager to see the woman in action.  She's also glad to be out of that Hall.  _Too many entrances, too many variables, and the civies are an unfactored liability._

She assumes a guarded martial combat stance and ascends slowly next to the Corporal, eyes and ears picking up everything.


----------



## Keia (Mar 16, 2003)

> *
> "Smith, Patel, follow me. We'll check the upper floor. Borzakovsky, you stay here and see if everyone is okay. And keep your sweet talk to yourself."
> 
> After giving the orders, Maria slowly walks towards the stairs. When Smith and Patel join her, she walks up, being very causious that the group might have some company in this mansion. *




Anders gives a look to Maria, a 'I'd rather you didn't, but since you already said so, I won't counter it' look, and leans in to tell her, "Just see if we're guests here and there's someone upstairs.  If a doors closed, leave it closed.  We'll do a detailed search once everyone is up and moving."

Turning to Corporal Borzakovsky, "Fall in, corporal, you've got my six.  Let's go see who else is here on this little joy ride."

As Anders walks over to the closest person, he is active searching the room, looking for any details in the hall.


----------



## Creamsteak (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall (Clairemont Mansion)*

Throwing her right arm against her head, and focusing on herself, Nyugen stairs up at the cieling in a sort of dazed trance that only she understands. _Am I awake? Am I awake? Am I awake? Where's the recorder?_

*"Oh !"*

Throwing her left foot up underneith her, Nyugen jumps up onto her feat and goes through her pockets, for two reasons. One, to check for her posessions, and two, to make sure she still has her clothes to begin with.

*"..."*

She takes a look over the room, checking to make a headcount... _Maybe one of these jarheads has a gun still on them..._

"Hey, Baldy, wheres your equipment?" - Directed at Anders

I brush my hand against the door and lock just north of my position, I check to see if the door-knob or handle turns easily, so I know whether it's locked or not in the case that I need to sneak out of here.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael looks a bit baffled as Amisha pushes him behind her. He'd expected to keep the tail, but had somehow hoped that she'd be there besides him.

_Wha-? is she pulling rank on me...? Getting familiar with Moreno? Ack, looks like I'm on my one for now, stuck here in the back._

It frustrates him, walking on his own. After the Corporal gave her orders, he had hoped for some time with Amisha. His head was bouncing from all the things happening. Somehow, she seemed to help him get all the things in place. He hadn't really figured out just yet how she did it, but talking with her did seem to get him to order his thoughts.

_Too bad, i'll just have to deal with it for now. Maybe we'll find some clues up there. What did happen, who are the three persons down there with us: the blonde, the older guy who seemed to know her and the asian one. Did the man know her as well? -where are we even, is this the place we were sent to originally, or are we someplace else? Does any of the others remember more than I?_

The silence from the two woman before him seems to kill the Private. Still, he isn't about to be caught off-guard here, on his first real mission, in this kind of mess. Once more, Michael decides to hold the questions for later, and to keep his thoughts to his current activities; the stairs, second floor, and the two woman in front of him.

_Better not let them down while they're counting on me._


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 17, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac witnesses the military going to work around them. He blinks and looks again.

_Military? Weird... How did I get stuck with military goons?_

He hears about the car but stays quiet, thinking it best to see if the car is his before delcaring it.

"Back in a moment Amelia, I think my car's just out front," he says and approaches the window that the female corporal was looking out of.

He has a little difficulty finding his feet, but they're there and he makes his way over and tries to identify the car.

_Hmm, is it mine?_

The military types split up.

_They're pretty quick to action._

The asian woman then jumps up and bad mouths the commanding officer there.

_Good for her._

"Hey," he says after the asian is done, "Anyone know whats goin' on here?"


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 17, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Anders Carlson*

Slowly as your make your way around the room for a preliminary check you see a beautiful blonde woman – a civilian probably – still prostrate on the floor.  As you head toward her, your eyes spy a few candles and a matchbook sitting unused on top of a shelf just by the staircase.

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your legs feel more wobbly than a sailor fresh off the ship and this time you’re pretty sure it didn’t have anything to do with booze.  Stumbling across the dimly lit room, you fall heavily against the window sill and peer outside into the gaping darkness, trying to see what the woman had seen.  Never one to miss detail, your sharp eyes pick out the outline of your car – the dilapidated hunk of junk.  It sits there in silence with doors wide open as if to welcome you back into its cold arms again yet without a spark within its metal exterior.

*Jac Nguyen*

The door handle feels cold but it gives to your touch.

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*

*Maria, Amisha, and Michael*

Taking neither light nor weapon, you ascend the staircase into the hollow darkness above.  The noise reverberates twice as loudly, probably because the only sound you can really hear is your own breathing and that of your companions.

With no light, the upstairs looks very dark, only dimly outlined from where you stand at the edge of the stairs.  You can barely see five feet in front of you....but you can swear you heard a noise somewhere in the darkness.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 17, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac watches the group of three disappear into the gloom residing at the top of the stairs.

_I better go out to the car, looks like the old thing has been looted of anything of any value. Anything of value... well that'd include... umm... the car stereo?... wait, I took that and sold it... that doesn't really leave anything to steal... dammit, I need a new car._

"Hey Miss Amelia, I'm goin out to the car in a minute, I mighta left my stuff in there," he says and scratches his head.

He wanders around the room in a search, inspecting things while waiting for a reply from the CO.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 17, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

_Whoa, it's dark up here, darker than I'd imagined. Maybe it wasn't such a good plan to come up here, without light and al-- wait a sec--_

Michael adresses the Corporal in a hurried tone, trying to get his point across without taking too much of her concentration away from what lies before them. He keeps his voice low, not wishing to startle her.
"Corp'ral ma'am, isn't it possible that there is a flashlight in the car you saw outside, or some spare lightbulbs and batteries? I think I could fix something, if I had some parts. Might beat going up here in the dark, not seeing where we're going and what we might stumble into..."

Only while he's talking, does he think about how this might come across to the two women in front of him.

_I don't want to appear nervous, just trying to think along and get us some basic equipment. Should've thought of this sooner, though. Maybe there's even a weapon in the car, or a first-aid kit, a cellphone, or -- The thing could be a goldmine. Ah, stupid headache! ...should've thought of this sooner._

"...and there might also be some other equipment that we could use, Ma'am. A weapon maybe, or cell phone, or ..."

_Damn, doing it again. Shut up already, you've made you point._

The young Private holds his mouth in mid-sentence, standing silent and awaiting for the Corporal to shoot down his plan, telling him to 'can it'...


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 17, 2003)

"Hey Miss Amelia, I'm goin out to the car in a minute, I mighta left my stuff in there." Reaches Amelia's ears and it doesn't improve her headache. She keeps her eyes shut for another moment or two as she enjoys the silence and the coolness that seeps into her skull, soothing her headache.

_Sigh, the copper is still around as well, from all things I could miss he's still here... Ah well... he serves his purpose, I guess... Now let's hope he does it without annoying me to much._

Her eyes flash open again as she stays on the ground for a moment. Then she puts her hands on the cold marble floor beneath her and slowly pushes herself off the floor. While sitting she looks around but sees there are only a few people in the room. People she doesn't know.

_Ah well..._

Then she gets up from her butt and onto her feet. Quickly her sight turns black and her head feels light as she wobbles on her feet. Stumbling towards a wall she slams her palms against it and puts her head against the wall. It feels cold as well but its nice for the staking pain in her head. After a few second she squeezes her eyes tightly shut and tries to open them again... slowly. She sees the same room but with several people looking at her as she slowly regains her footing and steps away from the wall.

_Got up to fast... hate when that happens. Ugh, my head. What the hell happened to get me to feel this sick and it feels like I've got my heart in my head._

Suddenly it sinks into her what she set out to do and what she is here for. Fear grips her body for a moment as ideas suddenly race through her mind about the rumors about the corp. and how her head feels after what happened. Her eyes wide and with increased pulse she gets a grip of herself and calms down.

This isn't doing her headache any good.

She turns towards Isaac and replays what he just said in her mind. A quick glance out of the window and the memmory of the sun of her skin and the wind playing with her hair force a smile upon her face. Looking at Isaac again she takes a few steps in the direction of the door.

"I'll accompagny you outside. It seems I could use some fresh air and some warm sunlight wouldn't hurt me either."

Then she walks towards the door leading outside and turns the knob.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 17, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"Getting scared Smith?" Maria asks with a bit of sarcasm in her voice. "Get used to it. Won't be your first time.'

She then sighs, and tries to make out anything in the dense darkness. _I can see a thing up here, and it's not smart to take any risks with the two privates following me._

"Smith, Patel, move back. Nothing to see, literally. Let's try to get some lights up here."

Maria moves back down, making sure the noise she heard up there isn't getting closer to them.


----------



## Keia (Mar 17, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders moved over to the shelves by the stairs, eyes alert and searching, nothing in his expression or posture betraying the thudding in his head and his internal struggles.  Spying the candles and matches, he looks at the amount of dust on the candles and matches compared to the area on the shelf to determine if they were recently placed here or not.  

As Anders took the candles and matches, he noticed the blond woman stirring. Anders, concern in his voice, said, "Ma'am, I'm Sergeant Anders Carlson, U.S. Marines.  I, and most of my squad, all woke up in what appears to be the same condition you're waking up to right now.  Do you have any idea what's going on here?  If you need a few moments to gather yourself, I understand."

Anders will look more closely at the shelves and area by the stairs, searching for anything unusual or secret.  Anders thought as he searched,_ Old place such as this probably has a lot of nooks and crannies.  The layout doesn't seem to match what I remember of our map, however - assuming this is even the same mansion.  And where the heck is the rest of my team??_

As Amelia and Issac look to go outside, Anders will offer, "It might be a good idea to wait a moment and have everyone go outside together.  We don't seem to have any equipment, so the only resource we seem to have is each other.  Extra eyes and hears would likely be helpful and more secure."


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 17, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac nods, noting the calm disposition of Carlson.

_He'd know what he's doing, got that whole respectable aura about him as well._

"It's my car, there might be some stuff of use in it, but I can't remember anything for s right now," he says matter-of-factly while continuing his search.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 17, 2003)

Her hand slowly clasps the cold doorknob and so she remains still for a moment or two. Then her hand slowly slides of the cold metal and her knees bend for a mere moment and she appears to be collapsing. She struggles to keep on her feet and as she leans back to the door she looks up at Anders and swipes a few strokes of hair from her face.

"I'm really not feeling well at all. Some fresh air would really do me a world of good. I think I'm gonna faint."

She looks down at the marble floor again but looks up after a second or two and smiles faintly at Anders.

"You look like a strong man and a marine as well. I'm sure you could protect me from anything that could possibly live around a mansion such as this."

She turns her head a slight bit and attempts to smile warmly but doesn't appear to be succeeding.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 17, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael starts to open his mouth to make a retort against the Corporal's accusation of him being scared, but decides against it. 

"No ma'am, not afraid. Just not really comfortable without gear."

The Corporal's assessment that more light is indeed needed and her decision to head back down, is a bit of an encouragement to him. Slightly more confident than before, he nods to Moreno and follows her down, to the rest of the group.


----------



## Velenne (Mar 17, 2003)

2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Patel remembers the candles in the corners of the entry hall.  She'll decend the staircase quickly and go immidiately toward the closest corner to look for a way to transport the tiny flame.  Better yet - there may be a way to light some scrap of wood into a torch.  

Amisha scans her thoughts back to Survival training.  Cloth in the tapestries, maybe a leg of the bannister.  Flashlights in the car, Smith had said.  Hell, the techie could probably rig something up with the battery and headlights if given long enough.  Barring that, a torch might still come in handy.


----------



## Keia (Mar 17, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion



> *
> "You look like a strong man and a marine as well. I'm sure you could protect me from anything that could possibly live around a mansion such as this."*




“I appreciate the compliment ma’am, but I’m going to need some answers if I’m to help anyone.  Let’s start off with something simple . . . like your name, and work up to the tough stuff,” Anders said with a small smile to the blond woman.

Turning to the gentleman, Anders said as an introduction, “Sergeant Carlson, sir.  You would be . . . ?” He asked as he saw the rest of his team that he was aware of descend the stairs.

He smiled, slightly reassured, both because he saw his team and he didn’t have to confront the woman haunting his dreams.  He had pointedly ignored her first comments as she awoke. He needed to establish order and figure out what happened before talking to her.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 17, 2003)

After being told of and having all those questions slung at her Amelia appears to stagger for a moment. Then her knees tremble and she slides with her back against the door down onto the cold marble floor.

Hair dangling in front of her face she snickers for a moment and then breaks out in tears. She makes a fist of both hands and drums them onto the floor and kicks with one foot into thin air before clasping her hands around both legs and puts her head between her knees and cries.

"Like I choose to be here and have this all happen to me... *snicker*... and my headache is getting worse... I just wish I was back home." 

She turns her head a bit and through her clammy hair dangling in front of her face she looks at Isaac before looking back at the marble floor again.

"Please Isaac, let's go outside. I can't stand it here and I need some air. You know you do as well."


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 17, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


As Maria gets back with the rest of the group downstairs, she moves to Anders and whispers to him.

"Anders, I suggest we start exploring where we are. I have the nasty feeling we're not alone here. We've got a couple of civs who might be in danger if we get caught by surprise by anyone. Seeing all these doors, I suggest we take the single one, and move there. Maybe we can find something more comfortable for the civs to get over the shock of this all and we'll get some time to check out the rest of the mansion."

Seeing how Amelia drops to the floor, crying, Maria walks over to her.

"Woah there, we _all_ would rather be somewhere else, but it's better not to go outside. We have no idea what's out there, or who is, or where we are at all. Now dry your tears and get up. The cold of the marble won't do you any good."


----------



## mistergone (Mar 17, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

"Heh, yes ma'am." Yuri had muttered sarcastically under his breath to Moreno. Her goat was SO getable.

Yuri then followed the Sargeant around the hall quitely, mulling over the situtation in his head. _Who are these civillians? Where's the rest of the squad? Where's the Lieutenant?! Things have gone FUBAR sideways and pear-shaped... but how?_

Upon seeing the blonde woman slide down to the floor, Yuri hurries over and kneels by her side.

"Easy there, sweets, let me check you out. I'm a medic..." and he begins to unceremoniously examine her, checking pulse, looking for signs of a concussion, seeing if anything is obviously broken, brusied, or otherwise mangled. "Relax, take a few deep breaths." Then over his shoulder, louder "I need a light over here."

_My god_ he thinks, but tries not to think it, _she kinda looks like... but no.. not really... focus, man..._

"Way to demonstrate the good ol PR skills, Moreno, " he quips to the other Corporal's comments with a crookend smile.


----------



## Keia (Mar 17, 2003)

> *
> As Maria gets back with the rest of the group downstairs, she moves to Anders and whispers to him.
> 
> "Anders, I suggest we start exploring where we are. I have the nasty feeling we're not alone here. We've got a couple of civs who might be in danger if we get caught by surprise by anyone. Seeing all these doors, I suggest we take the single one, and move there. Maybe we can find something more comfortable for the civs to get over the shock of this all and we'll get some time to check out the rest of the mansion."
> *




"Fair enough," Anders says listening to Maria's suggestions.  He thinks for a few seconds then nods, "Okay, let's break this room down first.  Detailed search, this room only, in pairs, call out whenever anything is found.  Take anything that could be of use to us: candles (he says as he hands two to her), matches, weapons, improvised weapons. . . I don't care if the weapons are candlesticks and tablelegs, we need weapons.   Also, look for passages doors we may not be aware of. Let's start with where we started and go from there, thought the civilians want to go outside."

"We pick anywhere to move we do it as a team.  Maybe the rest of the squad is in the next room, but I want this one secure first."


----------



## Fanog (Mar 17, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Seeing as how everyone is busy, Michael moves over to the window to have a look at the car, checking the type and the state it is in. He doesn't concern himself with the strangers, preferring to leave those things to the sergeant and corporals.

On the way over to the window, the private conjures forth a mental 'map' of a car. He thoroughly disects it, going over every part, scanning for compartments where useful items could be located, trying to find parts of a car that could be used as makeshift tools.

_...check dashboard, trunk, under the seats -- get the jack and box of spare lightbulbs -- maybe find a bottle somewhere, use a hose from the enigine to drain some gas from the tank. Could be useful for making a torch. Let's first see what I have to work with._

When he's looking outside, Michael will also pay attention to the direct vicinity: the lighting conditions and possible cover and ambush positions.


----------



## Creamsteak (Mar 17, 2003)

*1st Floor Main Room*

Jac will slip out through the door that has been checked, making sure to use stealth and silence to her advantage while everyone is so confused. She steps into the next room, checks for light, and looks around.

_Thank god I can get away from those petty thugs..._

Jac will investigate the room thouroughly with her eyes first, to make sure there are no other people inside.

_Now, how do I go about my mission in this place? That crying girl provided the perfect cover for my escape..._


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 17, 2003)

Through her wet and sticky hair Amelia looks at the man kneeling before her. She feels his hands glide over her body and then she sees that look in his eyes. The man yells something to someone behind him but Amelia doesn't care, she's fully occupied with the glee she is experiencing at the moment.

"No, no really, I'm fine. I'm just a bit, you know... we all are and I'm not really used to this and I... I just don't know what I'm doing here. Really I'm fine, it's just the stress or something... I think."

Slowly she pushes herself up from the floor as the man calls for some light but she shivers again for a moment and firmly grips the mans shoulder to prevent her from falling back down. She slowly lets go of the man's shoulder but as she does so her hand softly glides over his arm... Then she steps away from him as her hip brushes against his.

"Ah my head, it feels like my whole heart is in there beating the hell out of me. But who are you guys then and what are you doing here? Well where is here actually? Auw my head...."

_Heh you help me boy, you know you want to help the poor helpless pretty lady in pain. If that bitch hadn't come back down I'm sure I'd have gotten the other ones worked up as well._

Her eyes glide across the room and she smiles through her hair at Anders for a brief moment before turning around and smiling at Yuri while she brushes some strands of hair from her face. Gently she puts them back behind her ear and she looks at Yuri for a moment longer but then fixes her gaze on Maria.

_How easily manipulated they all are, they all fell for that facade I threw up there. Let them just all think of me like the poor and fragile pretty face that I am that needs protection while they guide me to my real goal... So simple indeed._


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 17, 2003)

An image suddenly appears in her mind... a memmory from when she got up and looked around to see who and what was in this room with her. In the image is a dark haired slim girl who gracefully slid towards a door and... pain pierces her mind again.

_That girl... hmmm..._

Slowly she massages her own neck with one hand while she leans her head back and watches the ceiling for a moment. The pain flows away with the rythmic movements of her fingers in her neck. Amelia closes her eyes again and more of the picture completes in her mind as her fotographic memmory sets in. 

The dark haired girl walks over to one of the doors on the other side of the room...

_What was she doing there... she seems to confident._

Lowering her head again as she gazes at the door the girl was at as memmories start to flood her mind with pictures from the near past. 

_I was dazy from the getting up to fast, but when I got myself back into focus I checked the room again and I saw her at the door but what was she doing..._

_From there I just last noticed her when I slid down the exit door... she was carefully prodding the doorknob... And she isn't one of the marines appearantly. Hrmz... She is more then she appears to be._

_After that I lost track of her because I was too focussed on playing my facade as convincing as I could to test what I had surrounding me... How reassuring that little play might have been I've lost track of that girl and now she's disappeared..._

Taking a few steps towards the door she last saw the dark haired girl she lays her hand on the doorknob. It feels warmer then the other ones as like it has been touched by a warm hand.

_She's a girl, a woman, not some male but a woman. I can handle the males but with women things are different... The women I should look out for, because it seems they are a bit harder to deceive with mere emotional play and basic acting._

_Hmmm, keep your friends close but your enemies closer... I might just do that indeed. I'll have to keep track of the women here. The men aren't a problem but the women... hmmm... Ah well, the show goes on._

Amelia looks up from the doorknob and turns around to face the rest while her right hand still gently rests on the warm knob.

"Wasn't there another girl here a few moments ago?"

And in her mind the feeling of satisfaction merely grows... gleefully she smiles within herself. 

_Playing games already huh... lets just see about that..._


----------



## mistergone (Mar 18, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion



> [/i]
> *
> 
> "No, no really, I'm fine. I'm just a bit, you know... we all are and I'm not really used to this and I... I just don't know what I'm doing here. Really I'm fine, it's just the stress or something... I think."
> ...




"Alright... are you sure? Okay..." Yuri lets her go, and freezes as she brushes against him.  

_Hm... so blondie's a lil bit of a slut... interesting... inappropriate psychological response to stress anyone?  Maybe... Sarge needs to bust ass on these people... they could be more than they appear.... everything is suspect here... I really don't like this...feeling... _

He watches Amelia for a moment as she moves away, then turns towards the older man. 

"How 'bout you, er...sir. I should take a look at you too."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 18, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*
*Maria, Amisha, Michael*

Descending the stairs, one at a time, nothing else seems to happen, but the faint whiff of decaying flesh does tickle your nose for the briefest of seconds before all three of you are returned to the wide entrance all and the dim light it provides everyone.

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Anders Carlson*

You touch the waxy candles, all three long and tapering in a cream color.  They look as if they could last for an hour or so each.  The second you touch the cold wax, a startling realization strikes.  While everything looked as if it hadn’t been touched for days…the candles didn’t even have a few stray particles of dust on them.  Lifting them from the shelf you see the undisturbed dust beneath them, a clear sign that they had been recently placed there.  

The matchbook bears a strange symbol on it, one you don’t recognize.  It looks like a stylized crimson letter “T” done in archaic lettering.







Then the blonde woman speaks but something about her does not engender trust.  It’s as if your sixth sense is blaring out a warning that the woman is not all she seems.  The civilian man though seems honest enough to you.

Out of the corner of your eye you see Jac Nguyen, the so-called super spy, try and slip out the door closest to her.  Possibly it’s because you’ve always had your eye unconsciously upon her since you realized she was here.

*Isaac Goldstein*

With expert fashion, you carefully search the room and find a half-full magazine (7 shots) for a 92 Beretta dropped by someone in a corner.  So far what you’ve seen has made you a little more than nervous.  Everywhere without fail…the dust has been evenly distributed.  An impossibility but certainly so.  It was as if someone just carefully *put* it all there.  Just like whoever had put you there with the others in this room.

A panel in the fireplace catches those sharp eyes of yours, worked into the wood so that it blended in almost seamlessly…but managed to see the thin lines on the woodwork though how to open it remains a mystery to you. 

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your hands pass over the blonde woman’s body and she does feel soft, very soft and very nice.  Trying to put those thoughts out of your head, you notice something interesting that has you wondering yourself.  There’s a small bump on the back of her neck, but closer inspection under a stronger light might reveal more.

*Michael Smith*

Outside looks just as lonely as inside.  Darkness with nary a torch to lead the way seemed to be the car’s only companion.  Though all you can think about what the car holds is pure conjecture since you had no idea what the owner had put in there to begin with.

Just then something seemed to rustle in the bushes quite a distance away.  Was it a breeze or something more?  You can’t decide which.  But something makes you notice that one of the women is trying to slip out of the room.

*Amisha Patel*

As you glance over the other candles in the room, you realize that they are burned nearly to the last wick.  Perhaps five minutes more of light from the burning candles before you’re plunged into darkness.  The only wood in the room besides the paneling is an end table by the door that holds a crystal vase of dead drooping black flowers.

*Amelia Brogart*

You hadn’t managed to notice Jac’s activities, so intent on your wooing of the men in the room.  The door handle turns easily though and you realized that you could step outside if you wished.

1st Floor – Closet off Entrance Hall

*Jac Nguyen*

The door opens easily at your touch, only the dim light from the entrance hall giving you some light, probably about five feet.  As you close the door behind you though, nothing but darkness greets you – your eyes are useless in this nothingness…and now you are all alone.  You’re not sure where you are though, as there not being enough light for you to tell and you were trying to move without being noticed.

And that was when you smelled something absolutely fetid close by your ear and felt the pawing of listless hands on your body, one hand in particular gripping your upper arm with a strength that nearly makes you gasp in pain…right before you do feel something hard sink two semi-circular edges right into your shoulder…the smell of your own blood filling your nostrils.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac frowns upon finding the half empty clip, his thoughts ticking away at the even layer of dust. He puts these thoughts aside for a moment though when Amelia speaks.



> "Wasn't there another girl here a few moments ago?"




"Yes there was Miss Amelia," he says, finding it hard to not reply to the helpless young thing, "But if she wants to run off on her own thats her choice, the place is pretty dark outside of this room."

He smiles reassuringly to her and goes over to inspect a panel above the fireplace.



> "How 'bout you, er...sir. I should take a look at you too."




Isaac waves away the suggestion.

"It can wait, there's things that need a thorough looking to here," he says, "Everything seems wrong, the dust seems almost artificial. There's an even layer of it everywhere. On top of that there's this half spent Beretta clip and a secret panel... here."

He taps the secret panel.

"No idea how to open it," he says, his voice taking on a tone of apathy to their overall situation.


----------



## Velenne (Mar 18, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Oddly, Patel seems to tenderly remove the vase from its place on the end table and set it ever-so-delicately on the floor a few feet away.  She then bends forward at the waist until her nose is on her knees -perhaps limbering up for something.

The quiet soldier assumes a fighting stance, inhales deeply, and flies into motion.  Her rear leg ascends swiftly in front of her until it's perpedicular to the floor, then swoops down in a powerful arc into the exact center of the end table's top.  Her breath hisses through her teeth all the way down, fast throughout the motion, then slowly as she surveys her handiwork.   

"You wanted torches?"


----------



## mistergone (Mar 18, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion



> "It can wait, there's things that need a thorough looking to here," he says, "Everything seems wrong, the dust seems almost artificial. There's an even layer of it everywhere. On top of that there's this half spent Beretta clip and a secret panel... here."




Yuri sighs and shoots the Sargeant a questioning look, while casually as possible, he feels the back of his own neck for any bumps.

"Panel? What panel?" Yuri moves to also examine this so-called panel, but not before shooting the Sargeant a questioning look.

At the sound of the end table crashing apart, Yuri gives a start and spins around, startled, and gapes at Amisha... then smiles.

"God I love that woman! You so crazy, Patel."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Amisha Patel*

Thanks to your handiwork, you now have four splintered pieces of mahogany plus one flat marble table top.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

You feel something alright as you head over to the civilian man by the fireplace.  A bump on your neck exactly like the one on the blonde bombshell.

As for the panel, you can barely even see it until the man points it out to you, but how to get into it eludes you.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"Well seeing as you're here now you might as well take a look," Isaac concedes and finds a seat to sit down on.

"So Sgt. Carlson, what brings your people here?" he asks conversationally.

_Hmm, something's been fed right in the skull here.  I suspect Amelia's sister to be in a lot of trouble if she expects to find her somewhere here. Military presence... what has her sister gotten herself into? I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, Amelia's sister has a hell of alot of explaining to do._


----------



## Keia (Mar 18, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_



> "It can wait, there's things that need a thorough looking to here," he says, "Everything seems wrong, the dust seems almost artificial. There's an even layer of it everywhere. On top of that there's this half spent Beretta clip and a secret panel... here."
> [/B]




"That seems to correspond to what I've noticed as well.  I found these candles - with no dust on them at all, sitting on the shelve up here along with a matchbook with a stylized 'T' on it." Anders responds.



> "So Sgt. Carlson, what brings your people here?" he asks conversationally.




"As to why my team is here, or what's left of them, I'm starting to have my doubts.  I don't think we're here for what I was told we were here for.  I'm sure that sounds confusing, but I'm still trying to work it out myself." Anders sincerely responds.



> "You wanted torches?"




Anders holds up his hand to catch a table leg and said, "Right now, I'd take a club, they can be torches later."

"Smith, see if you can help Borzakovsky and the gentleman over there with that panel."

Not willing to only trust his own gut feelings and potentially hurt his squad, Ander leans in to Maria to quietly ask, "You think its worth chasing after the spy?"


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion



> "As to why my team is here, or what's left of them, I'm starting to have my doubts. I don't think we're here for what I was told we were here for. I'm sure that sounds confusing, but I'm still trying to work it out myself." Anders sincerely responds.




"Mmm, I see, well I came here simply for a missing persons investigation. Kinda makes me wonder what the missing person was getting into," he says.

_Well, all of us are in a spot of trouble it seems. It'd be best to send Amelia back in the car, escorted by a soldier as well, gotta take care of the poor girl. The rest of us could investigate the place, I'll have find a phone and call in STARS, they'd do the trick. Heh, wonder what that crazy bunch is doin' now..._


----------



## Fanog (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

After seeing some movement from the corner of his eye, Michael quickly spins around to see the Asian woman slipping through the door. He hurries over to the Sergeant, unsure if anyone else noticed.

"Sir, the woman, Sir, she just left through that door. Shouldn't we go after her, she might know something we don't."



			
				Keia said:
			
		

> *"Smith, see if you can help Borzakovsky and the gentleman over there with that panel."*




"Yes Sir, I'll get right to it."

The private is about to leave for the fireplace, but seems to think of something else and turns back to the Sergeant. He speak again, the words coming out at an amazing speed, as if his mouth can't really keep up with the constant flow of words that it is being sent.

"Euhm, another things, Sir. This dust and candles have got me thinking - it kind of reminds me of lab conditions, Sir, where an environment is created specifically to test something, to see how a subject responds to certain stimuli - it's often used in psychology and medicine. Sir, it feels a bit like we're, ehm... lab rats, Sir."

Realizing that he might not have really made a point, Michael adds: 

"If that's the case, maybe we're being watched as well. Maybe we should watch out for surveillance equipement, microphones or cameras."

_Oh, I was supposed to help the Corporal and the other one on the panel. Better get to it._

He turns again, hustling over to the fireplace to check it out, unless the Sergeant stops him to continue the conversation.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 18, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri does take the chance to look at the back of the old guy's neck, just to see if he can see a similar bump. But then, he turns his attention to the fireplace and the panel, examining the area closely for a few moments.

_Secret passages? This is really too much. I wonder if we should even be fiddling with it? What did Moreno say before? Moving to another room? And what did Smith just say? Always babbling on, that guy. If we are being watched, well... that somehow makes creepy sense... _

"Smith, give me a hand here... maybe bring a light over? We'll take a peek at what's behind here... " _ Maybe answer a few questions while we're at it._


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 18, 2003)

Silently listening to the conversations going on around her she could swear she heard something on the other side of the door... or is it her imagination playing tricks on her... again... 

_I could have sworn..._

Amelia shrugs it off and blames it on the wind or some vermin or something. But before she can worry some more about it some words that reach her air catch her attention and she looks at the doorknob for a moment. Smiling she thinks for a moment what it would mean if the other girl got lost in the "big bad dark house," but she quickly wipes the smeer of her face and turns around. Her hand glides of the warm knob once more and throwing her hair back again she watches the soldiers for a moment and can't help to smile just a bit.

--nds me of lab conditions, Sir, where an environment is created specifically to test something, to see how a subject responds to certain stimuli - it's often used in psychology and medicine. Sir, it feels a bit like we're, ehm... lab rats, Sir.--

_Hmmm seems like someone else here caught on quickly as well. Seems like I'm not the only one with a brain around here but..._

The smile grows into one big smirk across her face.

_He's still a male afterall. Heh. And smart males due come in handy, especially since he's right and seems to be on level concerning his intellect... I might have a few words with him later on... curious to see what he might have to offer me.. euhm I mean us offcourse!_

Putting up a sincere face again as she leans back against the door again and searches with her hands behind her back for a way she might possibly lock it. Then she leans casually back and swipes a few strands of hair behind her ear.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 18, 2003)

_He might very well have a point... This might just be one big test centre, right here, a few miles from Racoon city..._

But then it starts to sink into her. Several images flash through her mind mingling with pictures from her past. Things that could have happened to her little sister, things that... that.. that she worked on. Memmories of a not so distant past are like pictures in a slideshow when she closes her eyes. 

_My little sis, my dear dear sis..._

A single tear rolls over her cheeck as she faces the floor again hiding her face behind her long blonde hair. She makes a fist with her right hand and silently slams it against the door behind her back. She mutters something softly under her breath...

"Those bastards... ba..ba...bastards... I'll make'm pay for whatever they did to her... But first I must find out... now..."

Whiping off the single tear she regains her normal breathing rythm and continues to lean back against the door putting her weight against it.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 18, 2003)

Taking a deep breath she relaxes her body again and looks at the men who are searching and prodding around the fireplace.

_Calm now Amelia, get a grip of yourself. You aren't like this normally, just keep your wits together and you'll be just fine. It will all come to you if you just relax and keep things under control... control..._

Another idea springs to mind and memmories from plans and results at work race through her mind like a slideshow but she quickly waves it off. 

_That styled T on that matchbox... Didn't I see that around at work somewhere... hmmmm... it looks so familiar but I don't recall where I saw it or what it's about._

Her heartbeat picks up again and her headache snaps back into focus as it obviously isn't over yet. She can't help it how she feels now, too many conclusions and things that could be going on race through her mind. She tries to keep convincing herself it all isn't real but it is, and it's frightingly real.

_Would they have screwed up... it would explain the muscle here... Yes, they are just send to cover up and deal with the problem in some way.. or maybe... maybe they didn't even know what and these marines were sent in to find out... maybe..._

_It would be the perfect oppertunity... all of us here, by bad luck, accident or orders... We would be perfect testsubjects indeed. Yes, they could just be taking the oppertunity an would give them... a live test with human subjects... they couldn't..._

Amelia takes a deep breath.

_My god..._


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Looking for a good place to put the two candles Maria got from Carlson, she walks around the room a bit. She listens at every door, feels the doorknob if it's locked or not. 

As Patel smashes the wooden table, Maria walks over to her.

"Nice thinking Patel. And nice kick as well. Can I keep one of those sticks with me?" She asks, looking at the possible torches or weapons, just what the situation requires them to be, grabbing one.


*"You think its worth chasing after the spy?"* Asks Carlson as Mike tells about the person who dissappeared. Maria doesn't answer the question, but runs to the door and pulls it open.


----------



## Keia (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion



> *
> "Sir, the woman, Sir, she just left through that door. Shouldn't we go after her, she might know something we don't."
> 
> "Euhm, another things, Sir. This dust and candles have got me thinking - it kind of reminds me of lab conditions, Sir, where an environment is created specifically to test something, to see how a subject responds to certain stimuli - it's often used in psychology and medicine. Sir, it feels a bit like we're, ehm... lab rats, Sir."
> ...




"Surveillance equipment and the like would run on electricity, right, meaning there ought to be some lights around here, too.  Check the panel then look for cameras and the like.  I'd like to not have to spend time in the dark tonight," Anders says as he motions Smith to the panel.  As an afterthought, he gives one of the candles to Smith.

Seeing Maria head off after the spy, Anders just shakes his head briefly and tells Borzakovsky "Corporal, you're in charge here, no one leaves this room, I'll be back in two."

_Usually it's me rushing into an area with Maria covering me.  She must really be freaked not to have her weapons to drop tactics like that._  Anders thought as he found a good grip on the table leg he received from Patel.  Anders then moved to the door.


----------



## Creamsteak (Mar 18, 2003)

(I lost my original post... damnit.)

_Son of a Bitch!!!_

Jac grabs whatever just attacked her and throws it to the ground while protecting herself. She then steps over her thrown opponent, and sizes it up. If it's armed, Jac gets ready to disarm the thug, and will then take the time to interrogate the percieved _asassin_. If it doesn't appear armed, she gets ready to break this stupid ers neck.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


> Seeing Maria head off after the spy, Anders just shakes his head briefly and tells Borzakovsky "Corporal, you're in charge here, no one leaves this room, I'll be back in two."
> [/B]




"Yes sir... Watch yer back!" Yuri continues to poke about the fireplace and panel area. "Patel, give us a hand here too, eh? Bring over one of those table legs... maybe we can, uh... use it to poke around."


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion*



> "Patel, give us a hand here too, eh? Bring over one of those table legs... maybe we can, uh... use it to poke around."




Isaac chuckles at the statement, then stands back up and starts inspecting the area around the fireplace closely, looking for switches and the like in particular (even a book case).

_Heh, can't rule out the bookcase lever. So obvious that people would find it hard to believe. Heck, I find it hard to believe but at least I'm checking._

"With any luck I'll find whatever opens the panel before it gets smashed," he says with a touch of humour.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 19, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Yuri Borzakovsky, Michael Smith, Isaac Goldstein*

You pour yourselves over the fireplace.  It is a grand thing with carved marble and mahogany panels decorated with intricate carvings on the sides.  On either side of it, a tall thin bookcase with dusty books stood half empty.  In side the fireplace is nothing, not even ashes.  It looks very clean.

Your fingers dip into every dusty cranny, pulling book after book and replacing it with little success.  Where could it be?  Something to open this damned panel…something to release its riches to the world.  In the darkness, your search seems in vain, your eyes hurting from the strain.

*Isaac Goldstein*

There it is!  That little knob on the finial…it didn’t look completely right.  If it weren’t for your eyes, you would have missed it completely in the darkness…the dim light fading with each passing second.  Your hands touch the small carved leaf, the only one with a snake twisting about in clutches.  A leaf killing a snake?  How odd.

As your fingers press it, the panel pops open with a slight ping.  A little more work prying and a gaping maw about thirty centimeters wide and long appears in the wall.  You can’t see anything inside though no matter how hard you peer.  Only a black void in the wall with unknown secrets waiting for you to plunder

*Maria Moreno*

You rush toward the door, whatever reasons beating your heart a bit faster.  As your hand curls around the cold doorknob, throwing light into the dark room to bring to your eyes a scene that even war had not prepared you for.  

*Anders Carlson*

Just a step behind Maria, your hands grip the makeshift weapon with determination that flees from your eyes at the sight that greets you.  Replaced by stark cold fear and nausea, you almost don’t want to believe it and pray that it must be the trick of the lighting.  It must be…

*1st Floor – Closet off Entrance Hall*

*Jac Nguyen*

The pain is indescribable, but the horror of being eaten alive is even worse.  You can feel teeth rubbing against your bone, your flesh being shredded below cloth.  Despite that, your focused mind yells at you to free yourself and twist you do within the creature hellish embrace, but it holds fast, the smell of its fetid flesh threatening to overwhelm you with nausea.

*Anders Carlson, Maria Moreno*

You stand there in shock, in horror, with a stomach that feels as if it had eaten something as rotting as that creature that now held the beautiful spy in its grasp.  Eyes listless…rolling in impossible directions.  Flesh warping and falling off in clumps with every movement Jac makes.  

All you can hear is the gnawing.

All you can smell is the blood.


----------



## Creamsteak (Mar 19, 2003)

"I've had worse, you ing canibal..."

Jac stares out at the opening door and gasps a bit. Then, she turns back to the creature mauling her shoulder. "You stupid bastard, had you just stabbed me you could have killed me."

Slowly, and carefully, almost seductively, Jac whispers a little spanish into her aggressors ear, as she thinks about how quickly she's going to kill him, "Ahora este pequeño soldado va a ayudarme a batir la mierda fuera deusted."


----------



## Velenne (Mar 19, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

As Carlson and Moreno were heading over to the door the civvy had gone through, Patel went to one of the expensive-looking tapestries, and, pulling it off the wall, began tearing it into strips to use for torchcloth.  

*"Patel, give us a hand here too, eh..."*

"Almost done, sir."


----------



## mistergone (Mar 19, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion


Yuri takes a step back as the panel clicks open.

"Hey, gimme that candle, Smith..." he reaches over and takes it from Smith's hand (if he can). "Uh... got a light?"

At the start of the commotion by the door, Yuri looks over with mild alarm.

_Oh what now...?_


----------



## Keia (Mar 19, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders’ eyebrows furrowed and his eyes squinted at the sight before him – _Surely I’m not seeing what I think I’m seeing_ Anders thought.  His left hand reached for his side arm instinctively.  Then alarm passed through his mind and his eyes widened at the simultaneous realization that his sidearm was missing . . . and that he probably wouldn’t need it.  The raven haired spy was being attacked by . . . someone . . . some*thing* . . . something *not* alive.  

_I’ve . . . seen dead . . . hel- I’ve *made* dead . . . I’ve seen what I’ve killed . . . disposed of them . . . but they didn’t . . . move . . . didn’t . . .*^urk^* hunger._ Anders barely suppressed the exit of the stomach contents, but he couldn’t suppress the sound it made.  He felt the table leg begin to slip though his grip, then his grip tightened.  The shock had turned - becoming something more.  Thankfully, for Anders, it didn’t become terror as much as hatred, a fear filled hatred, but a hatred nonetheless.  That thing was chewing on the woman who haunting Anders’ dreams.

Anders couldn’t get at the creature to hit it, Maria was blocking the way through the doorway – even the spy was in the way.  And Anders, possibly for the first time in his life, was not certain he _wasn’t_ thankful for that.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 19, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

The sounds of battle cause Michael to jump up as if bitten by something, nearly hitting his head on the mantle as he does so. He franctically turns his head, but his position makes it impossible to see anything.

"Wha-?! What's going on up there?!" His panicked voice seems to jump from the built-up tension begin instantly released.

