allthekeys (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
allthekeys) wrote2012-06-02 12:00 am
allthekeys) wrote2012-06-02 12:00 am
Entry tags:
Night 010
As the clock begins to chime, a strange, uncomfortable feeling overwhelms the house guests, though they do not sleep. The clock chime fades from their consciousness, and in its place is a faint ticking, vibrating through their bodies like a living thing. Everyone in the house is sure they are looking directly into the workings of a clock, watching the gears turning impossibly slowly as it drags them in. The hands of the clock are still moving, and as they wake they will see them stop directly at nine. Anyone who has touched the Sundial in the Greenhouse will find their bodies beginning to shake, as though caught once again on its face, their heartbeats regulating to the sound and their minds filling with the noise. Before the waking hallucination ends their bodies will begin to seize and they will not see the dreams.
The ticking fades, lingering at the back of the minds of the others as they drift to sleep, caught as always in the unwilling state that drags them into someone else's dreams.
The sword is beautiful, and he was intent on buffing any imperfections out of the blade. The movements were calm, focused, completely ignoring the others in the room as he works.
"Can you use that?"
He didn't bother to respond, fingers moving deftly over the blade and cleaning away the remains of the monsters he had slain during the night. The man was an irritation, a risk to those within his care and he had no wish to associate with such a person.
"I wonder how well that works where you're from?" He ignored the smiling man as he sat down across from him, glancing up only vaguely to make certain he hadn't decided that now was the time for something as uncouth as invading his personal space. The princess may find him charming, he found him annoying.
He went back to his work, rewinding the wrapping on the hilt of the blade, making certain that nothing that could damage the sleek steel remained. He would need the sword at its best, should he wish to guide the princess and Her Majesty's slave free of this place. He longed for the return to his brothers, and to his emperor. This place was a distraction, and nothing more.
The annoying man leaned forward, placing something on the table in front of him, careful not to interfere with his tools. "We thought that you might be hungry, Rin. A man cannot live by sword alone."
The dream fades, and with it the irritation that the dreamer was feeling and the sound of the man's voice.
In its place, terror fills the house guests as the dreamer franticly locks the door behind her. Clutched in her arm is a canvas bag full of groceries.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Okay." Her hand passed over the door, double checking each lock for security. "Safe. Home." The canvas bag settles onto the desk, joined shortly by a ring of keys as she slowly moves through the apartment, turning on every light and making sure the windows are closed. She's inside now. She'll be fine.
A tiny grey kitten hops up onto the bed, mewling to her for attention but she doesn't stop until everything is secured. Until every corner and shadow has been deemed free of threats.
The woman's nearly frantic terror doesn't fade, even as she sits on the bed, rocking slowly with her arms around her knees as the kitten brushes against her side. "Safe. Safe. Nobody can see us here, can they?"
The kitten mews in response, stands with its paws against her arm as she tries to control her nerves. She doesn't feel safe, that much is obvious.
Her terror lingers as the house guests wake to find the darkness setting in, and for some the monsters may seem incredibly close.
Night has arrived, and outside the storm still seems to have calmed. The occasional tap of rain drops on the window breaks the relative silence. There is no music, no screams, nothing to break the unnatural stillness surrounding them. The only noise is the construction, now concentrated entirely on the door outside of the Rough Kitchen.
That does not mean that monsters have not returned to the halls, only that they too seem to be waiting for something. They're quieter than they would normally be, and somehow seeming nearly as trapped as the house guests they hunt.
The mist around the Open Hallway seems to be growing thicker, and as the night falls the fog completely encloses the pathway and the garden. No rain drops seem able to penetrate and the area seems warmer than it was before, as though it has been protected by something. Despite the fog pressing so close to the sides of the hallway, none of it slips through the bars to drift over the path.
The Fireflies have returned to the Open Hallway and now drift through the Greenhouse. They offer a surprising amount of light for such tiny creatures. Dancing through the darkness and casting new shadows. They are impossible to catch, darting away from anyone who tries at high speed, but they seem passive.
