Post by Eurydice on May 26, 2007 22:34:15 GMT -5
((Incomplete summary of a Call of Cthulhu game that Alex ran the night of July 29, 2006. Got home somewhere around five in the morning and was so inspired by the game that felt the need to start writing it down immediately. Unfortunately, only finished writing up about half of it. And there are gaps galore. By the time I picked it up again, had forgotten most of the important details. So, here's what I jotted down that frantic morning.))
Professor Evitas looked over his class, a trace of grim humor in his eyes. “Time. Please hand in your exams; I’ll have your grades posted by the end of Spring Break.”
There was a beat, followed by the clatter of pens and pencils on desks and a hum of muttered comments from the students, mainly sophomore and junior biology majors. To say that it had not been a reasonable mid-term would have been supreme understatement.
Towards the back of the lecture hall, Greg Evitas, the professor’s son, stared blankly at the test book. He was a freshman majoring in History, but he had decided—very unwisely, he had realized belatedly—that after passing through AP Bio, an upper-level biology class taught by his father would be an acceptable challenge. He exhaled shakily and looked over at his roommate, Ryan, who was sitting next to him, looking drained.
“I got done half,” he offered weakly.
“I got done half half,” said Ryan.
Two seats beyond them, Emily sat still scribbling furiously, trying to ignore the rush of students pouring out of the classroom. Ryan leaned over to poke her in the arm. “I think we’re supposed to go now.”
Glaring, although mostly at the blue book, Emily slammed down her pencil. The three of them had spent the better part of the previous night poring over the text, but regardless of how well they understood the material, there had simply been too much to work through in too little time. Emily picked up her test papers and followed the two boys to the front of the room where Professor Evitas was waiting, hand out expectantly. “Well? How’d we do?”
Greg stared at his father malevolently. “I hope there’s a curve.”
“I hope there’s a curve on the curve.”
“What was this?” asked Emily. “A sick joke?”
“This,” the professor said blandly, “was for people just taking this class for an easy science credit.”
Ryan was about to point out that this hardly seemed likely in a class mainly designed for majors, but he saw Greg shoot his father a look, and he decided not to press it then. It looked like something that the two must have discussed before.
“Could you stay behind a minute, Greg?”
Greg nodded. “See you guys in the cafeteria.”
***
Ryan was glumly munching a cookie when Greg walked in a few minutes later and stopped, looking uncertain, and Ryan, cringing slightly, knew why.
Emily was sitting opposite Ryan, hurriedly eating a sandwich over a thick textbook. Up until a few weeks ago, Greg would have slid in next to Emily without a second thought, but the friendship between the three of them had been somewhat nudged out of alignment when Emily broke up with Greg, and although they had only been official for a couple months, neither of them quite knew how to deal with each other for the moment.
“Saved you a seat.” Ryan slid over quickly, and Greg sat down, looking grateful. He eyed the platter of cookies in milk in front of Ryan.
“Shouldn’t you be watching your girlish figure?”
“I needed comfort food.” Ryan sighed. “Least it’s over.”
“What did Daddy want?” Emily asked.
((Gap-- When Greg shows up, he says that his dad has given him the keys to the car for spring break, as well as free reign of E’s newly purchased manor, acquired after some recent important publishing. Greg leaves, hardly having touched his lunch.
Greg and Ryan later go to Mr. E to get directions (gay joking on the way), and they end up with train tickets for tomorrow evening. Instructed to meet a Mr. Gardener at the train station. Back in their room, Greg gets an IM from Emily, asking if he’s alright (re: lunch). He says he’s fine and immediately goes away. Ryan IMs Emily and tells her that they’re leaving tomorrow. Ryan goes out to play guitar in the common room. Greg reads.
Next day, they speed to Philly, just ‘cause the car is that awesome. Discuss how Mr. E has the money for the car and the new estate (“Hey, I don’t know how I’m going to make that much money on a history major.” “We’re English majors; we feel your pain.” “You might write the great American novel…”)))
Emily, being more familiar with 30th Street Station than the others, took the lead as they entered the busy terminal, weaving in and out of the writhing rush hour activity. Joining the stampede that was clattering down the stairs to the platform, they were practically swept into the train car that was waiting for them.
The conductor frowned at their tickets, looked at the three of them, and looked at the tickets again. Emily tentatively looked up. “Is there a problem with--?”
“Not at all.” The conductor ripped the tickets in half and straightened himself. “If you’d follow me, please?”
The conductor, whose nametag identified him as David, led them forward several cars until they found themselves in a single room with a wider, nicer window, and four expensive-looking chairs, facing each other in pairs.