Michael tries to focus on Carlson for a moment, hoping to be eased by the calm demeanor that he has come to know the man for. The look that he finds on the Sergeant's face isn't what he had hoped to find, the sight of a kind of primal rage causing Michael's train of thought to go into overdrive, about to derail...



			
				mistergone said:
			
		

> *
> 
> "Hey, gimme that candle, Smith..."*




Michael looks at the candle dumbfoundedly for an instant, trying to remember why he had it. As he throws it over to the Corporal, he seems to remember the panel and the darkness of the hole behind it.

_The panel, of course! If there's a clip of ammo, there must be a gun to match -- they must have placed one there, it has to be there. Dear God, _please_ let the gun be there._

With that last prayer repeating in his head, Michael dives on hands and knees in front of the fireplace. He sticks both arms in the dark hole and gropes around the compartment, desperately hoping to find the gun.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 19, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Maria is standing in the doorway, her face turned pale. Softly she mutters "Oh my God, oh my God" over and over again. The looks of a dead man, with the small bit of flesh that is still attached to it's bones, gnawing, taking bites out of the spy, the blood everywhere around her.

It makes her sick. It makes her want to vomit. It makes her want to scream and run away. But she can't. Her feet are glued to the floor, her mouth shut tight, and her eyes focussed on the thing. 

Oh how she hated the idea of rushing right after the spy. Forgetting all tactics. Getting surprised like this. Suddenly, she snaps out of it. The spy wrestles back, extracting her shoulder from the monster's mouth. Maria's grip around the wooden club get tighter, and with a great scream of anger, frustration and fear she smashes the wood against the rotting meat.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 19, 2003)

"Haha, can't hide anything from me," he says proudly.

Isaac raises an eyebrow to the ruckus at the door.

_Is that where our asian friend went?_

The door is flung open and the expressions of the people standing around it change. Revulsion mixed with a bucket of other negative emotions are thrown onto their faces.

_Heh, thats the kinda faces I see going into a real bad murder case... only worse. God damn! What condition would the body be in to make soldiers, special forces lookin' ones too, pull faces like that?_

"Look, a corpse can't incite that much disgust," he says as he walks over, leaving the others to investigate the panel, "Let me take a look, I've seen a hundred dead bodies in my time and none have fazed me yet...."

_Except for that one time..._

Isaac throws a casual glance down the corridor, expecting to see the asian's body cut into pieces and nailed to the walls.

"Holy mother of f...." are the only words which escapes his lips as his legs attempt to throw away their responsibility to support the rest of his body.

He stumbles till he softly thuds against a wall. He turns pale and slides into a sitting position, staring at the floor and silent. His mouth opens and shuts repeatedly as his head lolls to one side.

_Not again... not again... not again... not again... not again... not again... if I don't look at it, its not here. It doesn't exist, they all said so... it doesn't... but I can still hear it... and smell it. The smell... the same... I could never forget that smell..._


----------



## mistergone (Mar 19, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri feels the pit of his stomach tighten into a small knot as he realizes that now, for some reason, everyone around him is losing it...

"Smith?! Whoa there... don't just..."

_Is he trying to crawl in there? What the Hell is he thinking? And what the Hell is everyone seeing through that door over there? And has Patel always been this stone cold?_

Yuri takes a turn staring dumbly at the candle in his hand, then again quickly looks around for the nearest source of flame to light it with.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 20, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Issac, Maria, Anders*

Your stomach is in your throat and nearly suffocating you with fear.  The…thing…is still gnawing on the other woman, its mouth full of new and old blood crusting its edges.  You could even swear an eye was about to fall off any moment now…

*Maria Moreno*

Though you barely can believe what’s in front of your eyes, the terror changes to anger and you swing the table leg at the beast, wanting nothing more than to blot it out of existence where it should be.  The first connects with a sickening thud and the eye you noticed pops out, flying at your face.  Your second swing goes wildly as you try and duck it, the makeshift club nearly hitting the other woman in the head.

*Amelia Brogart*

You can see the reactions of everyone by the door but you don’t know why they are doing this or what that solider woman is swinging her club at.  Yuri and Mike’s actions are being blocked by their bodies and the darkness but you realize they have opened the panel and are getting something from the inside.

*Jac Nguyen*

The smell is so overpowering you’re pretty sure you’re going to throw up.  The pain isn’t any better either.  When you turn her head to speak, that’s when you realize that the head next to you is half there.  A dent on one side, an eyeball flying by you and brushing your cheek…and yet the…THING…is still chewing on you like a day old shoe.  Even as you instinctively grab a hold after Maria’s second strike nearly misses your head by centimeters, your hands feel slippery against the flesh that is coming off in your fingers.

*Anders Carlson*

Your frustration knows no bounds, and your fear quickly encroaching.  Somehow you swallow it, but Maria is swinging wildly and you can’t get past without walking straight into her swinging club.  A thought strikes you…must get the fight away from the door somehow.  Charge the creature?  Or pull Jac out?

*Amisha Patel*

Despite the commotion behind you or perhaps trying to distance yourself from it, you spend those seconds taking one curtain off the window.  There are two windows near you, each with long gauzy cream colored curtains.

*Mike Smith*

Your hands feel clammy even as your friends seem to become more frantic.  What is going on?  But all you can do is put your hands inside and hope that you find something…anything.  Your fingers close around something alright but its flat and cold, thin like plastic with something metallic on the end.  You pull it out into the darkness.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your hands are nervous as everyone is behaving oddly by the door.  What could they be seeing?  You don’t know, not from where you sit, but you see their reactions clearly and it doesn’t look good.  Sticking the candle in one of the lighted stubs, you realize that the candles in the room, the already lit ones are quickly burning out.  Perhaps you have 5 minutes left of real light before you are plunged into darkness…

*Yuri Borzakovsky, Michael Smith*

The plastic is cold and when your hand turns over you can see the writing in the dim light of the candle.  It looks like a security badge with the words “Umbrella” on it and a picture of a very pretty woman with blonde hair and blue eyes that looks vaguely familiar somehow...until you realize she reminds you of the civilian woman by the door.   The name on the badge reads “Selena Brogart”.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 20, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall

_A name tag? Who the Hell would go to such trouble to hide a name tag?_

Yuri shoots a glance over at Amelia then claps Michael on the shoulder.

"Good job, Mikey. You're all over that secret name-tag finding business."

Trying to shield the precious candle flame with one hand, Yuri moves towards Carlson and Moreno, circling around behind Carlson so as to get a look through the doorway. _Must be that other civilian woman... the one that disappeared... giving Moreno trouble or something..._

"It's gonna get real dark in here real fast, so whatever you're doing, do it faster!"

Yuri raises the candle up to cast it's meager light into the open doorway... and nearly drops it. He had seen severely wounded people many times before. He had seen dead bodies, mangled horribly, blown apart, burned severely. But what he saw now... whatever he was seeing now, was just unnatural.

_My God... what is wrong with that... thing? Is it even human? It's chewing on that woman... No one is that strong to bite through flesh like that... not unless they're hopped up on drugs or..._ his mind reels. The tight feeling in his stomach moves up towards his chest, pounding aside his lungs and heart, into his throat, and bursts out his mouth in a dry coughing heave. He clamps his free hand over his mouth and tries to avert his eyes... but he can't help but stare at the abomination of life before him.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 20, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

As Michael feels the thin object in the compartment, he starts muttering softly to himself:

"Noo... No, no, no, this isn't it. No." For a moment he refuses to pick up the object, hoping to change the card into a weapon by sheer force of will. Then, he picks it up and slowly pulls it toward him, bringing it closer to the light and seeing the picture and name on the card.

_Selena Brogart. Brogart...?_ He turns his head to look at the blonde woman, standing near the door. _Amelia. ...Brogart. Amelia Brogart? Wait a minu--._

The thought is interrupted by Bozakovsky's slap on michael shoulder, slightly startling him.



			
				mistergone said:
			
		

> *"Good job, Mikey. You're all over that secret name-tag finding business."*




The comment severely disheartens the young Private, his face showing surprise and disappointment.

_What? I'm just trying to do the best I can here. I couldn't know only this card would be behind the panel... You--you should be giving orders, not be putting me down. Shut up, just shut up!_

Trying to get away from Borzakovsky (and from the terror that the Sergeant and Corporal are facing), Michael scrambles over to Amisha in a low crawl. He sees the two remaining table legs and picks one up, holding it in front of him like it would shield him from the chaos around him. 

He tries to make eye contact with Amisha, desperately seeking for some meaningful connection, to soothe the growing feeling of solitude and abandonment that has come over him.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 20, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac shakes his head.

_I need to do something._

He tries to get up but the smell of fresh blood and the dead saps the strength from his body.

_Why? It was all behind me, why has it come back? Why in this form? What is happening? Why am I here? They've found something? Focus on that._

Isaac stands up slowly, totally ignoring whats going on, and stumbles over to Michael to look at his discovery.

_He found an ID card, thats a decent clue to whats happening I guess._

"Nice work soldier," he says weakly, trying to smile reassuringly though, "Huh?"

Isaac recognises the person on the card, his eyes go wide and for a second he forgets whats going on. His sub-concious manages to push the zombie out of his mind with the support of something to distract him.

"Miss Amelia!" he yells, "We've found your sister's ID badge. The sick fs planted it here."


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 20, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


As Maria swings her tableleg, hitting the zombie on the head and the eyeball ejecting from it's case, Maria get a very weird feeling in her stomach. 

"My f*cking God...." she says, trying to catch her breath of the scare.  "Anders... help me!" 

Maria lifts her improvised bat again to smack the Zombie, hoping it'll go down this time.

_Come on Maria... get your head straight... save that girl_


----------



## Velenne (Mar 20, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha is torn between finishing the torches and assisting the others near the door.  Some kind of biting noises?  A dog?  The pale look on Yuri's face ruled out that idea.  There were too many people in the door.

As Mike approaches, she's still watching.  Patel gives him a concerned look and shrugs.  She'll grab him by the arm, tucking her table-leg under one arm, then drag him and the curtain a few feet closer,

"Orders sir?"


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 20, 2003)

The sound of her name snaps Amelia out of her trance. She looks around a tad disoriented at hearing her name. But as she does so the sounds echoing around the room don't merely just reach her ears this time but her mind as well. Lost in thought while she was pondering about what was going on and what she could make of it all had distracted her sufficiently from noticing what happened in the room around her.

"---------- your sister's----------------------------------."

Is all that gets through to her. Pushing herself away from the door she feels the doorknob poke into her back but the pain doesn't get through to her as she dashes for Isaac. 

Her thoughts darkened by her conclusions and pondering she grabs Isaac by both arms and shakes him wildly as she stares into his eyes with the gaze of a mad man. The dark mood she brought herself in with her speculating of what might be going on here seeps into her thoughts of what might have happened to her sister when she heard word of her.

"What is there with my sister! What do you know of her!?"

Her nails imbed themselves in Isaac's arms as mania seizes her.

_What would he have fou.._

As the word takes shape in her mind and nearly escapes from her lips she releases Isaac and wildly goes for the man at the fireplace. Grabbing him by the shoulder she turns him around and looks frantically into his eyes.

"What have you found? Show me! Well sho..."

As she is yelling at Smith her eyes catch a glimpse of her sisters picture. Her breath stops in her throat and she stumbles back a feet or two, her eyes still fixed on the picture and the confronting shapes beneath it. 

The letters spelling Selena Brogart.

Amelia trips over thin air and lands on her behind with a silent thump as the cold from the marble floor seeps through her clothing again. 

She fails to notice.

Forget, wanting to forget is everything she wants right now. She wishes she never had a little sister, never ever.

_Why did I ask her for that job, why... she was doing so well at that research centre... Why did I talk her into it... Why..._

Two grey eyes never lost sight of the photograph since they caught their first glimpse of it, but now its outline is growing vague as tears slowly begin to build in Amelia's eyes. A sigh escapes as the feeling of helplessness grows. She feels so powerless... everything seems to happen, everything has always just seemed to go on. A soft whisper glides of her lips as her past fills her mind again.

"I can't affect anything... the world just goes on, I can't help anything. I'm useless.. so damned useless..."

The thoughts flow away and she turns her face to Smith.

"Please, may I please have that picture. Please..."

And only the two tears that silenly roll down her cheecks bare testimony to her true feelings and the despair that slowly gets its dark hold on Amelia's mind.

_I was so selfish to ask her to come work in Racoon city... she had such a happy life. Why did I not just leave her where she was and was happy... Why did I have to involve myself again in how she leads her life! It's my fault, my selfish fault she moved here and accepted that damned job at Umbrella... I just missed her so much. I just saw her so little after she first moved out..._

_And now this has happened to her... I brought it onto her.. But I was just so proud... but why did I have to get her that job at the Black ops department... I just wanted her to have the very best... I just was so proud of her and when they said they needed and expert I thought of her... She deserved it.. but now this... And it's my fault... all my fault..._

Two tears silenly hit the cold marble.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 20, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

The grief of the blonde woman seems to awaken something in Michael, as if he had been searching, and only now realizes what he had been searching for.

Amidst the chaos and the terror, the rage and the fear, here before him is a simple manifestation of humanity, a person in grief.

The young private cannot help but react to the woman, to complete his flight from the combat around him. While he shakes his arms loose from Amisha's grip, the sounds of the combat around him seem to vanish. Michael drowns in the feelings of the woman sitting on the cold marble before him...

Slowly, he takes a step forward to her and squats, bringing his eyes to the same level as hers. The sight of the woman's tears brings to his eyes a well-felt look of compassion. He silently hands her the plastic card and carefully wraps her fingers around it, as a parent would comfort a crying child by giving it its most beloved stuffed animal.
Then he gently wraps one arm around the woman's back and under her shoulder, the other under her legs. He slowly lifts her off the ground and carries her to the corner of the room, seating her there with her back in the corner, leaving her to her sorrow, out of harm's way.

He stands up, turns around slowly and looks at the dark hall and the people in it, as if seeing it all for the first time. His face looks blank, detached from the world around him, as if something has been purged from him. He picks up the improvised club, straightens his back and takes a deep breath through his nose, ready to face the unknown.


----------



## Keia (Mar 20, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_



> *
> "My f*cking God...." she says, trying to catch her breath of the scare.  "Anders... help me!" *




The call for his help shook the cobwebs from Anders’ mind.  He felt his training and his years of special forces experience begin to take over.  _I need to get this . . . *thing* out in the open so we can kill it.  The only way is to move what it’s holding onto.  Grabbing onto it would be a waste of it based on the flesh ^urk^ falling off of it._

“Patel, bring the rest of those table legs. Moreno, I’m bringing it out - move to the side,*now!*” Anders ordered as he got into position to make his move. He hoped to grab hold of the raven haired spy and pull her into the room.  If the thing came along, every could attack it, if not then hopefully it would follow.


----------



## Creamsteak (Mar 21, 2003)

*Side Room ?*

Jac rolls off the disgusting bloody monster and into Anders hand without any fight. Using his hand as an aid to help her unincumber herself from the embrasive creature. She slides over to the side, watching to see how good the man is with the creature. She tries to move out of the room, to rest in the corner by the entrance so that the others can observer her injury.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 21, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Isaac Goldstein*

Could it be your search is over?  The woman certainly looked like the pictures Amelia showed you.  The plastic looks worn, rough at the edges, one side more worn than the other.  On the back side a thin magnetic strip looks a bit scratched as well.  The light was too dim to make out, but there were numbers on one edge.

*Maria Moreno*

The club feels heavy and slippery in your sweaty palms but still you swing at that creature.  Perhaps it was the sweat, but the table leg seems to slide erratically in your fingers, and you barely kept your grip.  This time though, you came very close to nearly taking off the dark-haired woman’s head instead of the creature’s.

*Amelia Brogart*

You see a familiar face on that security badge, recognizing it as one very similar to your own badge, bringing up memories, bringing up fresh worries.  She looks happy.

*Amisha Patel*

Your hand brushes Michaels, pulling him to one side, but you can’t deter him.  The table leg feels sturdy in your hand, but you can’t hide the uneasiness crawling in your stomach at the commotion over at the door.  The sight of Carlson barreling through a wild Maria though shocks you.

*Michael Smith*

After you brush off Amisha, you walk over to the beautiful blonde woman and slide her effortlessly into your arms.  She feels soft and vulnerable.  The table leg you acquired seemed more like the weapon of knight to protect the fair lady…but from what, you don’t know…and perhaps you don’t want to know.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

War had not prepared you for this.  Dead you knew.  Dead you saw.  Dead you tried to bring back but failed so many times.  Every thing in your mind screams that a man that destroyed could not be moving, could not be holding fast the woman, could not be trying to devour her right now.

1st Floor – Closet off Entrance Hall

*Jac Nguyen*

The smell is definitely making you nauseated now and you normally never get nauseated.  Although the creature has a weaker hold on you, you cannot seem to get free.  More and more of its disgusting flesh rubs off on your arms, on your hand, your back, your cheek as it tries futilely to regain control.  Fetid breath hisses in your ear as you feel teeth miss its mark.  

In the midst of that fear is a face you recognize, that hard military face, the one of the solider barreling toward you and the horror on your back with strong fingers reaching out for you.

*Anders Carlson*

Maria’s frantic swinging disrupts your rescue attempt, nearly knocking you over completely.  Your fingers barely brush the grappled woman struggling in the creatures embrace but still got a hold if barely, her flesh now wet from sweat and blood…hers and that thing’s.  But you had her, finally...in your arms.

There you stood, fighting with the creature, the woman between you and the smell of the unnatural beast.


----------



## Velenne (Mar 21, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha drops the tatters she was hanging onto and runs to the door. She takes up a position on the side opposite Corporal Moreno and raises her makeshift to club in both hands.  

Picking up the smell of the creature, her rational mind tries to create some kind of explanation, but there simply isn't one.  Not a costumed freak drugged up on something freaky.  Not some kind of robotic special effects thing out of a movie.  It was _eating_ the civvy!

_Don't freak out, soldier.  Just kill the a**hole and figure it out later..._


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 21, 2003)

Two grey eyes watch silently  
Two grey eyes watch but they do not see
Two grey eyes watch what remains as a mere memmory

Her sisters smile touched Amelia deeply, down right to her soul. The smile she craved for every waking moment after Selena disappeared. 

Amelia can't help it but flashes of old force themselves up in her mind. All those moments they shared together, they joy, the pain. The strength they found with eachother when their mother passed away and their first smile afterwards. A smile owed to eachother and their love for eachother. They had always been together and Amelia couldn't cope when Selena graduated and went her own way. She couldn't do without her she felt, she missed her dear sister so much. 

So she brought her back to Racoon city. She brought her back and got her that job at Umbrella. They were so happy. Laughter echoes through Amelia's head and she can't help it but smile as memmories from last summer resurface in her mind. Their first summer together again, with their father. They laughed so much and the world appeared to have its very foundation made of joy and brightness.

The touch of the badge reaches Amelia and her eyes find the picture again. The picture that reawakened her purpose in this dark and evil place again. She doesn't know how to feel or what she's feeling. The sight of her sisters smile forces so many emotions to surface in Amelia's head. 

More tears roll over her cheeks as she feels the cold marble underneath her again. Her eyes glide from the picture over towards something that appears to be carrying her. 

Two grey eyes meet two kind eyes. Two eyes with a sad look in them. Amelia sees how Smith puts her down and she finds herself looking at the picture of her sister again. She finds herself released from her fixation on the picture and she looks up again and sees the young Private slowly head towards the other side of the room

A soft and warm smile forms below two grey sorrowfull eyes.
Two soft words leave her lips.

"Thank you..."

Two grey eyes grow dull as the spark leaves the once so joyfull eyes, forever.

And another tear falls down to its cold marble end.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 22, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael walks over to the rest of his team, the table leg relaxed but ready in his hand. He can see the others there, all in battle or ready for it. Their faces show the signs of their struggle against terror. Michael squints his eyes, he can't quite make out what they're fighting against...

Using his new-found courage to hopefully boost the morale of the others, he speaks to them, his voiced raised and carrying a rallying tone: "I'm here, let's deal with this..."

_"This...", this 'what'? Even the look on the Sergeants face was enough to scare me badly, what could it be? Maybe I just overreacted, maybe it isn't that bad, it's probably jus-_

The thought ends there, as Michael sees the monstrosity for the first time. It hits all of his sense at the same time: the stench of decay, the gnashing sound of half-gone teeth chewing human flesh, the sight of the blood running from its mouth, a chunk of flesh falling out of its half-rotten mouth, hitting the clean marble floor with a hideous sound.
As Michael instantly becomes aware of what the creature must be, his mouth falls opens and his breathing stops for an instant. 

The private raggedly draws breath through his open mouth, trying to swallow, but failing to. He tries to close his eyes, to will away the horror before him, but the control of his body has left him.

His eyes remain fixed on the creature, staring, as his ears vaguely register the sound of wood falling on marble, the table leg hanging limply in Michael's hand.

From the distance, far away, there came a sound, a message that gets through to Michael's ears. "Thank you...", words spoken by a voice full of scars, a voice of sorrow. The voice he recognizes, it belongs to a blonde girl, a child only, whom he had protected once, a girl that he had comforted in grief.

And still, before his eyes, there is this abomination of life, this walking corpse, the sight of which is keeping Michael entranced. As sunglasses to shield from the sun, Michael summons before his eyes the picture of the girl's face, her gray eyes below blonde hair, her tears falling on the picture of her sister, a picture which she is slowly caressing.

Michael closes his eyes, the image still firmly in mind. He takes a short shaky step towards the moving corpse, dragging the make-shift club behind him. He closes his mouth and inhales deeply, summoning courage and strength for another step. The pugnant stench of death hits him, nearly overwhelmes him again. The image before Michael's eyes wavers, but holds. He takes another step, and another. 

_Dear Lord, please grant me strength and courage._

Michael straightens, brings up his club before him and opens his eyes...


----------



## Creamsteak (Mar 23, 2003)

Jac squirms more so than ever to get out of the grasp of the dead body, "Help me!"

She tries to reach out to the aiding hand of the military man, thinking about how much she wishes she could just pound a hammer through this monsters skull. She counts on her mental fingers just how many more seconds of this she can take, and she thinks painfully about her duty that needs to be performed. She reaches out still, thinking heavily of the embarrassment any verbal assault on her would cause.

She doesn't want to deal with the verbal opinions of these people, believing herself to be free of persecution, so that she cannot be stopped. She wishes this had never happened, wishes that she hadn't found out what was in this room, and yet, still wishes to move on, to find her target, and to bring about the completion of her mission so that she is free to do what She Wants.


----------



## Keia (Mar 23, 2003)

_1st Floor – Utility Closet off Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Gathering his strength and relying on years of experience and training, Anders attempted to pull the woman away from that creature.  In this smaller room, the smell and revulsion was even stronger if that was possible._  Just don't breath, and you don't have to smell the disgusting over-ripe dead.  Yeah, like that's gonna happen_ Anders thought.

"Get ready people, I'm coming out.  That thing should be on my tail," Anders called out into the hall as he attempted to pull the woman free.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 24, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac stands uselessly, not quite aware of whats on around him, feeling somewhat overwhelmed. He finds a chair and sits down, studying the marble floor beneath him and trying to ignore the sunds of battle.

_Whats happening?_


----------



## mistergone (Mar 24, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri briefly considers the fact that he is totally unarmed, and begins to back up to give Carlson room.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 24, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your hands flounder but there's nothing for you to sit upon other than the cold hard marble floor or the smooth wood of the stairs.  Again the image assaults you, mixing in with memories you fought so hard to forget, to dismiss so long ago.

*Maria Moreno*

Just the sheer horror of the moment is enough to make you want to step back, at least to breathe, even if that breath was mixed with the smell of decaying flesh, of old and fresh blood.

*Amelia Brogart*

Though lost in your own thoughts, the reality begins to seep in.  The reality that _something_ terrible is happening by the door.  The reality that you are all alone in a dark corner where shadows lengthen and menace in the slowly dimming candlelight.

*Jac Nguyen, Anders Carlson*

Simultaneously, almost in a dance, the  cold bite and putrid smell comes close to your faces just as you both find yourselves released from the prison of rotting flesh.  Relief, a sudden panic to run, all wash over you as you both tumble backwards, propelled by strong legs to a safe distance.  A distance where you both can stare at the creature that now snarled in anger at the loss of its prey.

*Amisha Patel, Mike Smith*

The smell hit you first, slamming your gut with a wrenching feeling that you could barely control.  Sure you had seen death.  Sure you had visited it upon others, but only at a distance.  Now you stood there within the grasping distance of something that defied everything you believed in.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

No weapon...nothing.  You watch as your teammates close in on the...thing...the abomination.  It can't be true...it can't. 

But it is.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 25, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

The thing is still there when Michael opens his eyes, and his sight is immediately drawn to the creature, its rotten flesh and half-gone face. He just cannnot look away, mesmerised by the hideous creature.

Michael walks up to Amisha, standing right next to her, the table leg nervously bobbing from his one hand to the other. He's hoping that her presence will steady him, and that he can aid her if possible. He shoots her a questioning look, seeming to ask if she is doing okay...

His eyes though, never lose track of the walking corpse, following its every movement. The tension in Michael's body increases, and his grip on the table leg stiffens, ready to bring the club down on the creature at the first sight of action.


----------



## Keia (Mar 25, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders spared a momentary glance at the woman haunting his dreams then turned to the creature that haunting his reality.  Anders' desire to end this creatures unnatural existence had risen from many levels not the least of which is attacking the woman.  His need to establish control and find out what the heck was going on here also factored in somewhere.

Still unwilling to strike the creature with his bare hand, Anders firmed his grip on the table leg and barked some orders, "Yuri, keep that light close. Moreno, Patel - you've got its flanks.  Smith keep your eyes open on any other threats - you're my reserve."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 25, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Jac Nguyen*

Your feet seem to make a shuffling noise as you scuttle backwards away from the horror in front of you.  You brush past one of the soliders on your way backwards, but you don't know who, your eyes riveted in fear on the creature emerging from the darkened room.

*Anders Carlson*

The smell momentarily stunned you and your surrounding teammates, just as you feel sharp fingernails digging into your chest but the creature misses its grab.  In fear, you swing the table leg violently, hearing it smack into the creature with a sickening thud.  Yet you cannot believe your eyes...it still moved toward you, staring at you with one eye.  That was enough to make you nearly lose your grip on your weapon.

*Amisha Patel*

Its real...its real...but it can't be!  Your arm swings into the thing, a blow that would knock any man to his knees...any living man, but this thing...is not a man...and still stood with hungry eyes toward Anders...your   sergeant with smudges of the dark-haired woman's blood on his chest.

*Michael Smith*

The words "Medic" echo from your lips, but you quickly turn your attention to the monstronsity that has stepped out into the light.  Your makeshift weapon thuds in time with the others, and yet nothing....the creature stands, flesh dripping, fresh blood on its lips.

*Isaac, Maria, Amelia, Yuri*

The rest of you stand there in shock, staring at the thing...the impossible abomination...frozen...unable to act in these precious seconds.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 25, 2003)

_I can't do anything... but can I?... I can only try._

Isaac picks himself up and goes to pick up a candlestick holder, should one be nearby, then heads towards the creature.

_I'll stop it, I'll make it leave, it'll leave and become fiction like it always was, good... good... knees first._

He swings the weapon at either of the zombie's knees, he swings it as hard as he can, but considering the stench and sight the blow doesn't possess as much force as he'd like it to.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 25, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall

Yuri wavers... without a weapon, he's useless. He clenches his fist in a growing rage.

_Gotta do something... something... How can that thing be so tough? Unbelieveable... must be a way to put it down... Is it even alive? It can't be... not anymore... some kind of zombie... isn't it?_

The asian woman brushes past him then, and he gets a closer look at the shoulder the monster was chewing on. The Sargeant yelling orders snaps him back to the fighting. Torn, Yuri looks around almost frantically.

_Gotta do something... something..._

Then, still holding the candle high over his head, he half-turns and edges back towards the strange wounded woman, and kneels next to her.

"I'm a medic, let me look at that shoulder." reaching out with his free hand, he pulls away part of the woman's torn clothing to expose the wound, and without thinking, lowers the candle to get a closer look at the damage.


----------



## Velenne (Mar 25, 2003)

If Patel's jaw could drop lower, it would.  Bordering on panic, her training is the only thing keeping her from bolting for the car and abandoning the whole freakish situation.  She's downed men twice her size with that hit.

Switching tactics, she sidesteps behind the creature and shortens her grip on the tableleg so she's grabbing its center.  Hoping for accuracy over power (her strongsuit anyway), she reaches over the thing, grabs its forehead, yanks hard and tries to impale the splintered buisness-end of her weapon into its remaining eye socket.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 25, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

After seeing the lack of effect from his first strike, a terrible thought hits Michael:

_We can't kill it -- It's a corpse, it's dead, and it's moving! Whatever killed it the first time didn't stop it from attacking us. What would it care if we smash its skull or punch out its kindey? It's head is half-gone and still it is attacking. It doesn't feel pain, it wouldn't even mind if we broke its leg or tore an arm off -- Wait a minu--of course, we can't kill it, but it still needs arms to grab, legs to move, it still flexes muscles and needs its bones._

"Go for the joints, smash its bones!"

As he yells the advice, Michael swings at the creature once more with the club, his nerves bracing for the horrible sound that his strike will make. He doesn't take the time to target any single joint, but hopes that he can hit a vulnerable area. A shoulder, knee, a thigh bone, any important body part that could break or disjoint, stopping the creature's relentless assault.

After striking, Michael remembers the Sergeant's command. He takes a step back from the fray, and quickly, systematically makes a check of the entire room and each of the persons in it.

_We can't use a surprise now. Focus! With the four of use fighting it, we're bound to cripple it soon. We'll soon be clear, then we can find a way to get out of this hell. Now, get back there and finish this thing!_


----------



## Keia (Mar 25, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders almost could not believe his eyes or his ears.  The sickening thud of the contact with the creature's body would have lifted a normal man off of the ground.  That fact that the creature closed on his so quickly didn't help Anders' mood.  He tightened his grip on the table leg but shifted it slightly, preparing for a double handed strike to the creature if the opening presented itself.  _Concentrate, ignore everything else, trust in your team, destroy the target_ Anders mentally repeated his mantra.  

Knowing the creature was keying on him, Anders shifted to a more defensive fighting style, counting on the others to be successful while he held it off.  Even so, he couldn't stop himself from trying to get a few licks in as well.  

The only way that creature was going to finish his meal was through Anders - and that wasn't going to happen.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 26, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your hand fumble along the wall, along the corners, looking for candlestick holders, but you realize that the holders are nothing you can use.  Just indentions in the wood or beautiful plates with fat candles on them that show you that you have less than 3 minutes of light left.  The room has definitely dimmed.  Over in one corner of the mantel, on the bookshelf you spot 2 more unlit candles way in the back.

*Maria Moreno*

Your hands are sweaty, your wit is nearly gone and all you can think of is trying to subdue this thing until it is nothing but a hunk of pounded flesh on the floor.  Whether the grip is loose, or the others swings interfering with yours, you can't seem to connect...and when you do, the creature hardly seems affected.

*Amisha Patel*

Did it stumble?  You could have sworn it did just as a claw comes out and rakes its fingernails along your forearm, causing you to yelp in pain despite yourself.

*Mike Smith*

Your careful eyes glance over the creature as you thud it with your weapon, noting possible weaknesses.    Again, though you contact with its body heavily, the creature doesn't even look fazed by your strike.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your hands move tenderly over the woman, doctor's hands that know what's right and what's wrong.  The wound smells, of the creature's breath.  Though bleeding, it didn't look too serious...just disturbing to see the half-moons of a human mouth imprinted upon her ragged skin.

The smell bothers you though...something about it seems wrong.  Your inner warning signal, the one that all doctors rely on, goes off like a blazing alarm. 

*Anders Carlson*

Nothing seems to hit...nothing seems to work and all the while the creature is using you for its very own scratching post.  Finally with a burst of strength that you didn't even know you had, the wooden table leg goes smashing into the creature head, taking it clear off the shoulders.  The head flies into Amisha who barely ducks it.

The body twitches before dropping to the ground like a lifeless doll even as the smashed head rolls to a stop by the fireplace, its cranium now a bowl of mushy red and pink.

All is silent again in the hall except for the frightened breathing and stink of sweat and fear lies on everyone's mouth.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 26, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac settles with picking up the candles, and he turns around to see the zombie's head rolling around. Just for good measure at that moment he runs up and kicks it towards a window.

"I found a couple more candles," he says casually.

_Well thats my share of freaky for the day, I'm gonna go home and drink the whole thing away... after I clean my shoe._

He hands the candles to Carlson and tears a piece of curtain to clean his shoe of zombie bits.

"The fing asswipe had it comin'," he explains to everyone.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 26, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion


Yuri sighs heavily in relief an instant after looking up to see the monster's head come flying off.

"Sit tight." he says to the wounded woman. "Keep this arm elevated for a sec."

He gets up and goes to where Amisha had torn down one of the curtains and picks it up.

"Someone help me tear this into strips... I need bandages."

He then goes back over to the asian woman and says "Don't worry... it's not as bad as it feels..." And flashes a smile.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 26, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Even as the creature is decapitated by Carlson, it contues to attract the attention of Michael. He cannot help but following the arc that the head makes, until finally it stops rolling.

The blud flals to the ground, Michael supports himself with his hands on his knees, bending forward to try and catch his breath. And there lies the head of the corpse. He continues to stare at it intently, half fearing that it will move again, that the horror has't ended yet.

And then indeed the head moves again, propelled by the old man's kick. It startles Michael greatly, until he realizes what happened. Then he explodes, casting the man a deep, scowling look of anger.

"What the hell. Don't you have any respect?! This, this was once a man, despite what it is now. A normal man probably, just like you and I--"

Seeing where this thought would lead to, Michael stops in mid-sentence. He looks ashamed and confused. He bows his head, trying to make sense of, or forget what just happened.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 26, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


"Shut up Smith." Maria says to Michael as he yells at the old man. She puts her stick under her belt, so she has both hands free. "He might have been a man once, but he isn't any more." 

The blood still sticking on Maria's hand makes it feel cold, not warm as blood should feel like. Also, the blood isn't really liquid, but more solid, like jelly. "Ugh" she sighs as she wipes it off.

Slowly Maria walks towards the small closet in which the fight started. Carefully looking around the corner she tries to see what's in the little room.

"Can I get some light up here?" She asks, as she feels the walls for something like a lightswitch.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 26, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion



> "What the hell. Don't you have any respect?! This, this was once a man, despite what it is now. A normal man probably, just like you and I--"




_Ha! Whatever human this was has gone long ago. This was simply a piece of rancid hostile meat. I should know, its hard to forget something like that._

Isaac looks calmly at Smith. A stern look comes to his face.

"Young man, while you were in grade school I was putting away bags of living, breathing flesh that looked pretty similiar to us. They weren't human though. Wait till you've seen as much as your CO or I, you'll feel the difference. I wasn't kicking a person's head then, I was kicking a monster's," he tosses the piece of curtain he used to wipe his shoe to Maria, "I believe that may help a little for getting rid of gore."

Isaac then makes his way over to Amelia.

_Better check how that poor Amelia girl is doing. Somthing like this happening isn't good for her, these kinda things shouldn't happen to nice girls like her._

He speaks as gently as possible.

"Miss Amelia? How are you feeling?" he asks, genuine concern written on his face for the innocent bystander.


----------



## Keia (Mar 26, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

"Yeah!" Anders exclaimed, but nothing more was forthcoming.

Anders' exultation at separating the creature's head from shouldrs was far more than it should have been.  Whether it was the unnaturalness of the creature or that Anders had remained in control of himself and defeated the creature, he was unsure.  He was sure that the only thing preventing him from shouting more was that there were civilians present and the unsettling suspicion that there were more of these things. _ For crying out loud, this creature was in a freaking utility closet, what can we expect elsewhere?_ Anders thought.

"Patel, have Yuri look at that cut." Anders half-asked, half-ordered.  "Can't have you bleeding out on me," Anders kidded.  His team can first and ran deep.  Anders hated losing anyone, and already half the squad was missing. 

Anders accepted the candles from the male civilian, thanked him, and handed one to Smith.  "Smith, give Moreno some light and search that closet with her.  I want anything we can use: clues, things to defend ourselves with, anything."

Ander moved to Yuri to light one of his candles from Yuri's candle.  Concern for the woman was evident in his voice but Anders didn't look at her directly (perhaps not trusting himself to do so). 

"How is she?" he asked of Yuri before moving on to the unmoving corpse then the closet.

Anders had attacked the creature, but it didn't even register whether the creature had clothes, perhaps even equipment from when it was 'alive.'  Normally, he would have had one of his team do the searching, but he wasn't going to have them do anything he wasn't prepared to do.  Slowly, cautiously he knelt down at the body of the corpse - prepared to search pockets, take its belt and whatever other useful items could be found.  Anders was very cautious, not certain that the creature would move or act again.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 26, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri tears a strip off the curtain as best as he can.

_No disinfectants, no nothing... this is not good. Hm.. it's a mansion, right? If it's a real mansion, there's gotta be a wet bar around here._

"This might sting." he says to the asian woman and carefully tips the candle near her wounds and gently taps it so as to let a few drops of melted wax drip into the wounds, then sets it carefully nearby on the floor. Then he begins to wrap the curtain strip around the woman's shoulder, crossing it under her arm and across her torso under her other arm. While he does this, he brushes her hair back and subtley checks the back of her neck for the infamous bump that everyone else seems to have so far.

At the Sargeant's query, he glances up, "Not bad, considering that thing got a couple good chomps on her." Then, "Hey Sarge, don't go to far, you're not exactly unscathed either. And Patel, I _definately_ want to check you out." Yuri winks at Amisha.

When he finished wrapping the wound, he ties the strip off tight.

"Try to not move that shoulder around too much for a while." he smirks. _Try not to run off and get killed by monsters, ya crazy b*tch._

He picks up the candle and looks around for Amisha. "Next?" Then as an afterthought, " Oh hey, Patel... get that vase from the table you busted up."


----------



## Velenne (Mar 26, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Patel glances at the scratches on her hand, then back up at Carlson with a nonplussed look.  Being a good soldier, though, she begins to head over toward the Corporal before averting her path and snatching up the vase.  

She looks frustrated -frustrated that the thing was fast enough to get to her, but moreso that she wasn't able to return the favor in any meaningful way.  She could handle a few more stupid scratches if it meant getting her hands on a ing gun...


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 27, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


*Anders Carlson*

Everything about the body disgusts you, revolts you, even as your fingers squish among its torn and rancid flesh.  The clothes...what clothes that hadn't been wrecked...looked like that of a civilian.  No identification - just a body - but after a through search, your fingers touch something metallic and you pull out a key.  Some small affair that looks like it belongs to a locker or a cabinet.

*Amisha Patel*

The crystal vase feels cold in your hands, the dead flowers no longer smelling sweet.  Inside there is some yellow-brown water, perhaps a few centimeters of it at the bottom swishing around as you bring it to Yuri.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

You managed to stop the bleeding for now, at least, but the smell from the wound bothers you and you know that you desparately need a first aid kit to properly treat the wound.  On the back of her neck, you feel again that strange bump in the exact location as yours...as the others.

Closet off Entrance Hall

*Maria Moreno*

Your hands feel along the wall, past the paper lining, hitting a few shelves.  It is certainly too dark to see more than a few feet in front of you at most.  Your fingers touch a light switch, but the clicking did not illuminate anything.   The smell of fresh meat tickles your nostrils.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 27, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri looks at Amisha's arm.

"Well, I got good news and I got bad news. The good news is...you're still gorgeous. The bad news is, you won't be able to get my name tattooed in that spot now." He smiles at her. Hold this. He hands Amisha the candle, then proceeds to rip another, smaller, strip from the curtain.

_Such a cold fish,_ he thinks, looking at Amisha, _ I wonder if she was always this hard? Maybe it's just the situation... hell, I feel like my insides have turned to jelly myself... but she just seems so... hard. I'm SO attracted to her._

"Say, is there any water in that thing?" he gestures to the vase, then gets ready to wrap her wound.


----------



## Velenne (Mar 27, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha just flashes him a dark grin and thrusts the vase into his chest.  _He's just trying to lighten the atmosphere, but I'm in no mood for flirting.  Besides, we need to stay sharp._  She wasn't about to say so to a superior officer, though.

The Private looks down at the candle, "We going to make torches outta these or just let them burn out?  It's already too dark in here,"she looks around for someone not doing anything, still holding her hand out to Yuri in case he's going to wrap it, "Snap out of it Smith, and help me out here."


----------



## Fanog (Mar 27, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

_Damnit, they're probably right. Why are we in this mess anyway - it isn't supposed to be like this, or is it? Why won't the Sergeant get everyone together, talk thing over and decide on a plan to get us out of here? _



			
				Keia said:
			
		

> *"Smith, give Moreno some light and search that closet with her.  I want anything we can use: clues, things to defend ourselves with, anything."*




Wordlessly, Michael accepts the candle. He picks up his table leg again and walks over to the closet, lighting the candle on his way over.