The Ballroom stands open and echoingly empty. Not a sound can be heard within it. In such a large room, the silence seems almost eerie, and the utter emptiness makes the room uncomfortable to stay in for long. Anyone trying to touch the Piano in the back of the hall will find that depressing the ivory keys makes no sound. Those who step into the room will find their footsteps muffled, nearly silent. Those who try to speak will find that their voices have also become strangely muted, and will find it impossible to speak at anything above a whisper.
The Library has once more been filled with thick, tacky webs. They stretch between the bookcases and catch anyone unwary in their grasp. The webs vibrate from time to time, though whatever made them does not appear in the library. The threads are incredibly strong, and difficult to escape from once someone finds themselves caught within them.
As the darkness falls across the Dawn Room something changes. The doll, still sat neatly at her table with her pot of tea, vanishes from sight. When she re-appears at the doorway to the Doll Bathroom she wears a small, black band around her arm -- as do all the dolls. It is almost as if they are mourning their fallen friends, destroyed at the hands of the house guests.
Their mourning does not stay peaceful, however. Any guests who have attacked the dolls or destroyed a figurine or statue will find they are being followed -- even more closely than before if they already had a stalker of sorts. It is hard to say what exactly it is at first, something quick moving -- more agile than the dolls themselves and seemingly capable of both climbing upon surfaces and vanishing in an instant. It seems to skitter like an animal, an unnatural tap-tapping sound across the floors. When a glimpse is finally caught the full extent of the doll's united work is revealed. The creature itself is a monstrosity; a freakish combination of arms and legs and a doll head morphed into a spider-like creature that skitters and crawls. Its once intricately painted eyes are now black, empty pools -- hair a tangled and scruffy mess and beautiful porcelain cheeks faintly cracked. One of the many limbs has a small black armband about it. If attacked, the Doll-spider will dodge and scamper away rapidly -- leaving nothing but their frustrated person of interest and the sound of faint laughter.
It will return, though, and will not stop following no matter how many times it is chased away.
The Wallcrawlers have returned once more to All Hallways, clinging to the ceiling and stalking the house guests in complete silence. Unlike most nights, they will not attack any groups of two or more, waiting instead for a single house guest to pass beneath them to drop from their perches and attack. They are extremely dangerous and very difficult to escape once they have managed to capture someone.
The Hellhounds return at nightfall. They are clearly hostile to any injured house guest, though otherwise seem passive, content to laze about in open areas or play in the basement. The two puppies have managed to excavate a large hole there, and seem oblivious to the fact that they have coated the entire room in mud. Anyone effected by the experiments will find the dogs seem almost friendly, locating them even when they are not injured and seeming content to spend time with them. Some even act playful, as though the oppressive nature of the night has caused them to seek out human companionship.
In the Stairway In The Gallery, the Broken Woman has appeared once more. Her body is twisted and distorted, face completely obscured by heavy bruising. The noose still lays tight around her neck, as though she has simply fallen from her intended execution and begun to walk around. She seems particularly intent on targeting women who move through the staircase, and even fonder of breaking up pairs. The only real warning they might have is the scream that sounds moments before she appears. She will not leave the staircase or appear in any of the others. Anyone who lingers in the Gallery or the Attic might hear her weeping and begging, voice soft and broken as she pleads for an end to her torment.
The Doctor and his Nurses have once again returned to the Basement. Former patients will find that they are able to enter and even speak with the Doctor without being harmed, and any injured person who asks for treatment will find themselves protected from the hellhounds and tended to promptly. Anyone entering the Hospital with the intent to take one of the patients will find themselves captured and subject to a treatment.
Anyone who said yes to the voice during Night 008 will feel a strange tugging on the cords around their wrists, though the force is never enough to cause it to break skin. So long as they do not touch the string, then whatever is causing the movement seems to only be gently urging them, with no intent to harm. Those marked will being to feel a presence as well, as if they are not alone. It does not stop there-- inexplicably, they feel unfounded emotional bursts from time to time. Apprehension, anxiety, and, above all, excitement. The feelings will come and go, but the ebbs will clearly never be their own.
If traced, the cords now lead to the locked door in the Rough Kitchen, where the sensations run high. Nothing can be felt from the other side, nor heard over the noise of construction and wind.
