McButterpants - Call of Cthulhu - The Hole

Daryl Wiggins was out on the back half of his farm. He got most of his work done earlier in the week and figured he'd take some time off for hunting this morning. It was a great day for it. The sun was still low on the horizon and filtering through the trees. There was a chill in the air, but that should burn off in an hour or two and then the heat of the day would be on him. Just enough time to maybe bag some rabbit or duck. He was already starting to salivate at the thought of dinner later that night.

Daryl turned west into the bush. He almost never goes this way because the underbrush is quite heavy and tough to get through. It's tougher to track something in the thick bush and just as hard to stay on it's trail if you don't catch on the first shot. Branches pulled at his clothes in the cool morning air. At one point, he almost lost his favourite straw hat. It was pulled clear off his head by a low branch of an old alder and tossed into the brush a few feet away.

As he picked the hat out of dirt, he heard something scurry away into the heavy bush. Daryl quickly pushed he way around the bushes, shrubs and weeds that choke the path ahead. He continued forward for about 50 or 60 yards, keeping quiet and listening hard (Listen roll 76 v 20 = fail), but lost the trail. All he can hear at this point is sing-song of a lonely chickadee, the buzz of insects and the rustle of leaves on the morning breeze.

"Well, dammit. I guess I lost that one." Daryl had a tendency to talk out loud to no one in particular. One of the challenges of a lonely bachelor on a big farm - lots of space and no-one to share it with. "I won't be catching anything out this way. I can't see, and I can't chase. Might as well turn back and take the regular path." He was about to turn back, but felt a pull to move forward. He wasn't sure why, but he had this sense that he should continue. There was the rustle again. "Oh, I got you now ya little bastard. Someone's eating good tonight." He pushed forward, holding his hat against the grabbing branches and finally pushed into a bit of a clearing. He could see the hare rushing off along the edge of the trees. Daryl lifted the shotgun to his shoulder, a stupid grin on his face and let a blast fly (Rifle/Shotgun roll 54 v 50 = fail). The sound exploded through the nearby trees and along with it a burst of animal life rushing to escape the sound. "DAMMIT!" Daryl cried out as the hare jumped into the trees and skittered through the underbrush further on. Daryl popped the shotgun open and pulled out the spent shell; replacing it with a fresh one.

He looked up and scanned the area around him. He was suddenly struck by the oddness of the area. This was a wide open space in the middle of the forest. No trees growing in an area of about 50 feet in diameter. Actually, there are no trees, no bushes - not much of anything. Even the grass and weeds stop growing about 10 feet from the edge of the forest. "What the hell. Did someone come up here and dig this out?" Daryl walked deeper into the center of the area and scanned the ground. "If they did, it must've been long ago. There's no tree stumps and nothing dug up." He stops just short about a couple dozen feet from the center and notices the hole for the first time. "Wha...? Why'd someone go dig up a hole on my land. Can you believe that?"

Daryl walked up to the edge of the hole and looked in. The sun was higher in the sky and the heat of mid-morning was starting to build. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with his shirtsleeve. He looked down into the hole trying to figure out how deep it was. (Operate Heavy Machinery roll 64 v 51 = fail). The daylight lit up some of the way, but it was deep. This would have taken a lot of effort. "Maybe this wasn't someone. Maybe it's one of those natural occurrences? I ain't never seen something like this before." Daryl picked a palm sized rock out of the dirt nearby and tossed it in. He listened intently for the sound of it hitting the bottom. (Listen roll 84 v 20 = fail). He listened for a few seconds, but heard nothing. "Jesus! That must be deep." He whispered. Daryl crouched near the edge and stared deep into the darkness, trying to accustom his eyes to the gloom, searching for the bottom. A whisper … almost as if the wind through the leaves. "Daaarrrylllllll".

Thomas stares across the table at Patricia. She looks up from her book, smiles weakly, then looks back down. "I'm not going to be able to get any work done if you keep staring at me." She says without looking up again. "I have an important quiz tomorrow and I need to study." Thomas reddens a bit and whispers. "I'm sorry Patty. I can leave and come back later. Maybe we can grab some dinner in a bit?"