_Sergeant seems to be doing okay. Better get over there now and help the Corporal. Still, I think we'd benefit from sitting down and discussing things. We're missing something, just walking around, grabbing bits and morsels, left around for us to find. We have to think about this, and break out of here. Maybe I should suggest it? Maybe later, for now, let's just help the Corporal._

As Michael is on his way to the closet, he hears Amisha calling him. He turns to see what she means. As she asks him to help, he shrugs a bit and points to the closet, indicating that he's needed there. The look on his face is one of remorse and defeat.

_Sorry Am, I'd like to help you out, talk a bit underwhile, just to sort things out. I can't though, gotta go now._

Michael steps into the closet, and moves close to the Corporal. As he sees her, the rebuke from her and the older man comes back to mind.

"Sorry, ma'am."

He doesn't have the energy to further explain, he just hopes she'll know what he meant. Michael holds up the candle to light the entire room. With the defeated look still on his face, and his mind full of doubts and worries, he begins to search the closet.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 27, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri looks in the vase and frowns.

"Forget that idea." 

He places the vase on the floor and proceeds to wrap Amisha's forearm with the strip of curtain and secures it tight so as to not interfere with the movement of her arm.

"There you go, don't do anything crazy with that arm... you know, like try to give me a big hug... not for a while at least."

"Oh, and as for the torches... good idea, maybe, but this curtain material... I think it'll burn up pretty fast... we have no fuel to keep a torch burning. You'll get a really bright flame then be stuck holding a burning stump. But maybe I'm wrong." Yuri shrugs. 

"I say we find as many candles as possible, and hopefully there's enough for one per person. Do we even know that the lights don't work in here." This last part he says to no one in particular, but rather loud enough so that anyone relatively close might hear.

_ But to Hell with the lights.. has anyone even tried the front door? Let's just get the Hell out of here... abort the mission._

He goes over to Carlson. "Sarge, I need to talk to you a moment, " he says in a low, serious tone.


----------



## Keia (Mar 27, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders examined the key in the faint candle light.  _Huh, a cabinet or desk maybe?_ he thought.



> *He goes over to Carlson. "Sarge, I need to talk to you a moment, " he says in a low, serious tone. *




"Yeah, Borzakovsky, what do you have?" Anders asked as he moved a few feet from the others motioning for Yuri to follow him.

_We need to start operating more as a team and to do that, I'm gonna need more intel from our new friends here.  Then, a course of action.  Perhaps we should head outside and search the car and perhaps the drop zone.  That's the last thing I remember, _ Anders thought.

Once a distance away from the others where they could speak somewhat privately, Anders focused on Yuri and said, "Okay, go."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 28, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


*Isaac Goldstein*

The woman doesn't seem to be responding to your words, her fingers still on the picture of her sister, her thoughts seemingly millions of miles away.  Around you the soliders seem to be pulling themselves together, albeit still shakily.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Amisha's injuries seem slight to you, mere scratches but a good bandage wouldn't hurt to keep the wound from getting too infected.  Her neck reveals to you yet another bump.

Closet off Entrance Hall

*Maria Moreno, Michael Smith*

The light from the candle seems very meager indeed, but what it illuminates doesn't make you or your stomach any better.  So much blood in here, whatever had happened before the other woman had entered hadn't been pleasant.  Pools of the congealed crimson stood in wide puddles, seeping into the wood below it.

The shelves looked dusty with boxes here and there, filled with mostly inconsequential things such as household cleaners, brooms, various nick nacks to keep a home running smoothly.

So far all you could find was two bottles of cleaning agent, a broom, three rags, and a pair of shears.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 28, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

"Two things," Yuri says to Carlson, "First, I've noticed something unsual on the people I've examined... and I'm assuming it's the case for everyone here. Feel the back of your neck? Lower.... Feel that? I got a bump on my neck just like it, so does Patel, so do at least two of the civilians. I'm not sure, but I think it's a swelling where something was injected into us. I think it's the cause, or result of, all of us blacking out. I don't like it. It's strange. And wrong."

"The other thing is - and I know I'm out of line here - but I think we should get these civilians out of here. Maybe put them in that car outside. They shouldn't be here, we got enough problems. I don't want to be resposible for them. Hell, that one ran off and into the grip of that... thing. They're an uncontrolled factor. Now, I do think we should question them, find out what the Hell they know and why they're here, but they're a liability. Lock em in a room or whatever, but they need to be contained."

"Oh yeah, and I know, again, it's not my place, but I'm freaked out here, so I'm just throwing out ideas... but I think we should search the nearby rooms for the rest of the team. Especially for the Lieutenant. She might know what the Hell is going on. There's what? Five of us? I say two teams of two, and someone stay with the civilians. Just my recommendations sir, I know we haven't known each other for long, but consider my point of view... I gotta keep my team alive, and the best way I can see to do that is to get them out of this place... away from..." he waves an unsteady hand towards the corpse,"...monsters, and I have a real bad feeling there's more of those around, and maybe hoof it to the town nearby. But first, we gotta check for other... survivors? What are we now Sarge? Victims? Our mission is fubar. We gotta cut our losses."


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 28, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

An expression of anger becomes very present on the old man's face.

"Look here, I'm Detective Isaac Goldstein of the RPD, and I have plenty of reason to be here. Civvy my ass! See that body? That means I have some investigations to do here. I'm police God dammit! The day some young guy like you starts pushing me around is the day a nurse has to push me around in a wheelchair! My abilities can only help you here boy so don't start getting on my bad side. I know what to look for in a crime scene, is this enough of a crime scene for you? You're not gonna get far if you're trying to find out what happened here without an investigator," with that Isaac stands up and looks around at everyone, he cracks his knuckles, "So where do you want me to start?"


----------



## The Forsaken One (Mar 28, 2003)

A bit alarmed but not taken back by the gruesome scene that played itself in front of her Amelia pushes herself away from the cold marble floor. The cold feels unpleasant as it seeps into her hands again and the tickling quickly flows through her fingers. Soon she shrugs heavily and she feels goosebumps all over her body as her skin tightens.

_Hmmm the headache is gone... that's a good thing and I'm getting goosebumps from this floor as well. Seem my body is heating up again after that long stay on that cold floor._

Slowly she gets up and shrugs again as she surveys the room while her left hand slowly slides to the back of her neck and examines the bump. Some ideas flash through her mind and she smiles to herself inside her mind. Massaging her temples for a moment as she ponders for a bit her eyes snap into focus again and her eyes carefully glide over the people in the room once more.

_Selena... I will find out what happened to you... I swear. If they did anything to you I'll make them pay... I'll makem wish they're sorry they were ever born..._

Amelia feels her heart throb in her throat as the adrenaline starts flowing through her veins. She clenches her fists and her eyes seem like great grey and twilight pits... but still... the once so beautifull glamoring spark has disappeared from them... Such a waste... Then she slowly takes a few steps from the wall and streches a few of her muscles.

Then she leans back against the wall once again and feels strengthened... by something.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 28, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
*Closet off Entrance Hall*

"Ah man, grose!" Maria nearly vomits everything what's left in her stomach, but can control it. Blood is splattered everywhere, against every wall and every wooden shelve shows big red stains. Whatever was in here, it must have bled to death.

Maria picks up the bottles of cleaning agent and the pair of shears. She picks up the rest of the items as well, but throws them in the middle of the Entrance Hall, so anyone can pick them up they need them.

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

Walking over to Anders, Maria shows him the stuff she has found. "Cleaning agent, 2 bottles. Some rags and a broom, and this pair of shears. I'll be keeping the shears with me, as well as a bottle of cleaning agent. Never know when it comes in handy."


----------



## Velenne (Mar 28, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Patel nods at Yuri, "I'll try to contain myself," she mumbles.  Hearing his lecture, she nods again in agreement, looking at the Sarge.

She begins to head toward the garbage, looking for something with a high enough alcohol content to possibly use for fuel when blondey speaks up.  She stops, touching the bump on her neck and looks at the others, her facing showing obvious concern.

"Sarge, if that's true, I don't think the people who put us here are just gonna let us stroll out.  But Smith said there might be something useful in the vehicle and I agree with him.  I'd even take a tire iron over a table leg."  She thrusts the tableleg out in front of her with the bandaged hand, seemlingly to test its strength.  She seems dissatisfied with the results.


----------



## Keia (Mar 28, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders paused, letting Yuri have his run, but knowing that his voice carried and others were hearing it as well.  “Yuri,” Anders started, “A full search of the area is a good idea, but, it took four of to drop one of those things and it was in a freaking closet.  How do two of us handle more than one of those things?  If we had gear, it wouldn’t be an issue – that would be the way to go.  But it isn’t, we travel as a team, and we bring everyone with us.”

Anders turned to address the room, “People, I think its time for a little show and tell.  We’re knee deep here and I think our odds are a lot better knowing everything everyone knows.  Since I’m sure that some of you might be uncomfortable about that – I’ll go first.  I’m Sergeant Anders Carlson, I and my team were sent here to download some data from a computer underneath this mansion.  Now that we’re here, the layout of this mansion doesn’t fit what I was told.  There were 12 in my team and the last thing I remember is being on the grounds and approaching the mansion.  Currently, I’ve got two candles, a matchbook, a table leg, and what seems to be a small key to a cabinet or desk I lifted from that thing on the floor.”



> " . . . So where do you want me to start?"




“Well, I think we’ll start with your car.  We should all head out to the car and either get some of the rest of you out of here or take what we need from the car.  I also want to search the grounds near where I last remember us being, . . . something happened there . . . and I want to know what.  We may find the rest of the team outside as well.”

Anders nods to the comments and actions by Maria, saying “ . . . on the back of your neck.”

“Okay, who’s next?”  Anders asks.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 28, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

It had taken Michael a while to overcome the sight and smell of the closet, and he felt that he hadn't really helped the Corporal all that much. Still, the search had yielded something useful, and he was happy with that.

Michael pokes his head out of the closet at hearing the voice of Corporal Borzakovsky.

_Finally, they seem to be making some real plans. Hope some things will be cleared up soon._

While he is listening, things finally seem to find their place. Michael's spirits are lifted somewhat by hearing the Sergeant's speech. He's really interested to learn who the others are, and what they were doing in the manor.

Something in the words from the sergeant gives Michael a sudden idea. He strokes his chin and cheek with his hand, hoping to determine how long it has been approximately since he last shaved.

_Hmm, how long have we been unconscious, anyway?_


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 28, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


"Corporal Maria Moreno, reporting in." Maria says with a firm voice. "Following Lieutenant Jessica Bensonhurst as our squadleader, I was ordered to get to the core computer somewhere in this mansion, download vital research information, and get back out."

"Sir, I do not agree with you on going outside at this moment. It is dark, we lack decent lighting, and we have no idea what happened. The car doesn't seem to be in good shape, and I think if they stripped us they have stripped the car as well. Whoever they might be that is."

"Smith, I know it's unpleasent in the closet we just searched, but you are the engineer here. Could you check why the lightswitch didn't work? Or if you need tools for that, forget it, as we don't have them here."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 29, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


*Michael Smith*

Your hands rub over the stubble of your beard, the rough edges prickling into the skin of your fingers.  About two days worth of growth you gather - two days of which you remember nothing.  But even as you rub your beard something cold runs along the back of your spine...and was when you realized you were sweating...but not from heat.  In fact it was almost unnaturally chilly in the room.

Just then something flashed before your eyes - a memory?  A memory of bright lights, odd shapes...but as soon as it came...the vision left, leaving you only with the sweating.


----------



## Fanog (Mar 30, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael stumbles out of the the closet, steadying himself againt the door post. He takes a few breaths through his mouth, trying to purge the stench from his nose, without success.

_Two days... two whole days, at least. What could've happened during those days. A bright light? Come on -- focus, try to remember..._

Michael  brushes a hand across his face, wiping the sweat from his forehead.



			
				Venus said:
			
		

> *"Smith, I know it's unpleasent in the closet we just searched, but you are the engineer here. Could you check why the lightswitch didn't work? Or if you need tools for that, forget it, as we don't have them here." *




_Damn, never thought of that. Come on, don't let this stuff get to you like this. You've seen blood before, don't chicken out now. They're counting on you!_

"Erm, yes ma'am. I'm doing okay. It's just the smell, I think. Tools would help, but I'll see what I can find out without them."

Steeling himself once more and supressing a shiver, Michael turns around and heads back into the closet. By the light of his candle, he first checks the ceiling, to see if there's a lightbulb of any sort there. Then, he'll focus his attention to the switch and the wiring, trying to determine as much as he can.
While in the closet, Michael will keep an ear out for what's going on in the hall. He wouldn't want to miss anything important being said over there.

_Two days, seems almost like an eternity -- shouldn't forget to inform the Sergeant later..._


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 31, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac moves over to the front door and checks if its locked.

"Well then, at least I can be certain my keys weren't locked in the car," he says, thinking of all the open doors, "I'd assume our captors have left a weapon of some kind in it."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Mar 31, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


*Michael Smith*

Candlelight didn't really provide much to see by, the closet was big enough to be a small bedroom in of itself and full of shelves...shelves full of boxes.  Not to mention the plethora of congealed blood and...was that pieces of dessicated flesh?

The lightswitch didn't react as you clicked it up and down and the lightbulb, from what you can see, didn't look damage at all.  The wiring though wasn't visible to your eyes, hidden behind the wall.

*Isaac Goldstein*

The doorknob feels like ice on your fingers but it gives freely when you attempt to twist it.  You can only hope that something is left in your car, remembering that you usually kept your shotgun in the back trunk.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Mar 31, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

_Whoa, cold, guess that means its pretty cold outside as well._

"Normally I leave my shotgun in the trunk, lets hope those people who are supposedly monitoring us didn't decide to take it home," he says with a shrug.

He turned the knob all the way and opened the door, looking around carefully before stepping outside.

"Don't want any more of the living dead jumping out of bushes at us now do we?" he says sarcastically.

_Here's an opportunity to get an explanation for what I saw that while ago, as well as determine the fate of that poor girl's sister. I have a bad feeling about this place..._


----------



## Fanog (Mar 31, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael walks over to Corporal Moreno, after he finds out that he can't really do anything about the light in the closet. He candle is still in his one hand, the table leg in the other.

"Sorry, ma'am, I can't find what's wrong. I'd need some gear."

Then, he leans in a little closer, and nods towards the door and the older man in front of it. He whispers to the Corporal.

"Ma'am, I'm highly in favor of searching the car, but I thought I... erm, saw something moving outside, earlier. Could've been the wind in the bushes, but I'm not sure. I highly suggest we go out in full force, if we're gonna go."


----------



## mistergone (Mar 31, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri looks after the older man with mild surprise. _Touchy old f*cker... fine, let him get killed... he's not my responsibility._

"I'm Corporal Yuri Borzakovsky. I'm the team's field medic." Yuri announces to any who are listening. He walks over to Maria.

"Moreno, let me check your neck," he proceeds to examine the bump on Maria's neck closely under direct candle light. "We'll get to the bottom of this, it could just be a swelling..."

"Mikey, hold that candle closer here please," he nods to Smith.

_God, if it's not just swelling... if something's in there... in all of us... I don't have the tools to extract anything..._

Yuri eyes the shears Maria is holding...


----------



## Keia (Mar 31, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

"A shotgun would help a great deal.  Plus there may be a first aid kit and other supplies.  It's worth the risk," Anders said. "And we're all going, I don't want anyone left behind for more of whatever that thing was."

Anders turns to Yuri and motions toward the raven-haired spy, "Is she mobile?" he asks.

Anders will pass off his lit candle to someone else to hold, so that his hands are free to fight.

"We move, we move fast.  I'll take point.  Moreno, you've got my back. Smith, then civilians.  Patel and Borzakovsky have the rear.  Everyone eyes and ears open.  Anything goes wrong and we need to retreat, we retreat back to this room.  Questions, problems?" Anders explains as he moves to the open door.


----------



## Velenne (Mar 31, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Patel figures her name's been shot around enough for the civs to figure it out for themselves.  She still thinks they're a liability and should be sent home in the car if the thing still works.

She's give her left leg for a gun right now, though, so any opportunity for that is fine with her.  She wonders what Michael has found in that closet to light their torches as she makes her way over to the front door, club in hand.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Mar 31, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"My neck? What's with my neck?" Maria asks suspioucsly when Yuri approaches her to check it out. She doesn't stop him for checking though, as she knows Yuri usually makes sense some way. "Just keep it to my neck, okay Yuri?"

"Anders, wait up. I wanna know what's in my neck first. Then I'll cover your back."


----------



## Fanog (Mar 31, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

_Her neck? What's wrong with it? She didn't get injured by the monster, did she? Let me see..._

At the request from the Corporal, Michael raises the candle, so the light will shine on Moreno's neck. He follows the workings of the Corporal closely.



			
				Keia said:
			
		

> *"We move, we move fast.  I'll take point.  Moreno, you've got my back. Smith, then civilians.  Patel and Borzakovsky have the rear.  Everyone eyes and ears open.  Anything goes wrong and we need to retreat, we retreat back to this room.  Questions, problems?" Anders explains as he moves to the open door. *




Michael is happy with this set of orders, and his face shows it. He seems eager to get out, switching the candle to his offhand, and the table leg to his right.

_Finally, some coordinated action. We should be doing fine right now. The five of us, with a decent strategy, some gear from the car. Good -- unless there's more of those ... creatures outside. I did see something move, after all. It could've been -- Don't think about that now. Just head up to the car, strip it of anything useful, and head back, no big deal. Worry can wait 'till later._

Michael starts towards the door, when he realizes that Corporal Moreno isn't coming, and that Borzakovsky needs his light to check her neck. He turns back after one step and raises the light again, letting Borzakovsky work and watching what he does.


----------



## mistergone (Mar 31, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion


Yuri looks from the Sargeant to the dark haired woman he bandaged up.

"She's as mobile as she's willing to be. But, hold up a sec Sarge, it'll just take a second for me here to check this out." He nods to Moreno, and continues his examination.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 1, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your fingers run across the back of Maria's neck, feeling the tense muscles on the woman even as that now eeriely familiar bump presses against your fingers.

*Anders Carlson, Amisha Patel*

You stand by the door directly behind the civilian man who had called himself Isaac Goldstein.  The wind is cold, sending chills down your back as both of you grip your weapons tightly.

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your hand turns the doorknob before pulling the door inward with a creak. As soon as you do, the cold humid air bites through you and your ears pick up the sound of the wind blowing through you and into the room to reach the others.

Six white columns decorate the top of the long curving steps that surround the front entrance of the house and edge the paved driveway where your car awaits - silent with open doors for your return.

Your feet make its way outside as your eyes scan the perimeter.  Something in the fringe of the bushes catches your eye, but you can't really make anything out really.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 1, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac gives the others room to come out. He catches something in the corner of his eye.

_S! Didn't catch what that was, chances are its not good. I'll go with my instincts._

"There's something out here," he says calmly, continuing to look about himself, taking a chance to look at the outside walls of the house but not moving from the apparent safety of the patio.

He reaches inside his coat for his Beretta but finds it not there. He curses under his breath and continues his scan of the area for anything of interest.


----------



## Angelsboi (Apr 1, 2003)

((OOC ok i read and im unsure where Jacqueline is.  Can someone help me out so i can post))


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 1, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion


"Crap it Anders!" Maria yells at him as he already follows outside without Yuri being totally finished with the checkup. She quickly grabs her improvised club and gets behind Anders. 

_There's something out here_

"Goldstein, get back. We're trained for this stuff. Patel, Smith, hurry up. You heard the Sarge. And keep that light up high." Maria orders around, making sure the troops know what to do. 

"The rest of you, wait here. Don't go scouting ahead, wait for us to return."


----------



## Fanog (Apr 1, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

"Yes, ma'am!"

Michael follows directly behind the Corporal, reacting instantly to the sureness of her commands. Doubt strikes only after two paces, but then he is already running to the door.

_Damnit, I knew I saw something. It was stupid to think there would have only been one of those them. Damn, things are going wrong!_

Michael's heart beats rapidly in his chest as he runs, his head twisting from side to side quickly as he tries to spot signs of movement. His knuckles turn white from the grip on the table leg, anxious as he is that he might have to use it again on a decaying corpse.

The private stays one step behind the Corporal, guarding her flank and back.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 1, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion



> "Goldstein, get back. We're trained for this stuff."




"Hmph, and police aren't?" he asks, but he complies nonetheless.

He finds a spot next to the door to lean against and yawns.

_I could do with a drink. Heh, a precision military squad armed with table legs, they look so serious too! Hahaha, well then, better keep an eye on them, warn them if I spot anything._

Isaac chuckles and stretches.

_Table legs... hehe_

He reaches into his pocket to take a closer look at the Beretta clip. He empties the contents of the clip into his hand, inspecting each indidviual bullet and the magazine. Once the marines start towards the car though he unconsiously starts reloading the clip as he keeps a watchful eye on their surroundings, looking for possible threats to warn them about.

_If they demand I stay here then I might as well make myself useful._


----------



## Velenne (Apr 2, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Entrance
Clairemont Mansion_

Patel follows immidiately as well, more than happy that some superior officers are actually giving orders instead of flirting or scratching their stubbly heads.  _Looks like its up to the women in this squad to get anything done.  Glad we finally decided on a plan and stuck with it....so far._


----------



## Keia (Apr 2, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Entrance
Clairemont Mansion_

"Moreno, be nice.  The good officer is the owner of the car and we can use his skilled eyes on lookout.  Actually, I'd like all the civilians with us.  That way if the car is in working order, some of them can leave and report what's going on here." Anders explains as he becomes accustomed to the wind and the conditions of the outdoors, his eyes trying to adjust to the night.

"Formation starts with me a point, Moreno and Smith next, Goldstein and the remaining civilians, then Patel and Borzakovsky" Anders ordered.  "Let's move out."

Anders will move cautiously toward the car, light in one hand (unless someone is holding it for him), table leg in the other. _Hopefully the car is still in working order, but I don't remember it being here when we arrived.  Then again, I'm not certain how far we got to the mansion.  What in the hel! happened to us?_ Anders mused as he moved.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 2, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac smiles after Anders orders everyone to the car.

_That's more like it, Carlson has some wisdom in him. No wonder he's in a leadership role._

"I'll just get Miss Amelia, she's in no state to be hanging around here," he says, "You people know how to kick ass, I'll leave it to you. I keep a shotgun in the trunk, so thats what I suggest you go for first."

He heads inside to Miss Amelia, kneeling down next to her speaks quietly to her.

"Miss, we're all going out to my car, I'll give you a hand if you need one. Its not safe here," Isaac helps Amelia to her feet then looks over to the injured woman.

"Excuse me ma'am, but do you think you're able to get outside to my car? Its not far and its likely to have things we could use in it, maybe a first aid kit," he tells her.

_If its still there, I seriously doubt it. I think I brought it inside when my neighbour cut himself, hope I didn't leave it._


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 2, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Whatever that bump signifies, its nothing you can see with this light and definitely beneath the skin...more like a small swelling, but what it means you don't know.  Its almost like a precise mosquito bite that's perfectly round.

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*

*Carlson, Moreno, Smith, Patel*

The cold air chills you in a way that was far more than pure temperature.  You can see the car now, sitting there in the darkness with wide open doors, but somehow it discomfits you instead of making you feel welcome.  In the distance you can hear something howling...was it a wolf?

So far none of you see much other than the underbrush shivering in the wind.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 2, 2003)

. . .


----------



## mistergone (Apr 2, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

Yuri moves to the  front doorway, somewhat chagrined and feeling rather useless. He pauses to look around after the civillians, seeing if they are going to get moving out or not. The cool breeze from outside makes him turn to look out the front door, however, and a chill runs up his spine.

_ Why is is that... now that we are leaving this place... I really don't want to go outside? Ah, better out there than in here with monsters behind every door._

"Let's move it people!" he calls over his shoulder, "everyone outside. No one gets left behind." He toes the threshold of the double doors, and gazes out over the front entry and driveway.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 2, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion - 1st floor entrance hall*

Leaning back against the wall Amelia glances outside into the gloom and sees how the wind plays with the leaves and bushes. Her awareness goes back to her own body and she feels the cold wall against her hands behind her back. A shiver goes down her spine...

_Was that because of the wall or..._

She looks outside again through the window on the other side of the room and narrows her eyes. Seeing nothing she just shrugs it off and blames it on the cold wall. Her eyes glide to the fireplace, then through the rest of the room and back to the fireplace while mumbling something softly under her breath.

"Why is everything so damned cold in here... can't we start a fire or something..."

Again she notices that some stuff has happened around her and she didn't notice it... again.

_Going to have to stop this new found habbit... I'm not like this... What's happening to you Amelia? You're stronger then this... I'm stronger then this... and I'm not letting this get to me!_

Quickly she thinks of her sister again and the task weighing heavily upon her of discovering her fate... or doom. But she must and now there is no turning back. 

_Whatever games there may be played here... I'm doing this... all the way._

Then she sees a couple of them step outside on the patio ready to leave the building. She shrugs again as another shiver rapidly goes down her spine when a cold wind blows in her face. After that she finds herself looking at Yuri who shrugs himself in the cold wind of the open door while pulling his clothes tightly around him.

"I'm not going."


----------



## Velenne (Apr 2, 2003)

_Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall_

Crossing the room to grab up a long tatter of the curtain and wrapping it around her tableleg, Patel just shakes her head at Blondie's comment.

"Look," she says harshly as she wraps and walks back over to the front door, "this isn't your call.  Thirty seconds ago you were on the floor crying like a baby.  You compromise your own safety and that of this team.  Now if you've got more information, we're all ears, but it's not changing the fact that we're getting you out."

It was more than she'd said in the entire time since they woke up, but Patel was getting tired of the whole ordeal and the civs were just complicating things.  Less than ten minutes have passed and they've already been attacked.  There's no telling when the next one will come.  

She takes up her position next to Yuri and stares at the civ with the cold, hard eyes of a sharpshooter, wondering if the woman's ass has grown into the marble floor.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 2, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Entrance Hall


"Well Anders, it's your call. Though I doubt the car is working as we've been out cold for what... hours? days? They've stripped us and left the car intact? "

Maria grins at Anders.

"Just don't let it be Spain all over again, okay?"


----------



## Fanog (Apr 2, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael is temporarily confused by the difference in orders from the Sergeant and Corporal. He halts a step behind Anders.

_What.. Can't we leave them inside? We've been there for a while, they should be okay as long as they stay in the hall. It's probably safer there than it is out here._

A shiver crawls along Michael's back. He hopes it's from the cold, but fears that it may be from the tension, and from the sound that he just heard.



			
				Venus said:
			
		

> *"Well Anders, it's your call. Though I doubt the car is working as we've been out cold for what... hours? days? They've stripped us and left the car intact? "
> *



At this, Michael remembers feeling at his chin earlier. He lowers his voice, so that only the four of them at the entrance can hear. 

"Ma'am, Sir, I think we may have been unconscious for two days at least, judging from the beard growth on me and the Sergeant. And even if they stripped the insides of the car, there might be some car parts we could use. I think it's an opportunity we can't refuse."

Michael further waits for word from the Sergeant. He doesn't dare look in the hall to see what's keeping the others, staring out in the darkness by the light of his candle, hoping not to be surprised by anything.


----------



## Keia (Apr 2, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Entrance
Clairemont Mansion_

"Fair enough, you've made your point.  We'll compromise: Goldstein comes with us because it's his car and he may have a few hiding places that weren't found; the rest of the civilians stay til we determine the reliability of the car," Anders said.

_Plus, I don't want to stand out here in the open any longer than I have to.  Just because we don't have any weapons doesn't mean that anyone out here doesn't_ Anders thought.

Steeling his nerves and cracking his neck, Anders cautiously moved toward the car.  _Don't wonder about things just move, damm_


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 3, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

Isaac shakes his head slowly.

_Poor girl._

"Well stay here then Miss Amelia, I'll come back for you," he says, and heads outside to go with the others to the car.

_Well our asian friend isn't very talkative, I guess they'll be ok to stay in the hall here._


----------



## mistergone (Apr 3, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall

"I think I better stay here and make sure the door stays open Sarge," Yuri casts a suspicious glance around but says nothing else to voice his concerns. "I'll keep an eye out for trouble."

He stands on the very threshold of the mansion, making sure both double front doors are wide open, then goes back to scanning the driveway and outside.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 3, 2003)

Still looking at Yuri another voice echos through the cold marble entrance hall and reaches Amelia's ears. Unsure if it's directed at her she ignores it at first but as the voice persists and grows louder Amelia turns to face the speaker. While she leans back in a relaxed pose against the wall adjecent to the front door she just looks at Patel while she continues to rant.

_Talking about up tight and probably case of child abuse... heh_

She ticks her head abit like a curious animal and checks Patel out from head to toe and then glances at Yuri for a second before looking back at the girl again. Amelia takes a deep breath before putting up a smile...

"Well since I'm just a poor stupid blond girl I guess I won't have anything that might even come close to interest great people like you now would I?"

Carefully and slowly she tucks the security badge of her little sister in her underwear with her hands behind her back. She looks troubled for a moment before looking back at the two soldiers.

"Itch, happens even to the lesser people eh?"

Hearing the familiar voice of Isaac reach her ears she looks him in his eyes and attemps to figure out how he is feeling and if he's holding out for a bit.

_Probably..._

"Thanks Isaac, I'll be right here."

She nods to Isaac and turns her attention back to the soldier with an attitude problem.

"I don't know who you are used to impress with that attitute of yours but it isn't helping. I'm telling you nothing and I'm staying right here inside."

_Sigh if the countries defense depends on people like her _

"Euhm Yuri... can I talk to you for a sec? In private..."


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 3, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Entrance Hall

"2 Days huh Smith. Hmmm, you're smarter than I had expected."

"Yuri, if keeping watch, don't get distracted. Nothing personal Amelia, but I wouldn't like to be surprised because of some kind of distraction that can wait."

"Anders, on your call, we move. Patel, Smith, Goldberg, get into positions, think of this as training or something. Move!"

Then she moves with Anders to the car.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 4, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Amisha Patel*

You stand by the door directly beside Yuri.  The wind is cold, sending chills down your back as both of you grip your weapon tightly.  Your eyes though catch movement from the blonde woman.  She's hiding something behind her back, but you're not sure what it is.

*Yuri, Michael*

You stand there, nervous, cold, and certainly on edge.  Though you can't make anything out in thick darkness, you keep feeling that chill dancing up and down your spine.  Isaac, Anders, Maria seem to disppear in the darkness of the unlit driveway and you wonder how they can see anything clearly without a light.

*Jacqueline , Amelia*

The cold bites through each of you still there in the rapidly emptying hall.  You can see those that are by the door and you know the others have gone to the car.  An odd noise though sounds from the stairs...a sort of scratching noise coming from above.

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your eye catches something moving in the bushes, several somethings, in fact.  Dark shapes - moving in strange patterns but they didn't seem to be doing anything other than shifting positions in the safety of the shadows.   And there's definitely too many shadows from the to hide easily in as delve deeper into the dark, moonless night. 

*Anders, Maria*

The sound of your boots against the curved stone entrance remains non-existant but the sounds of your breathing echoes loudly within your own head.  Almost to the car and nothing yet...perhaps you might make it after all.  You can see the leather, but the lack of light keeps you from seeing anything further.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 4, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion


"Anders, lets check out the intertior of the car while Goldstein goes through the trunk. I'll take the dashboard if you search under seats, okay?" Maria whispers while moving toward the car, in a tone so only Isaac and Anders can hear here. "Let's make this a fast one."


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 4, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac grits his teeth as they go about searching the car.

"There's tons of them, hiding amoung the trees," he tells the others grimly, "Working quickly is our only option."

He pops the boot and rummages through whatever contents are within, searching for a weapon or anything useful.

_Talk about life and death situations, how many... things... are hiding out there?_


----------



## Keia (Apr 4, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Entrance
Clairemont Mansion_

_Searching a car by candlelight, hopefully the dome light works.  Guess that can't be to unusual considering what we just fought._ Anders thought.  _If this car works we should just get everyone the hel! out of here and return with some gear or a boat load of C4._

Anders concentrates on his search, looking on the floor, under the seats, between the seats, between the cushions and the backs of the seats.

"Keys?" Ander asked. _We should be so lucky_


----------



## Fanog (Apr 4, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

_Damn, it's dark out here. They could be anywhere and we can hardly see anything. Hey, what the--_

As Michael turns, he find out that he was watching the bushes *too* intently, and that the others have already moved to the car while he was paying attention to the surroundings.

_Ouch, not good. It's the cold, damnit. My brain seems to freeze. Well, I'd better get over there, if I want to make myself useful._

Hurriedly, Michael hustles over to the car, holding both the candle and the table leg in front of him.



			
				Festy_Dog said:
			
		

> *"There's tons of them, hiding amoung the trees," he tells the others grimly, "Working quickly is our only option."
> *




At this, Michael looks behind him and to the sides, trying to see what the man meant. He quickens his pace, cursing himself for not paying attention earlier. When he reaches the car, he'll take an unoccupied spot and search it for anything useful.


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 4, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Entrance Hall

The colour drained from her face, sitting on the cold floor hugging her feet to her chest, Jacqueline lurched forward uneasily.  Subdued by the attack of that... _thing_, she found it difficult to focus on anything else but its dead eyes, its sharp teeth glinting like diamonds in the darkness, its wicked hooked claws.  Her left upper arm still felt like molten lead had been injected into her veins, and there was nothing that a little hot wax and curtain strips could do to fix that.  She'd been hurt before, bitten even.  But this wound, which should have been _just a bite_, hurt more than anything she could recall in her life.  Not to mention that most of her arm was already purpling from the unbreakable grasp of that... _thing_.  The worst part were the eyes.  The thing was dead!  It had to be, the way it smelled, the way its head had been caved in.  But the unholy strength in its vice-like grip... it was horrible.

She was unable to stop shivering uncontrollably, and now she had to crawl forward to a corner so that she could give in to her nausea and vomit.  Well, more a dry heave than anything;  she had always eaten light before a mission.  _That thing was all over me.  But - it was dead!  It was totally impossible!  Not real at all...  I'm hallucinating, that must be it..._  But the stench of the thing clung to her hair and her clothes, invaded her nostrils, overpowered the musty antique smell of the grand Entrance Hall she found herself in now.  And it lay there near the closet, where she could not bear to bring her dark eyes to gaze.

The scratching noise brought her out of her reverie.  Her head jerked up, and she stood shakily, wiping her hand with her mouth.  She turned to look at the blonde woman.  "Did you hear that?" she asked, her voice faltering because of the terror welling up inside her.  "There's something out there."  Her eyes widened as it occured to her that it was probably another one of those... _things_.  _Oh God, not again._  She rushed to the foot of the stairwell, peering off into the darkness above to see if her hunch is correct.  Quickly, she looked around for anything that would serve to barricade the stairs.  She realizes that at best she'd be able to slow whatever it is down, but that's all she can hope for.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 4, 2003)

Before the candle is moved somewhere else, Amisha holds her tableleg over the flame, the last third of the length of the weapon wrapped thickly in curtain strips.  She ignores blondie's verbal barbs, knowing the woman was just trying to save face and not allowing herself to be drawn in by them.  

When the raven-haired woman starts to move across the room, Patel silently turns to regard her.  _She'd better not be heading for another ing door, or I swear to God I'll knock her ass out myself.  You'd think she'd have learned her lesson.  *sigh*  Just another reason why these civs are a danger to us._


----------



## mistergone (Apr 4, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall

Yuri tries to pretend he didn't hear the blonde woman say anything. He stares determinedly out into the darkness and tries to follow the team's progress to the car.

_Come on come on hurry hurry... I can't get rid of the feeling that we're making the wrong moves. I think we should be looking for the rest of the team. 7 missing soldiers... can't be too hard to find... I bet they're just behind one of these doors... maybe the monsters already got to them... no don't think about that... come on man, stay stoic, stay cool..._

At Amisha's stirring next to him, he glances aside to her, and takes a step or two sideways.

"Hey, watch that there, Patel. Trust me that you're just gonna burn up that table leg without some fuel." He tries to smile, and turns his focus back on the distant car, trying to make out the candle flames of the people who went out there.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 5, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*

*Isaac Goldstein*

At first you can't see a damned thing in the trunk after you popped it, that is until the young solider named Michael Smith  comes rushing up to you with his candle while he tried to protect it from the wind.  The light is brief but the wind is damaging.  Your hands reach the compartment where you usually keep a spare tire and where now you keep your rifle.  Just as your fingers close around the handle to lift off the cover, the candle goes out and plunges you back into darkness.

*Anders Carlson*

With the candle in one hand and the table leg in the other, there's isn't much you can do with your hands in searching without putting one object down.  But you hold the light over for Maria to search the interior compartment of the car.  The cold wind tickles the back of your neck and threatens to blow the meager light out.

*Maria Moreno*

The leather sticks to your fingers and you try not to think of how disgusting it must look with more light than the meager candle that Anders is holding in his hand.  Your hand comes across more matches and a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey -- half-full.

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Amisha Patel*

Just before lighting the curtain you realize that the table leg is made of wood and likely to light as well unless you soak the curtain with something more flammable.  At that you pause for a moment thinking of what Maria had brought out from the closet.

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

The scratching noise halts for a brief moment in that heartbeat of yours.  But another noise greets you...the noise of liquid pooling just a foot in front of you, its source from somewhere above,...a stream of red staining the expensive marble.  Then the terrible liquid halts its pour only to be followed by a thick slab of pink flesh - jagged at the edges - falling to a splat on the ground and soaking in the rapidly spreading crimson pool.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 6, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac curses under his breath.

"Thanks for the light anyway, Michael is it?" he says.

_He looks like a rookie, better be nice to him, the situations bad enough for him already without me jumping in to bad mouth him as well._

"Well, lets see if we can get my shotgun," he says and opens the cover.

He proceeds to rummage around.

"Now that I think of it, I left a bottle of Jack in the front. Maybe they were kind enough to leave it there. You can have some if you like, just gotta find it first," he says absent mindedly as he attempts to locate the firearm.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 6, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

"More matches and liquor." Maria whispers to Anders. "Let's get see how Isaac and Michael are doing and get back."

Maria hops out of the sticky chair, remembering where she usually hid some of her stuff in her own car. Before totally leaving the car she feels behind the blinders at both the passenger as well as the drivers position. 

"Goldstein, you almost done?"


----------



## Fanog (Apr 6, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

"Ah, damnit.", Michael mutters as his candle is blown out.



			
				Festy_Dog said:
			
		

> *"Thanks for the light anyway, Michael is it?" he says.*




"Yes, sir, Michael Smith. I'll get some fire from the Sergeant, we'll probably find more with a light. You didn't happen to have a toolbox or first aid kit in the car, did you? -Wait a second, I'll just go light the candle first..."

Michael quickly walks over to the front of the car, to light his candle on the Sergeant's. He tucks the table leg under his arm, so that he has one free hand to shield the flame from the cold wind.

"Sir, do we have time to check if the car is still in working order? I don't know if the keys are present, but if the car hasn't been tampered with, I could probably start it without them."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 7, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your fingers reach around the familiar cover and pull at it, knocking a couple of things that were in the trunk but of which you couldn't see over to one side.  In the process you bang you fingers against the top of the trunk and the curse you utter echoes into the quiet night and seems to startle everyone around you.

Now the cover is in your hands, but there isn't enough light to see anything at all in the trunk.  You can barely make out the car outline from whatever faint light the house is throwing off plus Sergeant Carlson's candle.

*Maria Moreno*

Nothing further that you could see at this moment and nothing behind the car blinders other than a half a pack of Marlboro cigarettes.  Out of the corner of your eye you catch movement behind the windshield, but you can't make it out.  Was it just a branch blowing?  Or more than that?

*Michael Smith*

Just as you reach Carlson, his flame goes out, plunging all four of you into darkness.   Your words echo but the only answer that greets you is the howling which now sounds even closer than before.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 7, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

"This is a load of s," Isaac mutters to noone in particular, still trying to fish for his gun in the trunk.

A howl permeates the air and he seems to shrink into the boot a little.

_What now!? Wolves? Wild dogs? Zombie dogs? Or maybe zombie dogs who shoot zombie bees from their mouths when they bark... hehe, that was a good episode... wait, that sounded pretty close, better hurry up... stupid dogs._


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 7, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Entrance Hall

Jacqueline almost literally jumped out of her shoes, she was moving so fast away from it.  It, of course, being the mass of flesh that had just slammed into the ground before her with a wet smack.  Dark eyes went wide as the thought of that flesh belonging to another human being flashed through her head, and it was all she could do to not swoon and hurl again.  _The smell!  Oh God, the smell!_

"Did you just see that?" she asked as she moved to the side of the female grunt who stood by the outside entrance.  "I... I think there's another one of those... things upstairs.  And I think it got to someone!"  She pointed a shaking finger at the hunk of still-quivering meat, lying in the crimson pool.

Jac threw her hands to her temples and shook her head, throwing her silky black hair in every which way.  She looked longingly for the front door, ready to bolt through it if something descended the stairs.  On the other hand, she didn't like leaving a job unfinished.  She wasn't a quitter, and this smacked of quitting.  No matter if the task was fubared before it even began.  Not to mention that outside didn't really look much better, with everything pitch dark, the others mere shadows in her vision.  What the hell was she going to do?  _Come on, Jac!  Get it together!  You're better than this!_


----------



## Keia (Apr 7, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Entrance
Clairemont Mansion_

_What I wouldn't give for my freaking nightvision goggles_, Anders thought as the light from his candle blew out.  _And why the heck isn't the dome light on? Let me guess, dead battery?  If it is there goes any of chance getting people out of here - tonight at least._

"There's better things to be doing in the back of the car with the lights out than searching for some usable gear," Anders said, trying to lighten the mood for himself and his team.  