In the Rough Kitchen, the girl with the lantern who calls herself Rose has reappeared. Her lantern sits on the main counter, brightening the room with welcoming light. She seems agitated, pacing constantly through the room and sending irritated looks at the doors to the room. Periodically, she pauses to throw things at the locked door, scowling as though the construction is occurring just to annoy her. She seems petulant to those that enter the room, sulky and almost bratty, desperate to speak with them, but often so demanding that they do not want to talk to her at all. She complains constantly of the unfairness of being stuck here, climbing on counters and making a mess of things left around. Despite her antics, the room is safe tonight, and none of the monsters will enter here.
Those who dare sleep during the night will find upon waking that they are not alone. Standing at their feet are Children, looking frightened and desperate. They will take the form of whatever features will allow the one they watch to identify with them, and will especially gravitate towards parents, though they will appear to anyone within the house. Their eyes are intelligent and watchful, and they will not break their gaze from those whom they have chosen. Though they will not follow, they will turn in the room to always stare at their charge.
Anyone who happens by a mirror, however, will see a completely different image from the sympathetic children. In the glass, the young creatures have become mangled and bloodied, their mouths far too large and gaping, seemingly torn at the corners to allow it to spread far wider than is natural. Saliva drips from their lips as their narrowed eyes continue to mark their prey.
As before, the Frogs have begun to move, seeming ignorant of their status as inanimate objects. They hop away from their owners whenever eyes are not on them. They never move far enough to disappear from the sight of those they belong to, clearly showing that escape is not their goal. They will always hop in the same patterns, leading their charges around danger of any origin, and towards the safe rooms as before. If ignored in their attempts to bring those they serve to safety, they will begin to ribbit incessantly and agitatedly, like a warning call that a predator is approaching.
In the Study, once again the Photographer has emerged. He will already be seated when anyone sleeping there wakes, poised at the writing desk. His ever present camera is nearby, set on the surface just in front and to the side of him. Its lens reflects in the light and seems to be aimed at anyone who stands just behind the apparition. He is writing, this night, pen frantically scribbling in a journal before him. Every once in a while he stops, staring down at the page as if waiting for something. Anyone who interrupts him or attempts to see what is on the written page will cause him to sit up, covering the book and locking his eyes onto them in a cold stare.
In the Nursery the rocking chair begins to rock, creaking softly as it moves. No occupant makes itself known, but the soft sound of a female voice humming can often be heard. Footsteps cross to the crib, but nothing seems to occupy it. Occasionally, one of the Children can be seen sitting next to the chair and playing with one of the dolls. The haunting seems almost harmless, and any living children who find themselves in the room will feel strangely safe, as though someone is watching over them. Anyone who has harmed the frogs will find that stepping into the Study is uncomfortable, and stepping into the Nursery fills them with dread and discomfort.
As night arrives, the construction noises in the Planetarium grow louder, to an almost deafening volume. Just the same as the closets at dawn, the room becomes clouded by a claustrophobic feeling, in spite of its open space. Anyone who does not vacate before they fall to slumber will find themselves within the Closet Room, returned to its proper place. The crying voice seems especially loud for those who wake there.
Those near the Doll Bathroom will hear another noise enter the air, a slow and steady tapping that takes the place of the clock chimes as they fade. As the knells of evening dissipate, the tapping becomes less rhythmic, and louder, as the Mirror Man steps out of the shadow of the room and into the halls. He does not seem limited in where his walk takes him, though he avoids the Basement and the Greenhouse. His ramble, however, through the halls seems more innocent and casual than anything else. Anyone who comes close enough to discover that he has a blade hidden up the sleeve of his free hand will regret it, all the same-- the moment they have lingered long enough to see the gleaming edge is a moment too late to avoid his sudden ire.
As the night falls completely, Nicolas and the baby rescued from the theater begin to cry. Nicolas stops as soon as the clock finishes, comforted by his guardians and soothed into some sense of safety, but the child from the theater remains fussy and uncertain for long into the night. Just like before, his cries seem to hold the monsters at bay, preventing them from attacking anyone that holds him. Though the hellhounds will approach, even if his guardians are injured, they will do nothing to harm them.