"Did someone say dinner?" Both Thomas and Patty quickly look up surprised. Sliding into the seat beside Patty is a striking young woman. "I am starving. I would love to get something to eat." Patty's face lights up. "Soo Lee!" she says this a bit too loudly and catches herself. Students from nearby tables give her disapproving glances. She giggles into her hand and says in a softer voice. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you all day." Soo smiles and winks. "I had to run an errand. Did I miss anything? Looks like I almost missed dinner." She smiles and glances over at Thomas, then back at Patricia.

Thomas' heart sinks a bit. He was hoping to get some alone time with Patty, but Soo is never far off. He's at a loss for how to give her the hint that they need some space. Still, he wasn't raised to be rude. "Oh, of course you're invited Soo." Thomas leans back in his chair and looks around the library. The Miskatonic has a few libraries on campus, but this is Patty's favourite. If she's not in class or at the local diner, then she's here - usually with Soo. Patty and Soo are deep in a whispered conversation about where to go to eat, so Thomas looks around the library. It's one of the biggest in Massachusetts. The bookshelves are stacked some four stories up with stairs and walkways giving students and staff access to the volumes of tomes housed here.

Thomas is staring around when he sees an older gentleman stride into the library and make for the front desk. The man is gaunt and pale wearing dirty overalls. His hair is wild and his eyes are dark pits. Thomas watches him with interest as the man gets the attention of one of the librarians. He worries the band of an old straw hat as he engages the librarian. The exchange is quiet at first, but then gets a bit louder. "You don't understand. I need some help now. I can't wait." The comment draws the eyes of a number of students. Some shush their displeasure at the disruption.

"Oh my goodness. What is wrong with that man. He looks absolutely mad." Soo says. We are all watching as the man lowers his voice and again asks the librarian some more questions. Her response is not what he was looking for and once again his voice rises. "Well, is the anyone else I can talk to? This is very important!"

Patricia leans across the table and whispers loudly. "Thomas, do something. That poor librarian looks flustered. I'm worried that man might cause her some harm." I look back over the table at Patty in surprise. I wasn't expecting to get involved, but I could see the worry in her face. "Oh. Oh! Of course. Maybe I can help." Thomas gets out of his seat and walks over to the desk, unsure what he's supposed to do.

"Uh, hi. I was wondering if everything was okay." Thomas looks at the librarian and shrugs. Thomas is tall and rugged with broad shoulders from his ROTC training. The librarian looks relieved to get some support. (Charm roll 53 v 32 = fail) "I was just explaining to Mr ... ?" she looks expectantly at the crazed gentleman "Wiggins." He says, now looking back and forth between the librarian to Thomas. "I was just explaining to Mr. Wiggins that we don't really have books on dream research. We're not that kind of library."

The man sidles up to Thomas. It is obvious that this man has not had a decent shower in a while. "Please, maybe you can help me. I've got to figure out these dreams. They don't stop. I can't sleep. Night after night, I'm haunted by them. They're so vivid. That hole. There's something horrible in that hole. I think it leads down into hell. I'm sure of it. I need to find out how to stop it. How to fill it in. Close it forever." the man's voice rises again, intense and crazed. I feel Patty's arm wrap around my waist. I look back and her and wrap my arm around her shoulder. "You poor man." she says "You must be so tired. You look like you haven't slept in days."

The diner is busy enough for a Monday evening. There are a few students seated at the stools lining the counter along the west wall. Some of the tables have been taken up, but there are more than a few empty. The group has grabbed a table in the far back of the diner to give themselves some privacy. It's already dark outside at this time of year, but it's bright inside the diner. The intense white lights reflecting off the white décor. Thomas brings a tray of milkshakes to the table and takes his seat.

