Menewsha Avatar Community - View Single Post - Haunted Halloween VI: Night on Devil's Peak - Day 6 - Finale will be posted in the Meneverse in the near future.

04:09 AM

Day Two StoryX

-In the Library-

Precarious Fool: I still don't know why it was necessary to drag us all out here to the middle of nowhere.

Xo~GREMLIN~oX: Agreed. I mean, I could be at home, eating a TV dinner over the sink and thinking about my past failures.

star2000shadow: And so much for my party. I was gonna be a sexy supreme court justice.

blueblackrose: Where do you keep the gavel?

Dystopia: I... don't think I wanna know.

Mageling: Well, i'm glad for the overtime. I'm trying to save up three grand.

Nema: You gonna buy a car?

Mageling: No uh, a fursuit.

SuperZombiePotatoe: But Halloween's almost over.

Mageling: It's... not for Halloween.

Arinia Dreamdancer: There's too much dust in this house. It's gonna kill my allergies.

Rochiel Silverfire: You should have left your allergies at home. Like me.

Velvet: [observing the bookshelf] Wow, all of these books are ancient. Look at some of these titles.

Hadsvich: [reading] "Get to know the 46 States" ... "Mercury: Nature's Greatest Curative" ... "The Hysteria of Women and How it can be Tempered"

Naisou: [frowning] I'm done.

Woofie267: We're just wasting our time here.

Angel Spirit Girl: And there sure are an awful lot of us in here.

LizzyCollinsDeArc: I can't wait to get home and have some pumpkin spice everything!

Demetri: Hey star, why're you wearing your costume?

star2000shadow: [confused] Wha? I'm not.

Kamikaze Kendra: [eyes widen] Then who's this?!

Belly: Seriously, you need to stay away from that chat room.

Howdy: [shrugs] I don’t see why. They’re all really nice to me.

Belly: [with emphasis] Your screen name is HowdyBoy13.

Howdy: So, it’s my lucky number.

Belly: Never trust anyone who wants to come to your house and bring you wine coolers.

Arthur: [entering the hall from a back room] Hey guys, any luck?

Belly: Nope. We’ve searched this place from top to bottom and not a soul to be seen.

Arthur: Yeah. I guess it’s time we moved on then.

Howdy: Say Arty, do you think it’s suspicious if someone wants me to send them pictures of myself in a cub scout uniform?

Mrs. Etherington: [pleasantly] Why hello.

Arthur, Belly & Howdy: AUUUGHH!

Everyone in the group hits ceiling when, from seemingly nowhere, a wizened old woman appears. Her hair is grey, her face deeply lined with wrinkles. We’re talking ancient. She seriously looks like she could have babysat the dinosaurs. She is impeccably dressed, though… for someone attending a funeral in the nineteenth century.

Mrs. Etherington: My, what a lively group of visitors.

Arthur: [still a bit shaken] I’m sorry. We… didn’t think anyone was home.

Mrs. Etherington: Oh, I apologize if I didn’t hear you knock. I was in the kitchen, you see, and I tend to lose myself when I’m cooking. [she chuckles]

Arthur: [confused] But we just checked the kit… [deciding to drop the subject] Um… My name is Arthur Abernathy.

Belly: Belly. Belly Button.

Howdy: [shaking the old woman’s hand] It’s Howdy. Miss Jackson if you’re nasty.

Mrs. Etherington: A pleasure to meet you all, I’m sure. I’m Mrs. Ophelia Rose Etherington.

Howdy: Tha’s a lot of syllables.

Arthur: We’re from the Moonlight Delivery Service. We’re looking for a Mr. Aegis Echo Wolds. Would anyone by that name happen to live here?

Mrs. Etherington: My goodness, no. It's only myself and my husband Boswell, I’m afraid.

Belly: Would you happen to know if Mr. Wolds lives nearby?

Mrs. Etherington: I don’t believe I know anyone by that name. But at my age, one does forget these sorts of things.

