Long Form Roleplayers

Previously: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chatper 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9

Characters:

You are not logged in. - Myster Emmet

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 Myster Emmet encounter on his own?

Bartender Ghost:
Mr. Emmet, the time is 3:50 pm. Your partner Mr. Morgan-Jackson has just slipped into the office when the door closes behind him, all while the elevator you just called made a loud "Ding" sound. It is clear that it caught the attention of Mr. Torrance, who exclaims loudly, "Well looks like we might have company here, Lloyd." The question now is, what do you do?

Myster Emmet:
Well, seeing how I don't have any weapons, I decide to wait for the door to open to the elevators, knowing that if Jack comes through and sees me...I'll just have to pretend that nothing is amiss. If the elevator doors open before I am spotted though, I would try to quickly slip inside to try and press the button for the 3rd floor.

Bartender Ghost:
Indeed the doors open behind you, and you see something rather curious in it as well I might add. Inside the elevator is a single floating red balloon.

You are not logged in. - Red Balloon

You can hear the cocking of Mr. Hallorann's rifle that Mr. Torrance is carrying while he gets closer, his footsteps masked by the soft carpet of the luxurious hotel. Do you still wish to enter the elevator in order to flee the man with a gun?

Myster Emmet:
I was planning on distracting Jack long enough for Lloyd to launch a sneak attack, but now that he's..I don't know..into the unknown? I think I'm going to take my chances with the unknown too. I stepped into the elevator, being careful not to touch the balloon and hurriedly pushed the button for floor 3!

Bartender Ghost:
You press the button while Mr. Torrance comes into view. You see him spin around the corner aiming the rifle at you while the doors start to close.

You are not logged in. - Jack Torrance

Right as he takes aim, perhaps fear starting to well up inside of you that he might get his shot off before the door closes fully, something catches his attention. The door to the Office vanishes blending into the wall of the hotel. He turns his head to look at that, as the doors finish closing.
The Elevator starts to move with your single other occupant floating harmlessly in the air next to you. Then you hear the sounds of something under you hitting the elevator doors... perhaps Mr. Torrance striking the doors in frustration with the butt of his rifle? I assure you Mr. Emmet, I'm merely speculating.

Myster Emmet:
Speculation aside, I am puzzled about the Office door disappearing more than this weird random balloon that's just floating about in this elevator. 'Geez, I hope he doesn't break the door down...' I think to myself as I wait for the elevator to stop at the floor 3.

Bartender Ghost:
The upward momentum of the car stalls for a moment someplace between floors 2 and 3 with a sudden flickering of the lights. Could the storm be bad enough that the lights may go out soon? After that momentary flicker, the motion resumes and the elevator then makes its delightful "Ding" while the doors open to the hallway on Floor 3. You can see it now, the blood from earlier that only the young child could see. You recall that it was the other elevator before that opened, the one you are in now is completely spotless. The carpet, walls, and various objects reflect a torrent of blood that swept through earlier, nearly waist high.

Myster Emmet:
I slowly walk out, being mindful of not touching the balloon once again, being deliberately slow. I perk my ears waiting to hear if there's any footsteps rushing up the steps?

Bartender Ghost:
The door to the staircase is closed at the moment, no sounds of anybody rushing up the stairs. What you do see though is something unusual at the crossing of the West and East wings. In a sudden scurry of movement, the dim lights make it hard to see with the dark gray tracks, but a small toy train quickly moves through the hall going from east to west.

Myster Emmet:
'Huh. Well that's not....ominous.' Having really no choice, between the fear of going back in that...slightly worrying elevator or exploring the vast hallway filled with blood...I decided to make my way towards the door to the stairs. This means I have to walk into the junction connecting the wings, so I peered around the corner towards the East wing....what do I see?

Bartender Ghost:
As you move down the hallway, the elevator door closes behind you. It is at that moment that the sounds of the other elevator start to move as its car begins to descend almost as though somebody has called it. Peering around the corner toward the east, you see the toy train track stretch all the way down to the junction at the end of the hall where the two large windows are. You don't see anybody or anything there, but curiously you do see two discarded toy train cars there by the track. The lights flicker again.

Myster Emmet:
I decide to bend down and pick the two discarded toy trains up, giving them both a once over. Before standing fully just so I'm not fixed to being bent over.

Bartender Ghost:
The cars are surprisingly high quality for a children's toy, perhaps something one would expect to see from a collector's personal set. You can even see the little modeled passengers in each one of them, a simple smile on their faces that remained even while their cars were tossed aside. From the west, you hear the sounds of the toy train starting to come back your way, the track trailing the full length of the hall and curving around the corner towards the final set of hotel rooms on this floor.

