Day 022

[allthekeys]

|| DAY 022: GENERAL The sound of the clock striking the dawn hour is muffled by the water around it, but still it chimes, almost defiant in the wake of the destruction surrounding it. Dawn arrives in a rush of blinding light flooding the house, and a noise that fills them with the sense of children crying in agony. The wounded house is visible in stark relief for a moment, the walls bloated from the water and scarred by the creatures running through. The windows remain shattered, broken glass clinging with misplaced tenacity to shattered frames. The house-guests will find that the light and sound become seemingly overwhelming for a moment, and sleep claims them, though no dreams rise to meet them. When they wake, those chosen for the experiments will find a thin plastic bracelet around their wrists. They are impossible to remove, and impervious to harm. Beneath them, vibration begins, the sub vocal sound of gears and parts moving together, rough at the start but soon smoothing out. The house lifts from the water, the acceleration sharp and quick enough that it presses the guests to the floor. It does not make it very high, but its return to the water around them is gentler and more controlled. The halls right themselves, the uneasy cant that has made travel difficult through the night vanishing. The hum remains, just out of hearing, a sound that is felt rather than heard. The water begins to drain. By noon, the first floors will be completely clear of everything but the occasional stubborn puddle. The furniture is soggy, and the walls are still damp with water, but the house-guests will no longer be required to wade. The smell is quite overwhelming, heavy with salt and damp. A few fish remain wriggling within the halls as the water drains away, caught in furniture and other items. Sea plants have also made great piles upon the floor, tangled with chair legs and curtains. The glass from the broken window would make the decision to walk barefoot through the house a rather treacherous one at the moment. By noon, the basements will be half drained of the water, though a good six feet of filthy sea water remains. Strangely, it seems as though water flows into the basements from elsewhere. Though it is difficult to tell from where. The water coming from the staircase that once led to the Upside Down Observatory slows to a trickle, bits of glass and other debris still drifting into the hall as the tide comes in. Pushed against the corner, easy enough to miss is the metal box that once set on the table in the room, dented but otherwise undamaged. Any of the guests standing in the upper floors will be able to see the world outside, the land appearing as the water drains off the island. The sun turns the water an odd golden color, as something in the water catches and reflects it. Flashes of crimson twist as the water ripples around the house, making the sea seem as though it is on fire. The twisted trees beneath them have been stripped of almost all their leaves by the waves, and even once the water has drained, the tide threatens the new coastline. In the large body of water around them, plants and fish are clearly visible, twists of color in the waves. Other islands, little more than rocks poking from the water, are covered in thick grass and home to several of the creatures the house-guests have been fighting against in the night. The Glass Dogs move atop the water, snatching fish from the waves, clearly at home in this otherwise unwelcoming environment. They clump together in playful packs, often little more than a glimmer of light as they move about the water, vanishing under waves like motes of smoke or the illusion of reflection. On the water, their drab color becomes a rainbow, allowing them to blend in the waves as they hunt and play. The Feral Deer have also returned to their natural habit, and seem much happier in it than they were trapped within the walls of the house. They stalk fish, the dogs, the hunters, and any other creature that might wander into their range. They move with little fear, and only the slightest indication of wariness when one of their young appears in the sky. Visible on the horizon are tall, imposing cliffs, rising nearly to the clouds. The morning seems to bring pleasure to many of the trapped ghosts and monsters in the Ballroom and many spend the early moments of dawn staring hungrily at the visible sky, their eyes round with wonder. As the day progresses, a few curl up to sleep, arranging themselves in as much sunlight as they can possibility get. They do not move from their positions and the Phantasms remain their silent guards. A few of the ghosts seem to have escaped this confine, and can be found scattered through the house. Directly outside the Ballroom Door sits the Mute Ghost Girl, the water has been pushed away from her, though there is no visible barrier surrounding her. Her right arm rests around her knees, face hidden from view. Her left hand rests against the visible floor, the palm split open and allowing her blood to soak the floor. Her breathing is deep and even, and she will not stir no matter