In the Well in the Plain Kitchen, something has begun to stir. The mangled form of the Needle Woman appears as she drags herself out, the long, sharp needles on her hands scraping and scratching against the brick as she does so. The scarred tissues that were her eyes seem to watch anyone that enters the kitchen, through the door of the Pantry. Anyone who lingers for more than a few minutes will find her no longer willing to accept their presence. She will similarly attack anyone who enters the pantry itself, seemingly fiercely protective of the water she emerged from.
Any guest who stands at the threshold between the two rooms will perhaps get a close enough look at her to see changes from her last appearance. Her exposed flesh speaks of treatment-- fresh stitches line her torso, some surgically neat and others sealing shallow and lopsided gashes. Her ankles and wrists are bruised with dark and thick bands of purple skin. Where her eyes should be, the mutilated flesh looks as though it has been cleaned, though it still dangles from an incomplete procedure. Anyone staring too long at these changes will find her twice as likely to attack.
Someone has been running amok in the Chapel Wing, sloppy writing has appeared on several of the doors. On the door to the Priest's Study someone has written "we killed the witch."
Just down the hall on the Junior Dormitory, someone has carved the words "Demon Spawn" into the door with something sharp, the words are still wet, and anyone with a strong sense of smell or a good eye will realize that the liquid is blood.
Above the hand-prints on the Chapel Door someone has traced words with half dried, sticky bloods. "Slit their own throats."
The door leading to the Bell Tower has been painted with ash, the words flaking away even as the reader watches. "Why did it leave me alive?"
Clawed, it seems, into the bottom of the locked door are the words "the witch's thrall."
There is nothing to indicate what must have left these messages scattered throughout the chapel, but those who are sensitive to the world around them may feel as though they have walked into a mass grave. The soft murmur of distressed voices presses around them and the temperature seems to have dropped several degrees.
The Safe Rooms tonight are Shelter Bedroom, Coat Closet, Rough Kitchen, Priest's Study, Observatory, and Ivory Bathroom.
1. Front Door 2. Entry Way 3. Coat Closet 4. Parlor 5. Formal Dining Room 6. Blue Kitchen 7. Doll Bathroom 8. East Hallway 9. Library 10. Study 11. Dawn Room 12. Closed Closet 13. Nursery 14. Dollhouse Room 15. Dollhouse 16. The Crack In The Wall 17. Maid Hallway 18. Clean Bedroom 19. Dirty Bedroom 20. Closet Room 21. Smoke Room 22. Yellow Bedroom 23. Vanity Room 24. Ivory Bathroom 25. Door to Basement 26. Supply Closet 27. Ballroom 28. Oak Hallway 30. Theater 31. Backstage
1. Hallway 2. Princess Bedroom 3. Princess Closet 4. Mirror Bedroom 5. Journey Bedroom 6. Fairy Bedroom 7. Red Bedroom 8. Mask Bedroom 9. Trophy Room 10. Gallery 11. Observatory 12. Sewing Room 13. Glass Bathroom 14. Perfume Bedroom 15. Library 16. Cherry Hallway 17. Thin Bedroom 18. Dark Bedroom 19. Light Bedroom 20. Loft Bedroom 21. Ink Bedroom 22. Mosaic Bedroom 23. Day Room 24. Narrow Hallway 25. Store Room 26. Open Bathroom 27. Blind Bedroom 28. Door To Floating Hallway 29. Corkscrew Stair
1. Main Room 2. Green Room 3. Half Bath 4. Small Kitchen 5. Garden Closet 6. Empty Hall 7. Radio Room 8. Carpenters Room 9. Painter’s Room 10. Shared Bath 11. Glass Blowers Room 12. Tapestry Bedroom 13. Dollmaker's Workshop 14. Pottery Room
1. Attic
1. Upside Down Observatory
1. Basement 2. Dirt Hallway 3. Waiting Room 4. Doctor's Office 5. Supply Closet 6. Recovery Ward 7-11. Examination Rooms 12. Treatment Room 13. Surgery Room 14. Ward 15. Morgue
1. Straight Hall 2. Public Restroom 3. Glass Half Empty 4. Fake Bedroom 5. Model Bedroom 6. Locked Door 7. Viewing Bedroom 8. Memory Bedroom 9. Photography Bedroom 10. Dark Room 11. Shelter Bedroom
1. Stairwell Room 2. Wallpapered Parlor 3. The Open Door 4. Plain Kitchen 5. Pantry 6. Dining Room 7. Hallway 8. Half Sized Bath 9. The Blank Library 10. ??? Room 11. Open Hall 12. Rose Garden 13. Chapel 14. Priest's Room 15. Priest's Bedroom 16. Hallway 17. Locked Door 18. Rough Kitchen 19. Junior Dormitory 20. Bell Tower
1. Greenhouse
The ticking fades, lingering at the back of the minds of the others as they drift to sleep, caught as always in the unwilling state that drags them into someone else's dreams.