Myster Emmet:
"Blaine...." I mutter...but I shake my head and decide to keep these two model trains in my pocket. One on each side...just in case. I move towards the east wing and try to open the stairway door.

Bartender Ghost:
The door to the stairway isn't far away, you are able to open it without any trouble while the little toy train approaches. It is then, at just past 4:00 PM, that there is another flicker of the lights, as the power goes out completely. The sounds of the raging storm can be heard, the elevator which was in motion stops, but the skitter of the toy on its tracks continues to move in your direction.

Myster Emmet:
Feeling the most ominous chill reach up my spine, I instinctively walk forwards...holding the door knob tightly, and then try to close the door behind me in the dark. But, I remember that I still have my phone! So I pull it out and activate flashlight mode!

Bartender Ghost:
The marvel of your modern-day technology illuminates the staircase revealing it to be as you remember. The door closed behind you, and something curious happens just after you take a look around with your light. There is a knock on the door.

Myster Emmet:
I jump a little out of shock and turn around, shining my phone light at the door. I keep quiet, and stayed still....trying to listen if I can hear anything from the other side.

Bartender Ghost:
The light revealed merely the normal door, nothing unusual there. As you are listening, it sounds like there are the faint sounds of somebody sobbing on the other side.

Myster Emmet:
Instinctively, I reach out to the door, but...something stops me. A silent scream inside saying, "Are you an idiot?! Don't open the door!" So Instead I pulled my hand back to my side, turned around, and using my phone, walk down the staircase until I reach floor 2…

Bartender Ghost:
The staircase is quiet, deathly so. Reaching the second floor, the sounds of knocking, more distant now from the 3rd-floor door echo again. There is nothing stopping you, Mr. Emmet, this is your adventure to choose.

Myster Emmet:
I decide to ignore the knocks, and I open the second floor stairway door to enter into the East wing of floor 2.

Bartender Ghost:
Everything is dark forcing you to rely on your cell phone for light, the only windows into the main hallways are at the far end of each wing, where the hallway turns to the final set of rooms. You can hear sounds coming from around the corner, a banging on the metal of the elevator.

Myster Emmet:
"That's not good." I mutter, I think for a moment that maybe I could call Lloyd...but then I realize there would be no flipping cell reception here. I decide to head toward E223 and pull out my key to unlock and slip inside.

Bartender Ghost:
Ignoring the banging from the elevator, you turn the corner and head down the hall to your room. It's easy enough to enter, a little bit of light comes from the windows since you had them open earlier. Everything is quiet.

Myster Emmet:
I take a deep breath in, and let it out and relax. But I still use my flashlight to look around my room, wondering if anything at all changed...or if something could have only been revealed in the dark.

Bartender Ghost:
Your investigation of the room reveals nothing new, the bed is still made, the radio and television are off, and discarded clothing from earlier is still where you left them. The storm rages outside while time passes, and it seems to be getting worse.

Myster Emmet:
I sigh, "Great, nothing new. Well, I guess there's really nothing here." I turned around and went back out, but this time, I make my way towards the elevators, planning to maybe confront Jack..if he's the one banging on the door.

Bartender Ghost:
As you are turning to close your door, something peculiar happens... of course. In your washroom, the sounds of running water turns on, a sprinkle as though the shower just started up.

Myster Emmet:
I pause, and curiosity finally consuming me, I decide to walk back into my room. Holding my improvised flashlight, I walked into the washroom, shining the light onto the shower…

Bartender Ghost:
The orange curtain is drawn shut preventing you from seeing if a person is inside of it, but there is a faint silhouette. Standing next to the shower though is a far more obvious and unusual sight. It is the clown who you saw in passing on the television in Mrs. Torrance's room when you visited it with Mr. Morgan-Jackson.

You are not logged in. - Pennywise

"It's about time." He says looking rather annoyed.

Myster Emmet:
I nearly drop my phone, but I hold onto it and shine the light on this...not as out of place clown considering the recent events. "Who..are you? Why are you in this bathroom?"

Bartender Ghost:
Clowns are often depicted as happy individuals, and yet there is little in his voice which reflects that. A forced smile is painted on his face with bright colors while the rest of the hotel is covered in near-pitch-black darkness. The out of place entertainer looks at you while the light of your phone reveals the faint silhouette of someone in the shower perfectly still under the water. "Pennywise the Clown at your service." He takes a bow while keeping his eyes on you, "This is my home. What are you doing here?"

