Long Form Roleplayers

Previously: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter4

Characters:

You are not logged in. - Lloyd Morgan-Jackson

You are not logged in. - Myster Emmet

You are not logged in. - Bartender Ghost

The Author:
Previously Lloyd and Emmet had split up in the Overlook Hotel. While Lloyd was working with Richard Hallorann in the boiler room, Emmet encountered the young Danny Torrance. The two are now set to reconvene in the kitchen where somebody or something tried to trap Lloyd and Richard in the boiler room.

Bartender Ghost:
It is about 2:10 pm when Mr. Emmet enters the kitchen with the young Mr. Torrance. There are clear signs of something unusual happening. One of the stoves by the Boiler Room has been removed, and the sounds of it scraping on the floor can be heard at the bottom of the stairwell. Danny is quiet but again holds your leg, Mr. Emmet. Meanwhile, Mr. Morgan-Jackson can hear the sounds of footsteps entering into the kitchen.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I freeze up, unsure if I should call out or not. I clutch the lead pipe in my hand.

Myster Emmet:
“Hello? Is there someone there?”, I call out, while wondering why the stove is removed?

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Emmet?", I shout back. "Mr. Hallorann and I were trapped in the boiler room, can you come down and help us?"

Myster Emmet:
I take a moment to process this… “What.” I looked around to see if I could ascertain if the voices are coming from the boiler room as I make my way down the stairs.

Bartender Ghost:
Mr. Morgan-Jackson’'s voice is indeed coming from the bottom of the stairwell. The rest of the kitchen is calm with the smell of the stew wafting through it. Mr. Hallorann looks up to Lloyd while checking on his leg, "Your partner is there, thank God."

Myster Emmet:
I made my way down to inspect the boiler room door, and what I presume the missing oven blocking it. “What the heck happened here?!” I take brief glances at Danny from time to time to make sure he’s okay.

Bartender Ghost:
He stays at the top of the staircase while you go down. You can see the door to the room is ajar, the stove pressed up against it pinning preventing it from fully opening. Lloyd has managed to wrap himself some around the door working his way out of the room.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Seeing Emmet on top of the stairs, I continue to inch outside of the boiler room before managing to weasel myself fully free. "Someone pushed the fucking oven down the stairs is what happened", I say, breathing a sigh of relief at being finally free. "Richard is still trapped inside. Can you come down and help me move it, so he can exit too?"

Myster Emmet:
I hold back a quip, “Yeah, of course. How should we do this? A 321 countdown and we push?” I looked down at the oven and start trying to find any obvious places where we can push.

Bartender Ghost:
With the stove being around 600 lbs, you two are able to work and dislodge it enough to get the door open enough for even the injured Mr. Hallorann to come out from the boiler room. While this is happening, Danny watches from the staircase keeping an eye out. He occasionally shifts his position while he looks around.

You are not logged in. - Danny Torrance

You are not logged in. - Richard Hallorann

Myster Emmet:
“Mr. Hallorann! Lloyd! Are you okay…wait, I mean, are you hurt?!” I rephrased my obvious question to one of merit as I assessed Mr. Hallorann and Lloyd for injuries.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I am not, but Richard was knocked back from the impact. How's your knee?", I ask him.

Bartender Ghost:
He is now using a metal pipe to help support his weight as he comes up the stairs and takes a seat on the top one. "I'll be fine. Think this is the least of our concerns."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I turn to Emmet. "Have you seen anyone on your way here?"

Bartender Ghost:
Danny then tugs on Emmet's shirt while looking at Lloyd, which Mr. Morgan-Jackson may notice is a change of clothing from when you both arrived in. "Is he from Pluto too, Emmet?"

Myster Emmet:
“Uhh…well…” I scratched my neck, “Well, actually he’s from Mercury, we’re star-crossed lovers.” I smiled down at Danny before turning back to Lloyd, “I actually ran into Danny here on the third floor, and I met with Jack Torrance…at which I believe to be 1:40 PM. When did you guys get trapped down here?”