“You’re kidding…” Greg settled into one of the chairs and leaned back; it reclined slightly. “You’re kidding, no way.” He pressed something on the arm of the chair and it began to hum slightly. Greg shuddered pleasantly. “Oh, man…”
Ryan was sprawled in the seat next to him instantly. “Massage?” he said, incredulous.
“Believe it.”
“I didn’t even know Amtrak had cars like this.” Emily tentatively took the remaining window seat. “Did your dad say anything about…?”
“Hey, I’m not complaining.”
Ryan was about to contribute to the conversation when the door slid open to reveal one of the most attractive women Ryan had ever seen framed in the doorway, wearing a flattering conductor’s uniform (although he would have ventured to say that anything would look good on her, if not as good as nothing would). He involuntarily started to his feet, as did Greg.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked in dulcet tones. “Anything at all?”
Blinking, Greg looked at Emily, who was looking a bit deer-in-headlights, because the gorgeous woman was leaning over and talking to her.
“Um,” she said. “Um. Uh. No, no thank you.”
“Alright, then.” The woman turned to Ryan and Greg. “What about you?” she asked flatly.
“I’ll have a martini,” Greg said in what he hoped was a suave voice.
“Same, please,” Ryan said, smiling at her.
The woman nodded, looking bored. She looked back at Emily. “You sure you don’t want anything?” she purred.
Across from her, Emily caught Ryan and Greg gesturing obscenely at each other. “No, ma’am. Thank you.”
Ryan and Greg were busy watching the curves of her retreating body and subsequently were caught completely off-guard when Emily kicked both of them firmly. “Ow!” Ryan rubbed his shin. “What’d we do?”
“I’d give her a nine,” Greg said, dreamily.
Ryan shook his head. “Little too high for me. And I told you—” he added, off of Emily’s rolled eyes, “we don’t rate friends.”
“First class cabin, massage chairs, hot lesbian conductress and booze.” Greg issued a contented sigh. “Best spring break ever.”
***
As the train rolled through New Jersey, it felt like they were stopping every two minutes, to the point where Ryan wondered if they were ever going to get going. An hour or so into the ride, however, they were flying along, and the few stops they made were long enough only to let a few passengers off or on without waiting for stragglers.
“I think that’s us,” said Emily, as a muffled voice announced that they were coming up on Whiteface Mountain Station.
Ryan opened one eye lazily. Greg didn’t budge. Emily leaned over and turned off the massage function on Greg’s chair.
“You’re cruel.”
Even though she’d been looking out the window almost constantly, Emily was surprised at how thick and dark the night air was as they stepped out onto the platform. The windows of the station were dark, and although she peered in, she couldn’t see hours of operation listed. They were the only passengers who had disembarked.
“I still say you and that conductress should have gone at it,” Ryan was saying.
“Yeah,” said Emily. “Maybe on the way back.” She paused then. “Greg? Your dad did give us return tickets, right?”
“No,” said Greg after a moment, wandering over towards where, presumably, the front of the station led to the street. “But it’s not really a big deal. He’s joining us in… um… at some point.” Below him, a thin stairwell ran down to a mostly-darkened alleyway, where a few street lights burned dimly.
((Gap; they are met at the train station, which is in the middle of nowhere and in poor condition, by a man named Gardener who tells them he has come to take them to the house.))
In the road stood horse and carriage, looking as if they’d rolled out of a Dickensian novella. Gardener smiled at their obvious surprise. “A certain rustic charm. You’ll find it fully functional.” His walking stick suddenly snapped up to bar the entrance as Greg started for it. “Ladies first,” he said, looking pointedly at Emily.
***
“Okay,” said Ryan, nearly an hour later. “Rustic charm is wearing off.”
By the window on the right, Greg was peering out alternately down at the rapidly receding foot of the mountain and up at the sky full of stars above. “Think about what kind of time we could have made with the Lexus,” he said mournfully.
Gardener shouted something from the front of the carriage. Greg craned his head out the window cautiously. “What?”
“I said,” the old man repeated, “that we’re almost there.”
Greg pulled back inside. “Almost there,” he said to no one in particular.
By the radiant starlight, they could make out the details of the manor fairly well, from the front entrance all the way back to the vineyard and a small white building that was, Gardener told them, the estate’s chapel. “Are any of you churchgoers?” he added, eyeing them.
“Not really,” Greg said.
“I’m Jewish,” said Emily.
Gardener looked at Ryan. “I used to,” he said, after a moment.
Gardener nodded, looking perhaps a little disappointed but not overly so. “We all have our reasons, I suppose.”
((Enormous gap1))
“Lucifer has no choice in the matter, regardless of how he sees it.”
Emily resisted the urge to quote a passage from Paradise Lost that had sprung to mind:
Into this wild abyss the wary Fiend
Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while,
Pondering his voyage; for no narrow frith
He had to cross.