Myster Emmet:
"Well...it's nice to meet you, Pennywise." While I admit to myself that this clown is creepy, clowns in general don't really freak me out so I shrug. "I'm the the new cleaner, I'm supposed to be cleaning and looking after this place but...so many things have been happening! And so many messes! I don't know where to start. Is someone in there?" I point towards the shower, wondering if there was someone or if it was an illusion.

Bartender Ghost:
"Oh, a cleaner?" He responds curiously looking you over. Despite the room being in near complete darkness, he seems able to view you just fine, even with your flashlight in his face. "Seems you found the mess in the hallway from earlier, shouldn't you clean that up first? A whole lot of messes to come today, I'm afraid, so many things to tend to." He turns to look at the drawn shower curtain, "Oh, don't mind that, that's old news."

Myster Emmet:
"Yeah...first someone threw that oven down the stairs to the boiler room, then all that blood comes splashing out of the elevator, plants going crazy, and a feral dog roaming about. You wouldn't happen to know of any other messes I might need to clean up?" I inquire towards this clown.

Bartender Ghost:
"Hard to say, there are so many messy things around here, and so few capable of cleaning them up. If you ask me, you are just another mess to add to the pile." He stares at you with barely a muscle moving.

Myster Emmet:
"Well, Touché. But I want to be the best cleaner there ever was! So, I guess I'll get started on some of those messes...maybe I'll even be able to clean up yours as well." I stare back, no hint of emotion on my face.

Bartender Ghost:
Not sensing any fear off you, Mr. Emmet, his eye twitches. "So, you want to be the best cleaner there ever was, do you?" A genuine smile starts to creep onto his face, "But you are... not... Special. Oh no, you aren't... and only... Special people can be proper cleaners. Not him." He points to the shower, "Not his lover." His hand shifts to point at you, "What makes you think you are so Special?"

Myster Emmet:
'Who is he talking about?' I am momentarily confused about his words, but I plaster on a big smile. "Well, I'm Special. Because I am from the Planet Pluto. Being out of this world is pretty special, right?" I instill as much confidence in my words as possible.

Bartender Ghost:
"Oh dear boy, I'm not some child you can lie to... I am... Pennywise." He takes a step forward with his hand still pointing at you moving his fingertip toward the light on the phone. "You are not... Special! You cannot change things. If you are not Special... then you are just... food like the rest." He then places his fingertip over the light of the phone for a moment leaving you both in darkness.

Myster Emmet:
"Well...can't blame me for trying..." I mutter, but I instinctively back away the moment he places his fingertip on my phone. I try to see if he's still there, or if he disappeared.

Bartender Ghost:
He is indeed gone as soon as you pull the light away from him to illuminate the room again, but you hear his laughter now coming from out in your room. What do you wish to do, Mr. Emmet?

Myster Emmet:
My curiosity is pulling me into two different directions, but my body leads me to the shower, and I pull the curtain aside! What do I see?

Bartender Ghost:
You see a disgusting sight as you pull back the curtain. There is a man hanging there from the showerhead, a noose around his neck with only scraps of clothing remaining on the body. He is clearly dead, the water streaming over him as his skin has decayed some time ago. This clearly wasn't here before when you were in your room, Mr. Emmet.

Myster Emmet:
I sigh, slightly relieved it wasn't anyone I knew, but I draw the curtain closed. I walk back out into my room, keeping a close eye out so I don't get jumpscared.

Bartender Ghost:
The laughter goes quiet as you move back into your room. It could be hiding anywhere, even under the bed you are so fond of checking in this Hotel, Mr. Emmet.

Myster Emmet:
Bracing myself, I crouch down and yell "Olly Olly Oxenfree!" at the space under the bed while simultaneously shining my light. If I can't be sure of my opponent's actions, I'll make sure my actions aren't as predictable!

Bartender Ghost:
Engaging in your loud actions while looking under the bed, you hear the laughter come from all around you while you see nothing under the bed. The location of Mr. Pennywise remains a mystery, and yet you can almost sense him staring at you. Where would you like to go next, Mr. Emmet?

Myster Emmet:
I sigh again, before standing upright and walking straight back towards the exit of my room. I take hold of the door, but I instead of opening it, I spin around so I can look behind me! If I still see nothing there, I just give up and walk out into the hallway...warily.

Bartender Ghost:
There is indeed nothing in direct sight, the laughter fades as you exit the room back to the dark hallway of the Overlook Hotel. The time is about 4:15 pm. There are sounds of some metal banging coming from down the hall toward the split between the two wings, around where the elevator would be.

Myster Emmet:
I start walking towards the noise as quietly as I can, with my phone at the ready. I peek around the corner towards the elevators, but of course I keep the flashlight pointed away to see if I can make out whatever is making those sounds with my eyes.