"Oh, didn't they have coffee?" Daryl says, looking at the tray, then up at Thomas. The man looks like death in the bright lights. "I thought you should probably stay away from coffee. It looks like you're already having trouble getting a decent night's sleep." Thomas hands out the drinks to the table. Soo grabs hers and takes a long pull from her straw. "Oh my god! That is so good. I am absolutely starving. Did they say how long the food would take?" Thomas looks at Soo with a neutral stare. "They're cooking it now. It shouldn't be long." He unconsciously opens his wallet and looks at the few bills left in the billfold before closing it up and putting it in his pocket. He can barely afford to pay for himself and Patty. Soo has been a terrible drain on his limited funds. Now he's got Daryl to feed. It's going to be a tough month.

Soo sits up in her chair an leans forward towards Daryl. "So! You said that something is keeping you up at night. Nightmares? Something about a hole? You have to tell us what is going on. I am so intrigued." Her face is alight with energy and she is on the edge of her seat. Patricia looks over at her. "Soo! Please. Give the man a chance to catch his breath. He looks like he's had a horrible few days." She looks over at Daryl. "Take your time. Tell us what is going on. We want to help." Thomas stares at Patricia with a stupid grin on his face. She is such a wonderful person, he thinks to himself.

Daryl cradles his drink and studies it for a bit, then takes a short sip from the straw. He looks over at Patricia and smiles weekly. "It's been a rough couple of weeks." With that, he tells the table of the story of finding the hole, then being haunted by it ever since. He starts to get a bit animated as he describes the sleepless nights and terrible dreams. His voice gets louder until Patricia puts a hand on his arm. He catches himself and continues in a lower tone. "I need to know what's going on. I need to stop the nightmares. I'll go mad if I don't." at that moment, the counter bell rings. "Our food is ready. I'll go get it." Thomas stands and leaves for the counter.

"What do you see in your dreams?" Soo asks. She is still sitting on the edge of her seat, staring at Daryl. "It's in darkness. I can't see what it is, but it calls for me. I forget most of the dreams before I wake, but I know they are horrible. I can feel it."
"Will you take me to the hole?" Soo asks. She has not looked away from Daryl since he started his story. "Soo, you can't be serious. Look at what this man is going through. Do you want a similar fate?" Soo, as if snapped back to reality, sits back in her chair and looks at Patricia. She smiles brightly. "Oh, come on. You don't believe this do you? We need to help this man get over his obsession with that hole. Once he sees it's nothing to be worried about, his mind will stop playing tricks on him." (Soo rolls Charm - 30 vs 65 = Hard Success / Patricia rolls Psychology - 73 vs 10 = Failure)

"That's a great idea! Oh my. We can help you see that hole has no power over you." At that moment Thomas returns to the table. He sets the tray down and hands out plates of burgers and fries to everyone. "What's going on?" Patricia grabs and fry from her plate. "We're going to help Daryl."

Daryl returned to the farm late that evening. He was dead tired and hoping to get some sleep. Just one night would help. He staggered through the dark hall, trying to forget the dark stains that line the floor. His stomach turns a bit, but he has no trouble keeping his dinner down. He didn't think he was hungry, but once he started, he had devoured the burger and fries in an embarrassing display. It had been days since he's had a decent meal. Daryl heads straight for the bedroom and climbs under the covers. He had removed his boots, but did not bother to get undressed. His head aches from lack of sleep. Daryl stares at the ceiling, afraid to close his eyes. It's not long before he drifts off.

Daryl wakes standing at the edge of a small pool in a large, round earthen room. He looks up, searching for the ceiling. The room walls continue up into darkness. He can just barely see moonlight way off up above. The wall of the shaft is almost perfectly round, as if drilled by some machine (Operate Heavy Machinery skill - 85 vs 51 = failure).

Daryl looks into the dark pool. The stillness is disturbed by something roiling underneath. "Jayzus! What the hell is that?" Daryl stumbles back, his brow breaking out in a cold sweat. He turns and realizes that he's standing at the edge of a large tunnel leading away from the water. "H-h-hello?" He leans against the dense clay that makes up the side of the tunnel and starts to shuffle ahead. His feet slide in the mud. It's cool and squishes between his toes. "Is someone in there?"