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I notice that Emmet is in a different shirt now, but decide that now isn't the time to ask about it. "Maybe a couple of minutes ago... This is why I asked you if you've seen anyone. Whoever pushed that stove couldn't have made it very far... if they have a... physical body, that is."

Myster Emmet:
“Hmmm, well they would have to be pretty strong or prepared in order to push an oven down the stairs…I didn’t see anyone flee from the kitchen.” A thought entered my mind, and I turned around to walk back up the stairs to inspect the place where the oven was supposed to be. I’m specifically looking for anything out of place, perhaps something dropped by the culprit?

Bartender Ghost:
As Mr. Emmet begins his investigation, Mr. Hallorann speaks up. "There's no guarantee that it was a person. Things are starting to get dangerous here like that night back in 1960." He then holds out his arm and gestures for the young boy to come over, of which he does into a comforting hug. "How is Cujo doing, Danny?"

As for Mr. Emmet's investigation, at a quick glance, he can see something unusual indeed. Its electrical wires that were connecting the stove to the wall have been ripped out with no sign of a clean cut. It is as though the object was lifted by sheer strength and tossed down the stairway. Not even traces of it being dragged are on the floor, nor are any remains from the culprit.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I join Emmet where he's standing.

Myster Emmet:
“Huh…this is pretty concerning. I don’t know what’s worse, a supernatural entity or whatever human can chuck an oven down the stairs like it’s nothing.” I take a glance around to see if anything else stands out.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I too take note of the lack of drag marks across the floor, as well as the wires being ripped out. Well, that definitely rules out Wendy. And Danny... And probably Jack too. Unless any of them have super strength.... Are there any other things of note in the kitchen?

Bartender Ghost:
The kitchen looks the same as you recall before going into the boiler room. Danny's stomach growls, "Where's Mom? Can I have some lunch?" He looks over to the stove with the pot on it.

Myster Emmet:
“Of course you can have some lunch, I think I’ll have to go outside soon…the storm’s picking up and I haven’t checked the Hedge Maze to see if Wendy was there.” I looked for any bowls or plates for Danny while saying that.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Oh... I thought you planned to go out and keep her company there?", I ask, surprised at this statement.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I don't think we should be splitting up anymore. Dangerous things are happening here, and we should all stick together."

Myster Emmet:
“Uhh, well..yeah about that…hehe…” I looked over at Danny subconsciously, “I got…distracted.”

Bartender Ghost:
There are some bowls set out by the stew for you to start dishing some up, meanwhile, Mr. Hallorann speaks up. "They're getting stronger..." He says flatly. Danny turns his attention to the man, "Then this was... the monster?"

Richard starts to rise up using the pipe to help steady his pace. "You two probably need to know more about this, and what happened back in 1960. On that night, half this building burnt down, and why this boy is special. Think I'll take another bowl of that too, if you don't mind."

Myster Emmet:
“Well, I know why Danny is special. He can see things no one else can.” I state this simply and succinctly as I take a bowl of…deer…soup.

Bartender Ghost:
"How about you two get caught up on what happened. I'd like to hear too." He says while leaning against the counter.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I listen to the exchange intently. After Richard says this, I turn to Emmet. "You wanna go first?"

Myster Emmet:
“Sure, why not. Okay…” I pause as I try to remember what happened in the last hour and recap it.

“Well, like I said earlier, I was going to head outside in order to talk to Wendy…but I heard a dog barking coming from the elevators. When I looked around the corner, no one was there but the elevator indicator showed someone went up to the third floor. And well…my curiosity got the best of me. I headed up the stairs to find…Danny. Conversing with Cujo by barking with him.” I smile fondly.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Cujo.... is a dog? A.... physical... living dog?"