Anders cradled the table leg under his arm and removed the matches from his pocket to light his and Michael's candle.  "Hold steady Smith, and will have light for everyone in a second.  Moreno, nothing in the glovebox?  Like a flashlight, or an AK-47?"


----------



## Fanog (Apr 7, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

"Erm, yes Sir".

Michael positions himself so his back is turned to where the wind is blowing from. The cold wind cuts through his shirt easily, causing him to shiver. 

_Hm, I guess I'd rather shiver from this cold than from what just happened inside. Ugly, fighting against visions and half-gone memories. This cold, I can take, at least. I guess it's gotten to the Sergeant too, seeing as how cheery he's trying to be. _

Carlson's mention of a Kalashnikov, folded inside the small glovebox in the old car is too absurb for Michael, given the circumstances. A small smile seems to break through on his face, but a particular nasty gust of freezing wind cuts that short, causing the smile to turn to a grimace.
The private grits his teeth against the cold, and bends his back a bit, hunching over the candle. He also uses his free arm to shield it from the wind as best as he can.

_Well, fingers crossed - hope this works..._


----------



## Velenne (Apr 8, 2003)

_Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall_

Patel, on her way to the jug that Moreno had set down, stops to regard the spreading pool of gore.  She snaps her head up, seeking its source, but continues in her walk with a bit more haste.  If someone doesn't get a damn torch lit soon, they're going to be all out of light and the situation will only get worse.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 8, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*

*Isaac Goldstein*

Finally your hands close around the familiar barrel of your sawed off shotgun, specially made and your favorite weapon of choice.  As you lift it out of the trunk, you jar a box of shotgun shells - from the sound if it, maybe about 6 shells in the box.

*Michael Smith*

You return to Issac's side and see the beautiful rifle he's got in his hands, something that makes you feel somewhat relief.  Your candle lights up  more of the trunk and you can see a box of shotgun shells where there normally is a tire.  And something that's even more heartening...a first aid kit.

*Amisha, Yuri, Jacqueline*

Standing by the door, each of you wrapped up in your own thoughts, your own conversations...that is until the howling
echoes with a proximity that makes your head turn abruptly into the darkness.  Eyes peer into the darkness, trying to see what did not want to be seen...but you feel movement out there...something is there...something too close for comfort.

*Maria Moreno*

Paralyzed by horror, what you had thought were shadows becomes more clear to you even as your hand touches the glove compartment.  Red eyes glow and soon you see something that you suddenly wished you hadn't.  Memories surfaced - of those sharp teeth, of that awful breath - you've seen it before but you don't know when...only that it flames a fear within you.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 8, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac just about cradles the weapon in his arms.

_My precioussss... hehe... ooh s what was that?_

"We've got everything we came for people, lets vacate," Isaac says hurriedly and pockets his shotgun shells as he hustles back towards the building.

While moving he makes sure his weapon is loaded, marvelling at the engravings up along the handle and barrel.

_If I ever thought this weapon wasn't worth the price I paid I'm certain its paid for itself now._


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 8, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion


_No... This... this can't be.... Those... things... here..._

Maria is standing with one leg out of the car, one still inside the vehicle, and she's keeping this position for a few seconds. She freezes up, staring out the car, into the darkness, where these morbid creatures are running around.

"It's...." Maria tries to say, but her words won't leave her mouth. "A...An...Anders" she finally brings out rather softly, prodding the sarge next to her. 

For a second, Maria feels comforted by the presence of Anders, knowing he's still there. Michael and Isaac are still working on the trunk, when finally Isaac calls out that he found the gun, Maria shakes her head and gets back to the "real world" or wherever they are now.

She grasps Anders' arm, pulling him to her side of the car, poiting to the red dots. "Trap" she yells. "It's a f*cking trap!" 

Her hands embrace the wooden tableleg again, as Maria is readying herself, both physically as well as mentally.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 8, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael leans into the trunk of the car, so he can grab the med kit and talk to the front seat, where he knows Carlson to be.

"Sergeant Sir, we've found a shotgun and a first aid kit. I could take hours stripping this thing clean of anything useful, but in these conditions, I think we'd best take what we have and go back to the mano--"

Michael is interrupted by Maria's scream.



			
				Venus said:
			
		

> *"Trap" she yells. "It's a f*cking trap!" *




_Ah, this went too easy to be true. They wouldn't have simply left all this for the taking. Time to move!_

Michael quickly grabs the med kit in his free hand, and spins around fast, facing the darkness. He tries to shield the flame with the med kit, hoping it won't go out again. The table leg is still tucked under his shoulder, but Michael realizes that it won't be of any use there. He bends his knees a bit, assuming a combat stance, hoping that he'll be able to deliver a kick if the need arises.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 8, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Entrance Hall



> *
> "Did you just see that?" The asian woman runs up to Patel, drawing Yuri's attention fro mthe outside again,"I... I think there's another one of those... things upstairs.  And I think it got to someone!"  She points a shaking finger at something dark and glistening in the fading light, lying in a crimson pool.
> *




Yuri peers at the thing on the floor, but doesn't move from the doorway.

_ Oh what now?_

He looks after Amisha as she moves across the room towards the jug of whatever Moreno had brought out of the side room. Then looks back to the asian woman.

Then suddenly, the howling begins from outside, and Yuri spins back towards tha darkness beyond the front doors.

_ What the Hell? Dogs? Wolves?_

Someone yells something out, only indistinctly reashing his ears over the night wind. _Moreno?_

He starts forwards a few steps, then hesitates, looks around frantically for a second for something to grab, then cups his hands to his mouth and yells into the night.

"RUN! GET BACK HERE! GET BACK INSDIE!"


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 9, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*

*Everyone*

Howling

So close now that it shivers down your spine but still you can barely see out int the darkness.  Your sight is useless so far from the light but you can hear the panting, hear the salivating and smell the fetid breath in the air.

*Anders, Maria, Mike*

The smell makes you sweat.  Makes you remember something about cold forests, dark shadows and screams.  Makes you remember the smell of blood and the feel of your own mortality in a way that defies description...but just as that memory comes...it leaves only to be replaced by the present danger.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 9, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion



> _originally posted by Venus_
> "Trap" she yells. "It's a f*cking trap!"




"Then you run girl, run!" Isaac yells as he picks up the pace back to the mansion.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 9, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

Maria jumps out of the car, holding the door ready so Anders can get out as well. With her hands firmly gripped around the tableleg, her palms getting sweatty again, she stands ready to run for the mansion as soon as Anders is out of the car.

"Come on Anders, we haven't got all day...."


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 9, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

When she first hears the howling, Jac starts, her nerves still frayed at the edges.  But this threat was coming from _outside_, and she couldn't see anything and she had no weapon.  In other words, for the first time in a long time, Jacqueline Nguyen was feeling hopeless and helpless.

And she hated it.

_I've got to do something, anything!_ she thought to herself, and even she could hear the desperation in her thoughts.  She was scared and not functioning at her best and she knew it.

But the others were out there, and while she normally had really no use for soldiers, they were handy in a pinch around this place.  She moved to one of the massive doors and grasped its handle, and then peered out into the darkness.  The medic had the right idea, so she followed suit, hollering until her face was blue.

"COME BACK TO THE HOUSE!  GET BACK INSIDE HERE!"


----------



## Keia (Apr 9, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Entrance
Clairemont Mansion_



> She grasps Anders' arm, pulling him to her side of the car, pointing to the red dots. "Trap" she yells. "It's a f*cking trap!"




_What the . . . ?!?_ Anders thought as he initially resisted Maria's pull on his arm.  _If it's a trap, you get low to hide from the sniper fire . . . but I'm guessing there are no snipers now._ 

Anders let himself get pulled out of the car putting the matches back into his pocket as he rose.  He looked in the direction Maria indicated and saw for the first time what the screams were about.  The hairs raised on the back of his neck as he stared at the red points of light.  Being a dog lover all of his life, Anders almost couldn't accept what he was looking at.  Almost . . .

_Wish I had a drugged roast, like that time in Columbia against the attack dogs.  Why do I have the sneaking suspicion I'm the roast_  Ander thought grimly.



> "Come on Anders, we haven't got all day...."




"Alright, double time back to the house.  I've got your back," Anders said, knowing that Maria and even Michael were much faster than he.  

With a yell he called toward the house, "Someone get that corpse to give to the dog."  Then he followed the others to the house.

_It's a dog eat dog world out there, and I'm wearing Milkbone shorts!_  Anders thought.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 9, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Hearing the sargeant and already close to the closet where the corpse lay nearby, Patel tucks her club into the back of her fatigues and grabs the body by the belt.  _Awww *gross* man..._

She starts dragging it across the marble floor, leaving a thick trail of gore and muck in its wake, all the while trying her best not to look at it and not to hurl.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 9, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri grabs the other side of the double doors and gets ready to slam it shut after everyone has run through. He looks over to Amisha dragging the corpse.

_This is gonna take crackerjack timing..._


----------



## Fanog (Apr 10, 2003)

*1st Floor - Front Entrance*
Clairemont Mansion

With his back to the car, Michael stares into the darkness, trying to see where the danger is coming from. The smell is overwhelming, and Michael is overcome by thoughts of what its source might be.

_Where, what --? I can't see a thing in this darkness. Woukld it be another of those monstrosities? Are there really more? How many - one, four, twenty? Could we outrun them maybe, take shelter in the house? Are there more inside too? Oh God..._

"Sir, what's happening? I can't see a thing here, Sir...", Michael adresses the Sergeant, his voice slightly quivering. He briefly turning his head as he does so.

He vaguely sees that the others are sprinting for the house. He follows their lead, fearing to be left behind or slowing them down. He takes a few paces at a run, and finds that the table leg isn't too stable in its place in the crook of his arm.

_Argh, hell! Candle.  Club.   Medkit.
We need all of them, I have to get them in. Don't drop anything, Smith. *Don't!*_

Michael's speed drops as he juggles the three items in his two hands. He watches over his shoulder a few times, even though he knows that he shouldn't. Keeping the candle burning isn't really a priority anymore, keeping it in his hands is. He'll trust to the lights from the house to guide him in, praying that he'll make it there safely.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 11, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*

AND

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Maria Moreno*

You leapt out of the car, your heart pounding and nothing but worry for the man beside you as your horrified eyes watch a dog leap at him, hits teeth barely missing Anders but managing to knock the solider to the ground.

*Jacqueline and Yuri*

With horror you see the sergeant get knocked down by something, but you don't know what it is that attacked him...that is until you see small dark forms darting from the shadows...disgusting...fetid...things that perhaps once had been dogs but were now hungrily looking at you.

*Amelia Brogart*

You hear them screaming, you feel the terror...but you don't know what's happening.

*Amisha Patel*

The sounds the body makes...the squishing noise as you drag it across the floor doesn't make up for the incredible stink.  You hear screaming, shouting...but you can't see what's going on until Mike nearly runs you over in his terror to get inside the house.

*Michael Smith*

When your footsteps echo on the marble floor the feeling of relief until you realize that something was happening outside...something terrible.

*Isaac Goldstein*

Just as you were sure you were going to make it, a terrible pain wrenches into your arm and nearly takes you completely off your feet.  When you glance down it is to see something horrible hanging onto your arm, cloudy eyes...teeth...and flesh hanging off what once had been a dog.

*Anders Carlson*

Flat on your back, you struggle to get up with the dog on top of you and swing your weapon.  The edge of the table slams into the dog, but the beast just growls and more of the  foul drool falls on your face.  The light goes out and plunges you and Maria into darkness.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 11, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion


"Anders!" Maria shouts as the darkness is closing in on the car, making it harder to see where the dogs are, or even worse, where Anders is. The eyes of the dog on top of Anders still flash red though, and Maria doesn't hesitate a second. She swings at the dog with full strenght, trying to free Anders from it. 

The smell of decay starts to burn in her nostrils and it's giving her a headache again. _How did we get here with all these things walking around here? How come they never attacked us while we were down, I don't understand...." Maria shakes her head, lifting her club again for another round of dog-smashing._


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 11, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion

"Dumb mutt," Isaac says and winces as the creature latches on to his arm.

_Fck off!_

He brings the sawn-off up against the dog's throat as it hangs off his arm and discharges a single barrel into its throat.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 11, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

_F*ck f*ck f*ckity f*ck!_

Yuri takes an involuntary step backwards as the dog-thing latches onto the cop's arm. He glances around again and then leaps into action. Running over to grab the small marble table top from the table that Amisha smashed apart for the clubs, he lifts it up with both hands and runs back to the entrance doorway and lifts it above his head, preparing to toss it at the first dog monster that gets near him.

"Patel! It's going pear-shaped! Get the Hell over here and start killing things!"


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 11, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Almost reflexively, Jacqueline goes to close the door.  This is almost too much for her to handle right now.  Right now, she yearned for a simple human opponent, one you could talk around, sneak around or failing that, kill...

She exchanged a glance with the medic at the door, and then threw her gaze back into the darkness.  All that could be seen in the pitch were the hints of shadows, liquid shapeless forms that seemed to merge with and emerge from deeper darkness as they glid across the yard.

She wanted to close the door, wanted to focus on fighting these... _things_ only on one front.   She liked to work with her proverbial back against a wall, so as not to worry about what might be creeping up behind her.  But she knew the soldiers would never leave their own to the ghoulish dogs.  And she was definitely _not_ going to tangle with another zombie herself, especially of the howling, four-legged variety.

"I hate dogs," she muttered, mostly to herself.  She made a quick look around for any makeshift weapons she could arm herself with, but most of her attention was focused on holding the door, readying to close it when the rest got inside.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 11, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

The work of a private is never over..._ Amisha thinks forlornly.  Once at the door, she heaves the squishing, goopy corpse onto the front stoop and yanks her club out from the back of her trousers.

_They're just freaky, overgrown dogs you wimps.  And what the  is 'pear-shaped' supposed to mean?_  She takes up a defensive stance next to the door while she waits for the rest of the team to get inside, ready to pound the first pooch to cop an attitude.  _This team needs a morale booster..._ she thinks, so she whistles at the closest one just for good measure. 

"C'mere Cujo, I'll give ya somethin to gnaw on!"


----------



## Keia (Apr 11, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders fell on his back with a thud as his breath rushed out of him and the candle he was holding went out.  A muffled *umph* was all that was heard from Anders as the former beast collided with him.  The smell from the creature was reminiscent of the smell upon entering a room of corpses recently dead.  

_Let's see here. I've dealt with dogs with my bare hands before - live ones at least.  This close they're actually easier to deal with, just break their necks.  Now only if it works with this thing._ Anders thought as he attempted to rise to his feet.

Anders directed a heavy swing at the creature's head in hopes of breaking its neck with brunt force while holding it at bay.

"Moreno, get back to the house," Anders said, not wanting anyone else on his team hurt because he couldn't deal with a threat.  It was bad enough that seven were already missing.  He wasn't sure he could handle it if anything else happened to his team.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 11, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion

"I'm not leaving you here Anders, so quit the crap!" Maria tells Anders in a wave of anger. She then swings, releasing that same anger. "I'm not gonna get you killed!"


----------



## Fanog (Apr 11, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

As Michael enters the hall, he bends down to catch his breath and releases both the candle and the first kit to the floor. He turns around to see where the Sergeant and Corporal are, but quickly realizes that things haven't gone as they should. 

_They're still out there. Moreno said there was a trap, Sergeant ordered us out, and said he'd follow. If they're not here, things must have gone wrong. They're still out there...!_

Not waiting for orders this time, Michael sprints back to the door. The tension from withdrawing from the car has seriously psyched him up, and he has given in...

_Keep the thinking for later, it didn't work when fighting the corpse either. Don't plan, just do. Get out there, and extract the Sergeant and Corporal. Go, go!_

"Sarge and Corporal are still out there. We have to get them back!", he tells the others hurriedly as he runs through the door.

He isn't really sure what to expect, but in his mind an image forms of him wading through a dozen walking corpses to get to the others. Once outside, he quickly looks about him, trying to see where the car was exactly. As he does so, he darts from side to side restlessly, waiting to attack anything fetid that comes close enough.

"Sergeant, Corporal, where are you?", he yells into the darkness.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 12, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*

*Maria Moreno*

You swing her table leg but in the darkness the only thing that you slam into is the whistling of the air.  A slight metallic sound indicates that perhaps the  Isaac's car was getting the brunt of that attack.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

The marble feels cold in our hands and the grunt that echoes from your mouth echoes in the fear-tinted room.  Your boots scuffle over the floor as you hoist that marble table to the door, ready to chuck it at anything that moves.

*Amisha Patel*

You drag the corpse through the door while Yuri is occupied.  Just then you spot the horrible dogs biting and snarling at everyone, one of the latched onto the civilian with the gun. But even as you contemplate that, dropping the corpse with your hand outstretched...suddenly you feel sharp teeth digging in...the liquid feeling of blood sliding over your skin with an indescribable pain and terror of another beast that snuck up behind you.

*Michael Smith*

Pushing yourself out into the front steps, your worry about your sergeant is suddenly superceded by realization that you walked right into a charging horror...a beast with four legs that swipes sharp teeth against you.  But in your hurry to yank yourself away, you leave ragged edges of flesh on your arm.

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

So occupied with watching you nearly missed the charging dog.  Your gasp of shock and reflexive desire for survival throws you to one side as the things teeth barely graze you.

*Anders Carlson*

With a grunt, you manage to shove the beast off you and get to your feet, but he darkness confuses you.  You do hear Maria behind you and the dog salivating in front of you.  Your fists go flying and you feel the connection to the flesh that gives way so easily...some even sticking to your fingers.

*Isaac Goldstein*

The shot rings out and the dog shudders under the assault, but it still hangs on to you.  A thick chunk of flesh goes flying and smacks into a white column...leaving a smear of crimson behind as it trails down to the floor.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 12, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac fires the other barrel into the creature's neck, trying to destroy the muscles enabling it to bite or to just remove its head from its body.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 12, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion


The sound of a gun blasting overwhelms the noise of the dogs for a second. Maria's ears are filled the noise and because of that, nearly missing what's happening next to her. Anders grunts, the dog howls. 

"Anders, did you get up?" Maria asks, whispering. She feels around with her arm, trying to locate Anders. The moment she connects, she grabs Anders, pulling him with her. "Come, fast! The others are in trouble, they must be!" Keeping her grasp on her sarge, Maria starts walking towards the mansion, keeping her club in her other hand.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 12, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Entrance Hall


Yuri's eyes go wide with disbelief as he turns with the table top in his hands to see Smith go barreling back out the front doors.

"Mike! Don't go the f*ck back out there!" he yells. _Is he insane?_ Seeing the dog monster rip into Michael, Yuri raises the table top over his head and with a shout, lunges forward tosses it down onto the dog. Everything else around him is a blur of fury and noise.


----------



## Keia (Apr 12, 2003)

1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps
Clairemont Mansion

"I'm up, Moreno, and the dog's still there," Anders said, "Our eyes haven't adjusted to the darkness yet.  I don't intend to stay out here long enough for that to happen though."  

Listening to her voice, feeling her touch is reassuring, surprisingly so.  Anders shakes off the moment and follows her toward the rest of the group at the doors.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 12, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Door
Clairemont Mansion_

The roar of the shotgun was a celestial choir to Amisha's ears.  The dog answering her taunt was almost welcome as well.  She grunts against the further pain in her arm, _Guess they could give a  about rotted meat..._.

She never had much respect for animals and the treehuggers that protected them.  If it didn't have a trigger-finger, that put it lower on the food chain -even if it was already worm food.  Exercising military martial arts training, Amisha grabs the animal by the neck, twists around behind it, and attempts to pin it face-first to the wall behind her.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 12, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps *
Clairemont Mansion

Michael instantly retaliates against his assailant, bringing the club down hard on the four-legged horror that is trying to latch on to him. After this first instinctive action, the sharp pain in his arm and the low thundering of the shotgun return a bit of Michael’s wits to him.

_Damnit, it looks like we’ve got out own problems to deal with. It looks like we *will* have to cleave ourselves a way to the Sergeant and Corporal._

Michael stumbles back a step to get some room for his next swing, and feels the presence of someone behind him. He takes a quick look, and is relieved to find Amisha there. Somehow, her presence always seems to calm him a bit, her steady movements reminding him of his combat training. _Relax, stay focused, and wait for an opening. Breathe, and strike._ Repeating the mantra seems to help a bit, even though Michael’s movements are still a bit rushed and unsteady.

Somewhere behind him, Michael can hear the Corporal, cursing at him. Without looking away from the dog-like beast before him, Michael retorts: "They’re *out* there, in the dark, and probably under attack as well. We can’t just *leave* them there. We have to get to them!"

Almost desperately, Michael shouts out into the darkness again, hoping for any sign of life from Carlson or Moreno. "Sergeant Carlson! Where are you?"


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 13, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your muscles bunch in your arms as you heave the marble over your head, but the marble misses its mark, crashing into the column and breaking into several pieces.  You can see a huge gash in the wooden column.

*Amisha Patel*

Your fingers slip and slide over the bloody flesh of the dog.  Unable to get a grip, all you're left with is handfuls of rotting skin on your fingers.  Its jaws tighen on you further and a burning sensation begins to flare on your arm.

*Michael Smith*

Swinging your makeshift weapon, it crashes into the dogs body but the beast refused to die, snapping its jaws at you but you easily dodge its bite.  It looks damaged though and you can see it limping slightly.  You on the other hand feel something burning on your arm where the dog bit you.

*Issac Goldstein*

The shotgun explodes into the dog's head and the beast shudders under the barrage, its head exploding into nothingness.  Bits of flesh fly into your face, peppering it with red and you even think you can taste some of the foulness in your mouth.  Whatever it is, there's a sudden burning sensation on your arm where the animal's maw had been.

*Maria, Anders*

Your feet take you away from the beast that follows and attacks.  Closer to the light you make it only to see a horrible sight greet you, the sight of your friends being eaten alive by the beasts.  The remains of one lie at the feet of the detective, a spent shot gun in his hands, blood all over his body.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 13, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps


"Sh*t!" Yuri curses as the tables flies past the dog monster.

He takes several steps back and once again grabs the door, ready to slam it shut.

"Okay, everybody get back inside! Come on, move it!" he sees shadows loom up out of the darkness, hoping that they're the Sarge and Moreno. Weaponless, he can only hope now that everyone can break away and get inside without the creatures getting in too.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 13, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps

Isaac takes a sharp intake of breath when the wound starts to burn. He reloads his shotgun gingerly, trying not to hurt his arm further, as he moves to the nearest dog attacking someone and tries to blow its head off.

"Doggie needs a 12 gauge labotomy!" he says loudly, agitated by the endurance of the foul creatures.


----------



## Keia (Apr 13, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps *
Clairemont Mansion



			
				Fanog said:
			
		

> * Almost desperately, Michael shouts out into the darkness again, hoping for any sign of life from Carlson or Moreno. "Sergeant Carlson! Where are you?" *




"Right here, Smith," Anders called, "thanks for the concern, but lets concentrate on killing these things."

_There are *more *of these things? Who or what did this to them?  I need answers, but I not gonna get anything until we put these thing down.  Someone has got a lot to answer for. . ._ Anders thought.

"Ahhh, that is a welcome sound," Anders said in response to the shotgun blast.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 13, 2003)

> "Okay, everybody get back inside! Come on, move it!"






> "...lets concentrate on killing these things."




Amisha is torn upon hearing conflicting orders from superior officers.  Nevertheless, chain of command dictates she follow the higher ranking officer first.  

Arm sizzling, she once again attempts to flatten the beast, throwing it on its stomach and putting her bodyweight on top of it.  Her club arm raises up in an attempt to stick the pooch through the eye.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 13, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps *
Clairemont Mansion

"My God, what the  are these things?" Maria says between taking breaths, trying to ignore the stench infiltrating her nose. Running towards the light the dogs get clearer and clearer in her vision, and when they reach the mansion she notices almost every visible detail; the rotting flesh, the bones, organs as far as they are still inside...  It's sickening.

_How can he keep such a cool head_ Maria asks herself after hearing Anders talk to his crew. _We're surrounded by walking dead ... things... and he talks as if we're still clearing a hostage scene, like the one in Washington..._

Looking behind her, she notices the dog from the car getting back to them. Holding her club, waiting steady for the dog to get in reach, Maria talks to it as well as to herself. "Doggie wants a smack to the head? Come get some!"


----------



## Fanog (Apr 13, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael had hoped to ignore the wound on his arm, but the searing pain continues to spread. The grip onto the table leg seems to weaken as his arm numbs from the biting pain.

Jus then, Michael hears the Sergeant and breathes a sigh of relief. The knowledge that the NCO's are all right steadies his mind a bit, giving him time to think things through. Michael stares at his club for a bit, considering his wounded arm. 

_What kind of weapon is this anyway? Come on, Michael, you've had training where you didn't need these things. You could probably do better with a good kick. --and it would spare your arm. Seems like a done deal._

Michael takes his eyes off the creature in front of him for a short while to adress Borzakovsky: "Corporal, catch!"
After he has the Corporal's attention, he gently throws the club to him.

_Okay, now for this beast. I got him pretty good, seems like he's already limping. Aim for the same spot, let's maul this thing now. Steady... wait... Go!_

With a swift movement, Michael thrusts out his leg, attempting to firmly plant the heel of his boot in the torso of the creature.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 14, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

To your horror, the dogs tear into your companions and you feel helpless...that is until Mike yells something and throws the weapon into your hand.  It feels strong in your grip.

*Amisha Patel*

The burning is becoming unbeable and the dog relentless.  Though as the club thumps into the dog's skull you  feel it give only slightly...yet still it clings to hurt you more.

*Mike Smith*

The raven-haired woman is your only thought as you bring your leg around to smack the dog's leg with a resounding crack.  The beast flounders.

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your gun feels heavy in your hands as you thump the shells into your shotgun.  The sounds of everyone echo around you and the pain of your wound burns more and more.

*Maria Moreno*

Your fingers tighten around the weapon and you swing with all your might to save Anders from the grips of the bloody creature.  Your eyes watch as the the ribs crack under your assault, but the dog still hangs onto Anders.

*Anders Carlson*

The dog's maw digs deep into your arm, the burning becoming increasingly painful.  With anger and fear, you swing the table leg with enough force to cave in the dog's skull into a mess of pink desicated goo.

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

Your haze at the attack is soon broken when the jaws of one of those dogs wraps around your lower arm, tearing into you with a pain that wakes you up immediately to the present.  Mortality never hurt so much or smelled so foul.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 14, 2003)

_1st Floor – Front Entrance
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha doesn't know which is more insulting - that this ... *THING* is able to slip past her canniest defenses (moves that had eluded the fastest of her peers and more than a few instructors during Basic), or that for the life of her she couldn't put a damn *DOG* into a choke hold!  The pain is worse than the time she broke both the bones in her lower arm getting them caught in a closing tank hatch.  

She can only assume that being tied up with the dog was making it easier for her fellow soldiers to take it out.  But she knows one thing, when she got this thing off of her, she was getting a hold of that shotgun.  

But for now, she attempts the same tack.  Maybe this time she could muster the strength to put a ing dog on its ass.  _How embarassing..._


----------



## Fanog (Apr 14, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion

The pain in Michael's arm inceases, and he's glad that he got rid of the table leg. Still, his two successful strikes have given him some spirit, he's less anxious and more thoughtful about his attacks.

_God, these things are tough. Two clean hits, its leg nearly crippled, and still it hangs on to her. Wow, at least the Sergeant knows how to take care of them. We may get out of here safe after all. How many of them are there, even? -- Never mind, concentrate on this one first._

Michael takes some time to analyse the creature's movement, and the wounds it has taken from michael's previous blows. Then, he stretches the elbow from his unwounded arm out in front of him and suddenly drops down on one knee. He flexes every muscle in his arm, the elbow approaching the dog's neck with great speed.

_Let's hope this will snap its neck. At least, it should buckle through it's front legs, considering the damage I've already done._


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 14, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps

Crying out in pain from the attack, Jac tried to pull her arm back from the creature.  But the tenacious grip of its jaws is enough to bring tears to her eyes.  She twists her body and drops to a knee, hoping to use the zombie dog's own momentum to propel it away from her and free herself from its maw.

She also looks about at the fragments of the marble, hoping for a sharp dagger-like piece to use as a weapon.


----------



## Keia (Apr 14, 2003)

_Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps_

_D@mn, this bite burns a bit.  Wonder what the heck these things were eating before they got to us.  Regardless, they're not going to have my team or the people I'm protecting - not if I have anything to say about it._ Anders thought.

A cry from the raven-haired woman caught is attention and interrupted his thoughts, much like she interrupted his dreams.  Anders worked quickly not willing to sacrifice a member of his team before a civilian - even her.

Another precise downward swing on the back of the creature's neck, was the only sound coming from Anders.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 14, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps

_How many are there? We're gonna get overran before long if there's more than this..._

_



			"Corporal, catch!"
		
Click to expand...


_
Yuri stares for a second at the club newly in his hand and blinks at it in mild disbelief. Then, feeling like the world has gone into slow-motion, his gaze shifts to one of the dog-monsters, the nearest one now attacking the strange dark-haired woman, and his grip on the makeshift weapon tightens. Stepping up towards it, he brings the club up, arm tensed, and swings it hard at the creature.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 14, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion


The smell of acid penetrates Maria's nose, it's more overwhelming than the stench of decay which originally came with the dogs. The dog she just smashed full on it's back was crippled, but withstood it. Any normal dog would have a totally crushed spine, this one didn't fall. It didn't howl, nor bark.

Maria notices her hands getting dry again. For some reason she's getting used to these... things. The scare is gone, they're just... ugly and mean, and probably pretty deadly, but seeing how 2 of the dogs are already disposed of, she feels more certain again. The wounds on her allies still give her the creeps though;

_Wow... the wounds are all red and looking very irritated, maybe even infected, and that all in matter of seconds since the bite. Maybe those creatures have some kind of rabies? Whatever it is, it can't be good. I'll let Yuri examine it when we are done with these..._

Maria pulls up her bat, smashes on the living dog near her, softly biting her lip.

_...things._


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 15, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*


*Yuri Borzakovsky*

The table leg whistles through the air, barely brushing the dog's ears...or rather what was left of the ears.  It continues to growl and latch onto the terrified raven-haired woman.

*Amisha and Mike*

With satisfaction you feel the dog get crushed under your attack, things snapping in all kinds of places...but amazingly it still manages to move...to twitch under your assault.

* Michael Smith*

Your smack the dog resoundingly in the neck with a crunch that makes it twitch one last time before growing silent.  The jaws slack on the woman's arm.

*Isaac Goldstein*

The sound of the shotgun echoes in your ear and you watch with infinite satisfaction as the dog's gut explodes to spew crimson against the raven-haired woman.

*Anders Carslon*

Your wound burns just as you turn to see what you can do the help Jacqueline who has fallen against the door and looks stunned even as the dead canine falls down onto the ground.

Everything is quiet once again except for your own breathing and your own terror.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 15, 2003)

The cold nightly wind dances between the trees and snatches all sound for a moment as it carries them away into the depths of the night. With the passing of the gust of wind a disturbing sound reaches all of your ears. A slow clicking... stepping sound, eerily similar to boney dog paws on cold marble or a paved driveway. 

Obscured by the treacherous night wind the sound dartles around you all before the wind dies down for a second again and the sound immediatly sounds strangely close to you... 

It comes from inside.

And while that sinks down into the minds of those outside they are quickly snapped out of the moment by an unwanted familiar voice.

"Night never was so black."

There in the front door stands the blonde girl, her long blond hair dancing on the nightly wind and almost seeming to take on a strange twisting and alien life of its own. Beneath it the girls eyes are hidden in shadow and all that shows is a smile forming in the light that shines on the lower half of her pretty face.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 15, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps

"Ma'am," Isaac greets Amelia with when she speaks up.

He breaks open his gun, replacing the single shell he used.

_Three in my pocket, two in the gun._

He winces again as the wound burns, and after snapping shut the shotgun again takes a closer look at his injury.

"Anyone else get this burning sensation after bein' bitten?" he asks, using his limited medical knowledge.


----------



## Keia (Apr 15, 2003)

_Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps_

"Yeah, we should definitely get these bites washed out.  Borzakovsky, time to work your magic.  You be the judge on who to start on first.  Smith, you get that first aid kit?  In fact, did everyone get everything from the car?" Anders asked.  

He looked at his team, pride showing in his face.  They had done well against an otherworldly foe that they had never faced before and not only held up but triumphed. 

"Let's move everything inside for the moment and get out of this freaking chill, people," Ander said.



> "Night never was so black."




The tone of voice surprised him as well as the source.  _Yup, she's lost her grip.  I better have someone keep an eye on her - she's a risk._ Anders thought as he ushered the rest inside.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 15, 2003)

"Isaac, get inside and let me take a look at that. Looks nasty but just let me see what I can do about it."

And with those words she gestures with her hand for Isaac to follow her inside and she disappears into the dark entrance hall.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 15, 2003)

_Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps_

Amisha roars at the stilled dog and gives it one final kick to the skull for good measure.  A combination of all the things going wrong and the intense burning in her arm have done nothing for her dour mood.  She still manages a crisp (and hopefully sincere-sounding) "Thanks Mike" as she wipes off her bloodied, wrapped club and heads toward the cleaning supplies Moreno took out of the closet a few minutes ealier.

This time, _nothing_ will dissuade her course.  If they don't get a damn fire now, they never will.  She pops open the bottle, dips her tableleg into the nozzle's mouth, and searches around for a fire source.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 15, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri stands still for a moment, breathing harder than he should. The club trembles slighty in his hand. The last shotgun blast still echoes in his ears.



> "Night never was so black."




_Okay crazy lady... whatever. Geez... she's lost it. I don't blame her._



> "Yeah, we should definitely get these bites washed out. Borzakovsky, time to work your magic. You be the judge on who to start on first. Smith, you get that first aid kit? In fact, did everyone get everything from the car?"
> "Let's move everything inside for the moment and get out of this freaking chill, people."




"Absolutely. Aye, Sarge." Yuri moves back into the entrance hall and looks around.

"Allright people, line up! Let's get everyone checked out, double time. What was that about a first aid kit?"

He flashes a smile, but it's a weak one. He looks down at his hand slightly trembling, and just drops the makeshift club onto the tile floor, raising the hand to his face.

_Again... unhurt... alive... again... Why?_

He blinks and begins to study the people around him, trying to assess their wounds, looking to see who is the most blood-soaked.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 15, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion

"Yes, Sir. I got the med kit, I'll work with the Corporal."

Michael hurries back inside, glad to be away from the dog-like creature he just defeated. He can still feel the bones in its neck breaking under his elbow. He shakes his arm out, just to get rid of the feeling. Now that the combat is over, the feeling in his arm plays up again. Michael walks over to the Corporal, ready to aid him in seeing to the wounded. On his way over, he throw Amisha an encouraging smile.

_I'll talk to her later, but we first have to deal with cleaning up. This bite hurts._

"Corporal Sir, the first aid kit is here in the hall, somewhere in the center. I dropped it there along with a candle, when I got in. I'll give you a hand in seeing to cleaning these wounds. They really sting, and I think some haste is in order."


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 15, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion

Jacqueline glanced at her bleeding forearm and winced.  Crimson blood seeped out of a ring of jagged puncture marks, and the whole wound seemed raw and discoloured.  _Between that bite and the first one, I'm looking like a damned chew toy._  And it hurt like hell.  This was definitely not her idea of a perfect job.  No where near it.  It made her wonder, though: how much had her employers known about this place and it's "defenses"?  They must have had some intel on this place, and they had neglected to share it with her.

Then again, she probably wouldn't have believed it.  Hell, only the corpse of an animal that should've been long dead, sprawled out there before her, made her believe it _now_.

"Okay, Jac," she murmurred to herself, trying to focus her thoughts to that razor's edge she had honed so painstakingly over the years, "time to take control of this situation, before the situation takes control of you."  The cold determination in her soft voice relaxed her somewhat.  It had been a bumpy start, but she'd get through this.  She'd get a handle on the situation and not only survive, but triumphed.  Because that was what Jacqueline Nguyen did; triumphed.

Finished with and emboldened by her mental pep-talk, she began to move with renewed purpose.  She went to check for a jagged piece of marble to use as a weapon - she wasn't going to be caught unprepared again.  Once done with that, she began to close the doors.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 15, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri kneels down and picks up the first aid kit, opening it.

"Allright... I need some light over here... it's getting dark in here. Well, darker." he says as he takes stock of the kit's contents. "Okay Mikey, you're first. Light that candle and come over here."

He then proceeds to tend to everyone's wounds, starting with Michael, then going through the civillians, then the rest of his team.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 15, 2003)

*1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps*
Clairemont Mansion


The moment everyone is safe inside the house, Maria slams the doors shut. "No need for making an easy entrance" she says while looking for something to lock the doors with, or barricade them. 

After doing that, she walks over to Anders, kneeling down next to him. "You okay sir? Looks like a nasty fleshwound you got there. Need some help from our old "friend"?" She taps the bottle of booze she found in the car. "It's probably Isaacs but I dont think he'll mind at this moment."

Maria smiles after taking a gulp of whiskey herself.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 15, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael picks up the candle, and walks over to a corner to light it. He makes sure to pick a path that willl bring him past Private Patel. As he walks past her, he halts for a second to speak with her. Genuine concern lies in his voice.

"Hey Am, I think we did well, all of us. Please hurry with the torch, will you? Your arm must hurt like hell and I'd like to clean it asap." 

Michael doesn't wait for an answer, but hurries over to light the candle. He sees Moreno takes a swig of the bottle of Jack, and walks over to her, gesturing to Borzakovsky that he'll be there in a second.

He adresses Maria in an apologizing tone, quite aware that he really shouldn't see a superior drink during a mission; no matter how screwed up it may be. His voice is quite small, as if to soften the request he's making.
"Corporal Ma'am, I'm really sorry, but could I take the bottle of whiskey? Between all of us, we've got many wounds, and they seem to be pretty nasty. I'd like to spare the supplies of the first aid kit, Ma'am. Maybe we could use the liquor to clean the wounds...?"

Michael waits before the Corporal, his head a bit low, waiting how the request will fall with her.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 16, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Front Entrance Steps



> _originally posted by Forsaken One_
> "Isaac, get inside and let me take a look at that. Looks nasty but just let me see what I can do about it."




"Thanks miss," he replies, then turns to the others, "There's plenty of us injured so I'll get Miss Amelia to look at my arm. Gives our medic more time to work on the others."

Isaac smiles and reaches into a pocket with his uninjured hand, he takes out the half spent pistol clip and hands it to Anders.

"You'd know where that'd be of most use," he says, then goes over to let Amelia look at his arm, "Don't worry about being gentle miss, I've had worse."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 16, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Front Entrance*

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

Your hands scrap over the floor even as the lights dim and your eyes strain to see what's on the front steps.  Dead dog carcasses, the zombie body, and pieces of marble of varying sizes.  Finally your fingers surround one piece just as a howl sounds in the distance.

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Amelia Brogart*

Your fingers touch Isaac gingerly as you observe your wound.  Definitely nasty with a strong odor that had an acidic ring to it.

*Anders Carlson*

When you get closer you realize to your horror that the candles are nearly burned out...in fact...there was perhaps only a few seconds of light left...

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Carefully you quickly observe the wounds but the light was flickering dimmer and dimmer.  The smell and the look of the wounds quickly informed each of you of the bites' acidity.  The medical training in you tells you that you need something wash the acid out right away before it eats away the entire arm. That's all you note before darkness intrudes into your vision.

*Amisha Patel*

With a flash, one of the matches brought the torch aflame glowing brightly just as the last flickering flame in the entrance hall goes out and drop s a cloak of darkness.  There you stand in the center of the protective circle of light, the wind from the door threatening to put out even that barest margin of safetly.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 16, 2003)

"Euhm miss, could you please hand me that bottle of wiskey over for a second. I could make good use of it here at the moment."

Slowly Amelia sits Isaac down on the ground and smiles gently at him.

"What happened out there Isaac? God the howling..."

A shiver goes down her spine and for a moment she shrugs as she tries to get rid of the feeling the memmory of the sound gives her. She gets up and grabs one of the candles on the wall and takes a closer look at the wound... 

"Hmmmm... peculiar..."

"Isaac, if I had that bottle of wiskey of yours I think I could actually take care of this wound... but what's wrong with this wound I don't precisely know. The smell and the reddish looks... they bother me."

"How do you feel Isaac..? How do the wounds feel?"


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"Yuri, I think you know how do clean those wounds best." Maria walks over to the corporal and hands him over the bottle. "Need a hand?"

Maria then walks around the entrance hall, seeing if anything has changed in the time they were outside.

"Patel, have you almost finished the torch?"

Maria walks over to Patel, taking over the curtain and soaking it in the cleaning agent she found earlier. "That should do the trick." She then lights the improvised torch.

