Day 046

[allthekeys]

|| Day 046: GENERAL There is a faint rumble as the sun begins to creep over the horizon, but it would be easy to miss the rising of the sun if it weren’t heralded by the clock chiming the sixth hour. The sun rises into a dense fog which quickly condenses into dark, foreboding clouds. It isn’t long before the weather becomes unbearable. The rain starts thin but steadily at first, but soon the trickle grows into a torrential downpour. Water pours from the heavens and the sound becomes almost deafening as it assaults rooftops and windows. The wind howls in the background, stirring up dust and violently tearing the leaves from trees. The wind makes the rain come down in sheets of unpredictable angles, soaking everything from all sides. There is a sudden crackle in the air before the power comes to a crashing halt. Once the guests’ eyes have adjusted to the sudden gloom, they’ll find that their numbers have dwindled. The other guests have seemingly disappeared without a trace, along with the both familiar and unfamiliar creatures that were roaming the halls and the grounds. The radios remain, however, to any who held onto theirs. Any who didn’t won’t be able to find it, and any radios the other guests had are now gone with them. The houses seem empty, desolate. Bare. The rain outside doesn’t help matters and the atmosphere is one of quiet unease. It is impossible to escape the storm, though fortunately it brings a break in the heat. Don shudders back to life in the Gallery but spends most of the morning sobbing uncontrollably. The Unnatural Servants are busy at work again, clearing away the grand dinners they’d set up for the night in every dining room. They seem unhindered by the dim light and work efficiently but unhurriedly, with care and practised ease. In the Ballroom, the Doll Queen is still seated with her dolls now in a neat ring around her. It’s a tight circle, one meant for conspiracies or secrets perhaps, and the dolls do appear to pay rapt attention to their Queen despite no words being spoken. If any guest should enter, the next time they blink, the dolls are all turned to stare accusingly at them. This is clearly a private gathering. It’s unclear what happened to the bodies that were there the night before. A fair amount of blood still stains the floors but there’s no sign of either people or eyes, human or otherwise. The mannequins in the sewing room have all been covered in plastic as if to protect them from the elements. Someone has lit candles throughout the Third House, leaving a dim light to guide the guests through the building. Coming too close to the candles, and especially picking one up, leaves one with a deep sense of foreboding. What if something sees? Someone has placed a cake on a bench in the centre of the Cafeteria. Candles line the rim, though the light from them is nearly swallowed by the dark. Something is written on the cake, but by the time anyone comes close enough to read the words the candles inexplicably douse themselves. Anyone who brings their own light will find it similarly fails when they come too close. Dave sits on the counter in the Seedy Bar, holding an umbrella in his lap. He seems perturbed, studying a leak in the ceiling that drips steadily into a metal bucket in the very centre of the bar. In the Fifth House, the wind has knocked the door open and blasts through the hallways. The door bangs on its hinges and proves impossible to keep closed. The floors are slick with water and the Leaky Basement quickly begins to flood. There is something bubbling under the water. At least the hallways have returned to normal, allowing easy passage in a normal time span. In the Catacombs, the offerings and paper cranes remain, along with a solemn, quiet air that lends a strange sense of security; however, the storm has left its mark even here. Those venturing down into the tunnels will find that there is rainwater beginning to flood them, even though at current it seems to remain no deeper than five or six inches. The Lady in White has vanished from the Rose Garden, though the baby remains sleeping in the basket, hands curled near her face. Shadows pool around her even in the daylight, seeming to move without any cause. The coin is still spinning in the Rough Kitchen but the small company has vanished in the daylight. [ This signals the end of the Fourth Wall! However, only from an in-character perspective. The comms will be open until July 10 for backtagging on posts and threads, should you want to. Thank you to all that participated - we hope you had fun! ]