The sword is beautiful, and he was intent on buffing any imperfections out of the blade. The movements were calm, focused, completely ignoring the others in the room as he works.
"Can you use that?"
He didn't bother to respond, fingers moving deftly over the blade and cleaning away the remains of the monsters he had slain during the night. The man was an irritation, a risk to those within his care and he had no wish to associate with such a person.
"I wonder how well that works where you're from?" He ignored the smiling man as he sat down across from him, glancing up only vaguely to make certain he hadn't decided that now was the time for something as uncouth as invading his personal space. The princess may find him charming, he found him annoying.
He went back to his work, rewinding the wrapping on the hilt of the blade, making certain that nothing that could damage the sleek steel remained. He would need the sword at its best, should he wish to guide the princess and Her Majesty's slave free of this place. He longed for the return to his brothers, and to his emperor. This place was a distraction, and nothing more.
The annoying man leaned forward, placing something on the table in front of him, careful not to interfere with his tools. "We thought that you might be hungry, Rin. A man cannot live by sword alone."
The dream fades, and with it the irritation that the dreamer was feeling and the sound of the man's voice.
In its place, terror fills the house guests as the dreamer franticly locks the door behind her. Clutched in her arm is a canvas bag full of groceries.
"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Okay." Her hand passed over the door, double checking each lock for security. "Safe. Home." The canvas bag settles onto the desk, joined shortly by a ring of keys as she slowly moves through the apartment, turning on every light and making sure the windows are closed. She's inside now. She'll be fine.
A tiny grey kitten hops up onto the bed, mewling to her for attention but she doesn't stop until everything is secured. Until every corner and shadow has been deemed free of threats.
The woman's nearly frantic terror doesn't fade, even as she sits on the bed, rocking slowly with her arms around her knees as the kitten brushes against her side. "Safe. Safe. Nobody can see us here, can they?"
The kitten mews in response, stands with its paws against her arm as she tries to control her nerves. She doesn't feel safe, that much is obvious.
Her terror lingers as the house guests wake to find the darkness setting in, and for some the monsters may seem incredibly close.
Night has arrived, and outside the storm still seems to have calmed. The occasional tap of rain drops on the window breaks the relative silence. There is no music, no screams, nothing to break the unnatural stillness surrounding them. The only noise is the construction, now concentrated entirely on the door outside of the Rough Kitchen.
That does not mean that monsters have not returned to the halls, only that they too seem to be waiting for something. They're quieter than they would normally be, and somehow seeming nearly as trapped as the house guests they hunt.
The mist around the Open Hallway seems to be growing thicker, and as the night falls the fog completely encloses the pathway and the garden. No rain drops seem able to penetrate and the area seems warmer than it was before, as though it has been protected by something. Despite the fog pressing so close to the sides of the hallway, none of it slips through the bars to drift over the path.
The Fireflies have returned to the Open Hallway and now drift through the Greenhouse. They offer a surprising amount of light for such tiny creatures. Dancing through the darkness and casting new shadows. They are impossible to catch, darting away from anyone who tries at high speed, but they seem passive.
The Ballroom stands open and echoingly empty. Not a sound can be heard within it. In such a large room, the silence seems almost eerie, and the utter emptiness makes the room uncomfortable to stay in for long. Anyone trying to touch the Piano in the back of the hall will find that depressing the ivory keys makes no sound. Those who step into the room will find their footsteps muffled, nearly silent. Those who try to speak will find that their voices have also become strangely muted, and will find it impossible to speak at anything above a whisper.
The Library has once more been filled with thick, tacky webs. They stretch between the bookcases and catch anyone unwary in their grasp. The webs vibrate from time to time, though whatever made them does not appear in the library. The threads are incredibly strong, and difficult to escape from once someone finds themselves caught within them.