Bartender Ghost:
The light illuminates the hall toward the elevators, the clear sound coming from the west one. With the power out, the elevators are inoperable at the moment, and you can see something metal being used to try and pry the door open from the inside of the shaft.

Myster Emmet:
'Ah, I see. Jack probably got stuck in the elevators!' That's a bit of good news for me, meaning that I can go downstairs no problem! I head for the stairs, open the door to the stairwell, and if there's nothing blocking my way...make my way to the ground floor.

Bartender Ghost:
Right as you open the door to the Stairway you hear a familiar voice from down the hall, off from the West Wing. "Oh Yooo Hooo! Mister Cleaner!" Do you wish to ignore him and continue on your path?

Myster Emmet:
I take a brief glance towards the direction of the voice. Aiming my flashlight over there as well, but I don't say anything.

Bartender Ghost:
The advanced technology of your camera phones is indeed a marvel Mr. Emmet, however, the light can only go so far while giving you clear vision of what is around, say 60 feet or so. Beyond that point you again see Mr. Pennywise as jolly as ever, this time holding a red balloon in front of a door with left hand, and something in his right. He presses whatever tiny object he is holding into the balloon, causing it to pop, a liquid spilling out. "Clean up at Room West 212!"

Myster Emmet:
"I thought I wasn't special?" I yell out to him, giving him my best deadpan expression. "Clean up your own problems if you're going to cause them!" Is all I say before I completely ignore him to walk through into the stairway. But this time I make sure to speed up to a brisk jog down the stairs because I'm sure that might have upset him.

Bartender Ghost:
Choosing to ignore Mr. Pennywise, you travel down to the first floor unhindered. No sounds of laughter, growls, or cocking of guns, just the sounds of the growing storm outside.

Myster Emmet:
I opened the stairway door out into the first floor hallway, and I looked around...is there anything immediately out of place?

Bartender Ghost:
Looking left and right down the halls of the two wings with your phone, you don't see anything unusual at the moment. The broken door of E101 across the hall is still partially open, and E102 next to the staircase where you left Mrs. Torrance is also closed.

Myster Emmet:
I decide my best course of action is to quickly check up on Wendy, so I slip out into the hallway and quietly knock on E102. "Wendy? Wendy?! It's me! Emmet. Are you okay?" I do this in my normal speaking voice, because I don't want to yell out and possibly alert any evil forces.

Bartender Ghost:
A few moments pass, then you hear sounds on the other side of the door. It opens a crack, stopped by a simple security chain that has been fastened in place. Mr. Torrance gazes out at you, Mr. Emmet, clutching the baseball bat you left her. "Oh thank god." She quickly unfastens the chain and opens the door for you gesturing you in.

Myster Emmet:
I hurried inside, making sure to shut the door behind me. "Wendy, how have you been? Has anything happened besides the blackout?"

Bartender Ghost:
She seems very relieved that you are here. Entering into her room, you can see she has a small lantern lit providing some light to the room.

You are not logged in. - Hurricane Lantern

"Oh well... I'm okay, I woke just a little after you left me. Who could sleep with this nightmare going on, right? I thought I heard Jack's voice..." She mutters, "Him talking to somebody."

Myster Emmet:
"Yeah, talking to a bartender. I saw him as well. He definitely did not look happy...." I trail off as I turn off my light and put my phone away, but now that I'm here...I take out the model trains and show them to Wendy: "Have you ever seen these before?"

Bartender Ghost:
When you mention the bartender she pauses and thinks... then looks to the back side of the room. This room doesn't have a window. "Oh, I guess that makes sense, the dining hall is on the other side of this wall." She then looks at the model train cars. "These are Danny's, one of his toys. Strange, I thought he lost them a while ago..."

Myster Emmet:
"How long ago? Because I found them earlier on Floor 3." I wait for a few seconds for her response.

Bartender Ghost:
"It was a couple weeks ago I think." She says while thinking about something else. "Did... that old man give Jack some drinks?" She says looking concerned.

Myster Emmet:
"Hmmm...I believe he did. Is he bad with alcohol? I know a few people who are frankly addicted to that stuff..." I grimace but keep my composure.

Bartender Ghost:
With the mention of her husband drinking, she grows clearly more concerned. "It's worse than I thought then. He quit around the time Danny was born 8 years ago, after he..." She trails off, "He promised me he wouldn't do that again. I'm sure he meant it. I think he blames me for his writer's block, you know? He always said he would have such great ideas when he was drinking."

Myster Emmet:
"After he....? What did he do 8 years ago?" I press, as I make sure that I'm at the same level to make eye contact.