Howdy: You’re tellin’ me, sister.

Arthur: Then the search continues. I’m sorry for the intrusion, Mrs. Etherington. We’ll show ourselves out now.

Mrs. Etherington: [abruptly] Must you leave so soon?! [regaining her composure] It’s a rare occasion when Boswell and I have guests. And i'm certain you all must be very tired after such a long day. Doesn't sitting in front of a warm fire sound inviting? I'll even make sure your package is stored safely here in the hall closet. [her eyes slightly widen as she mentions the box]

Arthur: [politely] While that would be… lovely, I’m afraid…

Belly: [looking around] Wait, Arthur… Where’s Kamikaze Kendra, Mageling, Hadsvich, Velvet, blueblackrose... and unexpectedly a whole bunch of people?!

Mrs. Etherington: [smiling, just tad unnaturally] Oh, your other little friends. They’ve gone.

Arthur: What?!

Mrs. Etherington: Yes, uh, they’ve left. They wanted to go back into the city and so my Boswell was good enough to give them a lift.

Arthur: Are you sure? [perplexed] That’s awfully strange. Why would they do that?

Mrs. Etherington: [still smiling] I’m sure I couldn’t say, deary.

There is a slight pause in the conversation. The only sound in the room comes from the tick tick ticking of the old, dust-covered grandfather clock. While she still seems like a nice, elderly lady, there is something about Mrs. Etherington that isn’t sitting quite right with our heroes.

The silence lasts only a moment, but in that time the group becomes very aware of their surroundings. The dark wallpapered walls, the musty smell that saturates the house, the cracked chandelier dimly shining above them. But most of all they notice Mrs. Etherington’s smile. The teeth are worn, as would be expected with age, but there is also a slight sharpness to them, giving her visage an eerie quality that belies the woman’s pleasant nature.

Belly: [uneasy] I think we should be going, Arthur.

Mrs. Etherington: Are you certain I couldn’t persuade you to stay? It’s such a cool and relatively dry night, it would be criminal of me to send you out without a little something to warm your bones. I’ve made a big pot of chestnut soup. Then afterwards we could all relax in the sitting room with some warm milk and a plate of chocolate digestives.

Instinctively, the Moonlight Delivery crew begins to inch toward the front door.

Arthur: That is a gracious invitation, Mrs. Etherington, but we do have work that needs to be done. But if we’re ever in the neighborhood again, you can be certain we’ll be knocking at your door.

Mrs. Etherington: Let’s just hope I hear it this time.

Arthur: Ha ha ha… ha ha… ha… [and as he closes the door, his fake laughter stops] Let’s get out of here.

Belly: Wait a sec. Do you buy that story about the others going back into the city?

Arthur: I… I dunno. But, I mean, where else could they have gone?

Belly: [furrowing her brow] I don’t know, either. But there’s something not right about that lady.

Howdy: I think it’s her pre-digested chocolate. Yuck.

Belly: And did you see that painting in the dining room? Seriously creepy. Something is definitely off here. I think maybe we should drive back into the city and see if Angel Spirit Girl and the others are really there.

Arthur: Look, I’d like to, but we got a job to do. Remember our motto. The Moonlight Delivery Service: No package goes undelivered, even if some of our delivery people mysteriously disappear.

Howdy: That’s an oddly specific motto.

Arthur: I think we’re all getting a little worked up over nothing here. Mrs. Etherington is just a sweet, albeit somewhat strange, old lady. And I’m sure the others are fine. Now, let’s get back in the van and find the next house.

Belly: I wish I felt better about this.

Arthur: Believe me, you’ll feel better after we’ve found this Aegis Echo Wolds, and you’re curled up in your warm bed.

Inside the house, Mrs. Etherington stands at the window, careful not to be seen. She watches as the delivery team converses and then drives off in their van. Reaching for the receiver on a nearby end table, she quickly dials.