As the darkness falls across the Dawn Room something changes. The doll, still sat neatly at her table with her pot of tea, vanishes from sight. When she re-appears at the doorway to the Doll Bathroom she wears a small, black band around her arm -- as do all the dolls. It is almost as if they are mourning their fallen friends, destroyed at the hands of the house guests.
Their mourning does not stay peaceful, however. Any guests who have attacked the dolls or destroyed a figurine or statue will find they are being followed -- even more closely than before if they already had a stalker of sorts. It is hard to say what exactly it is at first, something quick moving -- more agile than the dolls themselves and seemingly capable of both climbing upon surfaces and vanishing in an instant. It seems to skitter like an animal, an unnatural tap-tapping sound across the floors. When a glimpse is finally caught the full extent of the doll's united work is revealed. The creature itself is a monstrosity; a freakish combination of arms and legs and a doll head morphed into a spider-like creature that skitters and crawls. Its once intricately painted eyes are now black, empty pools -- hair a tangled and scruffy mess and beautiful porcelain cheeks faintly cracked. One of the many limbs has a small black armband about it. If attacked, the Doll-spider will dodge and scamper away rapidly -- leaving nothing but their frustrated person of interest and the sound of faint laughter.
It will return, though, and will not stop following no matter how many times it is chased away.
The Wallcrawlers have returned once more to All Hallways, clinging to the ceiling and stalking the house guests in complete silence. Unlike most nights, they will not attack any groups of two or more, waiting instead for a single house guest to pass beneath them to drop from their perches and attack. They are extremely dangerous and very difficult to escape once they have managed to capture someone.
The Hellhounds return at nightfall. They are clearly hostile to any injured house guest, though otherwise seem passive, content to laze about in open areas or play in the basement. The two puppies have managed to excavate a large hole there, and seem oblivious to the fact that they have coated the entire room in mud. Anyone effected by the experiments will find the dogs seem almost friendly, locating them even when they are not injured and seeming content to spend time with them. Some even act playful, as though the oppressive nature of the night has caused them to seek out human companionship.
In the Stairway In The Gallery, the Broken Woman has appeared once more. Her body is twisted and distorted, face completely obscured by heavy bruising. The noose still lays tight around her neck, as though she has simply fallen from her intended execution and begun to walk around. She seems particularly intent on targeting women who move through the staircase, and even fonder of breaking up pairs. The only real warning they might have is the scream that sounds moments before she appears. She will not leave the staircase or appear in any of the others. Anyone who lingers in the Gallery or the Attic might hear her weeping and begging, voice soft and broken as she pleads for an end to her torment.
The Doctor and his Nurses have once again returned to the Basement. Former patients will find that they are able to enter and even speak with the Doctor without being harmed, and any injured person who asks for treatment will find themselves protected from the hellhounds and tended to promptly. Anyone entering the Hospital with the intent to take one of the patients will find themselves captured and subject to a treatment.
Anyone who said yes to the voice during Night 008 will feel a strange tugging on the cords around their wrists, though the force is never enough to cause it to break skin. So long as they do not touch the string, then whatever is causing the movement seems to only be gently urging them, with no intent to harm. Those marked will being to feel a presence as well, as if they are not alone. It does not stop there-- inexplicably, they feel unfounded emotional bursts from time to time. Apprehension, anxiety, and, above all, excitement. The feelings will come and go, but the ebbs will clearly never be their own.
If traced, the cords now lead to the locked door in the Rough Kitchen, where the sensations run high. Nothing can be felt from the other side, nor heard over the noise of construction and wind.
In the Rough Kitchen, the girl with the lantern who calls herself Rose has reappeared. Her lantern sits on the main counter, brightening the room with welcoming light. She seems agitated, pacing constantly through the room and sending irritated looks at the doors to the room. Periodically, she pauses to throw things at the locked door, scowling as though the construction is occurring just to annoy her. She seems petulant to those that enter the room, sulky and almost bratty, desperate to speak with them, but often so demanding that they do not want to talk to her at all. She complains constantly of the unfairness of being stuck here, climbing on counters and making a mess of things left around. Despite her antics, the room is safe tonight, and none of the monsters will enter here.