The sound of something ripping through some wet membrane comes from the tunnel ahead. The tearing noise is followed by the spill of liquid onto the floor ahead. There is a wet thud as something solid falls onto the floor. "Daaaaaryyyyyyyyl!" (Sanity roll - 90 vs. 45 = Failure / Sanity loss 0/1d6 = 3). Daryl hears screaming. It's manic and crazed. It takes him a few moments to realize that it's coming from him.

(Do the schoolkids prep before heading out to the farm? rolled - No / Does Thomas have a car? rolled - No) Patricia, Thomas and Soo board the bus heading out of town and in the general direction of Walter's farm. Thomas makes arrangements with the driver to get dropped off within walking distance and works on arrangements to get back to the city. Patricia and Soo race down the aisle to the back of the bus, like kids on a school trip. The ladies jump into a seat giggling to themselves as they prepare for the trip. The bus lurches forward and starts down the road. Thomas plops down in the seat directly in front of the two and leans against the window. "He says it'll be about a half hour to get out there and he'll be back this way at about 5 PM. If we want don't want to be walking back to town, we should make sure to get back to the road before then."

(Does Soo turn the conversation towards the hole? rolled - No) The ride out of town is uneventful and before long they are heading down a long, dusty dirt road - wheat fields as far as the eye can see. Patricia and Soo have been chatting and laughing for the majority of the trip. Thomas, feeling left out, stares out the bus window watching the scene scroll by as the bus moves along. The bus slows, then comes to a stop. "This is your stop!" Yells the bus driver. He's staring into the rear-view mirror back at Thomas. "Oh ... Oh! Hey, it's our stop. C'mon ladies." Thomas jumps out of his chair and rushes towards the front of the bus. The bus driver points towards a dirt road just off the side of the road, splitting the wheat field in two. "Take that road down to the end. It'll be about a half hour walk, but should take you right to where you want to go."

(Do they encounter anything along the way? rolled - No) The walk is long, dusty and quiet. Soo has to stop more than a few times to shake a rock from her shoe. After a while, they see a farmhouse and barn in the distance. "Thank God! I thought we'd never get here." Soo lets out a relieved sigh. The sun beats down on the group as they make the final push to get to the house. The yardsite is quiet when they enter. An old tracker sits idle just off the field. Both the house and barn are quiet. The only noise is the rattling of a old weathervane as it catches the wind. "Hello! Daryl? Are you here?" Thomas yells towards the house. (Is Daryl in the house? rolled - Yes)

(Is Daryl dangerous to the group? rolled = yes) Thomas looks through the front window into a cramped living room. The window is dusty, but he can see that the room is empty. (spot hidden = 55 vs 50 = fail). He searches the house from this vantage point, but sees no movement inside. Thomas crosses the porch to the front door and knocks. "Daryl! Hey, Daryl. You in there. We came over to see if we could help you deal with that hole you were talking about. It's me Thomas. I'm here with Patricia and Soo." Thomas pauses to listen for any sign of life. (Listen roll = 89 vs 50 = fail). The only thing he hears is the buzzing of insects in the hot afternoon sun. "I don't hear anything. Do you think we should have a look around the yard - maybe the barn?"

Soo Lee let's out a long sigh and pushes past Thomas. "I did not come out here to bake in this hot sun. He knew we were coming." She bangs on the door loudly. "Daryl! C'mon, it's hot out here. Let us in." She puts here ear to the door and listens intently. (Listen roll = 2 vs 40 = extreme success). "I hear someone moving around." All of a sudden, there is a crash from a room in the back and a scream of rage. Then a loud racket as if someone is destroying one of the rooms. "I think Daryl is having a fit and destroying something back there." Patricia lets out a gasp. "I hope he's not hurting himself. Thomas, let's go around back and see if we can help him."

The three circle the small farmhouse heading to the back to see if there is another door. They all can hear screams of frustration emanating from the house, but they can't make out the words. All of a sudden there is a horrific scream of absolute terror "Blood! BLOOD!!" Thomas looks around the yard for something to protect himself. (Is there anything available? rolled = no) There yard appears barren of anything that would be useful in a fight. "You two hold back. I'll sneak up to the window and see if I can see anything." (Stealth roll = 21 vs 20 - used 1 luck to succeed). Thomas moves up to the window slowly and peeks over the ledge.