Mrs. Etherington: This is Ophelia. It’s as we thought. They have it with them. --- No, there are more of them than we estimated. Boswell and I managed to take care of a few, but they are still a sizable group. I’ll contact the others. --- Yes, they’re heading in your direction. And they still have the box.

The town isn’t very large, but the mountain roads in Devil’s Peak twist and turn, adding unnecessary time unto the journey. Ten minutes later the Moonlight Delivery crew has reached their next stop, a small cluster of buildings tightly grouped together. It’s difficult to see those at the back, but the main building is prominent. The moon is brighter here, but adds nothing to the architecture. It’s only serves to highlight the ravages of age on a structure that has seen better days. --- Out front the sign reads: Anthony Levine Elementary.

Howdy: Oh good, my mom always said I should go back to school.

Belly: [looking the place over] I’d have sooner dropped out. [to Arthur] You think anyone’s here?

Arthur: [resigned] Only one way to tell.

It may have simply been his imagination, but it seemed to Arthur that the further up they went on the mountainside, the darker the night became. Beyond the moon’s scope, everything was pitch black. One also would think being surrounded by forest land, you could hear the rustling of animals, scurrying amongst the trees. But all was deathly still around the school. It unnerved him, but he pushed the thought aside.

Up the rough stone steps, Arthur is about to knock when the school doors fly open. Everyone jumps.

Ms. Sadler: [shocked] Oh goodness! You gave me fright!

Before them stands a tall woman in conservative dress. Bespectacled and hair neatly put up in a bun, she’s living the full librarian fantasy, making her look years older than her actual age. But beyond the attire, her face gives the impression of someone in their late twenties or early thirties.

Ms. Sadler: My, don’t you all look scary. But I’m afraid we’ve run out of candy.

Belly: [frowning] Damn.

Arthur: Um… We’re uh, not trick or treaters, ma’am. We’re from the Moonlight Delivery Service. I have a package here for Aegis Echo Wolds.

Ms. Sadler: [quickly] Oh yes, that’s me!

Arthur: [raising an eyebrow] You’re Mr. Aegis Echo Wolds?

Ms. Sadler: [nervously laughing] No no, of course not. How silly. What I meant to say is that yes, I know who that is. Heh heh… My name is Ms. Sadler. Polly Sadler, the fourth grade teacher.

Belly: [suspiciously] So is Mr. Wolds here?

Ms. Sadler: [energetically] Yes yes, he is. He’s on the school grounds… somewhere. If you hand the package over to me, I will make most certain that he gets it. [reaching toward Arthur]

Arthur: [taking a small step back] Sorry, that’s against company policy, Ms. Sadler. We need Mr. Wold to sign for this personally.

Ms. Sadler: [slightly pursing her lips] Well, as I said, he’s here somewhere. [hearing footsteps behind her, she turns] Oh, here comes Mr. Gutierrez.

A man appears at the open doorway. He’s a friendly enough looking chap, with a mop of shaggy black hair and light brown eyes.

Ms. Sadler: This is Mr. Gutierrez, the bus driver.

Mr. Gutierrez: How do.

Ms. Sadler: Kevin, these nice people are her to deliver a package to Mr. Wolds. You saw him inside, right?

Mr. Gutierrez: [momentarily puzzled] Who?

Mr. Sadler: [smiling, but through gritted teeth] Such a joker. Now be serious, Kevin. You saw Mr. Wolds, the kindergarten teacher.

Mr. Gutierrez: Oh… Oh yeah! Sure! I passed him in the hall… Mr. Wool.

Ms. Sadler: Wolds!

Mr. Gutierrez: Wolds! That’s… what I meant. [giving the same odd smile]

Arthur: [incredulously] Grrreat. So uh, could you take us to him?

Ms. Sadler: [hesitant] Well, I’d like to, but I have a room full of… p-pumpkins I need to load into my car. We carved jack o’lanterns in class today, and I have to get them home so I can grade them.

Belly: You’re going to take home a car full of pumpkins? Why not just have them draw jack o’lanterns?

Ms. Sadler: Then how would the children learn their knife skills?

