Long Form Roleplayers

Previously: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chatper 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8

Characters:

You are not logged in. - Lloyd Morgan-Jackson

You are not logged in. - Bartender Ghost

The Author:
While planning to ambush Jack Torrance to disarm him of his hunting rifle, Lloyd and Emmet become separated. What will Lloyd encounter on his own?

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Does the door have a knob or a handle? And is there some sort of apparent locking mechanism on the side that I am facing?

Bartender Ghost:
Mr. Morgan-Jackson, the time is 3:50 pm. Your idea to ambush Mr. Torrance while hiding in the office was a smart idea, disarming the man with the rifle sounds like the type of thing that could lead toward an easy solution, however, you are in a haunted mansion, or so Mr. Hallorann claims. The door behind you is closed now, having shut of its own accord.

- The Door Handle

Behind you are the sounds of two girls you would physically recognize from various brief encounters in the barroom you work in. The Twins, Rosemary and Beatrix. The two girls speak in unison, but there is something different this time, their voices are deeper, as though they might be a set of boys wearing dresses. "We want to play." They say while you look at the handle.

You are not logged in. - The Twins

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I press the handle, and try to pull the door open, but not by a lot, just enough to make it ajar once again.t

Bartender Ghost:
As you press on the handle, the latch opens ever so slightly to the position you had it in. However it is then that things are clearly amiss, for on the other side of the door is no longer the hallway with Mr. Emmet about to encounter Mr. Torrance, but instead a brick wall. The twins await you.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I try to touch the brick wall, just to make sure it's solid and not a mere illusion.

Bartender Ghost:
The bricks are as solid as anything else in this story. Perhaps a description of the room would be helpful? The office desks are made of oak wood with a large iron safe between the two, locked with a combination. The two desks have some chairs in front of them for whoever would be visiting the station, comfortable looking. On the back wall is a sofa with a small quaint coffee table. From studying the map, you can see there is a door on the other side of the room that leads to the Ground Storage, where all the devices used to maintain the grounds of the Overlook are kept. Finally in the center are the two girls looking for entertainment.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I sigh and turn to face the twins, making sure not to let the frustration and irritation show on my face. These kids are little bullies, huh? Best to project an aura of confident adult authority then. "Good afternoon, boys", I say. "It's quite rude to address someone adult that you've never met before without introducing yourselves first, isn't it? Shouldn't your father have taught you as much? What are your names?"

Bartender Ghost:
The two look at one another and then back at you. "Father says we're girls. I'm Beatrix." Says the one on the left, "...and I'm Rosemary." Says the one on the right. There is barely any movement from them as they stand in the center of the room looking at you and then speak in unison, "Who are you?"

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I am Lloyd, one of the two new caretakers at this hotel. Have you always had those names... or... were you used to be called something else?", I ask.

Bartender Ghost:
Beatrix speaks first, "Father wouldn't want us to use our dead names. Think we can trust him, Rose?" Rosemary turns to look at her sister, "I think he can be trusted, you won't tell anybody will you?" They both look back to you.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I definitely won't, I promise", I say, curious at their usage of the phrase 'dead names', which I assumed to be of much more recent origin.

Bartender Ghost:
As perceptive as ever, Mr. Morgan-Jackson, it is almost as though there have been a few throwaway lines. The girls smile, eager to chat, with Beatrix starting first. "I'm Benedict Grady." ... "And I'm Rosslyn Grady." They then speak in unison, "Ben and Ross we used to be called."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Pleased to make your acquaintance", I say. "Which names do you like better... Ben and Ross, or Beatrix and Rosemary?"

Bartender Ghost:
Unaccustomed to having a choice, they pause and think. "If father found out," Beatrix begins, "He would be very cross." "Spank us he would with the strap of his belt across our heinie." There is a flicker of the lights as the time passes, it now being about 3:55 pm.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I nod. "Does he use his belt like that often?"

Bartender Ghost:
A simple nod from the two girls while they stay focused on you. "What should we play?" They ask in unison, Rosemary casting a glance over at the safe longingly.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I think you two should play a game with your father. He is just out there in front of the elevator, looking for you eagerly." Do I hear any sounds beyond the door? Any movement, any gunshots, any voices?