((Small gap; more exposition))
Gardener met Ryan’s gaze and pressed his hand. “Do you fear Satan?”
Ryan frowned. “I don’t think I can fear him if I don’t know whether or not I believe in him.”
“Then,” said Gardener, “perhaps you are not the best candidate.” He turned to Emily, and she met his gaze. “Hold out your hand.”
She hesitated for a moment, but did. “Do you,” Gardener asked, “fear Satan?”
Any other day of the week, Emily would have said no, but she knew that was a dead end. She swallowed hard, thinking of Greg’s body tensing against the door, and the look of bewildered fear trapped in his eyes. “What is Satan?”
“He is the Prince of Darkness, the ruler of hell,” the old man said, eyes dark and focused. “Satan is the lord of the way to everlasting suffering and damnation.”
“Then,” she said, after a moment, considering her words with utmost care, “I would fear such a creature.”
“Are you certain?”
His hand tightened on hers, and she could feel her palms sweating. She breathed in and out slowly. Into this wild abyss… “I think so,” she said quietly, casting in her mind as palpable a figure of evil as she could imagine, something capable of everything that the old man was telling them, and for a moment, the idea truly was frightening. “Yes.”
Emily disappeared.
Ryan blinked hard and suddenly found himself nauseous, hands and knees on the floor, retching.
(('nuther big gap2))
“You’re making her choose?” Zeke smiled. “Not very gentlemanly of you, I must say.”
Ryan ignored him and held Emily’s wide-eyed stare, waiting for an answer.
“I don’t want you sacrificing yourself for me,” she whispered.
Silence.
Ryan looked back at Greg’s inert form.
“Well?” said Zeke.
Ryan closed his eyes and, for the first time in longer than he could remember, began to pray.
“Miserere nostrum, Deus,” whispered Emily, her thoughts flying to her two friends beside her and behind her, wishing she could will a miracle. “Secundum magnam misericordiam tuam…”
His mind focused and clear, Ryan prayed and wished and hoped with every fragment of his being. Notice us, he begged silently.
The words had scarcely left his mind, when a searing white light began to press against the edge of his vision, and the thought somehow passed, unbidden, between Emily and Ryan that at this moment, God’s eyes were watching them. That vague sensation of sourceless, painful brightness was the last that he saw or felt before the hand of God struck the ground a mighty blow, washed over the mountain, and took Ryan, Emily, Greg, Zeke, and the entirety of the manor off the map and into oblivion.
Fin.
1 Gardener unloads the carriage but does not approach. Gargoyle knockers with wicked spikes. On Greg’s first knock, butler-type Zeke opens the door, v. friendly-looking. Ushers the party in, offers food, or rooms, or rooms with food brought up to them. Head up to the third floor, take dinner orders (“Salad” “Steak” “Lobster… steak… salad”), balcony (hedge maze), dinner delivered by creepy guy with greasy black hair. Awkward goodnight. Dreaming.
Ryan hears scratching at his door; opens it to find Greg (“You actually locked your door? What were you afraid of?”) (“…instead of going, ‘Good night,’ [almost hug, almost hug]”), they both go to pull the same on Emily (scratching, puppy whimpering), who kicks the door and opens it to see them looking a bit sheepish. Bell pull cord. Breakfast (cheese Danish and mimosa, pancakes and tea, Belgian waffles and hot chocolate with whipped cream), talk (RPG in this house, LARP, LARPs are for n00bs), shower (ornate, vaguely Victorian-ish bathroom), tour of the grounds: Ryan asks about Zeke’s family, they pass Gardener’s house, vineyard (“[tries one]” “[tries one, face]” “Wine grapes aren’t for eating” “Then I’ll learn from your fine example.”), church/maze (labyrinth trivia), meet with the Father there (grumpy), run in with Gardener (grumpy).
Return to the house. Servant wing, kitchen, Zeke makes sandwiches. Inquire after the house’s previous owners. Zeke leaves, tells them that they are free to explore. Work from the bottom up; door to the basement, same creepy knocker. Greg tries one of three keys his father game him before the trip (“What, you scared? I hear the boogey man lives down here”), and ends up on the floor, vomiting copiously for two minutes straight. Carry him up to his room, ring for Zeke, who in turn goes for the doctor and dispatches someone to clean up downstairs. Feel for a fever, and he’s burning up. Doctor prefers to work alone. Ryan and Emily explore the rest of the wing: floors two and three are residential, alternating rooms locked; floor one has several open parlors suitable for housing company (suits of armor &c). Return to the basement, and the keys are gone.