Howdy: I know I wouldn’t be who I am today without them.

Ms. Sadler: But the school isn’t very big. You shouldn’t have any problem finding him. [to Mr. Gutierrez] Kevin, will you help me load those… pumpkins?

Mr. Gutierrez: Ah, sure thing Polly!

And before the delivery team can say another word, the two are down the steps and disappear behind the school.

Belly: Are we sure this isn’t Twin Peaks?

Howdy: Wow, Belly, Wow!

Belly: You keep your knife skills to yourself.

Day Two ResultsX

Location: Anthony Levine Elementary

Cafeteria
You always felt a bit envious of the children who brought their lunches to school. They were allowed to sit out in the quad with their friends, and enjoy the fresh air. Kids like you, who bought their lunch, had to sit in the stuffy cafeteria. But there was always that one special day when you had the upper hand, when you were the envy of every student with a lunch box. And that's when birthday cake was on the menu.

(Birthday Celebration)

Fifth Grade Class
You've learned a valuable lesson tonight. Always watch your back, cause you never know what... or who will sneak up on you.
(MISSING - See F.A.Q.)

Kindergarten
Well, it appears the kindergarten teacher isn't in his classroom. Too bad. But it's kinda neat seeing the class, anyway. All the tiny chairs and desks. It's funny. Were you ever that small? It reminds you of those fond, carefree days. The only thing that's different are the toys. This newer generation sure has some swanky stuff. But hey, there's some feathered faces you recognize. It's good to see some things stay the same.
(Ducks in a Row + 1 Raffle Ticket)

Library
Sometimes you wish you had spent more time in the library as a kid. But chasing your friends around the playground just had so much more appeal. Plus Mr. Cromley, the school librarian, didn't make the library too inviting. Any little peep and he was on your case. And heaven forbid if you were even a day overdue. A smile would spread on his creepy face and he'd jingle that late fee jar at you. So on second thought, maybe staying on the playground was good for your wallet.
(+400g )

Second Grade Class
Being in the second grade class brings back fond memories of your elementary school days, especially around Halloween time. Decorating the classroom, wearing your costume to school, sitting in a circle and listening to spooky stories. It warms your heart to see all the little bits and bobs the children have made. Here's a spider made of puff balls. And here's a wax paper ghost. And just look at this homemade hairpin.

(Departed Souls Hairpin)

Storage Shed
You guessed the chances of finding Mr. Wolds in the storage shed was low, but it couldn't hurt. And searching, you found what you expected to find. Sporting equipment and gardening supplies. Standing against the wall you spot a pitchfork. It puts to mind a horde of angry villagers on their way to storm Frankenstein's castle. You giggle, as you think of you and your friends doing the same. Hey, who knows what's at the top of the mountain.
(Pitchfork)

Teachers Lounge
There's isn't much to be found in the Teachers Lounge. Not even in the mini fridge. Just an old pastrami sandwich and some expired hazelnut creamer. On the staff table you notice a stack of papers. They're children's drawing. Cute Halloween pictures of pumpkins and witches and mummies and such. But at the very bottom of the stack, one drawing is definitely off. It's a highly detailed sketch of a demonic creature, winged and eyes filled with wrath. It's unnerving. The paper is unsigned, but there are two odd symbols at the bottom of the page. The kid who drew this needs serious help.

Third Grade Class
Some kids lived for the playground, but your free time was spent with your nose in a book. And inside the third grade classroom, you find an old friend. The book order form. It was so exciting every season when your teacher would hand them out. You'd pour over it, picking out everything you wanted and then begged your parents for the cash. And they happily paid up, knowing that it only fostered your love of reading. Money well spent.
(+500g )

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Day Two ResultsX<em>Note: Your scripts are turned off. Hover over this section to reveal content</em>

Where is everybody?X<em>Note: Your scripts are turned off. Hover over this section to reveal content</em>

Day Two StoryX

Day Two ResultsX

Where is everybody?X