Bartender Ghost:
You in fact do not, whatever Mr. Emmet is doing is a complete mystery, perhaps even to me Mr. Morgan-Jackson. The twins however respond to your comment by looking at each other, "Father does not like to play," Beatrix begins while Rosemary finishes, "Always too busy to spend time with his girls. Says we are a handful, he does."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"And what about your mother? Where is she?", I ask. I am both genuinely curious and trying to buy some time, as I'm sure that whatever game these two want to play is gruesome and potentially deadly.

Bartender Ghost:
The two grow quiet when you ask about their mother, Beatrix beginning again. "We don't know where she is, father took us in from our previous fathers after he..." Rosemary continues the sentence while Beatrix trails off, "after he... KILLED... them." She practically yells the word, the first hostile and emotional sound the two girls have made since meeting them.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Oh... how awful....", I frown, starting to have a hunch where this story might go. "Why would he do such a thing? Killing.... is wrong", I say emphatically.

Bartender Ghost:
"Father says it is the right of the strong." Rosemary speaks up while Beatrix gives an unapproving look for speaking out of turn. "The strong can do whatever they want to the weak, be it in sports, labor, or even at night." They look at you and speak in unison. "Are you strong, Lloyd?"

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
What is the apparent age of the twins? Approximately?

Bartender Ghost:
No more than 12 years of age you would say.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Strong enough", I say, wanting to stay non-committal. "You two aren't that little anymore, though. You seem old enough to think for yourselves. Do you agree with what your new father says? Do you agree that he was right to kill your previous fathers?"

Bartender Ghost:
Beatrix begins, "No, our fathers loved us very much. Thinking them hanging in that room." Rosemary begins to fidget and clench her fists, "They were weak, Trixie, like Daddy said. Silly little writers and nothing more."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"To love someone is to be strong. Your fathers were strong then. Using violence against others is not strength. It's cowardice", I say authoritatively. I try to think back to what Richard said. He only found one guy hanged in a room, not two, right? So, those fathers aren't likely to have actually been previously mentioned by Richard?

Bartender Ghost:
Previously Mr. Hallorann spoke of a homeless man who was squatting in the hotel he turned a blind eye to, but that man turned up dead, hung up in his room.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Since the twins don't give any immediate response to this, I continue. "What does your new father do for a living? Isn't he too... just a writer?"

Bartender Ghost:
"Father owns this place." Beatrix begins, "It's why he killed our fathers, to take possession of us." Their responses remain stilted, with barely any movement from them.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"And yet you are people... individuals... not objects to be possessed", I say. "How does it feel to be treated like a possession?", I ask.

Bartender Ghost:
The two girls seem almost puzzled at this question. "It doesn't matter anymore, Trixie." Rosemary begins, "You're right, Rose. We just want to play." ... "But father locked up our toys." They both look turn and move toward the safe in the room, and for the first time, you can see their backsides. Down their baby blue dresses is a grotesque trail of dried blood with some sort of wound on the back of their heads concealed by their hair.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Now that they're moving toward the safe, the middle of the room is free, and I could step toward the door to the ground storage, correct?

Bartender Ghost:
Indeed you could. The two girls seem entirely focused on the safe at the moment.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I rush past, making sure to be as swift, but also as quiet as possible, and try to open the other door.

Bartender Ghost:
The other door opens without trouble, it was seemingly not locked. However, as you open the door something of note happens. With the time being just past 4pm, the lights flicker heavily as the howling of the wind outside picks up more, startlingly loud given you are so far indoors. At that very moment, the lights go out completely.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
The ground storage has windows, though, correct? And it's not fully dark outside yet. Correct?

Bartender Ghost:
Looking into the grounds storage, it is indeed dark. No windows outside, but a tiny bit of light coming from the double doors that lead outside far away from you. Just before the lights went out, you caught a glimpse of this room's layout. It was lined with shelves all around the walls, with a few large machines in the center. A large mower for the lawn is the single largest one. The room is cold, there was never any heating in this one.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I close the door to the office behind me, making sure it's firmly closed, then I pull out my cell phone and turn on the flashlight function, lighting my way. I intend to walk toward the double door, of course if there are no ghosts or immediate threats in the way.