Daryl is in his destroyed kitchen. The table is overturned and some of the cabinets have been ripped from the walls. At first Thomas believes the red splash across the far wall is blood, but realizes that Daryl must have smashed a bottle of ketchup. Daryl is in the middle of the room, the look of absolute anguish on his face as he stares towards the ceiling. He tears at his shirt and leaves a smear of blood across his chest. His hand must have been cut during his rage. The man turns and races towards the back door, hitting it with his whole body. The crash of wood and glass is loud and startles Patricia and Soo. Patricia lets out a surprised scream. Thomas looks back quickly, then moves to peer around the back of the house. He doesn't move more than a few feet before Daryl, bathed in blood, dashes out from behind the house towards him.

(Does Thomas run (vs. fight)? rolled = yes, but) Thomas turns to the two ladies. "RUN! Get outta here!" He starts to run, but his feet slide in the loose dirt and he topples to the ground. (Initiative: Daryl's DEX is 65, Thomas's DEX is 55 = Daryl attacks first). Daryl jumps onto the man and slams both fists onto the back of his head. (Daryl Brawl = 28 vs 60 = hard success / Thomas Dodge = 87 vs 55 = failure / Damage = 4 HP). Thomas sees lights and is knocked to the floor. (would Daryl continue to fight? rolled = yes, and) Daryl grabs Thomas by the shirt collar and lifts him with what seems like inhuman strength and smashes his head against the brick of the house. (Daryl Attack = 18 vs 60 = hard success / Thomas Brawl = 56 vs. 40 = failure / Damage (1d6 + DB) = 3 HP). Blood sprays onto the brick of the house as the strike opens a gash in Thomas's head. Blood gushes down the front of Thomas's face. Seeing this Daryl recoils in horror and runs towards the front of the house ... in the same direction as Patricia and Soo.

(Do the ladies run around the farmhouse? rolled = no / Do they run into the field? rolled = yes / Does Daryl chase them? rolled = yes) Patricia and Soo make for the field. Daryl grows corn on his farm and the stalks are tall and full. (Patricia CON = 23 vs 40 = success = MOV 8 / Soo CON = 74 vs 40 = failure = MOV 8 / Daryl CON = 93 vs 75 = failure = MOV 8) Soo is quick and rushes down the path between the rows, she cuts across a few rows to add some coverage. Patricia is close behind. They can hear Daryl grunting as he rushes around the house, through the farmyard and into the cornrows. Patricia and Soo can hear him crashing through the stalks behind them.

Thomas stands and wipes the blood from his eyes. He stumbles a bit as he rushes out to the front of the house. The yard is empty. He looks out towards the fields and calls out to Patty. (Listen roll = 14 vs 50 = hard success). He hears Patty cry out from deep in the field and jumps into the cornrows in the direction of the cry. "Patty! I'm coming. Daryl ... you leave her alone, you animal." Fear has turned into rage and Thomas curses as he runs through the corn. (Thomas CON = 26 vs 70 = hard success = MOV 8)

Patty races through the rows of corn. The stalks whip at her face as she pushes forward. Soo is right behind her. The ladies emerge from the corn into an open area in the middle of the field. The ground is thick with mud - a small pool of water flooding the middle of the area. (Patricia DEX = 95 vs 80 = failure / Soo DEX = 81 vs 65 = failure) Patricia, unable to adjust, slides into the muddy area. She pinwheels trying to stay on her feet, but the mud pulls at her shoes and she topples forward. Soo stumbles behind her and they both end up falling into the thick, sticky mud.