Ryan goes to sunbathe; Emily goes to talk to Gardener. She finds him working on a rosebush, mentions what happens to Greg; Gardener tells her that Greg is in terrible danger, bring him to the church that night, because that is when Zeke might be less watchful; he already may have Greg under lock and key. Emily imparts this to Ryan.
Run into Zeke again; he says that Greg has been quarantined for the good of all. Ryan and Emily object, but Zeke promises that the doctor is very experienced and has successfully used this method many times before, and patients have always made a complete recovery. Tells them that Mr. E should be coming by that night. Offers the option of talking to the doctor himself, who is on the second floor in the west wing. Doctor (office looks shrink-ish) says it’s a form of a stomach flu and repeats that Greg is to remain isolated for our own good, just for today (“He’s my friend; I don’t mind getting sick” “If he’ll be better by tomorrow, why do we have to stay away?”). Ryan leaves, disgusted; Emily questions him further (sprung up quickly, he seemed fine before, why are the rest of us okay), notices him writing something which he covers and doesn’t press it.
Go back to the church; Father is much more genial. Urges the two to come inside quickly. Bars the doors behind them. They explain the situation with Greg, say that Gardener told them to come here; Father is bewildered and upset at Gardener’s having “broken the truce,” starts to show them a book (textbook like, with black and white pics), when the altar moves aside and Gardener comes up from underneath, tells him to put it away, breaking the truce, Father says the truce has already been broken, bar sweeps away from the doors and in comes Zeke. Father explains the back story (Blakethorne, Balthason), Zeke explains that Mr. E has traded his son’s soul for his own. Someone asks if our intrepid heroes believe in God.
Descend to the passageway under the altar; huge statue of Blakethorne looking all heroic and stuff. There, Father and Gardener explain more back story about the war being waged between B&B (simultaneous binding each other), at first, all there was was the two statues, then the powers built the manor around it, formed a truce to keep to their respective sides and pretend like everything’s normal, so as to keep off of Heaven’s radar. Zeke is an extension of Balthason himself, whereas everyone else (i.e. Mark, Jose) is merely a willing servant (and thus, Zeke can do all manner of things, like walk around in daylight). God’s knowledge is infinite, but his conscious knowledge is not (i.e. capital of England, pink elephant), and so as long as this war/truce is not conspicuous, God doesn’t notice it enough to be bothered by it; if he does, then he strikes it down like Sodom and Gomorrah (or Gotham).
Bringing things back to the present, Gardener takes Emily and Ryan upstairs again (Father says he doesn’t want to be involved in this sin), explains witchcraft as God’s way of giving a little of his power/protection to those who truly feared the Devil.
2 Asks Ryan again (“All that is required is belief” “Belief or fear?” “[smiling grimly] Fear”); Ryan tells Emily to turn away and says yes. Burning light. Ryan asks why it’s considered a sin, if it’s God’s will; Gardener explains politics of Heaven, damnation for consciously using it (so, using it again after this explanation). They can go and try to save Greg with or without their newfound abilities. On the way out, Ryan asks Emily to promise not to use hers and damn herself.
The door to the manor is locked; he blasts in, which is extremely painful to her. Search servant area for Zeke, end up in the same kitchen, Ryan takes a knife. Zeke shows up; offers them an alternative deal (Ryan’s soul and Mr. E’s). Ryan shoves Emily down the hall and blasts Zeke; arm blast, Ryan passes out. Still painful; Emily returns (invisible at first), sees Zeke, reappears, wakes Ryan, who remembers nothing of the attack. Try to search his body for keys, but both too squeamish to actually deal with the body. Ryan sees Mark down the hall with a rapier, run to third floor.
Ryan tries to blast the door but the room is somehow shielded. They go downstairs again (grab rapiers from the armor room), kitchen (trail of blood to basement door), search and destroy the servants’ quarters, eventually find Zeke’s, keys hidden under the false bottom of a sock drawer. Thirty-ish keys. Return to the third floor, Ryan starts trying keys. Emily sees Jose coming at them silently with a knife (scraggly Hispanic-looking guy) and Ryan doesn’t; goes invisible, trips him up, knocks the knife out of his hand. “Does one of these keys fit this door? Demon servant or not, if I cut you, you bleed. [blank stare] …Habla espanol?” “Si…” “Yo… muerto… tu…”). Emily knocks him out. “Don’t look” “[heave]” “[transforms in the next room, then comes out]”.
Find correct key, open door; Greg is on the bed, white and near weightless. Carry him to the church (outside, Hispanic garden staff, chanting something and pointing to the church). Take him down the ladder with Father and Gardener, set him in front of the statue. Apparently, part of the deal for Mr. E’s life was also that he would be the one to take his son’s. Father says a prayer of supplication, says that all we can do now is pray. He and Gardener return to the surface.