Myster Emmet:
“Cujo is his invisible dog.” I emphasize the invisible part while giving Lloyd a very meaningful glance.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Can you.... touch it?", I ask. I'm assuming the meaningful glance means that it's an imaginary friend, but with everything I've heard in the last hour, I find it best to cover all bases.

Myster Emmet:
“I mean, I tried to give the good boy pets but…Danny’s the only one who can do it. Effectively at least. Since I can’t see him.”

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I see", I say, remaining unsure. Was Danny the one barking? Convincingly enough to make it sound like an actual dog... I suppose it's not impossible, but...

Myster Emmet:
I continue with my story, “Then we talked about the scary clown that makes you float, the mean twin girls who want to play with him, and his parents. All good fun.” I say nonchalantly. “Then we visited Jack’s room, though he wasn’t in it at the time. That’s when I ran into him. He came from around the corner from the elevators.”

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"It was probably after he finished his meal in the kitchen. I met him here and we had lunch together."

Myster Emmet:
“Ah yes, he did mention that. We talked for a bit, he was searching for Wendy, which reminded me of my original goal. He then told Danny he should tell Wendy to see him when she comes back from her walk.”

Myster Emmet:
“Then me and Danny and Cujo raced towards the elevators while Jack went back into his room, but that’s when we ran into a problem…” I scratched my neck, wondering how to explain the next part.

“Okay, well, when we got to the elevators…the doors opened to reveal a veritable tsunami of blood to splash onto both of us and the entire hallway!” I looked towards Danny, “Of course, even though I couldn’t see it. It was extremely bad. That’s why we had to change our clothes before coming down here.”

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Uhmmm.... you couldn't see it....? Could you... feel the wetness as it splashed over you?"

Myster Emmet:
“Nope! Truly a frightening thing to not even feel a drop. Like it was made of air.”

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"And... you didn't see any stains...?"

Myster Emmet:
“Nope! But according to Danny, it was everywhere!” I give another meaningful glance at Lloyd.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I nod, thinking how considerate it is of Emmet to indulge a kid like that, and how I probably.... or certainly... wouldn't be as accommodating.

Myster Emmet:
“Then we came down here after changing our clothes, Cujo ran away because of…reasons unknown, and then we found you guys stuck in the boiler room!” I finished, smiling from telling a good story.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I have some further questions for Emmet, but decide to postpone them until we're alone. Although I am not sure how likely that is to happen any time soon, with what's been going on. "Alright, I guess it's my turn." I take a deep breath.

Myster Emmet:
I listen closely.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I first came down to the kitchen to have lunch, as it was a little past 1pm. I didn't see Wendy here, but the pot was on the stove, still cooking. Soon after, I was joined by Mr. Torrance, who decided he didn't want to wait for the stew to be fully cooked before pouring some for himself. I poured myself a plate too, and we ate together and talked..." I pause. "The details should be best saved for another time", I say, taking a glance at Danny, before continuing. "Then Richard joined us just as Mr. Torrance was about to leave. Since I ate much more slowly than him, I still had most of my plate left, so I continued to eat, as I started chatting with Mr. Hallorann instead... Then we went down to the boiler room together, where he told me a few things about the events that happened in this hotel in 1960. Apparently, there was a large fire.... But I guess it's better to let him tell the story. He managed to check all the tanks, and made sure none are clogged."

"We were in there for a few minutes in total, before we heard the latch close on the outside of the door. I rushed to the door, but couldn't open it. Richard took out the key, since the key mechanism is apparently connected to the latch and managed to unlatch the door with it, but as he started to push the door open, something very heavy slammed against the door, closing it shut, and knocking him back."

"Fortunately, the stove wasn't aligned flush with the door, so we managed to pry it open, using these lead pipes", I nod toward Richard's makeshift walking stick and the pipe I've been holding as a weapon. "I was able to partly squeeze out before you came into the kitchen and called out", I finish.