Walking around the room, with this better lighting, she takes a good look around. When standing near the closet, Maria remembers something.

"By the way..." Maria asks Michael "Can I see the ID badge you found?"


----------



## Keia (Apr 16, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders nodded to Isaac as he received the clip.  _Oh to have a gun to use it with,_ Anders thought. _At this point I'd just like to have my kelvar and a knife, even._  Anders scowled at himself for thinking about coulda's, and focused on the issues at hand.

Feeling the draft from the open doors and doing a quick headcount in the dimming light, Anders walked to the open doors to look for their missing person - and to close the doors.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael follows Corporal Moreno. He joins Borzakovsky and holds out his arm for treatment, lowering the candle so it shines on the wound and is shielded from the draft inside.

While having the Corporal check out his arm, Michael give him some extra information, in a cool factual manner that shows that he's used to making medical diagnoses. The stating of symptoms is also for himself, trying to self-diagnose and get away from the pain a bit.

"The wound burns, quite severely. It seems to eat away at tissue. The irritant was most likely in the saliva of those things, probably an acid. The effect seems too local to be a toxin or venom."

_Ugh, this looks pretty nasty, but the burning is most important now. Maybe just washing it out would be enough, I think so..._

"Sir, the stuff eats away at tissue fast. I think I can also treat these wounds, it might be a good idea to work side by side so we have all of the wounds cleaned out as soon as possible. Or I could just help you, finishing up after you've done the cleaning."



			
				Venus said:
			
		

> *"By the way..." Maria asks Michael "Can I see the ID badge you found?" *



I don't have it anymore, Ma'am. I gave it to Miss Brogart when I carried her away from the... ehm... fight earlier."
"Do you still have it, Miss?", he asks Amelia in a kind voice.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 16, 2003)

Amelia looks up while swiping some strands of blond hair from her face. Slowly she puts down the candle she is holding and grabs somewhere in inside of her trousers and a few second later she's holding the card again. 

Carefully she wipes it clean again from imaginairy dust and takes a long look at it. After a few second she manages to tear her gaze away from the picture and looks over her shoulder towards Smith.

"I'd like to have it back after you finish doing whatever you want to do with it. Just please keep the picture in one part. It matters to me, alot."

And with those words the card slides over the cold marble floor towards Michael Smith. As it comes to a dead stop against one of his feet Amelia looks up again.

"I'd like to have some of that wiskey to clean Isaac's wound up. I know my stuff to take care of these things. So if you could give it to me after Yuri finishes with it. Please."


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion 

Isaac nods to Amelia's questions and answers them.

"Outside? We encountered the dog equivalent of our friend in the closet, and like Michael says, the wounds burn. He described it pretty well, miss," he tells her.

Every time the whiskey is mentioned Isaac's mouth gets a little dryer.

_God, I need something to dull the sharp edges of reality in here. Maybe when the whiskey comes over this way I could get a bit to drink._


----------



## mistergone (Apr 16, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion 

Yuri doesn't say anything. He uses the first aid kit and the booze to clean as many wounds as he can. After he's done with Michael, he nods, and moves on to Issac, ignoring Amelia for the most part. He seems slightly disconnected, as if concentrating intensely. Next the asian woman, then Amisha, then he calls Maria over, then finally Anders. He examines each woud as carefully as possible, trying to determine the level of damage and infection, while moving a quickly as possible. If he doesn't have enough light, he indicates for a torch to be brought over. As he treat's the Sargeant's wounds, he speaking in a low voice to him.

"Sarge, just about everyone's pretty torn up... but okay, for now. That isn't going to last. These wounds are not... natural. They've _got_ to be washed out thoroughly with water. We seriously need to avoid fiascos like those... dogs... and find some real gear. And get the Hell out of here. It's my professional opinion that we are beyond screwed if we don't get a handle on things _right f*icking now_. Or we're all gonna be like that thing Patel dragged out there. Unhappy."

When he's done, he looks around for the makeshift club and picks it up again.

"Someone give me a candle, and a couple of those matches. I'm done with this being in the dark sh*t." He's not smiling anymore.


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 16, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Front Entrance

Jac smiled triumphantly in the dark as her fingers grasp the marble shard in a tight grip.  With the cold hard thing in her hand, she felt just a little more empowered, just a bit more in control.  The shudden howling causes her jerk her face up so she can peer into the darkness.  Nothing but pitch blackness hemming her in on three sides came to her eyes.  Except... was that the reflection of the moonlight off another dog's eyes?  She wasn't about to wait around and find out.  Quickly straightening herself to her full height, she whirled and smoothly made a short run for the relative safety of inside at full speed, slamming the door behind her.

She was coming in so fast, she almost ran directly in the last person she wanted to talk to: the guy the rest of the grunts deferred to and called sargeant.  Only cat-like reflexes and experience allowed her to grab out for some other fixture and stop most of her momentum before she barrelled into him.

She stared silently at him for a while, eyes as dark as the night outside sizing him up.  He was big, strong... maybe ruggedly handsome if you went in for the military-chic look.  _Which of course, I don't,_ she reminded herself.  _But easy on the eyes is always better than put-a-bag-over-my-head, any day._  Her eyes roamed the length of him for a while, taking in the shape of his body and the way he carried himself.  They stopped on his wound... and at that point, she remembered that she had one that looked remarkably similar.

"Stupid dogs," she muttered as she stared right into his eyes, her own narrowing further as she waved her arm about to get the sting out of it.  She guestured with her head towards the doors she had just closed.  "There are more of them.  Outside.  We need to barricade it, or something."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 17, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion
December 31, 2002 18:30*

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Amelia Brogart*

From what you can see in the light, it looks as if Isaac's wound definitely had some type of acid on them.  And it made sense that it got there through the dog...thing's...bite.  But you know through your training that canine saliva is not acidic (its more neutral an alkaline-based)...and you can't figure out how it could get that terrible.

You do know that it needs to be rinsed clean in order to keep the acid from eating away Isaac's wound.  And you know that if the acid is an oxidizer, if its mixed with alcohol will explode.

*Maria Moreno*

The ID badge falls into your fingers, passed onto you by Michael.  It shows you the picture of a blonde woman resembling the one presently not too far away from you.  There's a different set of numbers in the right and left corners...and a magnetic datastripe on the back of the badge.

*Anders Carlson*

You stand there by the door, face to face with Jacqueline.  You can see the fear in her eyes and yet at the same time, the strength within her to survive.  In her hands she holds a sharp piece of marble.  There is blood all over her, from the cuts on her shoulder, the bite on her arm..she looks like bloody wreck.   In addition to that, your bite wound continues to burn.

*Yuri, Michael*

You realize that there are only 4 doses in that medical kit.  Only 4 will receive the help they need.  While you decide who gets the aid, you clean off their wounds as best you can while the people wince.  It isn't enough though, the bites are deep and need to be cleaned with water.

You're aware the alcohol when mixed with an oxidizer will explode.

*Amisha, Maria*

Suddenly you both hear something thump on the stairs but you can't even barely see the stairs in the darkness that even two burning torches fail to illuminate.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 17, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion 

"We've got incoming" Maria yells. She hands the badge and the torch to Michael, and drawing her tableleg. "The stairs!" 

Maria tries to identify what is coming down from the stairs, and if it's some kind of undead again.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 17, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Well, no rest for the slow and lazy,_ Amisha thinks, _Maybe God's feeling nice and decided to drop a cache of guns for us..._

She grins and takes up a flanking position left of the stairs, torch in hand.   She's patient beyond belief but it's wearing thin and she's about to start giving her own orders if people don't start getting their  in order.


----------



## Keia (Apr 17, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_



> You stand there by the door, face to face with Jacqueline.




Anders looked down over the woman and into the darkness as she closed the doors.  Unable to think clearly, Anders had difficulty coming up with something to say.  He drank in her presence, absorbing it all.

"Miss, . . . you look like sh-t," he said quietly with a half-grin, "Why don't you have my medic look at those wounds and see what he can do.  Not much to barricade them with, think you can lock them - that'll have to do."

Anders moved over to Yuri to get a quiet update.



> "Sarge, just about everyone's pretty torn up... but okay, for now. That isn't going to last. These wounds are not... natural. They've got to be washed out thoroughly with water. We seriously need to avoid fiascos like those... dogs... and find some real gear. And get the Hell out of here.




"Yuri," Anders said, stepping into Yuri's personal space and using his first name, "That _fiasco_ was for the express purpose of getting us the fu-- out of here.  Someone or something is operating one step ahead of us.  We didn't even get to check if the frelling car could be hot wired and started before it hit.  I'll see to finding us a bathroom or a washroom - there's got to be one out one of these doors.  You get us up and running again.  I need you to come through for us here, understand?"

Yuri's answer was torn away by Maria's call of possible trouble.  Anders looked to Yuri and said with a grin, "BOHICA, huh? Bend Over, Here It Comes Again.  Work on getting us up and running."

Anders then got a solid grip on his table leg and hustled to the stairs.  He started up the stairs, peering into the darkness using the light of the torch to see what was coming.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 17, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael had followed the Corporal during his round of the wounded, aiding him wherever he could. He was glad to note that Borzakovsky had also decided that using the alcohol was not a good idea, considering that they were probably dealing with an acid. Still, the wounds needed to be cleaned, Michael could still feel his arm glowing and burning.

At the Borzakovsky's comment, Michael hands over his candle. A moment later, he gladly accepts Moreno's torch, but is a bit startled by her warning.

_Dear Lord, more of them... While we're still recovering from the last attack? Damn, someone must be watching us, if they can time it this well. My arm is killing me, how would the others feel. We have to make sure the acid is out before anything else. The others might hold off an attack for a moment while the Corporal and I think of something. --Clean it out with something, but what?_

Seeing the flame from the torch suddenly gives Michael an idea, he hustles over to Borzakovsky.

"Sir, I've got an idea. The bottle of Jack is pretty much the only source of clean liquid we have available now. We need that to clean the wounds, but the alcohol spoils it, since it doesn't mix with the acid all that well. How about we just burn the alcohol right out of it? Oxidizing alcohol leaves water and CO2; A little flame and a couple of second and we should be good to go."

While talking, Michael has already looked around the room, and formed a plan how to go about it. 

_We probably need about half of what's left in the bottle. That combined with the first aid kit should be enough to help everyone. The crystal vase over there, it would probably be big enough, and it would be a good container to do the burning. The murkey water is probably unusable, just throw it away. --Oh wait, I could pour it in one of the empty bottles of cleaning agent, there must be an empty one close by. You never know if we may have to use it some time later.
Okay, I think we're all set. --Just do a quick recap of burning liquor. Nothing can go wrong right, and most of the alcohol should be gone in a short while? I think so. Good..._

"I think half of what's left in the bottle would do, if we also use the supplies from the first aid kit. Can I proceed, Sir?"

Michael nervously looks up at the stairs, trying to see how much time they'll have left before they'll have to defend themselves from the next attack.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 18, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Michael Smith*

As your thoughts mull over the idea, you realize that there was a slight problem in your plan.  Heating up the alcohol requires boiling and distilling it.  If you just burned it, the match would either go out or turn the water into steam as the alcohol burned off.  If you boiled it without distilling, the water would just evaporate.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Taking the first aid kit with you, you work your way through your temporary patients.  You seem unable to help with Isaac or Jac's wounds as much as you wished...but your skill works wonders on Amisha and Michael's wounds.  The kit now lies in your hands completely spent.

*Maria Moreno*

Just as you reach the stairs, something squishes beneath your feet.  Your arms pinwheeling you fall backwards onto Anders.  Anger at your fall changes to something else as soon as you realize what you had stepped on.

*Amisha, Maria, Anders*

The three of you stare in horror, the light from the torch illuminating the disgusting tableau in ways you'd rather not contemplate.  A thick slab of flesh, distended and torn with Maria's footprint lying in a large pool of blood...perhaps three meters in diameter.   Definitely alot of blood...whoever...or whatever had given that much certainly had to be dead.  Even as you watch the pool, more of the crimson liquid drips onto the floor from above.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion


"Oh man, that's just grose!" Maria says while getting back on her feet again. "Where the hell did that come from?" She looks up the stairs, still keeping her weapon at high. 
"Anders... I have a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling if you know what I mean." she whispers softly so her voice wouldn't carry over to the rest a few feet behind them. "This thing really looks like some kind of sick horror movie, and a bad one if you ask me."

Maria takes a few steps up the stairs, but staying out of reach of whatever could be coming down the stairs, making the thumping sound. "Make sure everything down here is being watched by at least one of us. We're going up." Maria looks at Anders as if she wants to say _Come on, dont let fear take over, we're supposed to be an example to the rest_. "Okay with you Anders?"


----------



## Keia (Apr 18, 2003)

_*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders lifted Maria up by the shoulders and helped here regain her balance.  A light punch to the shoulder with a grin and a nod was an unspoken _'Back to you'_, meaning it was now her turn to catch/cover him.

"Borzakovsky, you're in charge down here.  No one goes alone - anywhere.  Check the doors for your water source, but don't stray too far.  We'll give a holler if we need help.  Smith, you're call on where you want to go.  Patel, Moreno, you're with me.  Let's hope this bloody mess is from the guy that took all our weapons." Anders finished.

Anders started climbing the stairs - mindful of the puddle of blood.  He paused at the edge of the light and waited for Maria and Amisha to catch up, then proceeded up the stairs with them. 

"We're looking for intel and resources up here, not another bloody fight, got it?"  Anders said to the to two with him. _'Course I 'm sure the creatures are going to respect our wishes._ he thought sarcastically.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 18, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"Corporal, Sir. On second thought, I don't think the trick with the whiskey would help, unless we've got more time and equipment. We'll waste too much water in heating it up, I think. We may have to find another way..."

Michael pondered a moment, thinking back of the things he and Maria found in the closet. _Could there be anything there containing a base, something to counteract the acid, or even something that could react to make something that would help?_

Michael's thoughts are interrupted by the Sergeant giving orders.

"Sir, I'd like to stay here and help the corporal. We'll work here to find something to fix these wounds, and call you as soon as we've found something."

After that, Michael turns back to Borzakovsky. "Well Sir, which door shall we try first -- one of the small ones?"


----------



## mistergone (Apr 18, 2003)

1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri sighs at the now empty first aid kit, and then chucks it into the also empty fireplace, just as Michael finishes his speil about the alchohol burning idea.

He mulls it over a moment, but before he can respond...



> "Borzakovsky, you're in charge down here. No one goes alone - anywhere. Check the doors for your water source, but don't stray too far. We'll give a holler if we need help. Smith, you're call on where you want to go. Patel, Moreno, you're with me. Let's hope this bloody mess is from the guy that took all our weapons."




_Up and running... running where? I gotta find more supplies... something..._ 

He tries not to look back at the slab of meat that Maria just stepped in, even though he does find it mildly amusing in a gallows humour kind of way. _Oops, by the way, don't step in the dead chunk of flesh over there._ Instead, he casts his gaze around once again, eyeing everyone still downstairs.

_ Okay... who's the problem child... hmmm..._ His gaze falls on the asian woman. _She seems tough, and she's the most likely to be up for it._



> "Well Sir, which door shall we try first -- one of the small ones?"





"Smith, hang here and watch their backs for a minute," he gestures to the three ascending the stairs, "cop guy... er... Issac? You look after blondie there and keep a lookout for trouble. Ma'am," he turns to the asian woman, "you come with me. I need to find water, or something, and I need to do it now. I think you understand that helping out would benefit us all right now."

With that, he lights his candle on Michael's torch and heads over to the right-hand door on the east wall. Pausing before it, he turns to see if the woman is following him, then focuses his attention on the door, looking to see if it is obviously locked or if there's anything extraordinary about it. Like a sign that says "Restroom".


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 19, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Michael Smith*

Your mind mulls over what was in the closet, but remember that cleaning fluids tend to be quite toxic to living things when introduced into the blood stream.  You know there has to be a bathroom somewhere - that is if the water's even running in this place.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your hand touches the doorknob, it turns easily in your hand but the metal feels quite cold.  The door looks quite solid and made of excellent mahogany.  There're no signs anywhere to tell you what lies beyond.

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*

*Anders, Maria, Amisha*

Your footsteps echo up the stairs, the soles of your shoes stained from the crimson liquid all over the floor.  Bit by bit the light illuminates the bottom part of the stairs, but you cannot see anything at the moment...until you three notice the arm hanging from the second floor but the rest of the body is hidden in darkness.  The arm looks quite fresh and continues to drip crimson blood down onto the first floor.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 19, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

_It's not very useful if its gonna sit around here doing nothing, I'll give it to Mr Medic._

"Hey Medic," Isaac calls, "Heads up."

When he has Yuri's attention he slides the shotgun across the floor to him.

"Two shells in it, pray you don't need 'em," he adds with a smile.

Isaac leans back and tries to think happy thoughts as the acid ruins his arm.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 19, 2003)

_1st Floor – 2nd Floor Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha halts, hearing the gun rattle across the floor.  In her haste to assemble the torch she had forgotten to take it from the old man.  And now there's another "corpse" at the top of the stairs just waiting for them to get close enough.  She thinks better of continuing with just her torch.  

"Sir," she says in a hushed tone, "permission to retrieve that firearm?  Fists are fun and all, sir, but I can take the stem off an apple at thirty yards...when I'm drunk.  And it's firing slugs, not shot, sir.  I could tell by the sound."


----------



## Keia (Apr 19, 2003)

_1st Floor – 2nd Floor Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

"Permission granted, Patel," Anders called out, "but give Moreno the torch before you leave.  Without goggles, the dark isn't nearly enough fun."

After the torch passed hands, Anders glanced at the arm before heading up the steps.  _Damn thing better not twitch . . . don't do it you frelling arm.  Wonder whose it is._


----------



## Velenne (Apr 19, 2003)

_1st Floor – 2nd Floor Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha's eyes light up for the first time since she awoke in this God-forsaken place.  She bounds back down the stairs two at a time and skids to a stop next to Yuri.  She bends down at the same time as him and they both put their hands on prized shotgun.  

"Sorry Doc, Sarge's orders.  He wants the firearm with us, " she says excitedly while wearing a rare grin.  

Still squating with her hand on the barrel, she looks over her shoulder at the Detective, "You got any extra slugs for this firecracker?"  She half turns and holds up her other hand as if expecting to catch them.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 19, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael can't help but smile at Amisha's overt joy over getting to pick up the shotgun. _So cold one moment, like a kid in a candy story the next. Reminds my of my li'l sis when she's excited like that._ His smile widens a bit at imagining the private in a store crammed full of shelves filled with sweets of every color thinkable.
"So, you're all set then? Isn't that thing a bit crude for your style?", he teases her. "Let me know if you happen to find a tool box up there. Heck, even a screwdriver would be _something_." He rolls his eyes, and looks a bit disappointed at not having any more to contribute to their team, without anything to work with...

_Well, I'd better get to doing something useful, while I'm stuck down here._

Michael makes a short survey of the room from where he stands, trying to decide on what to do. His eyes end on the blonde woman, and he walks over to her.

He speaks to her in a gentle and slightly soft voice, trying to open a conversation without startling her. "Miss, are you doing okay? Here is that card back again. I don't know what it did here, but I trust you'll keep it safe for now." He pulls the plastic card out of his pocket, looking at the picture on it before giving it back.
"Miss, the woman in the picture - she's your sister, right? Are you Amelia Brogart? I seem to remember a researcher by that name..."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 20, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Amisha Patel*

Nearly slipping on the crimson floor, you manage to catch yourself before you fall onto the bloody pool.  Your feet create long streaks of blood along the marble when you rush over to catch the gun before Yuri could.  The rifle feels heavy and the metal cold in your hands.

*Amisha, Yuri, Amelia, Isaac, Jacqueline, Mike*

Faint  howling echoes from the outside...sounding closer this time around than before.  As everyone's eyes travel to the door, you realize that the windows don't have bars on them.  Now with the curtains removed, the rectanglar windows seem more and more like deep abysses with your reflections peering out.

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*

*Anders Carlson*

Slowly you head up the stairs, your hear pounding in your throat with each step.  Maria seems hesitant, waiting with the torch at the bottom of the stairs.  Never-the-less you move forward as if a thin string lies between you and that all too human arm hanging off the railing.  The closer you come the more you can see.

A body, hanging over the railing, and redder than pool of blood below.  On one end just a stump where the head should have been.  The rest of the body filletted...long slabs of meat hanging off in strips.  White bone visible in the pink moist meat.

The smell strikes you strongly, reminding you of the Spanish butcher shop in the morning after a freshly slaughtered cow is hung on the hooks.  In fact, eeriely...that's what it the tableau reminds you of.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 20, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri meets Amisha's eyes for a breif moment as they both touch the cool metal of the weapon.

"All yours, sweets," but he doesn't smile anymore. Instead, his eyes fall to her tended but still burning wounds, and the smeared blood on her uniform. He frowns a little. "I don't know what I'd do with such a big gun, anyways."




> Faint howling echoes from the outside...sounding closer this time around than before.




_Sh*t... there's more of them out there... sounds like a lot more..._

"Change of plans. Everyone not going upstairs, come with me. Now!" He turns once again the the door and opens it wide. Thrusting the candle before him, he peers beyond the doorway. "Hustle, people. Double time!"

_Please please no monsters. Big money. No whammies._

Taking a breath, Yuri steps through the doorway.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 20, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac heaves himself onto his feet and makes for the newly opened door.

_Fun, fun, fun, more dogs, meaning more acid. I'll brave it in the next room._

As Isaac goes he tosses the three shotgun shells to Amisha.

"Don't lose it now, I spent a lot of money on that gun," he says with a smile, "Come along Miss Amelia, it appears this room is no longer safe."


----------



## Fanog (Apr 20, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael´s conversation with Amelia is interrupted by the sound from outside. He looks at the door and windows, and suddenly realizes the danger...

_More of them... Could they jump in, through the windows? --Well, they could bite while mauled and they continue to rip my arm apart even now, minutes after they dropped. So, yes they probably can. Damnit..._

Michael hollers up to Carlson: "Sergeant Sir, the windows! We may get company from more of those dogs pretty soon. Please watch your back."

_Five of us here. The medic, the techie, and three civilians, two of which are pretty wounded. We may be in for a _very_ tough ride, better be prepared..._ "Yes Sir, I've got rear!", Michael sharply responds to the corporal's commands.

He moves himself in between the window and the others, facing the dark outside. One arm is outstretched to his right and behind him, covering the three civilians between him and the corporal. The other hand holds the torch high, lighting his own reflection in the window. He bites his teeth together and flashes a determined look at the private outside, listening for the inevitable next howl.

_Well, here we go. --Was it wise to retreat back to the next room, where we might be split off from the others? What if those dogs go for the stairs and overrun those there? Well, I warned the Sergeant, the three of them should be able to take care of those dogs, and we´ve got the civilians to take care of. Maybe retreating for the moment is indeed a good idea. Let´s see if we get that far._

Michael slowly walks backwards to the door, making sure that all the others stay behind him. While walking, he tries to prepare himself for a hail of glass shards and a new assault to defend from.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 20, 2003)

_1st Floor – Entrance Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Having a gun again revitalizes Amisha.  She forgets her wounds and the fumbling way she handled the dog on the doorsteps.. 



> "I don't know what I'd do with such a big gun, anyways."




"Ya, I hear you have that problem...sweets," she says with a wink, standing and grabbing the ammunition out of the air simultaneously.   Taking care to avoid the bloody smear, she hustles back up the stairs to catch up with Sarge and Moreno as she pockets the three shells.


----------



## Keia (Apr 21, 2003)

_1st Floor – 2nd Floor Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

_How in the heck do you try and identify a body like that?  And what could do something like that to a person?_ Anders thought.  Eyes trying to pierce the gloom, Anders ascended the stairs to the side of corpse and looked around before examining the corpse more closely.  The ‘On the job’ detachment from emotions and feeling was threatening to become a full reality as each atrocity became worse than the last.  Anders needed his emotions, his ties to his team – his friends - to keep from ending up as many others in special forces.

_ Male, Female? Clothes, Shoes? Identifying markings?  How recent?_ Anders started simple to himself. Thinking back to when Maria almost searched the second floor – this could have been her.

“Moreno, this doesn’t look good up here – but bring the light anyway.” Anders called.  When she arrived, he poked it with the table leg, just to be certain it was dead.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 21, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*

*Michael, Amelia, Jacqueline*

As all of you stand there staring outside, the flame from the light making even shadows seem to dance and leap out at you.  The  howling grows lounder mixed in with more and more.  Whatever was out there seem to be getting more company.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Isaac, Yuri*

The light from Yuri's candle illuminates only half the room.  From what you both can see it was a beautiful room with couches and elegantly crafted endtables on one side, the right side with the large front windows and billowing curtains.  On your left side you can see the faint outlines of a large heavy armoire.  You think you see a two doors near the other end but you can't really tell unless you move deeper into the room.

Neither of you can hear anything other than your own breathing.

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*

*Amisha Patel*

As you hurry to catch up to your sargeant, the light from Maria's torch brings the whole gruesome scene into view and although you had not eaten anything, the sight made you want to retch.

*Anders, Maria*

The toe against the body makes a rather disgusting squishing sound.  From what you both can see with more light, whoever it had been died relatively quickly...at least you hope so.  It looks possibly male, but the amount of rending that went into the body makes it barely look even human anymore.  Flesh is everwhere, strewn about the floor like little plump pieces of pink confetti.

The smell of fresh blood invades your nostrils and rather oddly to your own disgust reminds you that none of you had eaten recently.

Beyond the body you can see the darkness of a hallway leading left and right.  In the stair well, nothing but paintings of idlyllic landscapes hangs on the walls...almost as if the whole house mocks your predicament.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 21, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

_Well, someone's gotta go first._

Isaac slowly walks into the room, analysing everything around him for signs of the living or dead being present.

"Lets hope we don't need my gun," he says to Yuri.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 21, 2003)

With a thump the door closes behind Yuri and Isaac, a bit startled by the sound in the silent and dark room they turn around and see Amelia leaning against it. Just looking over her shoulder while trying not to make too much noise as she closes it.

"Well I'm not staying in there alone... I'm comming with you Isaac if you don't mind. And I would't mind being with you as well Yuri, heh."

The facial expression of the young blonde is far from clear in the twilight of the room but her voice clearly gives away that she probably has one of those pretty smiles adorning her face.


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 21, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Not ready to tangle with the dogs and whatever else is out there, Jacqueline starts to follow after Yuri, and is a bit annoyed when the blonde woman closes the door behind her.  Annoyed, she twists the doorknob and shoulders it open, making sure that Michael gets through as well.

The softness of her voice hides most of her annoyance, but it has just a bit more of an edge than it should, otherwise.  "Hey don't start the party without us.  More than enough cake to go around."


----------



## mistergone (Apr 21, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri watches to debacle at the door for only a moment. In the flickering candle light, his face looks pale and hollow. And grim.

"Everybody in, and make sure that door is secure behind us, Smith." he moves into the center of the room and holds the candle a little higher and casts his gaze around. "Stay away from those windows, whatever you do, that goes for everyone. Keep your eyes open, and be on the lookout for anything that might help us out here."

_Great... more windows... hope those things don't have as good of senses as regular dogs... maybe the corpse outside will keep them occupied after all... maybe I'll sprout wings and fly out of here..._

He moves over to the armoire and holds the light near it, looking to see how it opens. _Any chance this is a really fancy gun cabinet? Please? Or how about a big medicine cabinet? Anything but packed full of monsters._ He almost smiles at his own inner pleading.

"We're not stayin' here long, so make a quick search and then be ready to move out. You got that door secured Smith?"

He then tried to open the armoire.


----------



## Keia (Apr 21, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"What could . . . " Anders started then stopped.  _I don't really what to know._

"So I'm guessing it's a male, no clothes, no markings, no gear.  Freshly dead," Anders finished, his heart rate steadily accelerating.  "Anyone see anything more, maybe bloody tracks of what did this?"

Anders turned to Maria, "There may be others up here - my gut says the left hallway. We hit the doors looking for anyone else alive, or our possessions.  Quick searches room by room . . ." he looked to his bloody arm " . . . water is a priority.  We find trouble - we fall back to the rest of the team with all haste.  Deal with it together."

"Issues?"


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 21, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Holding her torch high, so the light spreads around the room, Maria takes a fast look at it. 

"Anders," she starts, "this guy is fresh, and I'm not seeing anything that just did this to this... guy. Watch out for possible boobytraps..." 

Maria kneels down at the body, trying to see if he has any bite-marks on him, or her, or whatever it was. She tries to see if the clothes they are wearing are almost the same as this person wore before he died. _Damn this is gore new style... I really hope this isn't one of us._. 

"I don't know if the rest of the team heard you, but I'm cool with it. Maria tries to locate any blood on the floor, on the walls, even on the ceiling while speaking. "Whatever did this, it can't be far. Be prepared."


----------



## Fanog (Apr 21, 2003)

*1st Floor – Entrance Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael takes a quick look behind him to see if both of the women have left the hall.

_Ah good, the blonde is heading for the door at least. She's been through the ringer here, I'd aklready hoped she would recover enough to hold her own. Hey, what the heck?! She can't be serious... Did she just close the door with us still here?_

Michael sees the raven-haired woman follow close behind Amelia. He stops worrying about the door and follows her, still facing the window and counting on her to open the door again.

Keeping his attention to the hall before him, Michael inches back toward the door, still prepared for a window breaking. As he stand in the middle of the door frame, he holds. He turns his head to take a quick peak into the room behind him, lit by the corporal's candle.

_Seems safe enough...
Damnit, I don't like splitting off where we don't know how the others are doing. No way of keeping contact or knowing if they would require assistance. I guess there's no other option if we want to find anything in this house, but I _really_ don't like this._

"Yes Sir, we're all here now. I've got the exit covered. Sorry it took me some time, it seems _someone here_ closed the door on us." Michael does't look at Amelia, he's still staring in the hall. However, he suspects thatr hse had something to do with it and makes sure that the tone of his voice will let her and the corporal know how dismayed he was by the incident.

Michael makes a last review of the hall. He also looks up to the balcony, thinking about the rest of their team, and how they would be doing. He hesitates one last moment, and then takes a last step back, closing the door now before him.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 22, 2003)

_2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha gladly listens to the Sarge give out orders.  _Finally, we're getting somewhere._  She gives a quick inspection of her firearm and checks off the safety.  Assuming a Raid Stance, she'll back up the pair of officers and keep eyes-and-ears open on the fire team's backs, tops, and sides.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 22, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Isaac, Yuri, Michael, Amelia, Jacqueline*

The room appeared silent, the only signs of life being the five of you.  A layer of dust covers everyone, even the pretty lace covers on the elegant sofa near the window.

Everything looks like a normal sitting room, with pretty sofas and rather uninteresting paintings.  A blanket lay draped over one corner of the sofa, some lacey pillows on its corners.  One of the small end tables had an unlit candelabra and the other a small sculpture resembling a replica of an ancient chinese solider.

All of you can still hear the howling from outside though.

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your well-trained eyes notice two more doors in the opposite corner of the room.  On one of the end tables you notice the sculpture looks as if it has been moved recently.  One of the doors, the one directly across from the one you entered had a odd sort of moist smell to it.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your eyes pass over the armoire.  Large and intimidating, it stands almost to the ceiling with one large wooden door.  You hear some creaking noise inside...maybe a little scratching.

The handle feels cold in your hands, but the door doesn't give way.  It appears to be locked.

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*

*Anders, Maria, Amisha*

The whole stair hall stinks of freshly slaugtered meat.

*Amisha Patel*

You wait patiently if a bit nervously.  All your years of service you had never seen anything like this...even remotely this gruesome.  While the others checked the stair hall, you sit there watching their back and hoping you don't hear a noise anywhere.  Your eyes do spy a half-full beretta clip in the corner of the room near the opening into the hallway.

*Maria Moreno*

As you probe the headless corpse you notice a few things about it that bother you.  The damage looked like claw marks...really large sharp claws.  The corpse looked as if it had been disembowled and queasily you realize that the intestines were no were to be seen.  The shreds left of the clothes tell you only the corpse wasn't one of your own platoon.

*Anders Carlson*

Your eyes pass over the walls more closely and then you notice something that gives you a sharp uneasy feeling in your gut.  There's no trail running from the body that you can see...it is as if the body had just imploded on its own...that is until you notice something on the ceiling.  Splatters of blood and in the splatters, the outline of a paws and gouge marks in the ceiling where whatever it was had held on.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 22, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Reception Room

_I better keep everyone informed of my findings, we've no choice but to work together._

"That door, there's a moist smell coming from it," he says, then walks over to the statue on the table, "This statue was moved recently."

Isaac takes a closer look at the statue and the desk, checking in particular if anything was hidden under the statue.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 22, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Maria tries to inhale, but almost has to puke because of the gruesome stench coming from the body. _Ugh..._ she thinks while putting her hand before her mouth. 
"Anders, I'm confused, how did this... guy... get here?" She takes another fast look around the body, searching for bloodmarks. "This thing has been eaten, torn up, lost it's head and you're gonna tell me it walked here?" Maria gets up from her kneeled position. "At least it isn't one of ours, the clothes, or what's left of them, dont match." 

"So..." Maria starts, looking at Anders and Amisha. "Keep searching where he came from, or forget it for now?"


----------



## Keia (Apr 22, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Anders stared up at the ceiling, illuminated by the torch held high.  _Whatever did this can walk on the ceiling . . . Great, just great,_ Anders thought.

"Ladies, don't forget we're dealing in three dimensions here.  There's some proof that whatever killed this man, did so while hanging from the ceiling," Anders stated.  "Patel, save those slugs for whatever did that . . . somehow I don't think table legs will do the trick."



> "So..." Maria starts, looking at Anders and Amisha. "Keep searching where he came from, or forget it for now?"




"We keep moving," Anders replied, noting there were no civilians present, "I want some f-ing answers, I want my damn equipment, and I want to know who the f- set us up.  This isn't the layout of the mansion we were given, and that means either something was up from the beginning or someone took us all out, we don't remember it and put us in some experiment.  I'm sure as h-ll not going to be a rat nor is any member of my team." 

"Patel, you've got our backs.  Moreno, cover me.  Tight formation, eyes and ears open.  Let's move, " Anders finished.  Anders moved to the first door on the left, listening and waiting for the others to get into position. _Please let it be a bathroom.  That's where mine is in my house.  'Upstairs, first door on the left.'  Come on, be there . . . _


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 22, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Reception Room

Jacqueline moved through the room sinuously, running a finger along some of the furniture and examining the dusty trail she created with disdain.  In the back of her mind, she thought about how strange it was that the first thing that entered her mind was how dirty the place was.  _Zombies to the left of me, corpse to the right of me, and I'm still riled up by a little dust,_ she sighed inwardly.

She moved to the candelbra and picked it up, turning to man with the candle.  "Maybe we could get a little more light in here?" she suggests, peering into the darkness as she says so.  She glances at the statue and then the candlebra in turn, trying to determine if either of them can be used as a more efficient weapon than the marble shard.

Absently she scratched at her wound.  The burning had been incessant for the last little while that her mind had pushed it to the back of her mind, so that it was nothing more than a dull, writhing pain.  Still itched like hell, though.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 22, 2003)

_2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

"Sarge," Amisha whispers for all the good it likely does.  She's used to being quiet, though likely everyone within a mile knew they were there now, "that look like a clip to a Baretta 9-millimeter to you?  Over there in the corner?"


----------



## Fanog (Apr 22, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

After having taken a moment to get his bearing in this new room, Michael moves away fromt he door to help investigate. As he walks through the room, his torch sheds light on the raven-haired woman.

_God, my arm hurts. How must she feel, wounded like that? --We have to get some water fast. We can't waste any more time. Better spread ourselves out in the room to search it as soon as possible._

Michael walks over to the door that the older man had indicated as moist, in a hurries pace. He's too cautious to open the door yet, but he takes some time to examine it  and the surrounding space.

_Moist. That indicates water somewhere... This might be what we need._


----------



## mistergone (Apr 22, 2003)

1st Floor – Reception Room
Clairemont Mansion

"Damn, it's locked." Yuri resists the urge to pound his fist against the armoire in frustration. Instead, he lays his hand on teh door, and leans his head slightly closer. "What the Hell? I think I hear something in there..."



> "That door, there's a moist smell coming from it," he says, then walks over to the statue on the table, "This statue was moved recently."




Yuri turns and looks around. "Allright let's not waste time. Check out that door, Smith, but be careful, lotta things can cause a thing to be 'moist'."



> "Maybe we could get a little more light in here?"




"Yeah, good idea. Does anyone have some of those matches, or is this candle and the torch it?" he moves over to the woman and examines the candleabra to see if it has candles on it already. He can't help but notice the woman scratch at her wound. "Hey, how does that feel? It probably burns... I'm not gonna be your mom and tell you not to pick at it... but, don't pick at it." His smile is only slightly noticeable.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 24, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*

*Maria Moreno*

Again you peer at the body, but it looks well..._eaten_...the words just pop into your mind.  Blood is everywhere that you can see...its a pretty bloody corpse.  Though you do notice something odd.  The man's shoes are exceptionally clean, no dirt whatsoever, no scuff marks aside from the odd speckle of blood.  Wherever he came from, he hadn't been outside since he wore the shoes.  

There's alot of pieces of tough white blue cotton fabric around with odd metallic lines that criss-cross...but you don't know what it means other than the corpse must have been wearing something made out of that.

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*

*Anders Carlson*

You do notice the clip by the wall, but you move into the darkness of the hallway with only the faint light from Amisha's torch a distance behind you.  The hallway is pitch dark and you can't see a thing as you inch slowly left.  The railing is to your left, to you right is a door.  A few paintings hang on the wall, more of landscapes.

A noise catches your ear but you can't tell where its coming from, only that you thought you heard something there in the hallway.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Jacqueline, Yuri, Michael, Amelia, Isaac*

The howling is sounding closer now....

*Jaqueline Nguyen*

Your wound continues to burn painfully, and your chewed up shoulder isn't exactly mellow either.  The heavy silver candelabra feels quite solid in your hands with enough room for three candles on each of its prongs but it doesn't have candles.  

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

You don't see any candles in the candelabra but you do notice now that you're closer to her, that the raven-haired woman's shoulder where the creature had bit her doesn't look very healthy at all.  In fact, its starting to have an strange smell to it.

*Isaac Goldstein*

The statue looks pretty expensive and authentic...well at least from what you can tell, but since you know squat about art, you could be wrong.  It feels heavy in your hands.  The base is shaped like a six-sided polygon  with some type of hieroglyphs look written along the inside of it.

*Michael Smith*

You kneel by the door to try and peer underneath.  Its dark in there and you can't see anything.  Nothing looks wet  to you so far, but you catch a whiff of something nasty smelling along with the strong scent of chlorinated water.


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 24, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Jacqueline tries to smile back, but the throbbing in her arm spoils the grin and warps it into more of a grimace.  "No picking, yeah, I know," she replies.  "It just feels like someone poured hydrochloric acid into my veins.  I'm thinking my root canal was more enjoyable than this."  She looks back to the door they just came through.  "Even with the zombies."  Absently she reaches to scratch her wound, catches herself, and stops.  Placing both hands on the solid object in her hands, she took a deep breath.

Looking dejectedly at the empty candlebra in her hands, she sighs.  "Well, all we need now are some candles.  And it sounds like we may have some trouble coming up behind us soon.  Anyway to lock that door?"  As she says this, she moves to ensure that the way they came is blocked off, at the very least.  "If it doesn't have a lock, we may have to push something heavy in the way... like that armoire."


----------



## Fanog (Apr 24, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

"Sir, I think I smell some chlorinated water coming from beyond this door, but I'm afraid it isn't a swimming pool. Something nasty-smelling up there." Michael's voice is neither sarcastic nor cheerful, just flat.

_Damnit, this entire house just smells _wrong_, attacks coming from everywhere. How did we get cought up in this?_

Hearing the conversation behind him, Michael adds his own thoughts. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea. They might also come in through these windows here. In that case, the door might be our only way out. We don't know where the other ones lead yet, they might all be dead ends."

_The other door... Let's see._

Michael takes a few paces to the other door leading out of the room, and examines that one too, as best as he can.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 24, 2003)

_2nd Floor – Stair Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha trails a few steps behind Sargeant Carlson as ordered, keeping an eye out for threats and a possible trap.


----------



## Keia (Apr 24, 2003)

_*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders moved to the first door on the left in the west hall.  He waited at the door until Moreno and Patel were in position.  While he waited he listened at the door and kept alert, glancing in down the hall and on the ceiling.

When they were positioned, Anders turned to make eye contact with them.  He motioned *Three, two, one* on his fingers, while directing who had what sector within the room.  He turned the handle as quietly as he could and pushed the door open, peering inside.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 24, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*
Clairemont Mansion


Doing as Anders ordered, Maria follows him, torch lift up high, looking around her, but never losing eyecontact with the sarge. When arriving at the door, she takes up her tableleg and swings it around once. 

When Anders starts his countdown, Maria gets a shiver, running from the top of her neck all the way down, through her spine, making her shake softly. _Oh, I hate these situations... Normally, I wouldn't care...  but noone seems to be theirselves since we got here... and nothing seems to be normal. This starts to look more and more like some kind of sick horrormovie than anything else._ Seeing how Anders has reached 0, Maria tries to take a glimps of whatever is in the room.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 25, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Jacqueline, Yuri, Michael, Amelia, Isaac*

The howling sounds as if its whispering in your ear.