Bartender Ghost:
You begin to walk through the room seeing the various equipment. Your thirst for potential weapons would be quenched if you so desired, from shears to machetes, nails, and hammers. It is very dark, with no sounds other than the howling wind outside, as you make your way to the double doors. They are closed and have seen better days, a slight tilt of one making it so they don't fit perfectly closed like they once did.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I slide the metal bar through the two belt loops of my pants, and pick up a machete, as I walk toward the double door. Are they locked? Since Emmet gave me the master keys, if they are, I will try to use one of them to unlock them. The cold is quite intense indeed, but with my thick winter jacket, this is not a concern at the moment.

Bartender Ghost:
The doors have a locking mechanism, but it seems their disrepair makes it a moot point since they can no longer be properly latched shut. The blizzard continues to howl outside as the snow piles up.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I turn off the light on my phone and store it in the inside pocket of my jacket. I then zip up the jacket again, and pull the door open, planning to walk east, and then south, and reenter the dining hall from the eastern entrance.

Bartender Ghost:
A beautiful snow-covered view is there to greet you, a winter wonderland, you might say. Covering the ground is a thick blanket of untouched snow with only a single set of paw prints in it quickly starting to be covered. It would seem there is a large dog around here somewhere, a trail of red accompanying the paw prints. Visibility has gotten worse since you were playing in the Maze with Mr. Wendigo and Mrs. Torrance, but you could start to make your way to the east. Those paw prints appear to have been made heading in that direction as well.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I frown. I have no desire to deal with that dog again, and I can't run very fast with the snow piled up like this. But walking to the main entrance in the opposite direction would take almost twice as long, and, besides, Emmet may be in trouble. I decide to walk east carefully, and be on the lookout for the dog, or anything else blocking my path.

Bartender Ghost:
Making your way to the east, you virtually have to carve your path through the snow, sometimes revealing the stone path, and other times having slightly veered off into the grass. On a constant lookout for the Rabid Cujo, fortunately you don't see him with the decreased visibility and eventually make your way to the corner of what would seem should be the dining hall.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I turn the corner and look to the south. As much as visibility allows, do I see the dog or anyone else?

Bartender Ghost:
There are no longer any signs of the rabid canine's trail, as you arrive at the door. Many emergency exit doors lack handles on the outside, Mr. Morgan-Jackson, but you are in luck. This one has a handle, but is locked. Another gust of wind comes blowing through while you stand there, no doubt looking through the set of keys you are in possession of. Once you locate the key and use it, the door opens again giving you access to a completely dark dining hall. There is very little light coming through the drawn curtains, and with it being about 4:20 pm, the already dim sun is approaching sunset.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I enter the dining hall, and close the door behind me. In this dim light, do I see you, the bartender ghost, Emmet, Jack Torrance, or anyone else?

Bartender Ghost:
The dining hall is dark, the curtains are closed, and so the little of what outdoor light there is, is dimmed. There is no clear sign of the version of me at the bar counter, but the bell still remains. The doors to the kitchen remain closed, and there is no sign of Mr. Torrance, not even the glass he was drinking from earlier.

You are not logged in. - Service Bell

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
And I assume that Emmet, as well as anyone else we've previously encountered is also not there?

Bartender Ghost:
You would be correct, Mr. Emmet and his usual uplifting behavior are not around either. It's just you in an empty dining hall at the moment.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I walk to the door of the kitchen as quietly as possible, and try to hear if there are any sounds coming from there.

Bartender Ghost:
You do indeed hear sounds from the other side, talking from the Torrance Child and Mr. Hallorann. You catch a snippet of the following...

Bartender Ghost: "Shouldn't we be going out to find Mom? What if something happened to them?" The young voice says, "Danny, you know how dangerous these things are. And honestly, child, I don't trust your father to be in the right state of mind earlier. Think he might be on the drink again."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I keep listening. Anything else of note?