Myster Emmet:
I listened to the story, a couple of questions of my own are brimming to the surface but I wanted to wait for a moment alone with Lloyd to question him.

Bartender Ghost:
While you both are recapping, Mr. Hallorann is eating some of the stew along with Danny. The boy is listening but doesn't seem to be very fazed by anything you are saying, meanwhile Richard calmly eats the food listening with an occasional nod. "If you two need a moment to talk, I can keep an eye on Danny here." He offers.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I turn to Richard, impressed that he seems to have been able to pick up on these unspoken cues. "Well... maybe... but do you think there's time for that now? Shouldn't we rush to warn Mr. and Mrs. Torrance?"

Bartender Ghost:
He sighs about something and stretches his leg a little, "Afraid I might not be rushing anywhere unless something was chasing me. It seemed like there were some things you were holding back on account of the boy here, you did say something about saving details for another time." Danny looks up to Richard, "I think I know Mr. Hallorann. Daddy isn't really... a nice person." He says flatly and returns to his stew.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I raise my eyebrows a bit at this comment, but say nothing for the time being.

Bartender Ghost:
"I think you two need to know what is going on around here first. Wendy might be in trouble, but I think you are likely going to get into more trouble if you don't know what the threat is. See, to put it simply, this hotel is haunted. Something about tonight, just like 23 years ago, is making the spirits here reckless. Normally it's a whisper, misplaced object, little things more like tricks than..." He casts a glance over at the ripped out stove, "Attempted murder."

Myster Emmet:
My face falls a bit at the implication, “Spirits…huh.”

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Having already heard as much earlier, more or less, I don't react, but keep listening.

Myster Emmet:
“What happened 23 years ago?”

Bartender Ghost:
"It was 1960, I was a boy 15 years old. My mother worked here, and that night a huge blizzard came through just like what is supposed to come through tonight. She and I lived here all year round, but that night peculiar things started to happen, things only I could see. You see, every now and then there are people out there who can feel... see... even taste when there are dark things hiding. A type of sixth sense maybe, and those people shine. This boy." He puts his hand on Danny's head, "He's like that, as was I." He waits to see how you two respond.

Myster Emmet:
This doesn’t surprise me in the least, compared to the genuine reactions that Danny had to the tsunami of blood…I’m inclined to believe the story. I nod my head, “That makes some sense.”

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I nod, my suspicions about Emmet's story being somewhat alleviated by having Richard vouch for Danny's.... ability.

Bartender Ghost:
"The caretakers back then, a couple similar to yourselves, were staying over the winter. Strangers at first, they started to grow together in a touching display fitting for a movie maybe if the world ever comes around to accepting that. By the end of that night, they were hanged in their room while the boiler room exploded. The fire burnt down half the hotel, the grounds were torched, and only the raging blizzard was able to prevent the whole thing from burning to the ground. My mother took me from here and vowed never to come back. I came back about 15 ago as the new groundskeeper because of what I learned in my youth." He takes a few more bites and finishes up his stew.

Myster Emmet:
My eyes widened at the horrible tragedy, my hands uncontrollably going up to my neck to touch as cold shivers go down my spine. “That’s…I can’t believe…wait. What did you learn in your youth?” I picked up on that fact…

Bartender Ghost:
"The events of that night and the things I had seen haunted me. When I was an adult, I studied up on things, no easy task mind you for somebody with such prejudice against them. I came to learn that there are places around that have cycles of tragedy to them. Seems like after a set number of years things end up repeating but go unnoticed. A town up in Maine for example where people disappear. It's as though there is something... hiding under the surface, and every now and then it stirs. I came back here and started working so I could see if I was right. Here we are, 23 years later and it's starting back up again."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I repeat my observation from the boiler room. "But as you mentioned earlier... there doesn't seem to have been any such incident in this hotel in 1937, right? Maybe it was only in 1960 that the... number of spirits... and their anger... reached.... critical mass... as it were", I offer, unsure of my own theory.