what is done to rouse her. As the water recedes, a blanket appears draped on her shoulders, tucked carefully around her though she does not appear to be chilled. At her feet, as the water makes the floor around her visible is a single word, written in blood. "Boast." The Lady In White can be found in the second house, sitting quietly on the floor in the Wallpapered Parlor like the girl in the first house, she does not move. Her right arm is settled around her knees, her face is hidden from view, and her bloody hand sits against the floor. As the day progresses and the water recedes, at her feet appears the word "Covet" In the Third House the Wax Man has been moved from his room, and sits in the middle of the Professional Kitchen. His position is exactly the same as the other two, and his position will not shift no matter what is done to him. As the water drains away from around him the word "Indulge" appears on the floor just in front of him. In the Fourth House the Cook has appeared without his young friend, he sits quietly in the middle of the Cafeteria, left hand pressed solidly to the floor, blood staining the water around him. He seems deeply asleep, despite the injury. At his feet, once his feet can be seen again, the word "Consume" has been sketched in his blood. Within the Ballroom, the Wax Daughter has grown increasingly alarmed through the transition from night to day, with the disappearance of the ghost she had looked to for apparent comfort. The scene evolves almost in slow motion for the few moments it lasts, ghosts moving from their sentry points in order to converge on the Wax Family. Don, more human than the Art Enthusiast would normally be, is immediately by the little girl's side, squatting next to her. The Photographer stands by the Mother and Son, watching the last member carefully and stoically: The Father is faced down by the much larger Carver, who looks enraged. Even once they have ceased to move, tensions run high. In the First House the Mother's Ghost stands watch over the door, unmoving despite the dawn. She will remain until the water has drained completely away, sighing softly before she vanishes from view. The Library doors will open again once she disappears. Something seems to watch any who enter the Yellow Bedroom. There is the feeling of something creeping along the walls, just out of sight, circling the room slowly and deliberately. Even the wallpaper seems to crawl, something shiver its tendrils across surface of the room, like hundreds of tiny snakes uncoiling themselves between the plaster and the paper. The Gallery is strangely cold today, and unwelcoming. There is a thin layer of dust on everything, except for the staircase leading to the Attic. For all of those holding numbers from Night 017 will find that the paper seems strangely hot and sticky. The ink has begun to run, and stains anything that touches it. It is very hard to remove even from skin, marking the bearers. As the morning arrives, Lyhn appears briefly in the upper halls of the Fourth House. He is carrying Victoria, though the child appears to be fast asleep. He carries her in the Seedy Bar and vanishes once more. She wakes, and seems quite puzzled by the fact that she has moved, but seems to have taken no harm in the night. In the Velvet Bedroom the case remains broken, allowing the young man who normally occupies it to lounge on the bed. He has clothed himself, and is reading quietly on the bed whenever anyone enters. The room smells faintly of sex and sweat, but for the moment he appears to be alone. Every so often, he lifts his head and stares at the wall, smiling faintly at someone no one else can see. In the Silk Bedroom the young woman has taken on similar industry, dressed in a loosely flowing silk skirt and blouse rather than her normal ornate attire. She sits at the writing table, writing and amusing herself quietly. As the young man in the Velvet Room lifts his head, she turns in his direction, smiling as though she can sense his attention on her. She is quite polite, and does not seem at all opposed to visitors. For those that touched the Butterfly during the day, the glow finally fades with dawn, leaving them able to return to their normal activates. They seem to have suffered no continued ill effects, though they will find themselves very hungry as the morning arrives. At the moment of dawn, anyone in the Floating Hallway might catch sight of something rather odd. For a moment a lone Phantasm stands in the middle of the hall, and as the chimes begin to die Lock joins it. Nothing is said, but the boy steps well within range, and the Phantasm reaches for him, lifting his chin to study his face. Both vanish as the last echo dies. -------------------------------- [ OOC: Experiments will start at noon, and the chosen characters will be contacted by their mod (or can contact their mod) soon in order to work out the details! Our winners, with their respective moderator in parentheses, are as follows: Dean (Caitlin), Jack (TC), Ken (TC), Markus (Din), Molly (Kit), and Ritz (Caitlin)! Congratulations to our winners, and we hope you have a pleasant stay. ]