Emily goes to sit next to Greg, hand is icy. A great noise from above, reanimated Zeke comes down and reiterates his offer. He could take all three, but then he dies.
Professor Evitas looked over his class, a trace of grim humor in his eyes. “Time. Please hand in your exams; I’ll have your grades posted by the end of Spring Break.”
There was a beat, followed by the clatter of pens and pencils on desks and a hum of muttered comments from the students, mainly sophomore and junior biology majors. To say that it had not been a reasonable mid-term would have been supreme understatement.
Towards the back of the lecture hall, Greg Evitas, the professor’s son, stared blankly at the test book. He was a freshman majoring in History, but he had decided—very unwisely, he had realized belatedly—that after passing through AP Bio, an upper-level biology class taught by his father would be an acceptable challenge. He exhaled shakily and looked over at his roommate, Ryan, who was sitting next to him, looking drained.
“I got done half,” he offered weakly.
“I got done half half,” said Ryan.
Two seats beyond them, Emily sat still scribbling furiously, trying to ignore the rush of students pouring out of the classroom. Ryan leaned over to poke her in the arm. “I think we’re supposed to go now.”
Glaring, although mostly at the blue book, Emily slammed down her pencil. The three of them had spent the better part of the previous night poring over the text, but regardless of how well they understood the material, there had simply been too much to work through in too little time. Emily picked up her test papers and followed the two boys to the front of the room where Professor Evitas was waiting, hand out expectantly. “Well? How’d we do?”
Greg stared at his father malevolently. “I hope there’s a curve.”
“I hope there’s a curve on the curve.”
“What was this?” asked Emily. “A sick joke?”
“This,” the professor said blandly, “was for people just taking this class for an easy science credit.”
Ryan was about to point out that this hardly seemed likely in a class mainly designed for majors, but he saw Greg shoot his father a look, and he decided not to press it then. It looked like something that the two must have discussed before.
“Could you stay behind a minute, Greg?”
Greg nodded. “See you guys in the cafeteria.”
***
Ryan was glumly munching a cookie when Greg walked in a few minutes later and stopped, looking uncertain, and Ryan, cringing slightly, knew why.
Emily was sitting opposite Ryan, hurriedly eating a sandwich over a thick textbook. Up until a few weeks ago, Greg would have slid in next to Emily without a second thought, but the friendship between the three of them had been somewhat nudged out of alignment when Emily broke up with Greg, and although they had only been official for a couple months, neither of them quite knew how to deal with each other for the moment.
“Saved you a seat.” Ryan slid over quickly, and Greg sat down, looking grateful. He eyed the platter of cookies in milk in front of Ryan.
“Shouldn’t you be watching your girlish figure?”
“I needed comfort food.” Ryan sighed. “Least it’s over.”
“What did Daddy want?” Emily asked.
((Gap-- When Greg shows up, he says that his dad has given him the keys to the car for spring break, as well as free reign of E’s newly purchased manor, acquired after some recent important publishing. Greg leaves, hardly having touched his lunch.
Greg and Ryan later go to Mr. E to get directions (gay joking on the way), and they end up with train tickets for tomorrow evening. Instructed to meet a Mr. Gardener at the train station. Back in their room, Greg gets an IM from Emily, asking if he’s alright (re: lunch). He says he’s fine and immediately goes away. Ryan IMs Emily and tells her that they’re leaving tomorrow. Ryan goes out to play guitar in the common room. Greg reads.
Next day, they speed to Philly, just ‘cause the car is that awesome. Discuss how Mr. E has the money for the car and the new estate (“Hey, I don’t know how I’m going to make that much money on a history major.” “We’re English majors; we feel your pain.” “You might write the great American novel…”)))
Emily, being more familiar with 30th Street Station than the others, took the lead as they entered the busy terminal, weaving in and out of the writhing rush hour activity. Joining the stampede that was clattering down the stairs to the platform, they were practically swept into the train car that was waiting for them.
The conductor frowned at their tickets, looked at the three of them, and looked at the tickets again. Emily tentatively looked up. “Is there a problem with--?”
“Not at all.” The conductor ripped the tickets in half and straightened himself. “If you’d follow me, please?”
The conductor, whose nametag identified him as David, led them forward several cars until they found themselves in a single room with a wider, nicer window, and four expensive-looking chairs, facing each other in pairs.
“You’re kidding…” Greg settled into one of the chairs and leaned back; it reclined slightly. “You’re kidding, no way.” He pressed something on the arm of the chair and it began to hum slightly. Greg shuddered pleasantly. “Oh, man…”
Ryan was sprawled in the seat next to him instantly. “Massage?” he said, incredulous.
“Believe it.”