Bartender Ghost:
"You could be right, Lloyd. I haven't been able to find any records from that long ago, perhaps some burned in the fire of 1960. Couldn't find any new papers or media attention about anything before then, but it's hard to track all those old papers. Regardless, Danny here is able to see things. Tell them about what you've seen Danny." He gives a calm pat on Danny's back encouraging him to speak.

Myster Emmet:
"Go on, Danny, we're listening." I have a soft smile on my face as I lightly coax Danny to tell us...

Bartender Ghost:
He's quiet, poking at the food in the half-eaten bowl. "There are a few of them... Mom and Dad don't believe me. Those mean girls who sometimes chase me. That clown who is always trying to get me to go places I'm not supposed to. I sometimes see a train go by with a smiling creepy face. That man at the counter in the dining room just stares at me. And..." Shudders, "The Monster." He takes a bit of some of the deer meat, "Cujo's been here protecting me. He growls when they are nearby. Why did he run off, Emmet?" He looks up to you Mr. Emmet again holding back tears.

Myster Emmet:
"Hmmm, I'm not sure. Maybe he ran off to confront the monster? In order to protect you?" I voice, but something tugs at the recesses of my mind...a horrible thought. Something I might need to bring up with Lloyd later.

Bartender Ghost:
Mr. Hallorann speaks up, "These are the same types of things I saw in my youth. I only recently started to remember it clearly though, perhaps as a result of getting closer to the cycle. There was an old timer at the bar over there who would tempt my mother with drinks. Never saw any girls, but the clown I saw before. He seemed more intent on stalking the caretakers back then. As for that monster, it's large, maybe 7 feet tall, half beast half man maybe with a set of antlers and claws on its hands and legs. Let's call it..." Danny finishes the statement for him, "Wendigo."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Well, someone that tall and strong would surely be able to lift a stove and rip out the cables...", I say.

Myster Emmet:
"Ah....the Wendigo. That's a very scary creature, I think it was originated in Native Americans folklore..."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I get up from my seat and go to the corner of the kitchen. I turn my back to the rest of the group and slide my mobile phone out of my pocket. I open up the text message screen and type out a question, but don't hit Send. "Emmet.... could you come here for just a second?", I ask.

Myster Emmet:
I perk up, before standing up and walking over to Lloyd: "Yeah, sure. What's up?" I peer over his shoulder, somewhat raising my eyebrow at seeing his phone out in the open.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Using my back to cover the phone from the view of Danny and Richard, I move it slightly toward Emmet as he stands next to me. He can see the following on the screen: Should we tell them that we've interacted with the bartender ghost? When I make sure that he's read the question, I erase the text and slide the phone back in my pocket.

Myster Emmet:
I think about the question, that dangerous thought from earlier causes me to mouth my answer for him; an inaudible "No".

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I nod and return to Danny and Richard. "Sorry for this interruption. I'm afraid that I am not very familiar with Wendigo. Do any of you know more about it?"

Bartender Ghost:
"It's scary." Danny speaks up, but Mr. Hallorann puts his hand on the boy's shoulder. "It might not be like the others, but it's clear it doesn't like people. Maybe it is behind everything that's happened here. I think it might have tried to kill me last week when I killed this deer, Danny was with me then." The boy nods.

"I only recently started to remember it, even though I saw it as a kid. The deer I was hunting and taking Danny with me, it wasn't an ordinary deer, though I didn't realize it till after I killed it. It was an albino deer, and it blended in with the snow well. The moment I shot it I felt something, like an unleashed rage. A fox came charging at me afterward and I turned and knocked it away." Danny speaks up, "Cujo started to growl then." Richard continues, "It wasn't until I was cleaning the animal back here at the grounds that I remembered seeing that large monstrous creature as a kid, and how it would stand out at the edge of the hotel grounds and stare in at us."

