Jasmine only had to travel a few miles outside town to get to the little cottage. It was a single-floor thing that looked to have been built by hand over years, but kept in good condition. Until recently, however. It seemed the place was going to Hell, with an overgrown yard, ivy beginning to creep up the sides of the house, and the windows dark as if no one lived there. She puffed out a breath and shook her head, her dark brown dreads flipping over her shoulder as she stalked forward. She'd been calling for the past two days and no one was answering, and she was not only worried, but annoyed at her longtime friend for not giving her---or anyone---the time of day. Not even a moment to let anyone know he was okay. Which of course he wasn't, but she at least wanted to know if he was even alive.

Stopping outside the door, she shook her head again and slammed her hand into the door several times. "Alois! Open up! I didn't come out all this way to be ignored, you ass!" She huffed, closing her eyes and steadying her outburst. Then she spoke easier. "Alois, please, c'mon..." She tried the doorknob, surprised to find the door was unlocked, and it swung open easily. The hinges creaked gently, which gave the interior an eerie tone. Like a haunted house of sorts, or a place of the dead. It was cool inside, and dark, and the smell of alcohol hit her like a brick to the face. "Oh, come on..." She stepped in, her platformed boots toeing aside empty bottles. They were dark, completely drained wine bottles. Closing the door behind her, she flipped on the light and saw no sign of life in the living room. But there were similar bottles all over the place, even littering the furniture. All but one space. In the kitchen it was similar. There was spilled wine on the counters, near a couple wineglasses that looked to have been abandoned in favor of drinking right out of the bottle.

Leaving the kitchen, Jasmine walked down the hall. She first passed the spare bedroom, which wasn't used much, if by her from time to time. The bed was made, but there was a thin layer of dust on the furniture inside. She left that room, pausing to glance into the bathroom. Shockingly, there were two empty bottles on the side of the large bathtub too. "Alois..." The sight broke her heart, and it just seemed to get worse. She was terrified of what she'd find in the last rooms, so she couldn't move.