Bartender Ghost:
What is of note is for you to decide, Mr. Morgan-Jackson, however the conversation continues. "What about Pennywise? Cujo is... vicious now... and the Twins can be so mean! What if they..." Mr. Hallorann raises his voice, "Enough, Child! Jesus Christ. Things are bad here, but I am NOT going to let whatever evil haunts this place take another. You're a special boy... like I was." As in all things, Mr. Morgan-Jackson, time continues to move forward as the clock reaches 4:25 pm.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
They seem to be safe enough here, and if they try to open the door to the kitchen, I will see them, so I go to the bar and ring the service bell.

Bartender Ghost:
With a ding of the bell, a handsome version of myself appears, not a day past 65, if you were to guess... remarkable given that in 1983 I would have been serving the WelCum Barroom for 151 years. Regardless, he smiles and greets you. "Ah, Mr. Morgan-Jackson. Given the raging blizzard, are you in need of a drink?"

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Not at all, Mr. Ghost." I look at you, eyes narrowed in suspicion, unsure how much I can trust you. "The bartender ghost that talked to Jack Torrance and served him a drink right here about half an hour ago... was that... the same you that I am talking to right now, or... a different version of you?"

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I frown, hoping that I phrased my question clearly enough.

Bartender Ghost:
If there is confusion in his behavior he does a good job of hiding it. "I did indeed have a conversation with Mr. Torrance earlier. There is a code of confidentiality between a server and a customer though, so I'm afraid I cannot divulge what we were talking about. You look as though you've seen a ghost, come... have a drink." He then pours you a shot of whisky from the half-empty bottle.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Mr. Ghost, since we've been... coworkers of sorts for over a year now, I would have expected that you know by now that I don't really drink. And... especially not whisky", I raise my eyebrows at the shot of whisky, imagining that Jack Torrance probably drank the half that's missing from the bottle. "Alright... you cannot divulge the content of your conversation, but... you can tell me where he went, can't you?"

Bartender Ghost:
"Oh, we have been co-workers?" He asks while raising his left eyebrow ever so slightly. "Perhaps you have me confused with somebody else, I assure you this is our first meeting. If you are eager to trail the homicidal man with a hunting rifle though, I believe he took the elevator just before the power went off."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I purse my lips somewhat. Either this is indeed a different version of you, or you're simply lying to me. "And... what about my partner, Emmet? You... haven't happened to have seen him too? Tall, dark hair, short beard, wears a long trench coat?"

Bartender Ghost:
"Ah yes, Mr. Solare. You must be concerned about where your lover is, it's rather sweet. I believe he is occupied with Mr. Pennywise at the moment, though I cannot be exactly sure where." He then pours out the whisky from the glass and begins to clean it with a rag.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I frown. "If this is our first meeting, how do you know my name?"

Bartender Ghost:
"You are one of the new caretakers set to arrive today with your lover. Everyone here at the hotel was expecting you." He continues to clean the glass.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"And how did you know that I am Mr. Morgan-Jackson, and not Mr. Solare?", I tilt my head, taking a step back.

Bartender Ghost:
"Again, it is common knowledge around here. It's amazing how gossip spreads amongst a small group when isolated for so long. Alas, neither you, nor he, possesses the means to put an end to all this... which means you are just another plaything for the monsters who live here." A slight smile crosses his face while the sounds of the storm can be heard outside.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I decide not to dignify this provocation with a response. I turn and go back to the kitchen, knocking on the door. Not banging, but loudly enough to be heard. "Richard? Danny? It's Lloyd. Can you let me in?"

Bartender Ghost:
Once you've turned from the ghostly bartender, he disappears. As for your knocking on the door, whatever conversation Danny and Richard were having immediately halts. "It's ok, Danny, I'm prepared if they've gotten him. Open the door." A moment later, with the sound of a couple chairs moving, the door opens with the young child looking up at you.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I look back at Danny. "Hey, it's me. Uhm... may I come in?" I try to peer into the kitchen, but with the lights out, I am unsure how much can be seen.

Bartender Ghost:
He nods and backs away from the door letting you in. "Richard, it's Mr. Lloyd."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I slip inside the kitchen and close the door. "Did you have some chairs placed in front? I can help put them back."

Bartender Ghost:
Danny is quick to start barricading the door, though it is obvious the few chairs he has would do a poor job blocking out anything. As for Mr. Hallorann, he is sitting in a chair of his own, no longer on the counter where you left him over an hour ago. He has his gun out and in his lap, hand over it while he watches you. "Well then, Lloyd, how did it go out there?"