(Daryl DEX = 64 vs 65 = success) Daryl sees the ladies stumble through the mud and slows down just enough to keep his feet before he enters the muddy area. He walks over to Patricia and Soo, who are desperately trying to get back to their feet. Soo turns and seeing how close Daryl is, lets out a terrible scream. The man before them is obviously insane. He has torn open his shirt and is covered in blood. The panes of glass inlaid in his back door shattered when he crashed through and tore numerous ragged cuts across his body. Blood seeped from the wounds scarring his chest, arms and face. "You must come. It wants you. You MUST come!" Daryl says in a hollow voice.

(Thomas DEX = 66 vs 55 = failure) Thomas was already well behind the others when he started into the cornfield. When he finally crashes through into the muddy clearing, he doesn't notice the mud until much too late. He stumbles through the muck and loses his feet. He falls headlong into the mess and struggles to get up. His hands sink deep into the muck and it takes a few minutes for him to get to his feet. When he finally stands, the area around him is quiet. "Patricia! Where are you?" He calls out at the rows of corn. No response. He sees deep footprints in the mud leading past the small pool and out into the corn on the other side. Thomas works his way across the open area, trying to keep his feet. "PATRICIA!" The footprints are easy to follow off the start (Spot Hidden - 63 vs 50), but it's not long before he loses the trail. "PATRICIA!" his voice rings out over the corn stalks, but only silence follows.

(Patricia SAN = 4 vs 50 = extreme success = 0 SAN loss / Soo SAN = 27 vs 35 = success = 0 SAN loss / Thomas SAN loss (for losing Patty) = 12 vs 45 = hard success)Patricia and Soo struggle against Daryl as he pulls them along by their arms. His strength is shocking. He pulls them along the dirt between the rows of corn, then cuts through to another row. Soo yelps in pain as Daryl wrenches her along almost pulling the arm from the socket. Both Patricia and Soo struggle to pull free, but the grip is like a vice. Patricia attempts to scratch at the man's arm (Brawl = 26 vs 25 = failure = uses 1 Luck to pass = Daryl Dodge = 81 vs 32 = failure = 2 damage) her nails dig grooves into the flesh that soon fill with blood. Daryl doesn't even seem to notice. He continues to drag them through the field. She decides to call out. "Thomas! We're over here!"

Daryl pulls Patricia out in front of him and raises his boot. (Daryl Brawl = 17 vs 60 = hard success / Patricia's Dodge = 31 vs 40 = success / damage 2 HP) He stamps down on Patricia's head and crushes it against the soil. Luckily the dirt is not well packed and cushioned some of the blow. Daryl bends down and looks into Patricia's face. She sees the insanity in his wild eyes. "Shhhhhhhh ... you don't need to be alive. He said I can bring you dead if it's easier." The stench of his rancid breath washes over her. Daryl straightens up and continues forward, pulling the ladies through the cornfield.

(Listen roll = 37 vs 50 = success) Thomas hears Patricia call out. It's deep into the field. He jumps through the stalks and races towards the call. He rushes forward trying to get to her as quickly as he can. After a short while, he breaks out of the field and into an open area just outside a forest. Thomas screams into the trees. "Patty! Where are you? Patty!" (Patty listen = 79 vs 45 = failure)

Daryl stops walking and releases Patricia and Soo. Both ladies immediately shuffle back in the dirt. Soo massages her shoulder. The pain of being dragged for so long has pulled something and there is a dull throbbing pain. She searches the area. They are deep in the woods, but this section has been cleared of trees and brush. The forest surrounding them is thick and wild. She looks back to the direction they were dragged from, but sees no path back to the farm.

Soo looks over to Patricia who stares at her with a strong determination. "Are you okay?" Patricia mouths to her. Soo nods, then looks up at Daryl. He has moved to the mouth of some large hole and has kneeled in front of it. He mumbles to himself. (Listen 89 vs 40 = failure), but she can't make out what he is saying. It must be in some other language or he is mumbling nonsense. "Daryl. Are you talking to someone in that hole?" Soo says aloud. "Do you still want us to help you break the hold it has on you? We can help, you know." (Persuade 37 vs 35 - she will use two luck to succeed / Daryl Psychology = 10% = successful) Daryl turns to look at her, his eyes almost burning with intensity. He grunts, but does not look away. "You know what lives down there is evil. It has possessed you. We can help you break free of it's grasp." Soo says.