Myster Emmet:
"Maybe...could the same thing have happened 23 years ago? Was this revenge from the Wendigo for nature...itself?" I muse out loud....

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"When did it try to kill you? You think the fox... was sent by him?", I ask my question almost at the same time as Emmet, partly overlapping with him.

Bartender Ghost:
Mr. Hallorann nods in response to Lloyd's question. "Foxes don't charge like that, the creature was frothing at the mouth, sick. Hydrophobia my mother always warned me about, when animals act crazed. It was an older term they used for it, but nowadays they call it rabies. " Danny speaks up again, "It bit Cujo..."

Myster Emmet:
"Do you remember anything similar happening 23 years ago? You know, like someone killing an albino animal, or messing with nature in general?" I pose the question to Richard, though I'm not sure I'll get the answer I want.

Bartender Ghost:
"Nothing like that, I certainly wasn't hunting back then and those two who were staying over the weekend I'm certain would never have picked up a gun unless they had to. Maybe it's just that every 23 years, these things wake up? I'm no expert, just read a few things and came back here to avoid a world I didn't like. I've been here most of my life you know?"

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Can Wendigo... be... talked to... or reasoned with?", I ask, not very hopeful.

Bartender Ghost:
Mr. Hallorann merely shakes his head, "I've never seen it talk, but I don't think anybody ever tried. I think it just hates us." Danny speaks, "I've never seen it in here before..." He looks over to the stairs to the boiler room.

Myster Emmet:
"Is it normally just limited to the outside?"

Bartender Ghost:
The boy responds, "Limited? It's always been outside looking in. I told dad about it once, but he wouldn't listen. Said the Wendigo was just a story." Mr. Hallorann listens to the boy quietly while he speaks.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I address Danny for the first time. "Hey Danny... I'm Lloyd. Is there... anyone else in the kitchen now with us, except you, me, Emmet and Mr. Hallorran?"

Bartender Ghost:
Danny looks around, then shakes his head. "No it's just us here", he responds. Mr. Hallorann confirms, "I don't get the tingles either, think we are safe for now."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"So... this... wendigo... is angry and wants to kill us. Any idea how to either fight him or appease him?"

Myster Emmet:
"Okay, that's good at least." I sigh, but listen to their responses...

Bartender Ghost:
"I'm afraid I don't know. I imagine it would only be happy if this place was completely destroyed never to be seen again." Danny looks up to him, "Maybe we should just all leave? I miss my friends, and now even Cujo is gone."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I think about this. Has the storm started already?

Bartender Ghost:
The last you heard, Mr. Morgan-Jackson, was on the radio that the storm was starting to pick up. That was just after your talk with Mrs. Torrance.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Right, but looking out the window... Does it look like we could just get into a car and drive somewhere?

Bartender Ghost:
There are unfortunately no windows in the kitchen, however, when you were up in your room briefly earlier, there was enough snow already piled up to rule out that possibility. One might even wonder how you arrived here?

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Yes, quite.... mysterious.... "I'm afraid we can't leave now, with so much snow outside, Danny....", I say. "Is there some sort of a shack or a hut outside the hotel where we might stay for a while?"

Myster Emmet:
"Is there anything else about the Wendigo that you guys haven't mentioned yet? Like can it for example, use psychic powers such as levitating objects and people?" I ask, the dangerous thought keeps shooting around in my brain.

Bartender Ghost:
The boy looks confused about such a question, "Sight-kick powers?" Mr. Hallorann speaks up, "You mean like that stuff the Soviets were messing around with. I honestly don't know what it can and cannot do. That fox attacking me though, was unusual for a creature, even if it had rabies."

Danny then tugs on Emmet's shirt, "Mr. Emmet, Mom's outside right? Since you're from Pluto, maybe you could go find her. The cold won't bother you, right?"

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I resist the urge to start singing the final lines of Let It Go from Frozen.