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
With a machete in left hand, I use my right to help position the chairs in front of the door. Does the door have a handle that bends down when someone presses it? Or is it one of those doors with a knob? As I help out, I glance back at Richard, before answering. "Wendy was stuck in that maze. That creature... wendigo, I suppose it's called... the one with big antlers... it kept... rearranging the walls of the maze. So we couldn't get out. But we finally managed to escape, because it seems it got... tired. I think rearranging the maze drained its energy. We took Wendy to room E102. She said she needed to lie down. She wasn't feeling well. She said she would like us to bring Danny to her. Unfortunately, Emmet and I had to separate, because... Mr. Torrance was walking around with a rifle", I say, deciding that Danny is mature enough to know... at least partial truth.

"I am not sure if Wendy is still in room E102, but... this is what she requested. Would you say this is a good idea, Richard? And what do you think, Danny?", I say, not wanting to exclude the child from the conversation.

Bartender Ghost:
The double doors of the kitchen both open outward, a long bar running the length of the door that can be normally opened with a simple hip press. Needless to say, you are able to secure the door just fine and bar it from opening. As for the response to your update...

Bartender Ghost:
The boy looks both interested and yet concerned when you speak of the Wendigo, the concept of adjusting the maze sparking a childlike wonder in him. Mr. Halloran listens quietly while leaving his hand on his pistol. "They are getting stronger, I'm afraid. Maybe it's connected to this storm, just like the one that hit back in 1960. That's what they do, Lloyd, they mess with people, get in their heads. The biggest danger is ourselves I think, but I know they are dangerous." Danny speaks up, "Mom is safe, right, Lloyd?" Mr. Hallorann responds quickly, "Of course, she is, Danny... unless Jack finds her."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Well... I do believe he might be looking for her, I overheard a piece of the conversation between that... bartender and Mr. Torrance. He seems to be... well... I am not sure if I understood this correctly, but... from their conversation... he seems to be suspecting her of... being pregnant with.... another man's child. And the ghost was encouraging him to take the matters into his own hands. Emmet and I wanted to ambush him, so I hid in the office, but then the door of the office shut suddenly, and instead of the hallway, I just saw a brick wall there, so I couldn't return, and I don't know what happened to them. Those twins were inside the office. They went to the safe, saying how they want to get their toys, and I used that chance to slip past them and into the grounds storage. Say... what *is* in that safe, Richard?", I ask.

Bartender Ghost:
Danny goes quiet when you mention the safe, but Mr. Hallorann speaks, "Ya know, Lloyd, that safe is the one thing I've never had access to. Don't know the combination, only Mr. Grady knows that combination, and he ain't around no more." Danny nervously fidgets with something in his pocket while looking at the floor.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"The twins told me their last name is Grady... so... Mr. Grady is... was... their father?"

Bartender Ghost:
"Is that who they are?" Mr. Hallorann trails off... Danny speaks up. "They keep trying to get me to go in there, the office. They break my toys if I'm doing something else. I'm not allowed in there, but the backdoor is always unlocked."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Well... Wendy told me that... Jack wrote a story about them. Or started writing it. She said that he wrote a story about every creature that appeared here today. Pennywise the clown.... Cujo the dog... the twins... the train with a creepy face... she said that even the wendigo looks exactly the same as Jack described it in his story. And in that story... the twins were boys forced to dress up as girls by their father. The twins themselves told me that their... current father... killed their... previous fathers. You... wouldn't happen to know anything about that? Who exactly was Mr. Grady?", I ask Richard.

Bartender Ghost:
Mr. Hallorann clears his throat and then looks over toward the stairwell going down to the boiler room you no doubt remember well. "He's the one who caused the fire, Lloyd. He tried to burn down his own hotel." While he is starting to talk, Danny takes off the backpack he's had with him and starts pulling a few things out. A children's book shows a boy talking to a train called "Charlie and the Choo Choo", but also a few other things, collections of papers stapled together loosely.