*Isaac, Ameila*

Your eyes spot something outside the window, low shapes moving around behind the curtains, but you can't tell exactly what it is...its just too dark.

*Jaqueline Nguyen*

Your hands touch the knob, but there's no lock that you can see and it turns easily in your hand.  Anyone can get in from the Entrance Hall as long as they could work the door.

*Michael Smith*

Crawling down onto his knees, you peer underneath but its dark.  No water smells, some musty wood smells, but nothing more than that.

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*

*Maria Moreno*

The torch in your hands illuminate the hallway as you move inwards to stand near Anders.  Intent on the room, you didn't notice anything until you hear Amisha gasp.  From what you can make out from the doorway, it looked like a bedroom...a very blue bedroom.

*Anders Carlson*

Your hand touches the doorknob, concentration intent on turning it, but the sound of Amisha's gasp takes your attention just as you push the door open into the dark room and see nothing but blue...blue carpet, blue walls, blue ceiling and the hints of a blue bed...but much of the room is in shadow.

*Amisha Patel*

You move along side your sergeant, the darkness to one side.  Your eyes dart into the darkness of the corridor beyond.  Noise...some kind of scratching noise...echoing down there.  Your heart pounds as you continue to stare and a sound escapes your lips as Maria's torch brings something horrible into view.

Horrible...just horrible...about as wide as the hallway with a huge bulbous furry body and long thick legs with hairs as wide as your fingers.  The many black eyes stare at you, mesmerizing you in your shock.  But that shock wears off when you feel a sharp pain digging into your shoulder, its breath wet and horrid on your face.  You nearly faint from pain and the terrible feeling of something alien being injected into your body.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 25, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

"Allright Smith, pick a door and let's keep moving. Your choice, but make it quick." Yuri casts another gaze around the room. "Everybody get ready to move. I don't like it here. Grab whatever you think is useful."

_Door number one... or door number two? Of course, there's always what's in the box..._

"Wait, is anyone good with locks? This thing is locked," he nods to the armoire, "but there might be something useful in there. Or, there might be something unspeakably bad in there... I thought I heard something, but I'm hearing a lot of things lately."


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 25, 2003)

Stumbling back against the wall Amelia looks at Yuri...

"I'm all for getting out of here as fast as we can and away from the outside of the house. We can come back later since these things seem to need some time to track us down but for now lets get the hell out of here! The windows aren't barred and glass and some pain aren't going to stop these... things or whatever they are. If pain is known to them at all."

She hustles quickly over to first examined door, grabs the doorknob and looks over her shoulder at the rest.

"Come on, time is not on our side here. We can always come back later... and with a plan. And the moisture was on the other side of this door. We might have to fight for it but... looking and hrmz.. smelling at everyone's wounds here... we don't have a choise. We need to get them cleaned. Agreed Yuri? So let's move!"


----------



## Fanog (Apr 25, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

"Sir, I could probably fiddle around with the lock if I had something sharp to work with, but it would take some time. I think you're right and that we should keep moving. That first door seems promising..."

Michael takes a few steps back to the previous door and looks at Amelia.

"Miss, please try to stay calm. I know we're in a pretty bad position, but right now there's really nothing we can do about it. We _should_ keep moving, but we shouldn't do anything rash. What's before us may well be as bad as what's behind. Please, try to keep cool..."

Michael makes ready to move in front of the door, where Miss Brogart is currently standing. 
"Please Miss, if you will allow me. If indeed we have to fight our way in, this might not be that best spot for, someone such as yourself, to be in."

_She's right though. We shouldn't waste too much time. Better let everyone in position, get this coordinated. Corporal seems to have left the details to me..._

"Okay Corporal, let's do this. Will you cover me? I'll take left, you take right."
"Euhm, mister," Michael says, hoping to get goldStein's attention, "will you keep an eye on the window and the door leading to the hall? I think you know the drill."

"Everyone ready?" _Here we go..._


----------



## Keia (Apr 25, 2003)

_*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders turned the doorknob, the metal cool to his touch.  As he pushed the door open, he heard the gasp from Amish.  Anders knew that his first responsiblity was to ensure no threat was coming from the room, before turning to see what Amish was surprised about.  

_Whoa, . . . blue,_ Anders thought as he scanned the room for threats. _'I'm blue da-ba-da-be-da-ba-do' . . . stupid song in my head now.  Have to be careful, this could more than it seems. Now what . . ._

There weren't any words . . . 

Anders had seen large spiders on his tours of duty - missions to South America, the Amazon, and other undisturbed locales.  But this thing, this spider was huge.  _How in the h-ll did we miss that thing,_ Anders thought.


----------



## Velenne (Apr 25, 2003)

_2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West
Clairemont Mansion

*WHAT THE F*CK IS THAT!?  WHAT THE F*CK IS GOING ON GODDAMMIT!?*_

Finally, Amisha's ready to lose it.  Zombies, undead dogs, and now a spider the size of a Voltzwagon.  The rest of it she could handle.  It was tough, but her soldier training had made her hard.  This was too much.  

Screaming, she plants a foot next to the spider's head, shoves the shotgun between its mandibles, and unleashes with both barrels.  

"AAAAAHHHH! THIS HOUSE IS REALLY STARTING TO PISS ME OFF!"


----------



## mistergone (Apr 25, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion



Yuri moves to the right of the door and just sort of... stands there, unsure how to ready himself.

_Man I wish I was with the rest of the team. Well, I wish I was with Amisha... and Maria. Hell, I may get the cold shoulder from them both but anything is better than the drama queen and madame mysteriouso here... Oh God, keep focused... now is not the time to pine for women... Pine for a gun, yeah... Okay, okay. Let's just get on with this..._

"I agree, miss. But let Smith here lead off. I'll go through next, everyone else hustle afterwards, but stay alert and be ready to run back in here if there's trouble." _Like there's not trouble everywhere._ Yuri nods to Smith to open the door.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 25, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*
Clairemont Mansion


Maria looks over her shoulder, still a bit confused by all the blue she just saw in the other room. Amisha's scream, combined with the giant spiderlike monster impact on her mind. Maria shakes her head, trying to get things straight in there, but the spider is still fully in vision. _F*ck it, it's real!_

Torch in one hand, tableleg in the other, Maria rushes to aid Amisha. "Hold on Patel, here comes the cavalry!" she screams while running up to the spider, smacking it on head. Instantly, she thinks gets a flashback.

_Hot. Sun. Burning. The trees are a small source for shadows, but the temperature is still enough to make any man or woman sweat like there is no tomorrow. Maria is there, as is Anders, but both a lot younger. 
Next image. Camp. Same forest. Moon up high in the sky. Temperature still high. Couple of torches and MacLights burning. 
Spiders. All over the place. Crew trying to beat em down. No luck. Some man, an old officer maybe? Maria doesn't recognise him. Takes up a torch. Lighting the spiders. 
Next scene. Camp. Little coaled bodies of spiders everywhere._

Maria doesnt hesitate. She smashes the torch against the spider's head, and as hard as possible. "Try this, f*cker!"


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 25, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Jacqueline rolls her eyes at the speech from blondie.  _Yeah, we should just throw caution to the wind and open as many doors as we can,_ was the sarcastic thought that rose to the surface of her thoughts, among many.  She already knew the price for not being prepared, and the thought caused her gaze to fall to her chewed shoulder.  _Bleh, I'll never eat hamburger again,_ she told herself distastefully.

On the other hand, these military guys seemed ready to rush ahead too - with a minimal amount of firepower, she noted - and she wasn't about to stay in this room by herself.  Instead, she got behind Yuri and prepared to face whatever lay beyond the door, candelbra at the ready.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 26, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*


*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*

*Amisha Patel*

The pain is horrible and you feel yourself weakening quickly.  With the last bit of your strength, you thrust your foot against it, scream and fire while the thing sinks its fangs into over and over again.  It shakes and shudders, the yellow pus oozing from it smells horrible and inflames your nostrils.

*Maria, Anders*

The thing shudders and falls still, but its fangs remain buried in Amisha's shoulder, the wound oozing both copious amounts of blood and a sticky yellow substance which smelled awful.  Amisha's face is looking quite pale.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Jacqueline, Yuri, Michael, Amelia, Isaac*

A woman's shrill scream echoes from upstairs quickly followed by two shotgun blasts.  You can all hear the yelling and the screaming echoing through the doors...if quite muffled and faint.

*Isaac Goldstein*

Outside you can hear something moving around near the window, until the bloody snout of a dog presses against it and snarls at you.

*Ameila Brogart*

Your hand nearly trembles but the metal knob is cold.  Slowly you turn the knob and push the door open.  The first thing that hits you...the smell of something incredibly disgusting...mixed in with the strong scent of water and chlorine.

*Michael, Jaqueline, Yuri, Amelia*

The light from the candle illuminates only part of the bathroom, but its disgusting enough.  You see a sink in one corner, overflowing with water, a very dead looking man hunched over it.  His head is in the water, arms hanging along the side of the sink.  Next to him was an open bottle of cleaning fluid.


----------



## The Forsaken One (Apr 26, 2003)

"Taking no chances with this one. Not trusting any corpse with an intact upper spinal cord in or around this house."

With a slender swing Amelia's agility shows as she plants her foot in the upper spinal cord of the corpse.

"Seems like somone took his or her own life. Hrmz... seeing what haunts this place... Probably to prevent his death at the hands, fangs, claws, tentacles of whatever crawls around this mansion."


----------



## Fanog (Apr 26, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael hears the scream and instantly assumes, _knows_, that it comes from Amisha. He registers the door opening and the bathroom being behind it, but his attention is no longer there. Without thinking he darts across the room towards the door leading to the hall, his hand reaching towards the door to open it. As he does so, he seems to catch himself for a moment. He jerks his head back, making eye contact with the Corporal.

"They're in trouble! We have to help them. Sir?"

The question is pleading, the urgency is thick in his voice. Michael's mind is already with the others up on the second floor, but his hand is still on the doorknob. He impatiently awaits the Corporal's answer, opening the door and sprinting up the stairs at the first sign that the Corporal is okay with that.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 27, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

_Smart, but no common sense. I can't stop him, he's too impulsive, and he'll go nuts if I make him stay here._

"Go," says Yuri, "but be careful, close the door behind you. Return as soon as possible with any news." _And kiss your ass goodbye, 'cause I have a bad feeling you go running off now, and you're not coming back alive._"Everyone one else stay put."

And with that, Yuri steps into the bathroom.

"Oh, what the Hell blondie? Christ, I knew you were crazy, but I didn't know you were homocidal too..." However, Yuri readies the club to whack the thing if it starts to groan and move.


----------



## Keia (Apr 27, 2003)

_2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West
Clairemont Mansion_



> "AAAAAHHHH! THIS HOUSE IS REALLY STARTING TO PISS ME OFF!"




Anders watched almost in slow motion as the creature bite into Amisha as she blew the life right out of it.  

Anders pulled the door to the blue room closed as he moved over to Amisha.  Looking at the pale form with the wounds and the awful smell, Anders knew this was something beyond his capability to deal with.  But, he did know a few details on how to deal with someone who was poisoned.

"Easy, Patel.  You kicked the crap out of that thing," Anders said as he approached Patel.  "Now I'm going to carry you down to see Borzakovsky - he should have something it that kit to help with poison."

Knowing that any activity on her part could accelerate the flow of the posion through her system, Anders gently lifted Patel into his arms.  He turned to Maria, "Lead the way down, Moreno.  I'm right behind you."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 28, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*

*Maria Moreno*

The torch flickered while your adrenaline struggles to calm down from that horrible fright, yet what you can see of Amisha pale face makes your worry increase.

*Amisha Patel*

You feel even weaker now, the gun slipping from your hands as you collapse against the warm body of Anders behind you.  Your breath labored just from breathing alone and you feel incredibly tired...weak....

*Anders Carlson*

Catching Amisha before she falls, you try to extract the fangs, but you can't do that and hold Amisha at the same time.  The stink from the yellow goo nearly makes you want to pass out as well.  Her face is terribly pale and she looks as if she would pass out at any moment.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Isaac Goldstein*

More of them...many of them out there and they were sniffing at the windows, black eyes gleaming through the windows, candle light dancing over their flitting shadows.

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

The smell made you nauseous, but you stayed outside, watching the other two enter.  Suddenly you hear noise, a cracking sound and a moan.

*Michael Smith*

Your hand turns the knob and the door opens to reveal nothing but the darkness of the Entrance Hall.  Just as you step through you can hear talking from the second floor and then a thud behind you.

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

The smell was incredible as you stepped inside, slipping a little in the water that spilled over the floor.   You can see a small wall cabinent over the sink, a toilet filled with water and a listless wall painting.  The room looked very ladylike with pretty decorations, even a powder table near the window with an antique chair.

You notice that the guy was dressed in civilian clothes and as you move around him, that's when you noticed that he had a nasty bite on one arm...a nasty human bite.

*Ameila Brogart*

Stepping into the room, you slide a little in the water but grip the door frame to hold your balance as you swing your leg into the corpse lying on the ground.  Your kick slams into the back of the corpse and you hear a sickening crunch as the spinal cord snaps.  The body crumbles, bouncing off the sink and falling back toward you.

That was when you heard it moan, sending a trickle of fear up your own spine as the corpse falls against you, smelling of death and chlorine.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 28, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st floor - Ladie's Room

Yuri's eyes go wide at the sound the "corpse" makes after Amelia kicks it and it slumps backwards into her. With a shout, Yuri brings the makeshift table leg club he's been carrying down onto the monster's head.

A dozen thoughts race through his head all at once. _Guy get's bit on arm... guy drowns in sink... guy is not dead... guy is not alive... guy tried to kill himself? Why... why... Thinking... thinking... make sure it's dead... first... Oh no..._


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 28, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac cradles his arm and quietly ushers those in the room into the ladies room. He keeps a hold of the heavy statue, seeing if he can get a good enough grip on it to use it as a weapon.

"Dogs at the windows," he whispers to them and guides them into the bathroom, "If we hide in there for long enough they'll probably lose interest and leave."

He cringes with each blast of the shotgun, sighing upon realisation that the others found trouble.

_I hope they're alright. I hope we'll be alright._


----------



## Keia (Apr 28, 2003)

_*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*
Clairemont Mansion_

"Moreno!" Anders barked in his best military voice, trying to snap Maria out of her funk.  He continued calmly, more understanding,  "You need to pull the fangs of this thing out of Patel.  I can't do both and we need to get her to Yuri ASAP.  We've gotta move, Maria.  Now."

_What is that stuff?_ Anders thought.  _Maybe some kind of paralyzing agent . . . whatever it is, I hope there's enough their for Yuri to figure it out.  Otherwise, I'm thinking of snapping this thing's head off and bringing it with us._


----------



## Fanog (Apr 28, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael takes a quick look back at the thud, but he can still hear the earlier woman's scream in his mind. He quickly pushes the door shut behind him and rushes for the stairs. The torch he keeps low to the ground, so he can see where he is moving in the dark.

_Oh my god, the blood... This was already here, right? It was, was it? It can't be from one of them, it can't. No, it was here already, I can still hear them upstairs. Hurry!_

Taking two steps at the time, Michael flies up the stairs. He stops dead in his tracks at seeing the mangled body, thinking for a moment that it is one of the soldier's he saw only moments ago. Michael's stomach is up in his throat and pushing even further, the fear and stench nearly paralyse him.

_No, no, it can't be... Please, no. I just saw them, nothing could do this to someone so fast. It can't, can't... Please no._



			
				Keia said:
			
		

> *"Moreno!"*



_The Sergeant! He's still alive. He wouldn't let anything happen to someone on his team. They have to be okay, they must be._

"Sergeant, Sir!", Michael calls to where he heard Carlson's voice coming from, breathing hard from his sprint and the fear. "I heard the shots and came as soon as I could. I'll be right there."


----------



## Gurdjieff (Apr 28, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*
Clairemont Mansion


It seemed like one second, but they were at least thirty times that amount. Maria stood still like a statue, her torch ready to strike the spider, but it being dead just a few inches in front of her. Anders' cry for help took her back out of this state of shock and realizes what she had to do. 

She tucks away her tableleg, as it seemed to be a trustworthy friend in these horrible times. She hands over the torch to Anders, then carefully pulls out the fangs, making sure she doesnt stab herself with the sharp things in the mean time. 

For a little while, Maria didn't feel like talking much. But now, it seemed like she needed to get a little bit out of her head.

"Anders," she starts. "I think we're doing something very wrong here. How the Hell could we have missed this thing while scouting and letting Patel here get injured like this? We're totally forgetting tactics, strategy and it seems we're f*cking up our tasks that we do quite well. Now you want us to rush back through the entrance hall, not knowing if anything has changed down there, hoping to catch up with the rest? F*ck this Anders, I tought you would know better! Patel is probably too injured to be moved around anyway. We'd better get Yuri up here, someway. This area seems to be quite easy to barricade against hostiles, so I'll stay with Patel, you get Yuri."

Maria looks at Anders, a bit angry, but still knowing her rank.

"Well that's how I feel, Sir."


----------



## Velenne (Apr 28, 2003)

_2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West
Clairemont Mansion

I can't feel my fingers...I can't feel my feet.......I hate spiders..._

Muscles stiff, throat tightening, bowels cramping, Amisha Patel questions her mortality as she gazes down at the spider.  She'd turn her head and look at the Sarge, or maybe say something, but it's all she can do to make herself keep taking breath.  The shotgun falls weakly from her fingers and she simply stays in Anders arms breathing raggedly.


----------



## Keia (Apr 28, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*
Clairemont Mansion



> We'd better get Yuri up here, someway. This area seems to be quite easy to barricade against hostiles, so I'll stay with Patel, you get Yuri."




Anders looked at Maria, calmly, carrying his wounded squad member in his arms made him feel like a rock - in many ways.  "Which is faster, Moreno. One person going to get the doctor, not knowing where he is and returning with him?  Or all of us going to Yuri and having him treat Patel as soon as we find him?"

"As for how the f**king thing got here, I have no idea.  We all looked, listened in all available accesses.  Even up." Anders smiled, knowing like Maria, that the guards never look up.  "Maybe we just put a torch to the mother and watch burn down from the seat of the car, then sort out the rumble.  I think that's a serious plan."

"Get the shotgun and let's get her to the medic.  Patel, just take it easy, we'll get ya up and kicking @ss in no time," Anders said lightly to Amisha.


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 28, 2003)

Jac hears the moan and becomes just a little more resolute, a little more grim.  She's starting to get tired of this little game, and just wants this whole thing to end.  Not waiting for Isaac to try herding her, she leaps forward into action, getting a solid two-handed grip on the candelbra in her hands. Trying to navigate the slippery floor of the room, she smoothly moves up beside the blonde woman.  Bracing herself as best she can to prevent sliding she swings for the monster's head, her intent to take it off the disgusting thing's shoulders.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 29, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*

*Maria Moreno*

Slowly you extract the fangs from Amisha, the popping sound as the long thick fangs slide right out.  The spider collapses as you shove its furry corpse aside.

*Amisha Patel*

You're too weak to even get enough breath to make a sound from the pain of the extraction, but the way your mouth openes and your eyes pinch together signals it to your friends.

*Anders Carlson*

She feels so weak in your arms as you pull her up to your chest.  Whatever it had been in that spider, it was working quickly into Amisha, peeling away her defenses in great swathes.  Then you hear Michaels voice calls your name and torchlight coming from the stairwell.

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*

*Michael Smith*

Your feet rush across the room, but you manage catch yourself as you slide into the bloody pool.  Your feet thud on the stairs, taking you up further until that flayed body greeted you.  Your mind though isn't on the body or the grotestque scene...but on the woman's scream you had heard earlier.  There is light to the left of you in what appears to be a hallway, but you can't see anyone at the moment.

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Isaac, Jacqueline*

Just as you both step into the room, weapons at the ready you see something neither of you wanted to see.  The dead thing pawing the blonde woman, mouth chewing into her, fingernails drawing droplets of crimson on her pale skin.

*Ameila Brogart*

The pain explodes along your bare leg as you feel teeth sink into your skin, fingernails raking along your leg.  The whole horror of the moment almost freezes you but you couldn't react, couldn't think.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

A candle in one hand, the other grasping the table leg you let out a yell of anger, frustration , fear...and slam it with a sickening crunch into the skull of the thing gnawing at Ameila.  

*Yuri, Ameilia, Jacqueline, Isaac*

There is just enough light for you to see pink matter fly in all directions as the brain caves in, blood splattering on all of you before the feeble light  from the candle gives way and plunges the entire room into darkness.


----------



## mistergone (Apr 29, 2003)

Clairemont Mansion
1st floor - Ladie's Room

"F*CK!" Yuri exclaims as the darkness swallows the room. "Nobody move! Wait! Is it dead? F*ck! Feel for the lights, maybe they work in here. Do NOT let that thing bite you! Is it dead?!?! Who had those f*cking matches?" He takes a couple cautious steps backwards, senses straining to hear anything that might indicate what was going on in the room.

_ Damn. This is bad. We're dead in the dark. And I'm pretty sure that thing was chomping on blondie. And I'm pretty sure I think I know that that is REALLY bad._

"Smith better get right the f*ck back here. I freakin' swear..." the rest of Yuri's speech devolves int osome pretty elaborate profane curses, not all of them in english.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Apr 29, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion
1st floor - Ladies' Room*

Isaac tightens his grip on the statue, and feels the wall next to him for a light switch.

"Come on!" he mutters angrily.

_I know the power was cut, but maybe if I will it to happen hard enough the power will come on... HA! Fck that!_

Isaac moves to where he remembered the zombie to be last and grasps the statue in both hands as he brings it down onto its (hopefully) prone form.


----------



## Keia (Apr 29, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Gallery Hall West*_
Clairemont Mansion_

"Smith.  Stay put, we're coming to you.  Keep you eyes open, there's more sh*t up here I'm sure," Anders barked out.  He looked to the shotgun and motioned with his head to Maria to get the gun.  _Things must really be serious for her to drop the gun_ Anders thought.  He then moved to the other torch light, moving as quickly as safety allowed.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 29, 2003)

*2nd Floor – Stair Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"Yes, Sir. I'm right here, near the stairs."

Michael stands there as he waits for the Sergeant. The seconds go by in a gruelingly slow pace as he tries not to imagine what could have happened out there. Finally, he sees the Sergeant with the limp figure of Amisha in his arms. Michael immediately walks toward Carlson, looking at the girl and trying to say too many things at once.

"Sir, what happ-- Patel, is she st--"

_She's still alive! Dear God, what happened to her? -- We have to get her down, I can't do anything for her here._

"Sir, we found a bathroom downstairs. There's also a sofa in another room where we could lay her down."

In a softer voice, Michael speaks to Amisha, while he checks her to see if he can provide some form of immediate care and if it's even safe to move her.
"Hey, Am... Hang in there. We'll have you downstairs in no time. We found water downstairs. The Corporal and I will fix you up, have you up and running in no time, okay? Just hang in there for a while, don't go anywhere you hear?"

After his cursory examination, Michael moves sideways to the Sergeant, so he can get in close enough to whisper.
"Sir, she'll probably go into shock from blood loss, we have to get her down to the Corporal. Please keep her feet up high, her head and chest need that blood a lot more than her legs do. And if you can, try to keep her neck straight, so she'll be able to breathe freely."
"And Sir... downstairs isn't secure yet. There are still dogs outside near the windows, but they haven't done anything yet. There was also a corpse in the bathroom, it wasn't moving though. I still think it's our best bet to get her stable."


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 29, 2003)

Jacqueline's thoughts mirrored Yuri's outburst as the four of them stood there in the pitch darkness.  _Preach it man, this darkness crap is getting old fast.  Where the hell do they keep the flashlights?_  Hopefully, the... thing was dead, it's brain caved in by Yuri's overhand smash.  Certainly, she was close enough to smell the horrid stench of the thing, and it's tortured gurgling had abruptly cut off.  Whether that was because it was truly not moving or just because it didn't have a throat anymore was anyone's guess.

Nevertheless, standing around here wasn't going to be very helpful.  Slowly, carefully, she inched away from where she had been standing, towards the door.  She intended to open the door a crack and see if the light situation was any better.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Apr 30, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Yuri, Ameilia, Jacqueline, Isaac*

Everything seemed quiet with just your breathing echoing in the darkness.  No more moaning or scratching or hissing.

*Isaac Goldstein*

The statue cracks as it thuds against the motionless body, the sickening sound of more bone being crushed with that blow.  You don't hear anything from that direction though.

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

You make your way tentatively to the door, glancing out in the reception room.  Finally you can see the faint light of the torches, recognizing a few of the military guys hurrying back with a woman in their arms.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Maria Moreno*

Sticking the table leg under one arm, you pick up the gun and the beretta clip to follow them both down.  Some prickling echoes up your spine and you could have sworn you felt more pairs of eyes on you from somewhere further down the hallway.

*Michael, Anders, Amisha, Maria*

All of you pass the gruesome corpse as you head down the stairs, pass the pool of blood and across the entrance hall.  It feels colder than usual, darker.  Only the light from one torch shows you the way to the open door of the room with the pretty sofas and locked cabinent.

The darkness within alarms you even as you hear Yuri's scream of frustration and fear as you approach the room.


----------



## loxmyth (Apr 30, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Ladies Room

At the sight of the faint glow of torchlight, Jac exhales slightly.  "Well, here comes the cavalry, Doc," she says softly, though in the almost complete silence it's easy to hear the relief in her voice.  "And one of your teammates is down," she says, opening the door a little wider, allowing everyone to get a good look.

The pain of the acid is starting to come back with a vengeance.  The smell of death and sweat and vomit almost overwhelms her in a moment, and she closes her eyes for a moment and inhales heavily to refocus.  _Now that there's some light, better make the most of it!_

Letting go of the door knob, which rattles upon its release, she moves back over to the toilet and pulls the porcelain cover off the tank.  Checking the inside to make sure no little zombie bugs are hiding in it, she'll set the cover aside and dip her hand in to flush the acid out of her burning wound.  _I just know I'm going to regret this,_ a rational part of her mind tells her as she works.


----------



## Fanog (Apr 30, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

As the group made their way through the hall, Michael had pointed the Sergeant to the door they had to take. Michael opens it the door and leads the Sergeant to a suitable sofa for Amisha.

He hears the Corporal's cursing and looks in the direction of the bath room. 

_Damn, it's dark in there. Didn't they have a light -- Oh God, I was the only one with a torch here, and I left them. We got Amisha here, but at what cost? Damn, why didn't we take the time to make more torches..._

"Medic!"


----------



## Keia (May 1, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*_
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders called out to Borzakovsky and he gently lay Amisha on the couch. "Borzakovsky, get over here.  Moreno, cover the entrances to the room.  Someone give Yuri some light to work by."

When Yuri arrives, Anders will explain that he thinks it was a spider - a giant from your nightmares spider, but a spider none the less.

"Except for those helping Borzakovsky, give him some room to work,"  Anders asked.

"Do I hear water?" Anders took several steps into the bathroom.


----------



## loxmyth (May 1, 2003)

Keia said:
			
		

> "Do I hear water?" Anders took several steps into the bathroom. [/B]




A splash of light from the torch in the reception room highlighted Jac's sarcastic smile, while the rest of her remained swallowed in the thick pools of shadow.  "Strong _and_ perceptive,  that's quite a combination."  She waited a moment to let the barb sink in.  "You heard right.  Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but this is a bathroom."


----------



## Fanog (May 1, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Seeing as how Maria might need her torch to guard the entrances, Michael stays with Patel, using the torch to take a closer look at her wounds. He doesn't touch her though, waiting for the Corporal to arrive.

"Hang in there, Am. The doc will be here soon..."

Michael looks up and adresses the Sergeant, speaking with compassionate concern in his voice.

"Sir, I'll stay here and aid the Corporal if he needs it. In the bathroom, could you see if there's any kind of kabinet maybe with some kind of medication in it?"

Michael realises that there's no light in the bathroom, and looks at his torch with a sad and frustrated look in his eyes, throwing the Sergeant a kind of guilty look for not being able to supply him with a torch.


----------



## mistergone (May 2, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion


Yuri comes out of the bathroom when the light appears and looks over things.

_ Damn... Amisha..._

He goes over to where she is on the couch, nodding at the Sargeant's instructions, and kneels beside her. Carefully, he goes about examining the wound, tearing back any obstructing clothing just enough to see it well. His face is nearly expressionless, save for a slight flaring of the nostrils.

_This looks bad... damnit..._

"Hang in there, sweetheart," he murmurs to Amisha, then calls over his shoulder, "Somebody scour the bathroom for anything.. I mean ANYTHING usefull... get me clean water too... and something like bandages... and some kind of bucket or container... and quickly. There's that armorie thing here too... it's locked, and I thought I heard something moving inside it, but somebody should look in there." Then aside to Smith, "Keep that light close man, and I'm gonna need your help here..." But never does he take his eyes off Amisha for long, and when he's done speaking, he studies the wound intently, wracking his brain for all the medical knowledge he has.


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 3, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

As the cold water pours over your wound, you feel relief from the burning, watching as the water in the toilet bowl turns a pinkish tinge from your blood.  Meanwhile you notice that there's a closed door on the opposite wall by the toilet.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your hands move over Amisha and you realize her wounds are very bad indeed.  She looks like she has been poisoned by the bite but you can't identify the poison.  You do know that you need to find a first aid kit in order to treat the poison properly.  However, you're able to stablize her from losing any more strength for now but you'll need to get some water in order to wash her other wounds to keep her from fading.

*Anders Carlson*

While everyone was busy doing other things, you had moved toward the cabinent.  Your arm though burns to the touch even as you lift it to test the cabinent doors and find it locked.  Slipping the silver key from your pocket, you find that it fits easily into the keyhole...a simple twist provides a 'click' that indicates that its now unlocked.


----------



## Velenne (May 3, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha is carried where they take her, listens when spoken to, but hard as she tries, she keeps fading back into memories.  Her body has stopped listening to her, turning into a jumbled wad of knots and cramps so painful she has to tune out to stay concious.

_"You're NOT going into the military and that's final!  End. Of. Discussion!" Her father.  Ken Patel.  It had always been her parents' way to let her choose her own path.  They had been hippies, smoked a lot of dope, that kind of thing.  Now Ken was a car salesman and Maria, her mother, stayed at home.  They didn't live great, but it was enough to get by.  Not enough for a trust fund or a college savings for sure._



> "Hang in there, sweetheart..."




Amisha's eyes snap up to look at Yuri.  Her lips move slightly but nothing comes out.  

_"This here's a .22, Amisha.  My pop uses it to hunt quail.  You ever shoot a real gun before?"  Hunt.  Just the word mesmerized her.  To be a hunter, to stalk a prey.  To control who lives and who dies.  Even at thirteen, at the far west end of Jimmy Salzer's farm where he thought he could get to second base with her and no one would catch him, she understood what it meant to kill.
"Can I hold it?"
"Sure..." Ya, Jimmy knew he was definately getting to second...until Amisha stuck the end of the .22 in his crotch.
"I'll give ya fifteen seconds head start to get back to your house.  If I catch you, I'm shooting you right in your redneck @$$hole, Jimmy Salzer."_

Her head rolls to the right to look at Maria holding the shotgun.  A slight grin touches her pale lips.

_"Well HOLE LEE $hit, Private!  Where on God's Green Earth did you learn to shoot like that?"  It was all she could do not to say, _Not from some wheatstalk-chewer like you, Lieutenant._  Twenty rounds in the clip, eighteen bullseyes.  Nope, they'd never seen a sniper like her come along, but she'd been hearing that since Boot.  From 500 meters though, that was enough for even a grizzled vet like this cornhusker to drop his jaw.  
"I'd ship you right out to sniper school tomorrow, Private Patel, I really would.  But I've got orders from On High," he points to the sky as if God Himself -also known as the Secretary of Defense- had sent along a fax, "See me in my office at 1900."_

Then her eyes drop from Maria to her own shoulder.  All ooze, blood, bone, and muscle making a mess on someone's nice carpet.  _Whoever's ing carpet this is can go rot in Hell.  I'm not dying here and I'm sure as hell not gonna let my parents be right._


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 3, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Ladies Room

Isaac moves over to the toilet while his arm burns.

"My turn please," he says through gritted teeth.

He flushes the toilet and washes his wound with the fresh water as it runs in.

"How 'bout you Miss Amelia? Need some water?" he asks over his shoulder, "I wouldn't use the stuff in the basin after a body's been sitting in it."


----------



## Fanog (May 3, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael whispers to Borzakovsky. Amisha seems only barely conscious, but he doesn't want her to overhear.
"Corporal, Sir. I could do a quick search of the bathroom. Clean water is our first priority and we can't really do anything here as long as we don't have any. I'd have to take the torch though, in order to search effectively."

He looks around the room, to see who's still there. He voices a general question, adressing anyone within hearing distance.
"Is there _anyone_ who has some spare candles?"


----------



## Keia (May 3, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*_
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders flipped one of his candles to Michael, "Where are the ones the others had?" Anders asked, almost rhetorically.

_ . . . Some scratching in here . . . isn't that what Yuri said?_ Anders thought.  

"Moreno," Anders said to get her attention.  Once eye contact was made, Anders used military hand signs and motioned for her to cover him while he opened the doors on three, two, one. . . .


----------



## Fanog (May 3, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Michael catches the candle, lights it on his torch and gives it to the Corporal. He shrugs his shoulders slightly at the Sergeant's question, not knowing the answer, and not really sure if Carlson was expecting an answer anyway.

_How would I know? People have been running in and out since we got here. It's not like we took the time to pool our resources together. We don't really set our own pace, we always seem to be one step behind, some of it by our own fault, even. -- Oh my God, he's not opening that closet _now_, is he? Amisha is wounded, and the Corporal heard some _scratching_ in there. How much more trouble could we get ourselves into... Damnit, we need some stuff to treat Amisha, it seems like I'm going to have to get it myself._

Slightly peeved but trying not to show it, Michael stands up and quickly walks over to the bathroom, taking the torch with him. He takes a quick look around and then starts pillaging the room as fast as he can.

_A bathroom - there _has_ to be something in here that can be used as medication. The cabinet first. -- And make sure you find a clear vessel to fill with water. Does the tap work, anyway?_


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 4, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Ladies Room

After Isaac washes out the wound in his arm he notices Michael enter the bathroom and start looking about.

"Michael, need a hand?" he asks, but before Michael responds Isaac starts searching the room as well, "Watcha looking for in particular?"

He puts the slightly damaged statue down so he can concentrate further.

_Hmm, more often than not you'll find a few meager medical supplies in a bathroom, maybe we'll get lucky._


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 4, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Amelia Brogart*

You stare at the sink for a moment until you spot the knob that releases the water.  Watching for a few seconds as the chlorinated water sinks down the drain, you wonder again why the man had done that.  Then you spend time flushing the sink with water to clean it up.

Kneeling down, you begin your search of the corpse.  He appears to be a man in his thirties and dressed in a light blue coat which you quickly realize with closer inspection a blue lab coat...the kind they wear to minimize static electricity in a highly sensitive lab environment.  Its made with special fibers, light blue with silver woven in criss-cross patterns.

No identification on him though, but you do find a small key in his pocket...it looks like a desk key.

*Isaac Goldstein*

The loud noise of the toilet flushing causes you and a few other people to jump as well.  Soon the pinkish water is replaced with fresh...well...toilet water.  You dip your hand in the cold water and begin to rinse off, feeling immediate relief from the burn.

Your sharp eyes spot some potted plants in the corner.  Nice and pretty looking with large green leaves...and one very small one with red leaves.

*Michael Smith*

After passing Yuri your candle, you head to the bathroom noticing Isaac and Amelia trying to clean up inside. You open the medicine cabinet and notice some very useful things inside, pulling it out one by one.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Anders Carlson*

Slowly you open the armoire, the perspiration on your hands making you feel even more cold.  The scratching noise echoes in your ear and you grip the club as hard as you can.  The darkness at first stuns you, and then the smell of decay grips your nose - the familiar scent of fetid decrepid flesh.

From the light of Maria's torch you see a man huddled in a fetal position and looking quite dead.  In his hands you can see a 92 beretta.  The source of scratching becomes abundantly clear as you watch a rat chew on the man's finger, reminding you that your own arm continues its slow burn into oblivion.


----------



## loxmyth (May 4, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Ladies Room

As the cool water washed over her wounds and the pain subsided, Jac's eyes rolled up in her head and she craned her head back.  _Now that's relief._  Removing her arm from the toilet, she flexed the limb's fingers and joints methodically before pulling back with an exaltant smile and returning her grip to the candlebra.  _Hey, good as new,_ she told herself.  She knew that the sentiment couldn't be totally right, but at the moment, it felt right.  It was as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders.  Now she could get back to work.



> "My turn please," he says through gritted teeth.




The raven haired woman steps aside, brushing a forelock of midnight strands out of her face.  "Be my guest," she says simply.  The delicate features of her face are mostly inscrutable, but it is clear she isn't in quite so dark a mood as before.

Spying the door on the far side, she moved towards it, examining her surroundings as she went.  Maybe there was something else of use in this room, that the others had missed?  When she finally got to the door, she carefully leaned against it and listened for what might be on the other side.  She did _not_ intend to be snack on again, by anything else in this god forsaken house.


----------



## The Forsaken One (May 4, 2003)

Gently the key slides into Amelia's pocket as she bends over to inspect if the labcoat is still intact. Her head slowly looks up from the body and sees Isaac's face... pondering.

"Euhm... Isaac... could you give me a hand please? I seem to be rather shaky and can't seem to focus... Do you think I could salvage this labcoat? Everything intact seems to be usefull in this mansion so I'm in favor of salvaging and cleaning it up."

Looking down at the body again to check it out for further items or clues and to confirm the state of the labcoat everything turns black around the corpse in front of her. Her hands trembling she now hangs over the rieking body.

Like a metal shard was sliced into her brain, that's how it felt.

She pushes her trembling body away and with a silent thump she falls on her behind, legs in front of her and arms to the side, partially behind her back. 

_Nnn...nnn...oo... Thhh......iiiissss... cccccan't...bb..bbee......_

Gasping for air she scurries backwards on all fours... A clearly hearable bang sounds as she hits one of the rooms walls with her back.

"No... not like this... Selena..."


----------



## Fanog (May 4, 2003)

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*
Clairemont Mansion

_First aid kit - Bingo! Now, clean water and get back to the Corporal._

While grabbing the can of cleaning fluid and emptying it into the sink, Michael turns his head to reply to Goldstein:
"One of ours is wounded, I've found a first aid kit, but _anything_ that could be used as medicine is useful. And clean water, lots of it. We could also use some towels or something. Will you help?"

_Ugh, cleaning fluid. Not the best way to transport clean water, but I don´t see anything better. This will have to do._

After the bottle is empty, Michael fills it with clean water, shakes it and drains the dirty water. As he waits for the bottle to empty, he holds his arm under the stream of water, hoping that it will stop the acid somewhat. He repeats the procedure of cleaning out the bottle, hoping that this will get rid of any harmful substance.

_What the -- ? Oh, the poor woman is really going through the wringer. Well, who would expect her to take all of this... -- No time, Amisha needs help, _now.

Michael fills the bottle with water from the tap, and then takes everything he found to the Corporal, hoping that it will be enough to treat Amisha.


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 4, 2003)

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac rushes to the aid of the damsel in distress.

_Poor thing, she's having a break-down here or something._

He helps Amelia to her feet and speaks kindly.

"You need to sit down Miss, I'll handle getting the jacket for you," he says and leads her out to find somewhere she can sit down. 

Upon entering the reception room though he notices the bad condition Amisha is in. Isaac quickly sets Amelia down into an unoccupied seat before hurrying back into the ladies' room to retrieve the pot plants and the corpses lab coat.

"These things are good for fixing up wounds," he says as he comes back, "I think I know how to prepare them, seeing as those with medical training are pretty busy."

Isaac hands the coat to Amelia before goeing about trying to prepare the plants for being applied to wounds, and in one case mixing the small red herb with a larger green one. He makes sure to take his time to avoid getting it wrong.


----------



## mistergone (May 4, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri looks up as Michael comes back from the bathroom.

"Great, must be our lucky day," he says at the sight of the first aid kit. He takes the items and trades them for the candle, needing both his hands free to work. "All right, Mikey, you may have to hold her some, this will prolly hurt a lil, and I got no sedatives here..." He looks into Amisha's face, and furrows his brow at her seemingly barely lucid state. "My apologies in advance, sweets, but you're a tough cookie."

He open the first aid kit, and with that, the water, and his skill, he proceeds to treat Amisha's wounds to the best of his abilities, excluding from his attention all other things.

_Giant spiders? I guess I believe it... Why not? I wonder... is it the same type of thing as those... zombies? If so, I wonder about my theory. Who has been bitten by them? Blondie just now, and the asian woman by the first one from the closet... who else? Do those dog monsters count? How many were bit by those? And is it just bites? What about scratches? I have a bad  bad feeling about all this, even more now. I gotta talk to the Sarge again. Has he been bitten? I have to check everyone... Ugh, but now, Amisha. My God, how big was this spider?_

Yuri works as fast and as best as he can, knowing that trouble could errupt around him at any moment. He's worked on people with bullets whizzing past his head before, but now, he's pretty sure he'd prefer the bullets to what he has seen.