“I didn’t even know Amtrak had cars like this.” Emily tentatively took the remaining window seat. “Did your dad say anything about…?”
“Hey, I’m not complaining.”
Ryan was about to contribute to the conversation when the door slid open to reveal one of the most attractive women Ryan had ever seen framed in the doorway, wearing a flattering conductor’s uniform (although he would have ventured to say that anything would look good on her, if not as good as nothing would). He involuntarily started to his feet, as did Greg.
“Can I get you anything?” she asked in dulcet tones. “Anything at all?”
Blinking, Greg looked at Emily, who was looking a bit deer-in-headlights, because the gorgeous woman was leaning over and talking to her.
“Um,” she said. “Um. Uh. No, no thank you.”
“Alright, then.” The woman turned to Ryan and Greg. “What about you?” she asked flatly.
“I’ll have a martini,” Greg said in what he hoped was a suave voice.
“Same, please,” Ryan said, smiling at her.
The woman nodded, looking bored. She looked back at Emily. “You sure you don’t want anything?” she purred.
Across from her, Emily caught Ryan and Greg gesturing obscenely at each other. “No, ma’am. Thank you.”
Ryan and Greg were busy watching the curves of her retreating body and subsequently were caught completely off-guard when Emily kicked both of them firmly. “Ow!” Ryan rubbed his shin. “What’d we do?”
“I’d give her a nine,” Greg said, dreamily.
Ryan shook his head. “Little too high for me. And I told you—” he added, off of Emily’s rolled eyes, “we don’t rate friends.”
“First class cabin, massage chairs, hot lesbian conductress and booze.” Greg issued a contented sigh. “Best spring break ever.”
***
As the train rolled through New Jersey, it felt like they were stopping every two minutes, to the point where Ryan wondered if they were ever going to get going. An hour or so into the ride, however, they were flying along, and the few stops they made were long enough only to let a few passengers off or on without waiting for stragglers.
“I think that’s us,” said Emily, as a muffled voice announced that they were coming up on Whiteface Mountain Station.
Ryan opened one eye lazily. Greg didn’t budge. Emily leaned over and turned off the massage function on Greg’s chair.
“You’re cruel.”
Even though she’d been looking out the window almost constantly, Emily was surprised at how thick and dark the night air was as they stepped out onto the platform. The windows of the station were dark, and although she peered in, she couldn’t see hours of operation listed. They were the only passengers who had disembarked.
“I still say you and that conductress should have gone at it,” Ryan was saying.
“Yeah,” said Emily. “Maybe on the way back.” She paused then. “Greg? Your dad did give us return tickets, right?”
“No,” said Greg after a moment, wandering over towards where, presumably, the front of the station led to the street. “But it’s not really a big deal. He’s joining us in… um… at some point.” Below him, a thin stairwell ran down to a mostly-darkened alleyway, where a few street lights burned dimly.
((Gap; they are met at the train station, which is in the middle of nowhere and in poor condition, by a man named Gardener who tells them he has come to take them to the house.))
In the road stood horse and carriage, looking as if they’d rolled out of a Dickensian novella. Gardener smiled at their obvious surprise. “A certain rustic charm. You’ll find it fully functional.” His walking stick suddenly snapped up to bar the entrance as Greg started for it. “Ladies first,” he said, looking pointedly at Emily.
***
“Okay,” said Ryan, nearly an hour later. “Rustic charm is wearing off.”
By the window on the right, Greg was peering out alternately down at the rapidly receding foot of the mountain and up at the sky full of stars above. “Think about what kind of time we could have made with the Lexus,” he said mournfully.
Gardener shouted something from the front of the carriage. Greg craned his head out the window cautiously. “What?”
“I said,” the old man repeated, “that we’re almost there.”
Greg pulled back inside. “Almost there,” he said to no one in particular.
By the radiant starlight, they could make out the details of the manor fairly well, from the front entrance all the way back to the vineyard and a small white building that was, Gardener told them, the estate’s chapel. “Are any of you churchgoers?” he added, eyeing them.
“Not really,” Greg said.
“I’m Jewish,” said Emily.
Gardener looked at Ryan. “I used to,” he said, after a moment.
Gardener nodded, looking perhaps a little disappointed but not overly so. “We all have our reasons, I suppose.”
((Enormous gap1))
“Lucifer has no choice in the matter, regardless of how he sees it.”
Emily resisted the urge to quote a passage from Paradise Lost that had sprung to mind:
Into this wild abyss the wary Fiend
Stood on the brink of Hell and looked a while,
Pondering his voyage; for no narrow frith
He had to cross.
((Small gap; more exposition))
Gardener met Ryan’s gaze and pressed his hand. “Do you fear Satan?”