Bartender Ghost:
"Delbert Grady, owner of the esteemed Overlook Hotel. Draws a huge crowd during the summer, closed during the winter because we are high up in the mountains. A place haunted by ghosts or so people say. The man went mad and caused a fire that made the boilers explode, showed you that earlier down there. Half the place burned, but the shareholders wouldn't let this place die, that's why I came back to work here... because I knew whatever drove the man mad was still here."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Danny... do you know... when your father wrote all those stories? Was it before you all came to live here or after?"

Bartender Ghost:
"These are all old." He says as he lays them on the floor next to each other, each of their titles visible for you to read. Charlie and the Choo Choo, Wendigo’s Wrath, Pennywise the Cannibal, Old Cujo, The Psycho Twins, Dark Temptations.

Bartender Ghost:
"Dad wrote them before I was born, mom said, but the only finished one is Choo Choo. The others just trail off. Mom said he has... writer's block? You won't tell him I took these from his room, they keep breaking my toys and I'm so bored and alone."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I won't tell, of course, don't worry." I look up at Richard. "You were here back then, in 1960, right? Have you known Delbert Grady? Did he have... children?"

Bartender Ghost:
"I didn't know he had children... but I heard something when I was a kid back then." He lets out a deep sigh while eyeing the stories that the child is laying out. "Supposedly he had a pair of boys in his custody. There used to be some old pictures of him with them I remember seeing back then. One year they stopped appearing in annual photos, 1955 maybe 56 was the last one they appeared in. Anyhow, there was a rumor that he killed them for some reason." He keeps his gaze on Danny as though he is debating what to do. "Danny has probably seen worse by now and he has a right to know. The rumor was that Grady cut open the back of their heads and removed their brains. I saw their ghosts back then, doing the same things Danny said except... to me, they were boys. Benedict and Rosslyn."

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"Yes... this is what they told me their old names are. But that their father says they are Beatrix and Rosemary now. And... yes, they do have wounds on the backs of their head. So... it seems the story was true. But how would Jack Torrance know about it? Does he have... some sort of... contact with... the world of spirits?"

Bartender Ghost:
"You mean like... like us?" Mr. Hallorann gestures to himself and then to Danny. "I've never seen him talk to anything or behave in a way that would imply he is aware of ghosts around here, Lloyd. I generally try to avoid the man, though, as I get the impression he only barely tolerates a person like me." Danny speaks up, "Dad acted like Cujo was just imaginary, but... one time I caught him looking at Cujo when I was playing in the hall." The boy picks up the story of "Old Cujo" and starts flipping through it.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Is there enough light to read in here?

Bartender Ghost:
As it turns out, there are some candles lit around the room, presumably shortly after the lights went out. It's not the best of light, but enough that you have been able to speak with each other without being in near total darkness.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I take the script titled 'Dark Temptations' and start going over it. What is it about?

Bartender Ghost:
Looking over it, it quickly becomes apparent that it is a story Mrs. Torrance referenced when you were speaking earlier. It is about an elderly bartender who talks with his many customers and offers them advice that pushes them toward self-destructive ends.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
Does it offer insight into the bartender's background?

Bartender Ghost:
You would need to read the whole thing to find out for sure, and that would take time, Mr. Morgan-Jackson. If you are willing to spend that resource, I would be delighted to impart the story to you. It is about 4:45 pm with all the talking you've done up to this point.

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
I look up at Richard and Danny. "So... I could stay here with you, or I could try to take Danny to Wendy. What do you think is the better idea? I think she is worried about Danny, but I am not sure how safe it would be to go into the hallways again, considering all the people... and things that might be roaming around."

Bartender Ghost:
Richard thinks about the question for a moment. "This might be the safest place right now, if you go out there, who knows what might show up. And they are getting stronger too. I honestly think bringing her here might be the better option than taking Danny to her, I can keep him safe with this." He pats his gun. Danny speaks up, "Is Dad going to hurt Mommy?"

Lloyd Morgan-Jackson:
"I don't know, Danny... but he seems... upset with her", I say. "It's true that we'd probably be safer here, however, there is no place here for Wendy to lie down, and she was feeling unwell. But... maybe she's feeling better by now."

Bartender Ghost:
While you are discussing what course of action to take next, there is a push on the door as somebody or something tries to enter the Kitchen.

Published: 2023-03-20, viewed 10 times.