Myster Emmet:
I look down at Danny, a light smile tugging on my lips despite my racing thoughts. "Well, you're right...the cold never bothered me anyway. It's incredibly dangerous for Wendy to be outside with the Wendigo roaming about!" I declare for the whole room to hear.

Bartender Ghost:
"You would think she would have been back by now, she knows that maze pretty well." Mr. Hallorann says offhandedly.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I'm not sure it's wise to split up....", I say uneasily.

Myster Emmet:
"Hmm, then how about this? Richard, how about you stay here with Danny...and me and Lloyd go outside to search for Wendy? I'm just throwing out ideas..."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Are we sure she didn't return in the meantime? Maybe she's just in her room."

Bartender Ghost:
Mr. Hallorann nods at the idea, "I'm not very fast on my feet here anyways..." And with that notion, in a somewhat shocking turn of events here at 2:30 pm, there is the sound of a loud gunshot echoing through the halls of the Overlook Hotel. Danny jumps, and Mr. Hallorann checks for his own firearm making sure it is still in his possession. "What in blazes is happening now?" He asks.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I freeze for a moment, before looking at the kitchen door. Is it open?

Myster Emmet:
"What the..!" I turned around and tried to ascertain where that horrid gunshot came from!

Bartender Ghost:
It is indeed Mr. Morgan-Jackson, the sound came from there, possibly from the dining hall or beyond back in the Foyer.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I rush in and close the kitchen door.

Myster Emmet:
I hesitantly stand up, and slowly walked over to the kitchen door. I listen closely for any footsteps.

Bartender Ghost:
The doors to the kitchen are wide, designed for carts to be wheeled out on. A set of double doors, Mr. Morgan Jackson is able to close them without an issue. There are no sounds of footsteps out there, however, the floor out there is entirely carpeted.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I clutch the lead pipe tightly, the only weapon I have at the moment, and think how useless it is against a gun. Well... from afar at least... I could grab a knife too, but.... knives are more difficult to wield effectively, and besides... if it's a ghost who fired the shot, weapons are probably useless in general.

Myster Emmet:
I take into account all entrances and exits to the kitchen, along with wondering if someone with a gun is really right outside... or if they escaped.

Bartender Ghost:
The entrances to the kitchen are as follows. A door to the Freezer, Boiler room, and Pantry, each of which are small and contained. The main double doors lead out to the Dining Room which contains the small bar off in the corner.

Danny clings to Richard at this point, he protectively holds the boy. "I'll keep him safe if you two want to go look around. I got a gun and know how to use it." He reassures you both. "If you have any questions, maybe ask them before you leave."

Myster Emmet:
“Oh yeah, can we borrow your master key? It might be useful if we need to hide in a pinch.” I leave out the fact that I want to use it to snoop more, especially into Jack’s room.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Can these creatures even be physically harmed? When they interact with the world... like.... that stove", I point to the spot from which the stove was ripped out, "do they... acquire a physical body?"

Bartender Ghost:
He shakes his head, "I honestly have no idea. Afraid I don't have any silver bullets or anything like that." Danny speaks up, "Cujo got hurt before. That fox bit him when we were hunting the deer."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I see.... thanks, Danny", I say, clutching that pipe a bit more tightly now. I realize that I spoke right over Emmet, and give a look to Richard, and then to Emmet, giving Richard the space to respond to Emmet's request.

Bartender Ghost:
Richard was apparently lost in thought for a moment, "Oh right, sorry." He fishes out his keys, a ring with many on it, and hands them off to Emmet. "Each of these corresponds to parts of the Hotel. E1 will unlock all the doors on the First Floor East Wing. E2 is the second. W3 is the third floor of the West Wing. I think you get the idea."

Myster Emmet:
I take the keys and put them in my pocket. “Thanks, keep Danny safe, okay?” I direct to Richard before crouching down to Danny’s eye level: “We’ll be back soon. Stay with Mr. Hallorann, okay?”