Ryan frowned. “I don’t think I can fear him if I don’t know whether or not I believe in him.”
“Then,” said Gardener, “perhaps you are not the best candidate.” He turned to Emily, and she met his gaze. “Hold out your hand.”
She hesitated for a moment, but did. “Do you,” Gardener asked, “fear Satan?”
Any other day of the week, Emily would have said no, but she knew that was a dead end. She swallowed hard, thinking of Greg’s body tensing against the door, and the look of bewildered fear trapped in his eyes. “What is Satan?”
“He is the Prince of Darkness, the ruler of hell,” the old man said, eyes dark and focused. “Satan is the lord of the way to everlasting suffering and damnation.”
“Then,” she said, after a moment, considering her words with utmost care, “I would fear such a creature.”
“Are you certain?”
His hand tightened on hers, and she could feel her palms sweating. She breathed in and out slowly. Into this wild abyss… “I think so,” she said quietly, casting in her mind as palpable a figure of evil as she could imagine, something capable of everything that the old man was telling them, and for a moment, the idea truly was frightening. “Yes.”
Emily disappeared.
Ryan blinked hard and suddenly found himself nauseous, hands and knees on the floor, retching.
(('nuther big gap2))
“You’re making her choose?” Zeke smiled. “Not very gentlemanly of you, I must say.”
Ryan ignored him and held Emily’s wide-eyed stare, waiting for an answer.
“I don’t want you sacrificing yourself for me,” she whispered.
Silence.
Ryan looked back at Greg’s inert form.
“Well?” said Zeke.
Ryan closed his eyes and, for the first time in longer than he could remember, began to pray.
“Miserere nostrum, Deus,” whispered Emily, her thoughts flying to her two friends beside her and behind her, wishing she could will a miracle. “Secundum magnam misericordiam tuam…”
His mind focused and clear, Ryan prayed and wished and hoped with every fragment of his being. Notice us, he begged silently.
The words had scarcely left his mind, when a searing white light began to press against the edge of his vision, and the thought somehow passed, unbidden, between Emily and Ryan that at this moment, God’s eyes were watching them. That vague sensation of sourceless, painful brightness was the last that he saw or felt before the hand of God struck the ground a mighty blow, washed over the mountain, and took Ryan, Emily, Greg, Zeke, and the entirety of the manor off the map and into oblivion.
Fin.
1 Gardener unloads the carriage but does not approach. Gargoyle knockers with wicked spikes. On Greg’s first knock, butler-type Zeke opens the door, v. friendly-looking. Ushers the party in, offers food, or rooms, or rooms with food brought up to them. Head up to the third floor, take dinner orders (“Salad” “Steak” “Lobster… steak… salad”), balcony (hedge maze), dinner delivered by creepy guy with greasy black hair. Awkward goodnight. Dreaming.
Ryan hears scratching at his door; opens it to find Greg (“You actually locked your door? What were you afraid of?”) (“…instead of going, ‘Good night,’ [almost hug, almost hug]”), they both go to pull the same on Emily (scratching, puppy whimpering), who kicks the door and opens it to see them looking a bit sheepish. Bell pull cord. Breakfast (cheese Danish and mimosa, pancakes and tea, Belgian waffles and hot chocolate with whipped cream), talk (RPG in this house, LARP, LARPs are for n00bs), shower (ornate, vaguely Victorian-ish bathroom), tour of the grounds: Ryan asks about Zeke’s family, they pass Gardener’s house, vineyard (“[tries one]” “[tries one, face]” “Wine grapes aren’t for eating” “Then I’ll learn from your fine example.”), church/maze (labyrinth trivia), meet with the Father there (grumpy), run in with Gardener (grumpy).
Return to the house. Servant wing, kitchen, Zeke makes sandwiches. Inquire after the house’s previous owners. Zeke leaves, tells them that they are free to explore. Work from the bottom up; door to the basement, same creepy knocker. Greg tries one of three keys his father game him before the trip (“What, you scared? I hear the boogey man lives down here”), and ends up on the floor, vomiting copiously for two minutes straight. Carry him up to his room, ring for Zeke, who in turn goes for the doctor and dispatches someone to clean up downstairs. Feel for a fever, and he’s burning up. Doctor prefers to work alone. Ryan and Emily explore the rest of the wing: floors two and three are residential, alternating rooms locked; floor one has several open parlors suitable for housing company (suits of armor &c). Return to the basement, and the keys are gone.
Ryan goes to sunbathe; Emily goes to talk to Gardener. She finds him working on a rosebush, mentions what happens to Greg; Gardener tells her that Greg is in terrible danger, bring him to the church that night, because that is when Zeke might be less watchful; he already may have Greg under lock and key. Emily imparts this to Ryan.