Those who dare sleep during the night will find upon waking that they are not alone. Standing at their feet are Children, looking frightened and desperate. They will take the form of whatever features will allow the one they watch to identify with them, and will especially gravitate towards parents, though they will appear to anyone within the house. Their eyes are intelligent and watchful, and they will not break their gaze from those whom they have chosen. Though they will not follow, they will turn in the room to always stare at their charge.
Anyone who happens by a mirror, however, will see a completely different image from the sympathetic children. In the glass, the young creatures have become mangled and bloodied, their mouths far too large and gaping, seemingly torn at the corners to allow it to spread far wider than is natural. Saliva drips from their lips as their narrowed eyes continue to mark their prey.
As before, the Frogs have begun to move, seeming ignorant of their status as inanimate objects. They hop away from their owners whenever eyes are not on them. They never move far enough to disappear from the sight of those they belong to, clearly showing that escape is not their goal. They will always hop in the same patterns, leading their charges around danger of any origin, and towards the safe rooms as before. If ignored in their attempts to bring those they serve to safety, they will begin to ribbit incessantly and agitatedly, like a warning call that a predator is approaching.
In the Study, once again the Photographer has emerged. He will already be seated when anyone sleeping there wakes, poised at the writing desk. His ever present camera is nearby, set on the surface just in front and to the side of him. Its lens reflects in the light and seems to be aimed at anyone who stands just behind the apparition. He is writing, this night, pen frantically scribbling in a journal before him. Every once in a while he stops, staring down at the page as if waiting for something. Anyone who interrupts him or attempts to see what is on the written page will cause him to sit up, covering the book and locking his eyes onto them in a cold stare.
In the Nursery the rocking chair begins to rock, creaking softly as it moves. No occupant makes itself known, but the soft sound of a female voice humming can often be heard. Footsteps cross to the crib, but nothing seems to occupy it. Occasionally, one of the Children can be seen sitting next to the chair and playing with one of the dolls. The haunting seems almost harmless, and any living children who find themselves in the room will feel strangely safe, as though someone is watching over them. Anyone who has harmed the frogs will find that stepping into the Study is uncomfortable, and stepping into the Nursery fills them with dread and discomfort.
As night arrives, the construction noises in the Planetarium grow louder, to an almost deafening volume. Just the same as the closets at dawn, the room becomes clouded by a claustrophobic feeling, in spite of its open space. Anyone who does not vacate before they fall to slumber will find themselves within the Closet Room, returned to its proper place. The crying voice seems especially loud for those who wake there.
Those near the Doll Bathroom will hear another noise enter the air, a slow and steady tapping that takes the place of the clock chimes as they fade. As the knells of evening dissipate, the tapping becomes less rhythmic, and louder, as the Mirror Man steps out of the shadow of the room and into the halls. He does not seem limited in where his walk takes him, though he avoids the Basement and the Greenhouse. His ramble, however, through the halls seems more innocent and casual than anything else. Anyone who comes close enough to discover that he has a blade hidden up the sleeve of his free hand will regret it, all the same-- the moment they have lingered long enough to see the gleaming edge is a moment too late to avoid his sudden ire.
As the night falls completely, Nicolas and the baby rescued from the theater begin to cry. Nicolas stops as soon as the clock finishes, comforted by his guardians and soothed into some sense of safety, but the child from the theater remains fussy and uncertain for long into the night. Just like before, his cries seem to hold the monsters at bay, preventing them from attacking anyone that holds him. Though the hellhounds will approach, even if his guardians are injured, they will do nothing to harm them.
In the Well in the Plain Kitchen, something has begun to stir. The mangled form of the Needle Woman appears as she drags herself out, the long, sharp needles on her hands scraping and scratching against the brick as she does so. The scarred tissues that were her eyes seem to watch anyone that enters the kitchen, through the door of the Pantry. Anyone who lingers for more than a few minutes will find her no longer willing to accept their presence. She will similarly attack anyone who enters the pantry itself, seemingly fiercely protective of the water she emerged from.