----------



## Keia (May 5, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Anders took one look at the corpse, saw the beretta, then noticed the rat.  Amazing what a weapon you trained with will do to your perceptions.  Anders prepared to take a swing at the corpse's head, just to be certain that it was dead.

_Now to pry the beretta from his dead fingers and see to my arm_ Anders thought.


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 5, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

You listen intently through the door, but you can't hear anything on the other side.  But a sudden crashing sound from the other room where the soliders were in startled you.

*Isaac Goldstein*

After taking Amelia into the other room, you go and retrieve the lab coat from the corpse for her, dropping it off in her lap.  You do notice that the solider has got the cabinet open, though what he's doing doesn't strike you until he does the striking.  The thud echoes through the room just as you re-enter the bathroom and head toward the plants.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Your hands work skillfully upon Amisha, tending her every hurt, her every wound with the first aid kit.  Somehow despite the distractions and the fear, you manage to bring some semblance of life back into her.

*Amisha Patel*

The strength flows back into you and you can feel some of your old energy returning.  Just then you hear a loud thud and a sickening noise.

*Michael Smith*

Worriedly you cast your glance between your injured friend Amisha and the shadows dancing around outside the window.  It looks the dogs are still out there, sniffing around and biding their time.  The burning on your arm though has thankfully stopped.

*Anders Carlson*

You swing the club as hard as you can and watch with some satisfaction as the entire head caves in with a sickening crunch.  The body tumbles out of the cabinet to go slack at your feet while the rat makes a run for it, skittering out of the cabinet right for Amelia.

*Maria Moreno*

The rat scuttles over your foot nearly giving you a scare as you try and turn around and figure out where it went...of course...it would be straight for the panicky blonde.

*Amelia Brogart*

In your hands the lab coat smells of chlorine and rotted flesh, but it still looks relatively intact.  Your perusal of the lab coat is quickly interrupted by the sound of a rat scuttling directly your way.


----------



## loxmyth (May 5, 2003)

Jacqueline had been concentrating so hard on listening for any scrap of sound beyond the door that the loud noise from behind her caused her to jump.  _Damn it!  This is exactly why I work alone!_  She thought angrily, wrapping her hand around the knob.  She turned it a half circle, then thought better of it as she looked over her shoulder.  Working alone was definitely usually better.  Of course, usually the walking dead wasn't par for the course.  She was definitely in a weakened state, and couldn't afford to strike out on her own until either she was sure she'd be okay, or that the benefits outweighed the risk.

_Ok, for now I'm with the rest of you._  She sighed.  _But please let this be over soon.  Blondie's act is tired already, it'll be downright dreadful in another fifteen._


----------



## Keia (May 6, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders had a satisfied look on his face, until the rat darted through his legs and out of reach. _Crap!_ he thought as the creature escaped before he could hit it.

"Sorry," Anders called out to nobody in particular. _I mean, come on, its a rat - I was looking to hit it for a possible dinner,_ he thought, _Now some other lucky s.o.b. going to get my dinner._

He peeled the fingers from the grasp of the beretta and inspected the weapon.  Then, he rose and made his way to the bathroom to wash his arm.

"Yuri, I'm gonna have to have you look at this arm," Anders said, "Its bugging the crap out of me."


----------



## Fanog (May 6, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

_Well, I think we've got most of the poison. Still, that wound is pretty bad, and if we're going to get out of here, we need her mobile. I hope she'll do okay..._

"Sir, please allow me. I think the Corporal is still busy with Private Patel, and I could treat that arm just as well. I'll pick up some clean water first. Could you come over here and take the torch for the Corporal to work by -- Is that okay, Sir?"


----------



## Gurdjieff (May 6, 2003)

*1st Floor - Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

"What the..." Maria turns around after feeling something run over her foot, still holding the torch up high. It seemed like she was daydreaming again, she totally missed whatever happened the last minute, or maybe even minutes? She shakes her head and closes the door she was still guarding.

_Whatever this place is, it's giving me the creeps. I don't think I've ever screwed up my orders as badly as I did just now._ Maria's hand goes back to her neck, feeling the lump which was spotted earlier. _Is it a side-effect from the drug we received, or whatever we got? Stay here Maria.... Rat first_ 

"Let's get that rodent before it transfers any diseases or anything. Don't let it bite ya, you don't know where it has been." Maria grins as she speaks those words, holding the torch a bit below her face making it look pretty scary. She walks to the rat, trying to kick it pretty hard against a wall, or door, or whatever object in the path. "Bite me, Mickey."


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 7, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Isaac Goldstein*

Slowly you mix the two plants together over the sink, smashing them with your fingers into a paste of green and red goo.  Finally satisfied that you have got something useful, you glance up but the only one who noticed your handiwork is the dark-haired woman still listening at the door.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Michael Smith*

After handing the torch to Anders, you head off into the bathroom to get more water, noticing that Isaac was doing something with plants by the sink.  Taking the water back with you for Anders, you wash out his arm.

*Anders Carlson*

The burning finally lessens and the feel of the sturdy beretta in your hands makes you feel even better.  It looks like a full clip and in decent condition...definitely military issue.  But the dead man looked like a civilian to him.

*Maria Moreno*

You swing but the rat is quick and you see it scuttle up Amelia's leg and onto her clothes as if to hide from your attacking barrage.

*Amelia Brogart*

The rat tickles alright, not to mention feeling absolutely disgusting wriggling around over your clothes, climbing all over you in an attempt to hide from Maria...even burrowing in your blonde tresses.


----------



## Fanog (May 7, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

As he had walked over to the sink to get water, Michael had noticed Goldstein working with some plants. He arched one eyebrow in surprise at seeing the the old cop with green fingers.

_Huh, what's he doing? Oh, wait, that would be it..._

"Ah, Sir... Did you find anything -- Are those plants with healing capabilities? Amisha, er, Private Patel, is still in pretty bad shape, I think a dressing like that could help here recover sooner. That way, we could spare the first aid kit a bit..."

After he filled the bottle, Michael hurried back to the Sergeant to tend to his arm. He noticed the commotion concerning the rat, but wanted to treat the Sergeant first.

_...and Moreno is already after the rat, no use chasing it with the lot of us._

As Michael is done with treating the Sergeant's arm, he begins a bit of planning ahead. His sentences are a bit jumbled as he's trying to formulate the plan with all of its reasons and advantages and _also_ trying not to push too much, considering that he's speaking to the sergeant.

"Sir, now that all of out wounds have been seen to, and with the weapons we've found so far - Would it be a good idea to make torches from the remaining table legs? Especially if we have to split up again later - darkness has been a pretty big problem so far. I think there may be some more rags and flammables in the storage closet off the hall. I could just head over and fetch stuff for one or two more torches, er, with someone as backup. It seems we're safe here for the moment. Would that be a good idea, Sir?"


----------



## mistergone (May 7, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri stands up and runs his forearm across his brow, even though he hadn't been sweating. He takes one more look at Amisha then looks around the room, taking everything in again.

"She's good to move, or at least she will be here soon." he says to no one in particular.

He looks over at the rat assailing blondie, and starts forward, then stops. _No, Moreno will take care of a rat... geez... hopefully it's just a rat... Not everything in this funhouse can be a screaming monster from Hell, can it?_

Shaking his head slightly, he moves into the bathroom, stepping over the corpse there, and goes to the sink to wash his hands, really out of habit than anything else. Almost absently, he looks inside the cabinet there, even though he knows that Smith probably had already emptied it.

_Okay so what now? Sarge has a gun now, Moreno has a gun. We need to keep moving. And who is most wounded now? Who has been bitten? I need to talk to Carlson..._

Just then he notices the asian woman by the door.

"Hear anything in there? Maybe it's another closet..." Yuri searches for a lightswitch in the bathroom, and flips it.


----------



## Gurdjieff (May 7, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

_Oh, just great, the blonde is surely to panic now. Just what we needed. Just great._
Maria sighs when the rat runs up to Amelia and hides. "Anders, can I speak to you for a second? In private, as far as possible?"

Maria almost pulls Anders away from whatever he was doing, whispering in his ear. "I don't know about you, but I don't think we can trust anything here. This room might seem safe, those windows dont. And without electricity I really dont feel comfortable. I think we should get moving as soon as all wounds are cleaned and Patel can walk on her own again, maybe even sooner. Also, that spider we just encountered a few minutes ago, it strikes me as odd how the f*ck we could have missed that thing... maybe holograms to throw us off track?"

She waits for Anders' reply, but keeps an eye out for the rat, whenever it shows it's head again, she intends to kick it real hard.


----------



## loxmyth (May 7, 2003)

mistergone said:
			
		

> *"Hear anything in there? Maybe it's another closet..."*




Jacqueline shakes her head.  "Nothing," she says quietly in the medic's direction, a frown creasing her face.  "But until we get some more light, I'm not going into a dark room by myself.  I'm a quick learner."

She motions her head to the door to the Reception room.  "What's with the racket in there?  Blondie?"


----------



## mistergone (May 8, 2003)

loxmyth said:
			
		

> *"What's with the racket in there?  Blondie?" *




"Yeah," says Yuri. flicking on and off the lightswitch and staring upwards, as if expecting a light to suddenly come on, "A rat has decided to get intimate with her... At least  I think it's a rat... looked too big to be a mouse... I didn't get a good look. I just hope it wasn't chewing on the corpse in that closet thing... 'cause then it might be infected, and if it's infected and it... bites..." His gaze drifts over to the woman, and he stops flicking the switch, leaving it in the 'on' position.

_Oops._

"So, uh, I'm gonna get a light. Be right back. How's that shoulder feel? Uh, be right back."

Yuri walks out into the reception room and says aloud "Hey, let's make me a torch, I don't want to get caught in the dark again."

He picks up the table leg he had set down to work on Amisha.


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 8, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac walks in and makes a declaration to everyone.

"This stuff is good for healing injuries, ignore how it looks. Who's the most injured here?" he asks, then notices Amisha, "Looks like she could use some."

_Ouch, she doesn't look to good._


----------



## Keia (May 8, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room
Clairemont Mansion_

"Maybe," Anders said in a low voice to Maria, "This thing has seemed like a training exercise from the beginning.  Though I'm not certain who's training whom.  Light is a priority, so is a room by room detailed search.  I feel like we missing something . . . something important."

"Now kill that rat - the little one, not the one with blonde hair, and let's form up and compare notes," Anders said, flexing his injured arm. "Moreno, you kill the rat and its edible - I'll share it with you."

"If this water is safe, I recommend we drink some.  I, for one, have the cotton mouth from an 8 hour drinking binge.  Sorta like Monte Carlo, but without the cards."


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 8, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Amelia Brogart*

The rat continues to burrow in your hair, getting all nice and comfortable with no inclination to get out and get squashed by Maria.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Checking out the armoire, you see the silver key still in the lock and inside a good sized flashlight with batteries...looked good enough for a few hours at least.  The light switch in the bathroom, however, gives you nothing in return when you flip it.  You also notice a small tool sticking out of the corpse's backpocket during your armoir search.

*Everyone*

Rather oddly...all of you suddenly realize that you don't hear the howling any more and when you glance at the window, you don't see anything but shadows.


----------



## mistergone (May 8, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri looks around the room in the beat of silence that follows the last thing someone said. His eyes go to the windows. _Hm, tell me they just forgot about us in here._ He looks back down at the table leg in his hand and then goes over to the Sarge and Moreno, just as they are finishing talking amongst themselves.

"Moreno, I need some of that cleaning stuff to make a torch outta this. It isn't doing me any good as a club, I need light." He sort of waves the table leg a little for emphasis. 

"Sarge, I need to talk to you again, uh... " Yuri lowers his voice and leans towards Anderson, "No time for lengthy debates, but I think we should keep an eye on anyone that was bitten by those zombies. From what I've seen so far, I have some suspicions about... infection. I could be wrong. The blonde woman and the asian woman have both been bitten. I can't say if the dog things or giant spiders count, or if scratches," he points to Anders' wounds, "count either, I mean, usually, acid and poison aren't vectors for disease, at least not by themselves." He leans back and pointedly eyes the gun in Carlson's hand, raising an eyebrow and speaking up some. "Just stay frosty Sarge, 's all I'm sayin'."

He then glances around for the blanket he thought he spied earlier, seeking to tear a strip off it to make the torch.


----------



## Fanog (May 8, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

After Michael made his case to the Sergeant, he's a little disappointed to see that he is whispering plans with Moreno. Michael looks around the room like he's a bit lost, trying to find something useful to do. His eyes rest on the young woman on the sofa, recovering from her wounds. He walks over to her, dropping on a knee to get closer to her, letting the light from the candle shine on her face a bit.

"Hi there, are you feeling better already? Looks like the corporal did a fine job here, just take it easy, okay. It doesn't seem like we're going anyhere for the time being, just take some time to rest. Oh, the cop has made a paste from some plants, that should help ease the wounds. It looks pretty awful, but I think it'll work just fine.
So, what happened up there?"

As he sits there near the sofa and looks at the rest of the furniture, Michael seems to remember something. He turns and looks at Goldstein.

"Mister, you said there was a statue somewhere here, earlier, that looked like it was moved? It might be important -- Heck, _anything_ here is probably important. Where was it, could I have a look at it?"


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 8, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion



> _originally posted by Fanog_
> "Mister, you said there was a statue somewhere here, earlier, that looked like it was moved? It might be important -- Heck, anything here is probably important. Where was it, could I have a look at it?"




"I left it in the ladies' room, knock yourself out," Isaac says with a smile, "I'd reckon it's heavy enough to," he then turns to Jaq, "I've got some medical training and could apply this stuff if you'd like. It'd probably help a lot."


----------



## Keia (May 8, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room
Clairemont Mansion_

"Hey, Smith.  I haven't forgotten about you," Anders called out to Michael.  By way of explanation, Anders added with a smile, "When a strong, insistent woman pulls on you, you go along.  Otherwise, something could get pulled off." 

"Light is definitely a priority, as well as water.  If Borzakovsky gives the okay, I recommend that everyone get something to drink.  I'm thinking in bigger terms regarding the light.  The power's out, or at least that's the way it seems.  But we won't know for sure until we check the fusebox, breakers, or generator - whatever this forsaken house has," Ander said, more to everyone than to just Michael.

Anders nodded to Yuri in agreement, then flexed the hand of his injuried arm a few times.  Ander then went over to the armoire to recover the key.

"Hmmm, what have we here?" Anders said rhetorically upon finding the flashlight and tool.  He pulled the body out of the armoire to inspect it better, and to be sure nothing was behind or underneath it.


----------



## Fanog (May 8, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

"Oh, ok." Michael answers Carlson. He's not really sure how to react to the Sergeant's comments, so he just laughs a little. The comment about electricity has got him thinking, though

_Well, if we're far off from the city, there's probably a generator. That should be out first target. Aren't these things usually somewhere outside, to avoid the noise they tend to make? That would be bad, considering the dogs outside -- Hey, the dogs, they've stopped howling._

As he ponders the possible location for the generator, Michael walks over to the bathroom, to recover the statue. On his way over, he runs into Goldstein again.

"Erm, sorry to be such a nuisance, but where did you find the statue? Someone might have knocked it over while planting something, I would like to check that spot out, just in case."

As he finds the statue, Michael lifts it to the light of his candle and takes some time to check it out.

_Hmm, a soldier - Chinese? Then the signs on the base might be Chinese too. That could help, maybe I'll recognize some of 'em._


----------



## Gurdjieff (May 8, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

"Catch" Maria yells at Yuri while throwing the bottle of cleaning agent at him. "Have fun with it." She smiles for a second, then returning her face to the normal, serious state.

Nodding to Anders, signing Maria understood what he ment, she walks back in search of the rat. "Hold still miss, we wouldn't want the creature to get away this time."

Taking a rush to get the rat without it being able to get away, it hits Maria. The dogs dissappeared. "Ehm.... where did the K-nines go?"


----------



## mistergone (May 8, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

"Yeah, drink out of the bathroom faucet, if you have to." Yuri says while examining the bottle of cleaning fluid, "Personally, I don't want to put anything around here in my mouth -- Hey, is that a flashlight? Sweet mother of pearl, Sarge, I could use that. It would do me better than a torch, as I could set it down to have my hands free and still have light. Of course, we should still make another torch, but I can't imagine it'll be too long before someone lights something on fire... but if anyone cares to, here it is."

Yuri sets the table leg and the bottle of cleaner down on an end table, then grabs the old blanket off the couch, all the while astutely avoiding Maria and her rat-hunting quest. He looks back at Carlson in earnest, as he tears a long strip off the blanket and begins to tie it around one end of the table leg.


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 17, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Anders Carlson*

The flashlight feels solid in your hands and the tool looks somewhat useful.  The body looks like its been dead (aside from the caved in head) for about a day or so.  The stink is quite memorable and if it wasn't so cold, it probably could have been worse.  He looks like a man in his forties, not even remotely military, and wearing some kind of jumpsuit with the words "Umbrella" on the label.  The name "Dwayne Michaels" can be seen on on his name tag.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

The fire explodes before as the table leg bursts into a vibrant flame, not unlike the other torches also in the room.

*Maria Moreno*

The rat is pesky and scampers all over Amelia.  Just when you think you got a hold on it, it slips through your fingers - damn slippery beast.

*Michael Smith*

Generators...must be located somewhere outside and had to be pretty big to run a mansion this side.  You figure that its probably in the back of the mansion in a building somewhere off to one side of the property.  The owners probably hid it with trees and shubbery as such a building would not be something anyone wants to see from their window view.

The statue looked ancient, but sturdy.  The edges of the base looked worn as if it had been stuck into something often.  Each edge had a different colored character on it.

Inside was written...
_
The Dark Turtle hangs its head,
The Crimson Bird hovers in dance,
The Cerulean Dragon coils sinuously,
The White Tiger crouches down.
_


----------



## Keia (May 19, 2003)

Anders pockets the tool and the flashlight, then said, "This guys name was Dwayne Michaels and he's in an Umbrella jumpsuit.  That mean anything to anyone?  Yuri, I'm more than happy to give you the flashlight, but I figure we'll save it since we have all these torches." _ and I'd rather just burn this place to the ground so I better not carry one_ Anders finished in his head.

Anders made his way to the bathroom, turned the water to cold and drank deeply from the water (after a taste test).  

"You need a hand with my lunch?" Anders asked Maria, seeing her troubles with the rat.


----------



## Fanog (May 19, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

_What does _that_ mean? Is it some kind of riddle - four colors, four animals? The base looks interesting, too. Was there a larger base it was in, or is it some kind of key maybe? -- Oh right, hear me, acting like this is some kind of pulp adventure. just find a wall that has a six-sided indentation, and has four animals painted in different colors. Damnit, you're taking this to far, Michael. But how knows, in this house... If I ever see a hexagon-shaped opening somewhere - Well' I'll just have to kind it in mind. Black, red, blue, white. Turtle, bird, dragon, tiger..._

While walking to the bathroom to take a drink, Michael pockets the statue. He stand in line before the sink, waiting for the Sergeant to finish.

"Sir? The generator may be a problem. It's probably out back somewhere. The dogs are gone now, but they must still be out there. Lights would be good, but I'm not sure if it's worth the risk."


----------



## mistergone (May 19, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri stares after the Sargeant, then blinks. Uh... okay. He looks at the blazing torch in his hand, then sighs to himself.

"Well, might as well continue searching around. Not every room can have some terrible monster in it, right?" He smirks to himself, and makes his way over to the unopened door in the corner. Unceremoniously, he rattles the doorknob to see if it's locked.

"I'll take door number two after all Monty," he mutters to himself, "gotta find that big-money prize."_


----------



## Velenne (May 19, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room
Clairemont Mansion_

For a long time, Amisha merely lays where she is.  Things go on around her but she doesn't hear them.  A good couple of minutes pass before the world stops spinning, her stomach settles down out of her throat, and her limbs stop tingling.  Her shoulder is still fire and knives, but nothing like it was before.

Slowly, she sits up and gets her bearings, bracing one hand behind her and the other on her head.  

"Did we win yet?"


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 20, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion



> _originally posted by Velenne_
> "Did we win yet?"




"Not yet ma'am," Isaac replies as he applies the plant mix to the Jacqueline's injuries, "but you got a good medic there. Our odds can't be too bad surely."

_That's right Isaac, do that cop thing and tell them it isn't as bad as it appears, gotta keep up people's hopes here. At least the medic's good at what he does._


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 23, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Anders Carlson*

The water tastes cool and very much like tapwater.  You move aside afterwards and watch as Michael takes his own sip before heading over to Maria.

*Michael Smith*

The water certainly felt very soft though, probably a first rate water system in this place.  Which means there's a sewage plant somewhere - small, but adequate for a mansion of this enormous size located in the middle of nowhere.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

The knob turns easily and it certainly doesn't seemed locked at all to all your rattling.  And afterwards, no strange noises greeted you that you could hear.

*Isaac Goldstein*

The stuff smells like - well - mashed plant to you and it definitely feels extra squishy as you start slapping some on Jacqueline's wounds.  She's starting to look much better though after your minstrations.

*Amelia Brogart*

That's it.  The final straw...dead things biting you, cold place, your sister missing, people yelling at you...suddenly it all came out as you started to scream at the top of your lungs, startling Maria and Anders as they try to get the rat out of your hair.


----------



## mistergone (May 23, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri throws open the door and thrusts the torch before him into the entrance, half expecting to reveal a hoarde of shambling monsters. Just then, a scream from behind him makes him jump.

"Holy sh*t!" he excalims as he leaps backwards then spins around. He see the debacle taking place around Amelia and lets out a breath.

"Oh man, forget the rat, already! Just don't let it bite her, it might be infected. Uhm. I mean, rats carry the plague, you know." He laughs a little, but only a little, and glances around at everyone. "Hey, let's keep moving, yeah? I'm gonna poke my head in here," he nods back towards the door he just opened, "If you hear me screaming, come running."

With one last look around, his eyes lingering on Amisha for a moment, (_oh good, at least she's up..._) he turns back to the newly opened door, and torch held out before him, steps int othe door way and peers into the space beyond.


----------



## Fanog (May 23, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

Michael hears the scream, and nearly chokes on the water he's drinking. _Dear God, something's wrong in there!_

He takes a few swift and jumpy paces back to the other room and recognizes the look on Amelia's face, the look of someone who cannot cope on her own any more. _Damnit, so she's not just trying for attention. The poor woman, looking so strong, all just an act..._

Trying not to hinder the others, Michael approaches the blonde woman, and lays a gentle but strong arm around her shoulder, trying to prevent herself from making any sudden movement which might hurt her or any of the others.

"Miss Amelia, please listen to me. Listen. You're gonna be okay, just take a seat," _after we've removed that rat_ "and I'll get you some water. I'll take care of you, we're going to make sure everything's okay..." _Dear God, I hope that's going to be true..._


----------



## Gurdjieff (May 24, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

"Get a grip, girl." Maria looks annoyed, almost angry, at Amelia. "It's just a rat, not some kind of humongous one, just a plain, simple, small rat. No shut up and sit still while we get it out of your hair."

Maria swings her head around to Anders, rolling her eyes with the intention of saying: _Why the Hell do we always have to run in girls like this..._ She doesnt say it out loud though, knowing any negative remark about Amelia might make her lose it totally, and that's about the last thing they can use.

"Smith, you hold her still while me and Anders try to get it out of her hair without taking the hair with it. Anders, lets rescue this lady in distress." Maria says with a sarcastic undertone in her last sentance. She winks at Amelia, but inside, she'd rather let the rat sit where it was right now. _It's not like she has been very helpful around here... maybe she's some kind of spy, who knows. Better keep my eye on her._


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 24, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac is wiping off whatever of the herb mix remains on his hands and is about to place it on his own injury when Amelia screams. He jumps, flinging the tiny glob off out of sight.

"Miss Amelia, need some help?" he asks, "I don't know about you people but I think a scream like that might bring back the dogs, any ideas?"

_Poor girl, wish she didn't have to scream like that._


----------



## Keia (May 24, 2003)

_*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion_



			
				Venus said:
			
		

> *"Smith, you hold her still while me and Anders try to get it out of her hair without taking the hair with it. Anders, lets rescue this lady in distress." Maria says . . .*




"Course if that doesn't work, Moreno, you still have the shears," Anders offered, though jokingly.  _This would be some much easier without her wiggling so much, _ Anders thought. _ Oh, to be able to one-punch people, like Samson used to do on occasion.  Now, that was impressive - wonder how he's doing these days._

Anders glanced around the room looking for where everyone was and what they were doing.  Regardless of whether she was held or not, Anders looked for his opening, ready to deal with the dangerous threat of the mouse.


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 26, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Issac, Jacqueline*

As if prophetic, both you can hear some sniffing outside the window and then a suddenly thud from the direction of the reception room.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Michael Smith*

She's quite limber and nearly slips out of your grip, but you manage a steady hand on Amelia, holding her while Anders and Maria try to get the rat out o her hair.

*Anders Carlson*

You struggle with the damned rat, but the blond woman wasn't helpful at all, fending off your attempts.  Good thing Michael was there to assist.  You help him out, holding Amelia's hair out of the way for Maria.  You notice Yuri walking into the other room, that Isaac and Jacqueline are in the bathroom.  Amisha is laying on the sofa by the windows.  Maria and Mike are assisting you with Amelia.

*Maria Moreno*

Finally!  That damned rat was in your grasp.  It felt squishy and squirmed in your fingers. 

*Maria, Anders, Michael, Amisha, Amelia*

A sudden thud against the window catches everyone's attention as a dark shadow flung itself against the window pane.  You can all hear snarling outside, and another thud against a window as the full horror reaches your mind.  The dogs are trying to break in.

*1st Floor – Stair Closet*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

You glance around, throwing the light in your hand from place to place.  It's a small wood-paneled room completely overtaken by staircase.  There's a closed door on the opposite wall.  The stairs appear to lead up into the darkness of the second floor.  From behind you, you hear thudding...


----------



## loxmyth (May 26, 2003)

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Snapping out of her little reverie at the sound of the dogs trying to break in, Jacqueline lets out a surprised yell that sounds like 'eep!'

"Thanks for this," she tells Isaac with a grateful smile, indicating her now mulch-covered wounds.  "I'm feeling better already."

_Ok, that's it, I need to move,_ she decides, and bolstered by the fact that Isaac is still in the room with her, she turns the door knob before her and pushes it open slowly, cautiously peering down the hallway and hoping nothing evil is lurking in the shadows.  She's hoping that the light from the torches carries well enough for her to see any attackers before she moves on into the room.


----------



## Gurdjieff (May 26, 2003)

*1st Floor – Reception Room*
Clairemont Mansion

"Finally, you stupid rodent!" Maria picks the rat up, looks at it with a very angry look, and smacks the rat against a closet. And again, and again, and again, untill it stops moving. "It works on fish, it'll work on rats." She says with a sadistic glee on her face. 

Then the thud against the window. And again. Dark shapes bashing against the windows, and the window not liking it, not at all. It starts to crack, louder and louder, bits of glass looking like they can jump out any second now. In a hurry, Maria grabs the shotgun and makes sure the thing is loaded. "Anders! We got to hurry, out of here and I suggest upstairs. It's much better to defend, and the thing there is out already. And hopefully these dogs won't be able to climb the stairs. Your call, but make it fast!" _Yeah Maria, dream on, safe upstairs. This mansion is totally cursed or something._


----------



## Fanog (May 26, 2003)

_1st Floor – Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

Michael spins his head to face the window at the first sound coming form that direction, immediately expecting the eery howls to recommence.

_Not now, not again..._ His gaze then falls down a foot, onto the figure of Amisha still laying on the couch. _Damnit, she's not safe there. _Why_ did we put here so close to the window?_

Hoping that Amelia won't do anything harmfull when left alone, Michael darts towards the sofa and reaches it in three big leaps, bending down to see how the young woman is doing.

"Hey Amisha, I trust you had enough rest. Are you feeling well enough to walk? Here, let me give you a hand."

Michael wriggles his free hand beneath the private's upper torse, helping her sit up, and helping her walk to wherever the Sergeant orders them. While helping Amisha up, Michael  takes a nervous glance at the window.

_Please hold, for just a few more seconds at least..._


----------



## mistergone (May 27, 2003)

_1st Floor – Stair Closet_
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri looks around the small room and peers up into the darkness. At the sound of the thumping, he looks back int othe reception room.



> "Anders! We got to hurry, out of here and I suggest upstairs. It's much better to defend, and the thing there is out already. And hopefully these dogs won't be able to climb the stairs. Your call, but make it fast!"




"Hey! I found some more stairs here!" he calls out. _I should just slam the door and run for it. This is crazy. We're all gonna die. Wait... what the Hell am I thinking? This is my squad here..._ "Come on, hurry!"

He takes a couple steps back into the closet, hoping to somehow entice the others by moving farther away. Holding the torch high overhead, he returns to examining the room.


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 27, 2003)

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*
Clairemont Mansion



> _originally posted by loxmyth_
> "Thanks for this," she tells Isaac with a grateful smile, indicating her now mulch-covered wounds. "I'm feeling better already."




"You're welcome ma'am, just doing my job," Isaac replies.

Isaac then shudders with each thud against the windows. He sees Jacqueline checking through a door but also hears the medic call out.

"The medic's found a way upstairs, I think we should go that way," he advises to Jacqueline.


----------



## loxmyth (May 27, 2003)

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*
Clairemont Mansion

Jacqueline bites her lip as she considers whether or not to follow the old man.  She's chafing at the time it's taking to move from place to place, but she's terrified at facing off against a zombie alone.  In the end, it isn't much of a decision; she remembers too vividly the jaws of that first creature crushing her arm and feeding on the blood within.  She'll follow Isaac to Yuri.  But not before seeing what she can through the door she's opened.  The information might come in handy later.


----------



## The Forsaken One (May 27, 2003)

"Get the !#@$%^#@"

Wildly waving her hands in front of her she gets rid of the guy who's on top of her and she gets up her hair hanging wildy in front of her face. Looking like furious vixen she gazes to everyone around her while she straightens her labcoat and the rest of her clothes.

"Undead dogs, undead humans and so undoubtedly an undead rat. I suggest you watch it, a simple rodent wouldn't get me that exited but in case you hadn't all noticed, this situation is NOT NORMAL. And so I do have a problem with UNDEAD rats, if any of you don't, especiallu when they are in your hair, please raise your hands. Not that I give a damned sh*t."

Another thump against the window gets Amelia's attention and now her eyes survey the room around her and what happened since she got overtaken by her memmories and emotions. 

"Hurmph"

And she quickly heads into the closet where Yuri is at beckoning to Isaac and Jaqueline to follow them in before the dogs burst in. Once in she turns around and looks at Yuri and then into the room she came from, a sudden sense of haste had taken control of her but she doesn't even seem to notice.

"I've had it with this craphole, that living dead rat or whatever really was the final straw. This sh*t is going down and I'm gonna take care of what I came for and not even dying is gonna stop me from that."

Tightening the labcoat around her she walks across the stairs and taking a quick glance behind her where some of the rest are staying. She tries the door across the staircase if it's locked or not.

_Little sis, I'm coming. If you're ready or not._


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 28, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Stair Closet*

*Amelia Brogart*

The metal door felt cold in your hands and the knob turns.  It didn't appear to be locked at all.  No sounds that you can hear echo from the other side.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Nothing interesting in the stair closet, and nothing you can really see other than darkness above without going up the stairs.  You notice the blonde woman try and open the door on the opposite wall.

*1st Floor – Ladies Room*

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

The room beyond looked dark to you, the lights reflecting off shelves of endless books, some end tables and comfortable chairs.  But you only a second before rushing after Isaac into the other room to join the others.

*1st Floor – Reception Room*

*Michael Smith*

Amisha is firm in your arms, though obvious not responding.  You hold her steadily as you both make your way more slowly than you would like toward the Yuri and the stairs.  Behind you the dogs continue to throw themselves at the windows.

*Maria, Anders, Michael, Amisha, Isaac, Jacqueline*

A sharp crack echoed into the room as a window began to give way.  The snarling could be heard now as cold air seeped into the room and invigorated you.  A bloody mouth looked caught in the window pane and with a horrific tearing sound, a piece of flesh is ripped off and lies on the floor, the dog sounding angry as it prepares to throw itself again into the now tattered window.  All of you realize that it would not hold a moment longer.


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 28, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Reception Room

Isaac hears the crack and winces.

_Who's got my shotgun?_

Instinctively he places himself between the windows and the civilian women.

"Hurry ladies," he says, tensed for a fight.

_Hmm, wish the attack dogs back at the station had this kind of endurance._

If the opportunity arises he'll leave the room after the others, but only if the civilians and wounded are out of the room.


----------



## The Forsaken One (May 28, 2003)

_Well here goes nothing._

And with a cold and pale white hand that slides out from the sleeves of the labcoat she turns the doorknob. 

"Isaac, get out of there!"


----------



## Fanog (May 28, 2003)

_1st Floor - Reception Room_
Clairemont Mansion

_Damnit, she's not looking good. Can't walk on her own. Come on Am, you're going to pull through._

Fumbling around with the candle to free his other hand, Michael decided on clenching it with his teeth. He slides his other hand under her knees and lifts her off the sofa, intently watching the window give way.

_We're not getting out of here before they break through!_

Michael swings his head back, careful not to drop the candle and only just in time remembering that he can't speak with it in his mouth.

_Shotgun, that's good. Might buy us the time to reach a safer room. Well sis, let's get moving._

Still facing the window and carrying Amisha in his arms, Michael walks backwards to the bathroom, where he won't be in Maria's line of fire. He looks at the Sergeant for orders, retreating to the bathroom if he doesn't receive any.


----------



## Keia (May 28, 2003)

_Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Reception Room_

Anders merely his turned to regard the broken glass and snarling dog.  Resignation in his eyes, Anders could see that it was time to move on . . . and move right now.

"Move it, people!  The dogs of h*ll are barking up your butts!  Through where Borzakovsky is so I can close these frellin' doors," Anders called out to those still in the reception area. _I wonder if I throw it my little lunch if they'll give up on us. . . doubt it, _Anders thought.

As they filed through Anders reviewed the reception area, making sure the door they had entered through from the hall was still closed as well.  His hand felt comfortable around the beretta, but he didn't was to waste bullets on foes he could avoid.

When everyone was out of the bathroom, Anders closed the bathroom door behind him, taking the rear guard position.

"Keep everyone moving to another room, Borzakovsky," Anders called ahead.


----------



## loxmyth (May 28, 2003)

_Clairemont Mansion
1st Floor – Reception Room_

Jacqueline's eyes crossed with Anders' for a moment before she beckoned slightly with her head.  "Your man's headed this way, Sarge!" she called out to him, and then moved quickly through the door to join Yuri was at, waiting for Amelia to open the door.  As she waited for it to open, she could feel her body trembling.  _Nerves, that's all it is,_ she told herself silently, though it had been a long while since anything had unnerved her so.  She hefted the candlebra in both hands, the silver warm to her touch.  She was prepared to hit anything that came through the door when the blonde woman had opened it.


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 29, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Stair Closet*

*Maria, Anders, Michael, Amisha, Isaac, Jacqueline, Yuri, Amelia*

Just as you manage to squeeze themselves into the stair closet, the window explodes into shards of glass, the mangled bodies of two dogs crashing to the ground with a sickening thud.  One twitched uncontrollably while the other stood up and stared directly at all of you.

*Anders Carlson*

Through a mixture of fear and adrenaline - healthy doses of both, you grab the door knob, slamming it shut just as you feel the door shaking under the assault of a dog's body.

*Amelia Brogart*

You open the door into darkness, but the edges of the light from the others reveal the shadowy shape of a organ in the far right corner.  That's all you can see from where you stand.  There doesn't seem to be any other noise than the breathing of your companions behind you and the thudding of the dogs against the other door.


----------



## Fanog (May 29, 2003)

_1st Floor – Stair Closet_
Clairemont Mansion

Michael was halfway across to the bathroom, when he heard the Sergeant call for a retreat into the other door. He turned and carried Amisha into the small closet, following after the others.

As he hears the door shut close, he takes a deep breath through his nose trying to recover from the tension. Michael presses himself against the wall, giving Amisha some room to breathe and keeping the candle in his mouth away from the others.

_God that was close..._

Michael makes a sound and motions to his mouth with the hand supporting Amisha's legs, hoping that someone will understand what he's trying to say...

_Will that door hold? I think we need to keep going, the door might be better than the stairs. Come on, girl. Wake up..._


----------



## Festy_Dog (May 29, 2003)

*1st Floor – Stair Closet*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac moves over to Michael, relieving him of his motuhful of wax.

"Hehe, might keep this as evidence now its got your teeth imprinted on it," he says, trying to be light-hearted.

_... we haven't got much goin' for us..._


----------



## Velenne (May 29, 2003)

_1st Floor – Stair Closet
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha's head abrubtly snaps up in Michael's arms.  She gasps and tries to take in her surroundings. 

"I expected God to be taller..." she says in a thick, sleepy voice, "Oh hey Michael.  What's goin' on?"

Whatever Yuri had given her was doing the trick, or maybe it was her own body's painkillers, but her shoulder felt as if it might as well belong to a different person.  Wrapped as it was, she still found it hard to move and decided leaving it where it was seemed the most prudent choice.

"You can put me down, I think.  Now where's that shotgun?"


----------



## Keia (May 30, 2003)

_1st Floor – Stair Closet
Clairemont Mansion_

"Hmmm, those dogs don't like us much . . . Anyone see more than those two in there?" Anders asked trying to fomulate a plan.

_So, which would be better to defend - the top of the stairs or another doorway.  Height advantage with the risk of being pulled down or narrow opening and fighting them singly,[/] Anders thought through the strategy.  Definitely the room, especially with civilians to protect.

"Let's go through into the room and behind another door.  Moreno, Borzakovsky, make sure that room's clear.  I'll cover this door and the stairs up," Anders said, then looking up the stairway and the ceiling.

Don't need any more frellin' surprises, Anders thought._


----------



## mistergone (May 30, 2003)

_1st Floor – Stair Closet_
Clairemont Mansion



> "Let's go through into the room and behind another door. Moreno, Borzakovsky, make sure that room's clear. I'll cover this door and the stairs up,"




"Fair enough," Yuri pushes the door open wide and steps in, torch held out in front of him. He takes a few steps into the room, making way for people to get in behind him, and once again raises his torch high and scans the new room.

"Hey Moreno, come here and check out the size of this organ."


----------



## Fanog (May 30, 2003)

_1st Floor - Stair Closet_
Clairemont Mansion

"Thanks", Michael says to Goldstein as soon as the candle is taken from his mouth. He takes a spit to the ground to get the taste of parrafin out of his mouth.

Micharl is startled by Amisha's sudden movement, and takes a moment to stablize her in his arms. _Finally..._

"God? You really _were_ far away, weren't you? It's good to have you with us again..." He smiles at her, relief taking some of the tension from his face.

"We've taken some time to get everyone healed up, nothing much happened. More of those dogs tried to break through, so we retreated further into the mansion." 

Michael gently lowers the private's legs, giving her some time to test their strength before putting any weight on them. He still supports her  arms, in case she has a relapse. "The Corporal took the shotgun, you might have a hard time getting it back. Hey, you seem to do okay, but please take it easy for now. Take the rest while you can. Okay?"

"Sergeant, Sir. Patel is conscious again. She seems to be doing fine."


----------



## KitanaVorr (May 31, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Stair Closet*

*Anders Carlson*

The door seems to hold, the dogs banging against it for a couple more times, shaking...but it's quite a solidly made door...an example of beautiful workmanship.  You move back slightly to glance upstairs, but all you can see is darkness.  Perhaps the dogs sniffing at the door, your comrades talking, you can't really hear much of anything from up there.

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

As you step into the room, you see the huge organ standing directly across from you, looking just as dusty as everything else in this house.  There appears to be a door immediately to your right and three doors to your left.  One of them looks like the wire door to an elevator closet.  There are a few chairs in the room, soft sofas to sit and enjoy the sight of anyone playing the instrument.


----------



## Keia (Jun 1, 2003)

_1st Floor - Stair Closet
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders tried to usher everyone into the Organ Hall quickly, unsure of what could be upstairs.  _Rules of engagement . . . limit the fronts if possible,_ Anders thought.  _Yeah, whole lotta good that's going to do.  Then again, if the dogs are inside, perhaps we can get around them back to the car and hotwire it.  It's a thought._

When everyone was through, Anders shut the door.  "Okay, people.  Let's have a look around this room.  Call out whatever you find.  Let's go over this place, carefully.  I'll keep an eye on where we came in."

Anders then pulled the flashlight from his pocket and shined it on the ceiling throughout the room.  _I'm not getting surprised like that again, not if I can help it._


----------



## Velenne (Jun 1, 2003)

_1st Floor - Stair Closet
Clairemont Mansion_

Placing her estranged feet on the floor, Amisha wobbles for a second before securing solid purchase.  She looks around and back up at Michael,

"See, solid as a rock.  Now get your hands off me," she says with a smile, "it may be awhile before you can be alone in a bathroom again, Private."