Something moves near the mouth of the hole that Daryl kneels in front of. A oily black tentacle slides out of the hole and caresses Daryl's foot, then pulls back and issues forth sliding towards Soo. The tip of the tentacle changes, splits ... an eyeball pushes through the slit and stares at Soo. (Soo Sanity 12 vs 35 = hard success = 2 SAN loss / Patricia Sanity 45 vs 50 = success = 5 SAN Loss = INT roll 60 vs 85 = success - temporarily insane for 8 hours) Patricia starts to scream. Soo tears her eyes away from the alien tentacle in front of her and looks over at Patricia. Patricia is scrambling in the dirt trying to get up, but she is so frightened that she is unable to function. She takes another breath and screams again. Soo looks back at the dark, wet tentacle and sees it whip out to grasp Patricia at the ankle. (Fight 9 vs 55 = extreme success / Patricia Dodge 58 vs 40 = failure) It pulls Patricia with incredible force and she slides along the dirt like a ragdoll to the edge of the hole. Patricia turns over onto her belly and tries to scramble away from the hole, her fingernails digging into the dirt. She looks at Soo, her eyes are wild with fear and pleading for help. Another quick pull and she disappears into the hole.

Soo jumps to her feet and rushes to the edge of the hole looking in. She catches sight of Patricia being pulled into darkness. Her screams echoing up the walls of the hole, then ending and she is engulfed into the darkness. A bubbling whisper issues from the depths of the hole. "Brrinngggg meeeee moooorrrrrrre."

(Thomas Listen 99 vs 50 = failure / push = 87 vs 50 = failure). Thomas stands at the edge of the field staring at the path that leads into the woods. He closes his eyes and concentrates on his surroundings, trying to block out the ambient noise of the birds and buzzing insects. He strains to hear any sign of struggle. Nothing. "PATRICIA!" He screams into the trees. He closes his eyes and focuses, trying to catch a sign of someone crying out. He hears something, deep in the bush. He can't be sure what it is, but rushes in. "Patricia! I'm coming."

(Soo Sanity 99 vs 33 = fumble = 6 SAN points / INT roll 23 vs 70 = hard success) Soo replays those last few moments again in her mind. She sees Patricia get pulled over the edge, then disappear. There was something else. She didn't fall into the hole. There was something there. Patricia was pulled into something - something large, dark and oily black. She was pulled in. No, she was ENGULFED ... EATEN ... SWALLOWED. Something cracks and Soo falls into darkness. When Soo awakens, it is dark out. She is back at the house laying on the porch. She can hear someone mumbling beside her. She looks over and sees Daryl seated on a rocking chair mumbling to himself. Soo sits up and feels something wet and sticky drying on her hands. It pulls at her skin under her shirt. She's covered in something. She recognizes that copper smell - it's blood, and a lot of it. She sits up and checks her hands and her torso. She is not cut. The blood is not hers. "We must feed it." Daryl whispers to her. He twists in his chair as if cringing away from her. "Please go wash it off. Please." Soo ignores him. She stares at the moon. It has never looked so beautiful as it is tonight. She can't pull her eyes away from it. "Yes, we will feed it."

---

Epilogue:
Franklin Dubois is seated in his office. His supply from Canada has been cut off after another police raid. Sergeant Mark Moore has been dogging Franklin every step of the way. He's sure there's some insiders feeding information to the police, but he hasn't been able to find out who. He's been given a name of a fixer. Someone that has proven capable of dealing with troublemakers quickly and efficiently. This name has been whispered to him from a number of sources. Franklin typically likes to deal with things 'in-house', but he's decided to give it a try. If he can get Moore off his back, then maybe he can put more resources into finding the snitch.

There's a knock at the door. "Come in." He calls out. The door opens and he laughs out loud at the sight. "You gotta be kidding me. You?" The young woman smiles, but the smile doesn't extend to her dark eyes. "Not everything is done with strength or force." she says. "I'm Soo Lee. I hear you have a problem that needs fixing."