Any guest who stands at the threshold between the two rooms will perhaps get a close enough look at her to see changes from her last appearance. Her exposed flesh speaks of treatment-- fresh stitches line her torso, some surgically neat and others sealing shallow and lopsided gashes. Her ankles and wrists are bruised with dark and thick bands of purple skin. Where her eyes should be, the mutilated flesh looks as though it has been cleaned, though it still dangles from an incomplete procedure. Anyone staring too long at these changes will find her twice as likely to attack.
Someone has been running amok in the Chapel Wing, sloppy writing has appeared on several of the doors. On the door to the Priest's Study someone has written "we killed the witch."
Just down the hall on the Junior Dormitory, someone has carved the words "Demon Spawn" into the door with something sharp, the words are still wet, and anyone with a strong sense of smell or a good eye will realize that the liquid is blood.
Above the hand-prints on the Chapel Door someone has traced words with half dried, sticky bloods. "Slit their own throats."
The door leading to the Bell Tower has been painted with ash, the words flaking away even as the reader watches. "Why did it leave me alive?"
Clawed, it seems, into the bottom of the locked door are the words "the witch's thrall."
There is nothing to indicate what must have left these messages scattered throughout the chapel, but those who are sensitive to the world around them may feel as though they have walked into a mass grave. The soft murmur of distressed voices presses around them and the temperature seems to have dropped several degrees.
The Safe Rooms tonight are Shelter Bedroom, Coat Closet, Rough Kitchen, Priest's Study, Observatory, and Ivory Bathroom.
1. Front Door 2. Entry Way 3. Coat Closet 4. Parlor 5. Formal Dining Room 6. Blue Kitchen 7. Doll Bathroom 8. East Hallway 9. Library 10. Study 11. Dawn Room 12. Closed Closet 13. Nursery 14. Dollhouse Room 15. Dollhouse 16. The Crack In The Wall 17. Maid Hallway 18. Clean Bedroom 19. Dirty Bedroom 20. Closet Room 21. Smoke Room 22. Yellow Bedroom 23. Vanity Room 24. Ivory Bathroom 25. Door to Basement 26. Supply Closet 27. Ballroom 28. Oak Hallway 30. Theater 31. Backstage
1. Hallway 2. Princess Bedroom 3. Princess Closet 4. Mirror Bedroom 5. Journey Bedroom 6. Fairy Bedroom 7. Red Bedroom 8. Mask Bedroom 9. Trophy Room 10. Gallery 11. Observatory 12. Sewing Room 13. Glass Bathroom 14. Perfume Bedroom 15. Library 16. Cherry Hallway 17. Thin Bedroom 18. Dark Bedroom 19. Light Bedroom 20. Loft Bedroom 21. Ink Bedroom 22. Mosaic Bedroom 23. Day Room 24. Narrow Hallway 25. Store Room 26. Open Bathroom 27. Blind Bedroom 28. Door To Floating Hallway 29. Corkscrew Stair
1. Main Room 2. Green Room 3. Half Bath 4. Small Kitchen 5. Garden Closet 6. Empty Hall 7. Radio Room 8. Carpenters Room 9. Painter’s Room 10. Shared Bath 11. Glass Blowers Room 12. Tapestry Bedroom 13. Dollmaker's Workshop 14. Pottery Room
1. Attic
1. Upside Down Observatory
1. Basement 2. Dirt Hallway 3. Waiting Room 4. Doctor's Office 5. Supply Closet 6. Recovery Ward 7-11. Examination Rooms 12. Treatment Room 13. Surgery Room 14. Ward 15. Morgue
1. Straight Hall 2. Public Restroom 3. Glass Half Empty 4. Fake Bedroom 5. Model Bedroom 6. Locked Door 7. Viewing Bedroom 8. Memory Bedroom 9. Photography Bedroom 10. Dark Room 11. Shelter Bedroom
1. Stairwell Room 2. Wallpapered Parlor 3. The Open Door 4. Plain Kitchen 5. Pantry 6. Dining Room 7. Hallway 8. Half Sized Bath 9. The Blank Library 10. ??? Room 11. Open Hall 12. Rose Garden 13. Chapel 14. Priest's Room 15. Priest's Bedroom 16. Hallway 17. Locked Door 18. Rough Kitchen 19. Junior Dormitory 20. Bell Tower
1. Greenhouse