She gives him a friendly, weak punch in the chest with her good arm and tries to make herself useful again...


----------



## Fanog (Jun 1, 2003)

_1st Floor - Stair Closet_
Clairemont Mansion

"Eh yeah..." Michael blusters, not quite sure what to make of that comment. "Well, it's good to see you back up again. Come on, let's see what this organ is about..."

Michael takes a quick look up to the stairs, a bit anxious the open exit and about what might be up there. Seeing as how he's without light once more, he looks around the people gathered in the crowded room, hoping that someone has a candle or torch to spare.

"Mister Goldstein, do you still need the candle, or could I take it back?" He follows up with a general comment: "Is there anyone with more candles? We could do a quicker search if everyone has a light source, I think. Sir?"

After obtaining a light, Michael walks through the door leading to the organ room, quickly making a check of the instrument itself while being careful not to touch anything.


----------



## Keia (Jun 1, 2003)

_1st Floor - Stair Closet
Clairemont Mansion_

"Smith, we've got three lit torches and one lit candle.  We everyone's in here, we'll have more than enough light.  He!!, what I'm I saying, I rather have electricity, but this is better than nothing," Anders called out from his position at the door.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 1, 2003)

_1st Floor - Stair Closet
Clairemont Mansion_

Michael nods at Carlson's words, yielding to the Sergeant's authority.

_Yes, generators would be nice, but there's no way we're going to reach those anytime soon. And a torch gives off reasonable lights for others, but a candle? Well, I'll just stay close to one of the others who _is_ carrying a torch._

Michael waits in the closet until there is enough light in the organ room to see by. He then enters and takes one corner to do the search that Carlson ordered.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jun 2, 2003)

*1st Floor - Stair Closet*
Clairemont Mansion

"Here you go, soldier," Isaac says and returns the candle to Michael, "I'll start looking around."

Isaac meticulously searches the room, and smiles reassuringly when Amisha gains her feet again.

"Good to see you're ok," he says and returns to his search.


----------



## Velenne (Jun 2, 2003)

_1st Floor - Stair Closet
Clairemont Mansion_

Amisha nods at the cop and shares Michael's candle during the search of the area.  She follows orders, but is still having trouble shaking the spider-webs free of her mind.  Though her vision is still slightly clouded, but she'd be damned if she wasn't going to be useful.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jun 3, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*Michael, Isaac, Amisha, Anders*

As each of you search the room, you find that its dank, dusty and looks like it hasn't hosted a concert in days or been cleaned since then either.  The layer of dust is as weird as it was back in the entrance hall.

More unlit candles can be found in the niches, four in all, that are ready to be lit at any time.

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your eyes pass over organ, one finger poised over the key and thinking about pressing it to see if this thing actually works when a shout from one of the soliders stops you short.  Though you couldn't understand what he said - he sounded slightly panicked.

*Michael Smith*

Your shout was involuntary but full of adrenaline as you just noticed that the  thin line of material wrapping the organ - det cord.  But you couldn't see the detonator or the charges, the cord seems to wind into the organ and disappear into its innards.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jun 3, 2003)

*1st Floor - Stair Closet*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac is startled by the incoherent shout but around himself suddenly, wary of a possible attack.

"What was that about?" he asks, not seeing any dogs or zombies present.

_Sht! Don't wanna die of a heart attack in here, of all the things in this house to fall victim to imagine me having a heart attack!_


----------



## Fanog (Jun 3, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairmont Mansion

_Oh my God..._ "No one move an inch!" Michael is counting on that 'something' in his voice to let the others know that he's serious.

Even though his heart is racing, Michael's strains to give his voice a calm and slow quality. He knows enough to realise that even the slightest disturbance might be disastrous. He's all but whispering to imprint on everyone that this situation does not call for fast action.

"Mister Goldstein... Step away from the organ slowly. Do _not_ touch anything." Thanking God for the cop's fast reflexes, Michael turns to Carlson. "Sergeant Sir, we've got a problem... The organ is rigged."

_Let's hope that's vague enough to keep anyone from panicking, and clear enough to keep anyone on their toes._ The otherwise so talkative private is eerily quiet, dropplets of sweat appearing on his face despite the temperature.


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 3, 2003)

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*
Clairmont Mansion

Jac had been entering the room cautiously, on the look out for more aggressors when the young soldier called out a warning.  She followed his gaze to the organ and her eyes narrowed.  _This is getting stranger and stranger,_ she decided.



> "Sergeant Sir, we've got a problem... The organ is rigged."




"Well, can you disable it?" she asked.  "The explosives could probably come in handy at some point, especially in this crazy place.  If you need some help, I could give you a hand.  I've got a bit of knowledge in the area of demolitions."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regretted them.  _Too much disclosure,_ she thought.  _Could definitely bring up unpleasant questions._  But she shrugged inwardly at her gaffe, brushing some of her jet tresses out of her face.  _Well, what's best for me at this moment is staying alive, which probably has a greater chance if half of these people don't blow themselves away with all our supplies._


----------



## Keia (Jun 3, 2003)

_1st Floor - Stair Closet
Clairemont Mansion_

“Alright, everyone stop what they are doing and look around. Don’t touch anything or move anywhere,” Anders ordered.  _Great, now we’ve got traps as well as zombies and giant vermin.  Let’s see how this group handles mine field training,_ Anders thought.



			
				loxmyth said:
			
		

> * "Well, can you disable it?" she asked.  "The explosives could probably come in handy at some point, especially in this crazy place.  If you need some help, I could give you a hand.  I've got a bit of knowledge in the area of demolitions."*




“Smith, take a look at it and take this flashlight and tool,” Anders said handing the flashlight and multi-purpose tool to Michael.  Then, Anders looked to Jac, the woman who haunted his dreams, “Miss, if you can help with this, I’m sure we’d all appreciate it.  You two make sure you agree before trying anything.”

_Well, someone wired the organ,_ Anders thought as he looked around but didn’t move, _What others areas would be obvious for trapping in this room?_


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 4, 2003)

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*
Clairmont Mansion

Jac gave Anders a wry smile.  "Well, I'm hoping your man is good enough at his job so I don't have to be," she admitted.  "But I'll do what I can.  It could be all of us on the line, if this doesn't go as planned."  Then she returned her gaze to Michael.  "Well, let's get on with this, shall we?"  With that, she moved toward the organ with liquid grace, trying to determine where the trigger to the device is.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 4, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Thoughts are racing through Michael's head as he carefully walks over to Carlson. Sweat is seen glinstering on his face in the torch light, his voice cut off with tension. _Bombs, why bombs...? Give me a computer, a burglar alarm, a wristwatch, a car - I can tear 'em part and put 'em together and you wouldn't know the difference. But bombs...?_ 

As he takes the tools from Carlson, he leans in close to have some private words with him, whispering "Sergeant, Sir. I think I should tell you that I don't have that much experience with explosives. We have to know what's there though, and I'll do it since no one else seems better qualified. Still, I don't want to jeopardize more people than necessary." He takes a breath, giving his whispering voice a more formal tone. "Sir, I request that you pull out everyone but the woman and me, possibly upstairs. We'll be careful and I don't expect trouble, but you can't do anything here, I'm afraid - and I can't give a good estimate of the risk involved..."

Leaving it to the Sergeant to decide, Michael walks over to the raven-haired woman who had volunteered to aid him. _What do we know about her? - Pretty much nothing... She might even be better at this than me. Plan: You talk, get a feeling for how much she knows, and than see together with her what the situation is. Depending on that, we decide whether to take action and leave it like that. I hope I can count on her. Probably, she's just as much in this as we are._

He steps in fairly close to the woman and offers her the flashlight. Trying to focus on the job and forget about the other people in the room, he speaks to her. "Miss... thanks you for offering to help with this situation. I must confess that I don't have too much actual experience with these kinds of devices, but I've got enough theoretical knowledge. I'd suggest we first take a close look without touching anything, find where the triggers and explosives are, and if there are any security measures - motion detectors and so on. Do you agree?"


----------



## mistergone (Jun 5, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri stands there, holding up his torch, staring at the organ, seemingly lost in thought. Occasionally, he laughs some. a Couple times. Then about the third of fourth time, he just lets it go, and begins to laugh loudly.

Eventually, he backs up slowly a ways, as his laughter dies off.

"You know, back in highschool, I was in a band. We rocked. I played keyboards. I had this sweet Casio deluxe set up. Man, what a killer 3 months."

He shakes his head, then moves back towards the door they all came in through.

"You make the call Sarge. In this funhouse, I'd almost rather be blown up than face flesh eating monsters from Hell."


----------



## Keia (Jun 5, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

"Alright, let's back it up into the stairway.  Moreno, Borzakovsky you're in charge in the hall.  Do not go snooping around, return to this room if there's trouble.  I'll stay in here and provide additional light and cover them if there's trouble," Anders ordered.

Anders shook his head, unhappy with the conditions and situation, but he wasn't about to let something happen to Smith . . . or to the raven-haired spy.

Once the people usher out, Anders speaks up to Smith and Nguyen, "Alright, tell me what you see. . . I'll handle the disarming part of the happy fun organ.  I've had more than my fair share of demolitions work, this shouldn't be too much trouble," Anders said.

_Setting them, disarming them - not a problem.  Finding them, much, much more difficult,_ Anders thought.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jun 5, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

You watch apprehensively while the small team goes at the organ, wondering if your visit here at this place would be more short-lived than you had ever imagined...

*Jacqueline, Michael*

Both of you breath a sigh of relief when Anders moves to take over the entire disarming operation.  It had been a long moment of staring and realizing out of the two of you only one knew where to begin.

*Anders Carlson*

Your hands remain steady as you began to feel around the organs panel where the detcord entered.  It seems an odd way to wire the bomb as if whoever it was wanted to blow the organ itself, anybody else getting hurt seems to be just a side effect.  Why someone would be so interested in blowing up the organ and yet failing to do so puzzled you intensely.

Finally you pry open the panel and with Jacqueline's help holding it back, you reach in with the multipurpose tool to get started.

Inside your head you play over what the denator looks like when you finally spotted a huge lump of tape at the end of the detcord.  With practiced hands you snip the end of it and carefully removed the detonator...but you'd have to be extra careful because enough detcord was still in the taped mess to take out your hand it if went off.   It seemed a simple enough for you to use if you needed to.

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

Standing there so close, with so much fear in the room, you could smell Anders scent.  Rather like what you remembered from the last time you both had met - masculine, sweaty, and utterly sexy.  Of course, only the both of you know what had happened that night...

Taking yourself out of your reverie, you carefully unwound the detcord from around the organ - gathering about roughly 50 feet of material.

*Michael Smith*

Staring into the organ, your mind begins to realize that something wasn't quite _right_ about its innards.  Taking the multipurpose tool from Anders, you begin to fiddle with it until you managed to ascertain that if the organ was played a certain way - some of those locking mechanisms would be activated.  What it would do though, you had no idea.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 5, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Michael is quite relieved when he finds out that Carlson will be there to oversee the operation. It isn't just that he didn't quite know where to start, it's also the raven-haired woman; Something about her makes him quite nervous. She's just so... unresponsive, closed. It makes him quite uncomfortable.

Michael follows the Sergeant's orders closely during the disarming, mostly just watching to see if the others didn't miss anything.  When the detcord has been removed, Michael notices the odd mechanism in the inside of the organ.

"Sir, I found something odd here that may explain why the organ was rigged." While crouching closer and studying the device, he continues talking. "There is some kind of mechanism here that is activated by playing the organ. My suggestion is that the detcord was just a security measure to prevent us from ever activating it. But whatever the mechanism is is, they probably didn't want to destroy it as a precaution. They were only ready to blow it up when it become necessary, by us finding the organ and playing it. Does that make sense? I can't make out what it does, but if they didn't want to destroy it, it must have been important."

Michael continues investigating the device, paying extra attention to finding all of the I/O-methods for the device. _It's activated by the keyboard, but what does it do? If it activates anything else, there should be a path out, possibly a wire or crutch sticking out out of the organ... Through the wall, or the floor maybe?_


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 5, 2003)

This close to the Seargent, Jac felt her head swim, just a little.  Course, she'd never admit it in present company.  She knew she should have stepped back.  She had no idea how good Anders' was at this demolitions thing, and it would certainly mean her life.  But for some reason, she didn't feel quite that bad literally placing her life in this man's hands.  Somehow, being beside seemed the safest place in the whole world right now.

As he disconnected the last wire and stood back to admire his handiwork, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.  "Good job," she congratulated him with a smile and a quick squeeze of his hand.  It was so warm, his hand.  Almost too much heat for a real person.  Or maybe, he was more than real?  Because suddenly he felt like what life must feel like.  She caught his eyes for a minute, trying to figure out what was going on in that head of his.  _What's he thinking?_

But they were fighting for their lives here.  She couldn't take the time to pour her heart out right here to him, even if she'd been so inclined, or if she thought it would do much good.  He'd said that she looked like crap, after all, so she couldn't be too alluring at this point in time, soaked in sweat and the body fluids of the undead.

No, now wasn't the time.  So she wrapped herself back in her cold attitude of detachment, shielded herself behind her mask of dispassion.  She disengaged his hand, and set to retrieving the detcord.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Jun 6, 2003)

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Trying to get a good look at what exactly was happening a bit in front of her, Maria walks away from the door she was still guarding. Her footsteps sound a lot louder now she's in a room with good accoustics. Her finger strokes the wall and any flat surfaces, checking for dust. 
"So if I get this clear..." Maria start, looking around the room she's standing in "you just removed a bomb which should prevent us from reaching the trigger you just found? Can you see what would activate this trigger?" Bringing the light of the torch a bit more into the room, Maria sniffs the air. _This room looks like some kind of chamber the Phantom of the Opera would feel at home in. What horror will be lurking around here... I can't believe that we encountered zombies, dogs and that huge spider, to find this room unguarded._ She looks up at the ceiling, trying to spot anything unusual.


----------



## Keia (Jun 6, 2003)

_*1st Floor – Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion_



			
				Jac Nguyen said:
			
		

> *As he disconnected the last wire and stood back to admire his handiwork, she let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.  "Good job," she congratulated him with a smile and a quick squeeze of his hand. *




After Anders finished disconnecting the bomb, the emotional and tension relief was quite high.  Exultation that everyone was still alive, satisfaction at his work, the emotions and chemicals released into his bloodstream gave him almost a natural high . . . then he felt her hand on his and she smiled.

Flood gates were almost released and emotions almost came pouring out.  Questions, undeniable feeling for her, fear, nervousness, definite attraction, ‘let’s talk now ‘cause we may never get another chance,’ those feelings and more flew across Anders face and was reflected in his eyes.  Anders reined them all in though . . . people were depending on him – *she* was depending on him.  And he didn’t even know her name. . . .

Anders looked to Jac and smiled, “Thanks, . . .”  and before Anders could add anything more, the moment was interrupted  . . . 



> _Originally posted by Michael Smith_
> *"Sir, I found something odd here that may explain why the organ was rigged . . . I can't make out what it does, but if they didn't want to destroy it, it must have been important."*




“I agree, the wiring was definitely set to blow the organ up if it was tampered with, casualties were secondary,” Anders said, somewhat abruptly, concealed anger at being interrupted at his first chance to talk . . . Anders looked to Smith and Jac and asked, “Smith, Miss . . . take a look at the organ see where the wiring going.  Be careful, I have visions of that show _The Goonies_ playing in my head.”

The careful part was directed with direct eye contact with Jac, but the moment had definitely passed by looking at her.

To the others re-entering the room, Anders ordered “Be careful touching anything.  The organ was wired, so other things could be as well.  Looks like the stakes just got higher.”


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jun 7, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Maria Moreno*

Your emotions heightened, you glance aroud the room, upon the ceiling, but you don't notice anything amiss.  The room looks tastefully if antiquatedly decorated.  Your eyes do pick up the not so subtle tension and strengh of feeling that pass through Anders and the raven-haired woman.  You also can't help but notice that now the woman, who you trust as much as you trust one of those dogs, has alot of det cord.

*Michael Smith*

All your work trying to figure out how the organ worked resulted in not as much knowledge as you had hoped.  From what you can see, the keyboard does operate it - but only a certain succession of keys would unlock whatever the mechanism did.  Apparently its more a mechanical device, working on the movement of gears and pressure locks.  Perhaps to open something?  Close something? Move something?  You don't know.

You can see that whatever it is extends into the wall and from the disappears to some part of the house.    To see further you have to break into the organ or the wall.  And you definitely don't have the tools to do that.  You'd need an axe or something to do it properly.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jun 7, 2003)

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac begins his search anew, but this time is a lot more cautious.

_Clues... anything to figure out whats going on, how to get out._

If he finds one of the unlit candles in the room he'll light it off one of the others' torches and continue searching.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 7, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

"Well," Michael continues, crouched as far into the organ as he can, "the mechanism is definately activated by the keyboard, but as far as I can tell only a specific combination or sequence of keys will activate it. The device is partially built into the wall, so it could have any number of effects, virtually anywhere in the house."

Michael prepares to crawl out of the cramped space he was occupying. He had totally missed any tension going on in the room. "Sir, as long as I can't get a better view of the mechanism, the effects of playing the organ could really be anything. Seeing as how we don't have the equipment to lay the device bare, I think it's better to leave it alone, Sir."


----------



## mistergone (Jun 9, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Yuri wanders back into the room and casts the light of his torch around. His eyes settle on the organ again.

_I bet I could play that thing. How hard could it be?_

Turning back to the room in general, he looks at each person around him.

_Hm, everyone seems okay for now. Amazing really. Maybe my theory is wrong?_ He particularly studies the asian woman. _ If I'm not wrong, she'll be the fist to go. Unless there's a trigger. Hm. Maybe the body has to actually die first._

Idylly examining some of the furniture in the room, Yuri speaks up again.

"My vote is to keep moving, Sarge. We still haven't found any sign of the rest of the team. And what about finding a generator? Sure would be nice to ditch these fire hazards."

Yuri keeps wandering about the room, shining the torchlight high and low, and finally ending up near the doors on the north wall.


----------



## Keia (Jun 12, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

Anders replied to Michael, "Okay Smith, then we'll leave it alone for now.  Who knows, maybe we'll find some sheet music or notes to play that will trigger something, but I'd rather find out what it does before playing it.  Is that an elevator closet over there?  Why don't to give it the once over, but make sure it is trapped as well?  I'd be curious to see how many levels are in this place."

Anders then headed over to Yuri. "If you've got a minute, I was wondering if you'd take a look at this arm," Anders said as he indicated his arm that the dog had bit into.  The acid had done a piece of work to it.

"I don't know about you, but this place for some reason makes me think of the obstacle course back at boot.  As for what's next, we keep exploring, room by room, taking what we can and looking for those who were missing," Anders told Yuri.  Voice lowered Anders added quietly to Yuri, "Plus, we've got our mission, if there ever was one.  Yuri, did the lieutenant mention anything to you of our mission or objectives here?"


----------



## mistergone (Jun 12, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion



> "If you've got a minute, I was wondering if you'd take a look at this arm," Anders said as he indicated his arm that the dog had bit into.  The acid had done a piece of work to it.
> 
> "I don't know about you, but this place for some reason makes me think of the obstacle course back at boot.  As for what's next, we keep exploring, room by room, taking what we can and looking for those who were missing," Anders told Yuri.  Voice lowered Anders added quietly to Yuri, "Plus, we've got our mission, if there ever was one.  Yuri, did the lieutenant mention anything to you of our mission or objectives here?"




Yuri takes the Sarge's arm and examines it in the torchlight. Having Anders hold his torch, he opens the first aid kit and begins to minister to the damaged arm.

"Hm, well at least you got it washed out, good. Yer gonna have some heinous scars here," he says wryly, then lowers his voice. "I probably know less than you, Sarge. Download some info from a computer in a secret lab. That's all I know. Keep the team in working order. That's my job." He pointedly looks at Smith. I assume we can still complete the mission." His gaze goes to the civilians. "But between me and you, what have we lost sight of here? Eradicate the evidence. Clean up the mess. That's what we do, right?" He looks at the Sargeant, and something is there... or more precisely _not_ there in his eyes. "Control the situation, extract information, seperate the chaffe. It's what we do. It's our job. Our mission. Enough public relations. We don't do that. Everything is FUBAR, yeah, but we have a job to do, that's all we know for sure."

Yuri claps Anders on the shoulder and raises his voice again, closing up the kit and stowing it back on his belt.

"Good enough to go, Sarge. Ship-shape." He smiles, but all humor is gone from the expression. Taking the torch back, he returns to quiet contemplation.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 13, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

As Michael can stand straight again, he stretches out a little to get the tension from his back. He takes an awkward look to the slim woman next to him, still unsure how to react to her. As he hears the Sergeant speak about the mission, his thoughts run back to when all of them were together in the main hall.

_Sergeant was trying to get everyone together, a round of show-and-tell. As I remember, no one but the Sergeant said anything. We were interrupted..._

Michael's eyes won't hold on the mysterious woman's face, they rest on the length of det-cord in her hands. "Well, that went quite well, I think. That stuff might come in handy later. Thank you for the assistance, Miss ... ?" The question is obvious - not even having a name to adress her by is almost torture for the young private.


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 19, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

"Nguyen," Jacqueline supplies, softly.  "Jacqueline Nguyen."  Probably more information than she needed to be giving out, but she'd been doing that a lot today.  Her eyes flitted over the antique organ, curiosity evident in her dark eyes.

She found herself moving over to where Anders and Yuri stood, turning to look at the ranking officer.  There had been a moment there where she'd thought that there was something... in his eyes... but she couldn't be sure and the moment was past.  The most important thing right now was to avoid anymore of the mansion's _surprises_ for as long as possible.

"Hey, we should start moving again," she tells Anders, grasping him gently by the elbow.  "After we know whether the elevator door is secure, we should move on.  The zombie dogs know we're in here, and I'd rather not be caught like a sitting duck."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jun 20, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Isaac Goldstein*

You find a couple of candles, lighting one with a match.  Throwing light upon the room, you pore over the walls, trying to see what is going on but the room does not release any more clues for you.  There is the organ, chairs and the elevator on one side of the wall.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

With your care, you can see Anders condition improve greatly.  The arm is looking less ragged and certainly more healthy after your careful ministrations. 

*Anders Carlson*

When Jacqueline touches your arm you feel tingling sparkling all along your skin - spreading along your body until it rests in the most interesting of places.  Your mind though remains focused on the task and with a practised eye you glance over the elevator closet with Jacqueline.

*Jacqueline, Anders*

The antique elevator sparkles in the candlelight, the beautiful mahogany doors carved with delicate detail.  The wood feels cold against your fingers as you careful slide it back to reveal the interior.  Its dark inside, the candle  exposing what to you looks like a closet with a rather modern buttons on one side.

It lists the current floor and the second floor, but you don't see any other indication that it goes anywhere else beyond that.

*Isaac Goldstein*

Your sharp eyes spot something wrong about a panel in the elevator beside the buttons, but you can't figure out what to do with it despite pushing against it and feeling the edges of the panel with your fingers.  It is so well hidden that if it weren't for your sharp eyes, you would never have even noticed it.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jun 20, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Organ Hall

"There's something not quite right about this panel," Isaac says to the others.

_Just can't figure out what it is._

He fiddles with the panel, searching with his hands for what doesn't fit.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 20, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

As Michael is left standing alone, he repeats after the raven-haired woman, muttering "Nguyen...".

Goldstein's words snap him out of his thoughts and back to the mansion. Michael still seems somewhat quiet from the bomb that they found only just in time, but he seems to cheer up by the moment, in his element somehow...

"Panel? That sounds like my cue..." He quickly walks over to help Isaac check out the elevator panel, lighting by with his candle and, if possible, taking off the panel with the help of his multi-tool. 

_Bomb - This one too? Better be careful..._


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 20, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Jac's words echoed Michael's thoughts as she backed up to allow him and Isaac access to the panel.  "Careful, it could be wired to blow too.  It looks like we can get up to the second floor if this elevator actually works."  She turned to address Anders.  "What did you find upstairs?  Besides the thing that took a bite out of your friend there?"  She gestured at Amisha.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jun 21, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Jacqueline Nguyen*

Anders answers you in that gruff and pretty efficent manner you have grown used to.  He spoke of a blue bedroom, a long gallery hall and that incredibly nasty spider of immense proportions.  There's a hint of pride in his voice in how Amisha handled herself - blowing the creature's head into mush even while it tried to suck away at the last visages of her life.

*Michael, Isaac*

The panel is clearer now but it doesn't seem to pry loose in any way.  Then a thought strikes both of you simultaneously that somehow another mechanism must pry it loose.

*Michael Smith*

Perhaps it has something to do with the way the buttons are pressed...?  That piece of inspiration makes you stare hard at the elevator buttons that list the first and the second floor along with an emergency stop button...perhaps some kind of code?

*Isaac Goldstein*

Ander's thoughts of another floor below makes you wonder if perhaps the elevator shaft could be made of some use.  Of course you wonder what other floor he could be talking about...the lab that Amelia's sister worked in?


----------



## Fanog (Jun 21, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

As Michael examines the panel, he speaks his mind, hoping that he and Goldstein might get somewhere together. _...and that he'll catch me if _I_ am about to set off of bomb._

"The panel is definately stuck. There must be some locking mechanism inside. Which means that there is a mechanism somewhere else to unlocks it..." Michael takes a look at the side to the organ, thinking of the strange device inside it. 

"It _could_ the the organ thing, but that's pretty far away, it seems too 'big' for such a panel. A hidden switch, buttons... The elevator buttons?"

_If it is some kind of sequence, then it would have to involve the Emergency Stop. Otherwise, the regular buttons wouldn't work to operate the elevator. Normally the Emergency isn't used much, but if it is some kind of secret switch, it might._

Looking very closely at the wear of the different buttons, Michael resumes his talking. "Mister Goldstein, do you think it might be some sequence of the elevator buttons?"


----------



## mistergone (Jun 22, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

_Let the tech-heads be tech-heads. Little puzzles in a big puzzle. I hate waiting. I hate hurrying._

Yuri lets random thoughts flit across his mind. He tries not to let the cold feeling of growing dread creep any more up his spine than it has.

"Hey, you've been quiet," he says to Amisha, going over to her, "lemme check you out." He looks over her wounds and his previous handiwork, making sure bandages and whatnot are still in place and looking good. Or as good as could be expected.

"You know," he murmurs to her and he checks her over, "when I was about 8 or so, I was playing outside and I ran through a black widow's web. It ended up on my arm. I just stared at it for like, I dunno, it seemed a long time. See, I had been told that if a black widow even touches you, you just keel over dead. I was so shocked, I was totally frozen. When it started crawling up towards my elbow, I flicked it off. My friend stomped on it. Everyone said I was the luckiest kid ever for not getting bitten. Me, I just had never been so aware of my heart beating up til then."


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jun 22, 2003)

*1st Floor - Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion



> _Originally posted by Fanog_
> "Mister Goldstein, do you think it might be some sequence of the elevator buttons?"




"Sounds good to me," Isaac replies, "By the way, just call me Isaac."

Isaac casts his own eyes over the elevator buttons, trying to piece together something relevant.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Jun 22, 2003)

*1st Floor - Organ Hall
Clairemont Mansion*

Maria is standing a bit behind the rest of the group, the shotgun still pointed near the stairs they climbed to get in the Organ Hall. _Stupid mutts..._ she says while taking a few steps backwards, away from the stairs, eventually turning her head away from the darkness there. _Ah, the rest have found something interesting, go them_. Maria finally gets the dogs out of her head for a second and seems to be able to concentrate on the here and now again. 

"Smith" Maria says, trying to order him something with a very strict voice, but then she decides it's best not to take charge here now. "Don't get yourself killed, ok? That elevator doesn't look very stable if you ask me." Maria actually feints a smile on her face while speaking, but inside, she feels terrible about where they are. Locked up by dogs on one side, and at this point no way out. She then decides it isn't logical to have a room on the first floor without an exit on the first floor.

Quickly she takes a good look around the room, seeing if there might be some kind of passage, hidden door, or anything she might have missed the first time she looked around here.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jun 22, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Michael Smith*

The wear of the elevator buttons don't tell you anything other than buttons for floor one and two have been used the most often and that people have pressed the emergency stop perhaps more often than normal.

The organ though doesn't give up any more clues and you can't tell if its connect to the elevator as you can't see what's on the walls beyond the elevator.  You'd have to get a look into the shaft to really see anything.

*Maria Moreno*

The room doesn't give up any more secrets than what the others have just found.  The door open to the stair hall though is beginning to give you chills remember what you had seen up there on the second floor.

Of course another source of your chills might be seeing Nguyen take Carlson's elbow.

*Yuri Borzakovsky*

Amisha looks a bit ragged and she appears to be quite tired standing there, propping herself up.

*Isaac Goldstein*

Noticing Michael moving back and forth between the organ and the elevator, you get what he's trying to do.  Something about the organ must be related to the elevator, right?

Just as thought strikes you, you feel the elevator jolt up and down as if something heavy just landed on the top of it.  Once Michael gets back into the elevator though, you don't feel anything else.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jun 23, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*
1st Floor – Organ Hall

_What the fck!?_

"Smith, get out of the lift," Isaac says, just about dragging Smith with him out of the elevator, "Something's just landed on the elevator roof."

Isaac finds a safe location behind the armed soldiers.

_Just full o' fckin' surprises ain't it?_


----------



## Fanog (Jun 23, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

"Wha--!" is pretty much all that Michael can utter as he is dragged away by Isaac. 

As soon as he is at a safe distance from the elevator door, he turns, standing his ground. Michael's thoughts are switching back and fro between the panel and buttons and whatever might be on top of the elevator.

He just stares at the elevator door, listening for any sound that might be coming from it.

"Sir...?"


----------



## Keia (Jun 23, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall
Clairemont Mansion_

"Moreno, ready that shotgun," Anders called out.  Anders pulled out the flashlight and shone it on the ceiling of the current room, making sure there were no surprises sneaking into the room.  He tucked the light (out now) back on his belt and double gripped his revolver.

"Let's set up," Anders said and will use his tactics training and field experience to arrange the civilians and his team to deal with a threat from the elevator.  Once in position, Anders will slowly approach the elevator.


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jun 24, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Maria Moreno*

You quickly help Anders set everyone into position.  Yourself with the shotgun beside you, Anders' own weapon poisted as both of you get everyone else behind you - those armed with clubs ready.  You and Anders stand about five feet away from the elevator.

*Everyone*

Again a squeaking noise could be heard and now you can visibly see the elevator shake a bit.  Nothing else though greets you in the silence that happens after that.

*Anders Carlson*

Slowly as you approach the elevator you see that there is nothing in side - not surprising.  The celing seems to be intact and made of a sturdy metal and wood.  There are wood panels around the sides mixed with black steel beams in intricate construction.


----------



## mistergone (Jun 24, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

"Screw this." exclaims Yuri, but he doesn't move or do anything else, save for hold his torch out before him, as if it can create some sort of protective barrier in front of him. His eyes lock on the elevator.

"There's two more doors out of here... I won't tell anyone we ran away if no one else will."


----------



## loxmyth (Jun 24, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Jacqueline grips her candlestick with white knuckles, dark eyes locked unwaveringly on the elevator opening.  She nods at Yuri's suggestion.  "Yeah, tell me about it.  Odds are ten to one that this thing's nastier than one of those dogs."  But she doesn't move.  She can't bring herself to turn her back away when she knows there's something there, possibly waiting for a moment of weakness or indecision to spring from the darkness.

Plus Anders was still there.  And the military types followed him without question.  The discipline and morale of the group hung off of him making out here alive.  Or something.


----------



## Keia (Jun 25, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion



			
				mistergone said:
			
		

> *"There's two more doors out of here... I won't tell anyone we ran away if no one else will." *




" 'And let's show them what's behind door #1, Bob.'  I'm only willing to risk it if you're certain that there's something safer behind one of these doors.  Otherwise, we deal with what's above the elevator so that we can make use of it," Anders commented to Yuri.  "make use of the elevator, that is . . . I don't think we'll be able to make use of whatever carcass is laying there after we're through with it."

Anders keep his eyes on the elevator, confident in his team's ability to keep their cool and focus. "Smith, you and Isaac check one of those other doors for anything nasty.  Cover each other and play it safe . . . I may want this thing dealt with, but I like options as well," Anders finished with a smirk.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 25, 2003)

_1st Floor – Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Michael had been torn with indecision. His head flipped from front to back, switching between the elevator and those behind him. Amisha and Amelia, both tired and looking rather defeated. He had taken position where the Sergeant had directed him but didn't really feel useful, having just a candle for a weapon.

Carlson's orders take Michael out of his state, snap him back into action. _You take strength from others... Come on, Michael, no slacking. You've got to set an example, keep everyone together..._

"Yes, Sir." Determined to look unhesitating, Michael takes firm paces towards the door that's furthest away from the elevator. He motions for Isaac to follow him closer to the door. "I'll take the right-hand side, you watch left. At the first sight of trouble, give me a signal and I'm closing the door. Agreed?"

Michael takes a firmer grip on his candle, keeping it out if front of him. As soon as he has Isaac's okay, he gives a nod and opens the door.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jun 25, 2003)

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion



> _Originally posted by Fanog_
> "I'll take the right-hand side, you watch left. At the first sight of trouble, give me a signal and I'm closing the door. Agreed?"




Isaac nods.

"Plenty enough trouble to go 'round in this house," Isaac replies and takes up a spot near the door as indicated by Michael, "I dislike the thought of finding more critters, this wound hurts enough _without_ acid in it."

Isaac looks at his dog bite for a moment, realising the only treatment he'd had so far had been the rinsing he'd given it.

_Better get that looked at later, more important things now, gotta look out for people._


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jun 26, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Michael, Isaac*

The door slides open easily and they could see that whatever was beyond seemed a vast room.  From their vantage point all they could see was some columns by the door and an expensive marble floor.  The light only let them see about a few feet into it - their seemed to be some sort of pattern on the floor.

*Everyone*

Though intent on both the elevator and the door, you don't notice what's happening in the stairway until it's too late.  Suddenly a loud thud is heard, quick feet shuttering along a huge hairy form peeks its head into the room, standing before you with mouth gaping.

Fangs glisten with poison as it decides who is its next victim.


----------



## Fanog (Jun 26, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Michael's heart skips several beats at seeing the monstrous spider. Instinctively, he backs away from the gigantic insect until he feels the corner of the room and the organ firmly in his back. He tries to reason away what he sees before him, without much succes.

_This can't be... A spider _this_ large? A trick, hallucination... -- My God, its mandibles. They are huge, could skewer a man in two. _Can't_ be real - but neither can acidic dogs. Acid... Would this be poisonous? Poison?!_

Things locks into place as Michael looks at Amisha, remembering how her wounds looked and what she was suffering from. "Am!" _Dear God, this big? Is she even ready to move again?_ 

Michael stares down at the candle he is clutching, nearly crushing it in his grip. With bulging eyes he looks around, first at the open door right next to him, then at the others near him. And at the creature, blocking their path to the other part of the group...

No words come out of Michael's mouth, he doesn't commit to action. He's afraid of chosing, knowing that either choice may be disastrous.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jun 27, 2003)

*1st Floor - Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac backs off, being unarmed, somewhat disbelieving a spider could get so big.

_Not... good... That's a spider? I'll fight if I have to... I guess._


----------



## Keia (Jun 27, 2003)

_*1st Floor - Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion_

_Ahhh, h*ll! Nobody closed the door to the stairs?!?  If the dogs had broken through . . . forget it . . . too late for recrimination . . . for yourself or the others,_ Anders thought.

With a yell to hopefully draw the creature away from the others and toward him, Anders adjusted to not shoot anyone in the crossfire.  With a steady hand and eye, Anders prepared to crack several shots off at the creature.


----------



## mistergone (Jun 28, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

"WHAT THE F*CK IS THAT?"

Yuri backs away from the monster and looks for something to hide behind, or anything to put between him and the eight-legged beast.


----------



## Gurdjieff (Jun 28, 2003)

*1st Floor - Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

"Eat shells, creep!" Maria mumbles to herself mostly, and she feels the trigger of the shotgun against her finger. The shotgun feels cold in her hands, as if it wants to say: _Shoot me! Warm me up!_. Maria aims for the giant spiderlike creature, especially it's head, and releases. With a big bang she is feels a shcok going through her body, as both slugs loaded in the gun are released and on their way to the creature's neck. "Go back where you came from, spawn of Hell."


----------



## KitanaVorr (Jul 2, 2003)

*Clairemont Mansion*

*1st Floor – Organ Hall*

*Yuri, Michael, Isaac*

Neither of you can see anything but the organ and the doorway leading int o a black abyss behind you.  Before you, the others and the huge spider that looks as if prey is the first thing on its mind.

*Amelia Brogart*

The pain digs deep as the spider's fang sinks into you for a crushing bite.   Suddenly the world spins before your eyes and you feel yourself grow weak at the knees.

*Maria Moreno*

The first shot misses the neck but the second sinks in deep.  The creature turns its beady black eyes toward you, its grip lessening on the blonde woman.

*Anders Carlson*

Further shots shook its bulbous body as they both hit their mark.  The beast makes a sound that is distinctly not human and shakes...the blond woman dancing like a rag doll in its fangs...but still it remains before you.


*Jacqueline, Amisha*

The smell of the spider's poison shook you to your very core, stiring memories in one of you and invoking fear in the other.  Watching as it devoured the blonde woman, both of you do nothign but stare in horror...wondering if you were next on the dinner menu tonight...


----------



## Fanog (Jul 2, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Michael looks at the cowering Borzakovsky with a mixture of fear and anger on his face. Fear at the beast that just managed to mangle the blonde woman with such ease, and anger at Borzakovsky for not doing anything. "Corporal!"

Michael's head swings back to the spider, big enough to see every part of its body in horrifying detail; the hair on its body and legs, its black beady eyes and massive jaws. He also sees Amisha, rooted to the ground. _My God, she must was nearly killed by one of these, just ago. She must be reliving it all again. Damnit..._ "Am!", he screams again, hoping to get her out of her state of shock.

Immediately after calling her, Michael decides that the effort is probably wasted and that action has to be taken. He takes a short sprint and hooks one arm firmly around Amisha's waist. Hoping that the gunfire from the other side will keep the beast occupied long enough, Michael retreats back to the corner of the room, dragging the terrified private with him out of reach of the beast. 

Michael tries to give the two men with him some sensible orders or advice, but nothing comes to mind... He tries to think of _something_, but all he can do is hope that the creature will ignore them long enough for the others to kill it.


----------



## Keia (Jul 2, 2003)

_*1st Floor - Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion_

"Somebody close that door, *Now!*" Anders ordered as he trained the weapon on creature.  Focused on his enemy, Anders was as prepared to drop kick the creature into last week as he was to fill it full of holes.  "One of these is more than enough.  Goldstein, keep an eye on that elevator.  I wanna know if somethings about to come out of there."

Anders tried to draw the attention of the creature away from those that were helpless in the fight without drawing other things into the room.  Then Anders realized that the raven-haired spy had yet to move - she just stood staring at the creature.  Anders moved to step in front of her, protecting her from the creature.


----------



## loxmyth (Jul 2, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Jacqueline could almost smell the putridness of the creature that filled her vision, aggressively clamped against the blonde woman.  Her eyes followed the stiff bristles of brown hair that covered the creature's body, the small black beady eyes of death that seemed even now to be staring straight at her...  Even now, after fighting zombies and collecting demolition supplies in a _freaking_ mansion, it was hard for her brain to parse the heaving, eight-legged mass before her.  Was it even scientifically impossible, that such a creature could exist?  But obviously it was, because the thing sucking the life out of Brogart was not some hallucination brought on by her zombie wounds: others were reacting to it as well.

Her body feels sluggish and it seems that she can't decide what to do... until Anders' voice grounds her back to the now, to the situation that was unfolding before them in all its gory detail.



> "Somebody close that door, Now!"




She jumped for a moment, threw a look over her shoulder at the door he was talking about it, and sprinted towards it, intent on closing it.  Then she planned on turning back to help with the spider, gripping the candlestick tighter as she thought of using it on those huge hairy fangs.


----------



## mistergone (Jul 3, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

_Okay, this is insane. Two people have guns. Smith is gonna prolly kick the damn thing any minute now. F*ck this._

"F*ck this," mutters Yuri, "Smith! Grab Patel and follow me! Now!"

_Cut our losses, wheat from chafe..._

Yuri turns towards the open door behind him and thrusts his torch into the darkness, then catiously but determinedly enters the next room.


----------



## Festy_Dog (Jul 4, 2003)

*1st Floor - Organ Hall*
Clairemont Mansion

Isaac sees Amelia get picked up by the creature and shaken about like nothing more than a small moth being played with by a spider.

_Can't let her die..._

Isaac is torn between saving the young woman ensuring his own safety. Many years of police work unconsiously make the decision for him and he rushes to Amelia's aid, hoping to get her away from the creature if possible.


----------



## mistergone (Jul 16, 2003)

_1st Floor - Organ Hall_
Clairemont Mansion

Seemingly frozen in time Yuri pushes ever forward into the unknown room, away from the monster and the madness... and into the darkness...


----------