Bartender Ghost:
The young Mr. Torrance nods as the obedient child he is, well-mannered under his parent's teaching.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I look at Emmet nervously. "Do you.... know how to use any weapons?"

Myster Emmet:
I looked at Lloyd, a grim determination set on my face. “Not..really. I’m not the type to choose violence over peace usually…but I’ll be fine for now.”

Myster Emmet:
“I know standard horror tropes and self defense.”

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Well... you should take something with you", I say, as I nod toward my lead pipe.

Myster Emmet:
“Well, then what about you? I think you should keep the metal pipe.” I argue back, “I’ll be fine.”

Bartender Ghost:
"It may not be much." Mr. Hallorann speaks up, "But there was another pipe I was using to help with the door."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"There are also a bunch of knives here....", I say, although I am not convinced how good of an idea this is.

Bartender Ghost:
"And there is the hunting rifle in my room. I keep it behind the door." He speaks up again.

Myster Emmet:
“I…alright let me see that lead pipe.” I looked back downstairs at the boiler room in order to find the extra lead pipe.

Bartender Ghost:
It is simple enough to get a hold of, though you end up having to bend around the stove some to do so.

Myster Emmet:
“There! Phew, guess that’s the fan service shot.” I say out loud as I wield the lead pipe. I trudge back upstairs before giving Lloyd a smirk, “There, happy now, babe?” I emphasize the “babe” with a little oomph.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I sigh and shake my head. "Alright... let's get going.... we should make sure to be as quiet as possible. Maybe take our shoes off....?" I am assuming the interior of the hotel is warm enough.

Bartender Ghost:
The Hotel is indeed, there is no risk of freezing to death in it while the power is on.

Myster Emmet:
I slipped off one of my shoes, letting my socked clad foot to rest onto the floor below before pausing and asking Lloyd. "Wait, what if we need to go outside?"

Bartender Ghost:
While you are tending to your shoes Mr. Emmet, you notice something peculiar about them now, only upon closer inspection though. On them is a sticky nearly dried red substance.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Well... that's a good point... I guess we did want to go out and warn Wendy. And... looks like that invisible blood is... gaining substance....", I say uneasily.

Myster Emmet:
"Huh?....That's strange." I crouched down and picked up both of my shoes when I shucked the other off. I examine both of them thoroughly, wondering where exactly the blood is..

Bartender Ghost:
It is almost as though the shoes had been covered in the substance. It does share a similarity to blood now that Mr. Morgan-Jackson mentions it. "It's been on your shoes the whole time..." Danny speaks up while he watches you.

Myster Emmet:
"Huh, guess I haven't noticed it until now. Lots of things have been happening..."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"It's like they're getting more real... more physical... more... in this world....", I say. "But this has the advantage that we'd probably be able to see them too, even without the... gift."

Myster Emmet:
"Yeah, I think we might be seeing some scary things going forward." I slipped my shoes back on, "I think we should go out first and find Wendy, it's better we eliminate the possibility that she's outside rather than assume she's inside."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"But the maze is huge and her room is small in comparison... then again, maybe she's not in her room.... Aghhhh.... this is so frustrating!", I groan. "I'll leave it up to you where we should go first."

Myster Emmet:
"I think the storm will make going outside impossible at 6:00 PM, at least that's what I remember hearing. But let's go out into the Dining Hall to make sure...nothing scary is there." I look towards Danny once again, not wanting to say anything too alarming.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Alright, so if we need to go out, best to do it as soon as possible."

Bartender Ghost:
He stays quiet with Mr. Hallorann while he reaches down and rubs the boy's shoulder.

Myster Emmet:
I decide to take the plunge and walked over to open up the kitchen doors, entering the dining hall to survey the room!

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I look after Emmet carefully, peeking out, and only exiting if there are no apparent immediate threats.

Published: 2023-02-21, viewed 9 times.