Run into Zeke again; he says that Greg has been quarantined for the good of all. Ryan and Emily object, but Zeke promises that the doctor is very experienced and has successfully used this method many times before, and patients have always made a complete recovery. Tells them that Mr. E should be coming by that night. Offers the option of talking to the doctor himself, who is on the second floor in the west wing. Doctor (office looks shrink-ish) says it’s a form of a stomach flu and repeats that Greg is to remain isolated for our own good, just for today (“He’s my friend; I don’t mind getting sick” “If he’ll be better by tomorrow, why do we have to stay away?”). Ryan leaves, disgusted; Emily questions him further (sprung up quickly, he seemed fine before, why are the rest of us okay), notices him writing something which he covers and doesn’t press it.
Go back to the church; Father is much more genial. Urges the two to come inside quickly. Bars the doors behind them. They explain the situation with Greg, say that Gardener told them to come here; Father is bewildered and upset at Gardener’s having “broken the truce,” starts to show them a book (textbook like, with black and white pics), when the altar moves aside and Gardener comes up from underneath, tells him to put it away, breaking the truce, Father says the truce has already been broken, bar sweeps away from the doors and in comes Zeke. Father explains the back story (Blakethorne, Balthason), Zeke explains that Mr. E has traded his son’s soul for his own. Someone asks if our intrepid heroes believe in God.
Descend to the passageway under the altar; huge statue of Blakethorne looking all heroic and stuff. There, Father and Gardener explain more back story about the war being waged between B&B (simultaneous binding each other), at first, all there was was the two statues, then the powers built the manor around it, formed a truce to keep to their respective sides and pretend like everything’s normal, so as to keep off of Heaven’s radar. Zeke is an extension of Balthason himself, whereas everyone else (i.e. Mark, Jose) is merely a willing servant (and thus, Zeke can do all manner of things, like walk around in daylight). God’s knowledge is infinite, but his conscious knowledge is not (i.e. capital of England, pink elephant), and so as long as this war/truce is not conspicuous, God doesn’t notice it enough to be bothered by it; if he does, then he strikes it down like Sodom and Gomorrah (or Gotham).
Bringing things back to the present, Gardener takes Emily and Ryan upstairs again (Father says he doesn’t want to be involved in this sin), explains witchcraft as God’s way of giving a little of his power/protection to those who truly feared the Devil.
2 Asks Ryan again (“All that is required is belief” “Belief or fear?” “[smiling grimly] Fear”); Ryan tells Emily to turn away and says yes. Burning light. Ryan asks why it’s considered a sin, if it’s God’s will; Gardener explains politics of Heaven, damnation for consciously using it (so, using it again after this explanation). They can go and try to save Greg with or without their newfound abilities. On the way out, Ryan asks Emily to promise not to use hers and damn herself.
The door to the manor is locked; he blasts in, which is extremely painful to her. Search servant area for Zeke, end up in the same kitchen, Ryan takes a knife. Zeke shows up; offers them an alternative deal (Ryan’s soul and Mr. E’s). Ryan shoves Emily down the hall and blasts Zeke; arm blast, Ryan passes out. Still painful; Emily returns (invisible at first), sees Zeke, reappears, wakes Ryan, who remembers nothing of the attack. Try to search his body for keys, but both too squeamish to actually deal with the body. Ryan sees Mark down the hall with a rapier, run to third floor.
Ryan tries to blast the door but the room is somehow shielded. They go downstairs again (grab rapiers from the armor room), kitchen (trail of blood to basement door), search and destroy the servants’ quarters, eventually find Zeke’s, keys hidden under the false bottom of a sock drawer. Thirty-ish keys. Return to the third floor, Ryan starts trying keys. Emily sees Jose coming at them silently with a knife (scraggly Hispanic-looking guy) and Ryan doesn’t; goes invisible, trips him up, knocks the knife out of his hand. “Does one of these keys fit this door? Demon servant or not, if I cut you, you bleed. [blank stare] …Habla espanol?” “Si…” “Yo… muerto… tu…”). Emily knocks him out. “Don’t look” “[heave]” “[transforms in the next room, then comes out]”.
Find correct key, open door; Greg is on the bed, white and near weightless. Carry him to the church (outside, Hispanic garden staff, chanting something and pointing to the church). Take him down the ladder with Father and Gardener, set him in front of the statue. Apparently, part of the deal for Mr. E’s life was also that he would be the one to take his son’s. Father says a prayer of supplication, says that all we can do now is pray. He and Gardener return to the surface.
Emily goes to sit next to Greg, hand is icy. A great noise from above, reanimated Zeke comes down and reiterates his offer. He could take all three, but then he dies.