Bartender Ghost:
She quietly whispers, "Danny... was an accident." Her hand feels her belly. "Jack was drunk one night, he was rough, and he didn't take no for an answer. Weeks later we found out I was pregnant and he was happy again. That didn't last though..."

Myster Emmet:
"Oh...I..I'm so sorry to hear that. Actually, that seems to track with what I know of him." I inwardly curse at Jack for doing something as despicable as that. I refocus my attention onto Wendy once more though. "I'm not sure if this is relevant right now, but do you remember any other people who came here? Maybe a man and his lover? Not me and Lloyd though..."

Bartender Ghost:
She shakes her head no, "Nobody else has been here since we showed up about a month ago. It's just been us and Richard. I can't believe Jack would accept drinks from that old man..."

Myster Emmet:
"Okay...then I guess that body was here a long time...can you tell me about that clown once more? The clown Jack wrote about? Like, did it have any weaknesses or something?"

Bartender Ghost:
"Weaknesses? What, did you see him around too?" She seems concerned but continues. "Jack wrote a story about Pennywise the Clown. He was a man, a cannibal who would scare his victims, believing that fear made them taste better. He would target... homosexuals. He's just a man though, a serial killer. Like all the others, the story was never complete."

Myster Emmet:
"I see..." I bite my lip, figuring out that I made the right choice back there. "So he's someone who likes his victims to feel fear. Good thing I didn't say anything about my sexuality." I look towards the door, "Listen...I think you should stay here with the bat..I'll try to regroup with Lloyd and maybe Richard and Danny...and then I'll come back. Does that sound okay?"

Bartender Ghost:
"Wait..." She says, "Emmet... I can't help but feel this is all related to the stories that Jack wrote. That somehow they are coming to life again. What do you think is going on?" She again feels her belly.

Myster Emmet:
I think about everything that happened so far...
The Wendigo, The train, the mysterious oven down the stairs, the creepy clown, the train tracks, Cujo...
And even Jack, who's gone mad with anger!
"I think..your husband...brought his creations to life. I'm not sure how, or why, but he did. It's possible that his intense feelings of frustrations over his writer’s block has somehow fed life into his work. Like Frankenstein...."

Bartender Ghost:
She thinks about that looking at the flame of the lantern. "Brought it to life? I don't think he would try to do something like that. I think he would only turn to drinking again... as he used to, only if he thought it would help him write. Money from the children's book is running out, maybe he is trying to finish his old stories? Even though Danny isn't what he wanted... I'm sure he loves him and wouldn't purposely endanger him."

Myster Emmet:
"Well, I heard that sometimes, supernatural events are brought on by people's willpower and ESP unconsciously." I don't mention that I got that from an anime I watched. "So it's possible that Jack didn't mean to bring them to life, it just happened. Of course, I'm not completely sure...but considering Danny has a gift to see the supernatural...it's possible it's genetic and he got it from his father." This is all speculation that I'm spewing, but I look to Wendy for any feedback.

Bartender Ghost:
Mrs. Torrance thinks about that while still focused on the flame. "Danny does have a really active imagination, just like Jack used to. As soon as Jack let him read that story about Cujo, that's when he started pretending the dog was real. It's a good thing Jack never wrote the ending to that one, it was heartbreaking..."

Myster Emmet:
"Wait....maybe...could the one who's behind this be?" I mutter before I look at Wendy, "Wendy, what was the first story Jack read to Danny?!"

Bartender Ghost:
Your first phrase makes her worry, while her eyes grow a little glossy meeting your gaze. "He used to read Charlie and the Choo Choo to Danny when he was younger, but that makes sense. It's a finished children's story. The other ones were never finished, and Jack and I only let Danny read some of them now because he's been so bored around here."

Myster Emmet:
"I see. Then I think it's more imperative than ever to meet up with the others. I'm not completely sure what's going on just yet, but I need a bit more information. Information that might be provided in Jack's writing room." I stand up and go over to the door, pausing to look back at Wendy. "Is there anything else you remember about Jack's unfinished story?" If I haven't done so yet, I also put away the model trains in my pocket.

Bartender Ghost:
She watches you get ready to leave again and responds to your question. "Cujo's story was supposed to end with the dog getting rabies after getting bit while defending his owner. I think Jack was pulling inspiration from Old Yeller, It was his favorite movie growing up." She takes another moment to think, "The story about those girls always bothered me, Emmet. It felt like... he was blaming me."

Myster Emmet:
"How did the story with the girls end? Blaming you...for what?"

Bartender Ghost:
"He never came up with an ending to that story, I don't think. Called it the Psycho Twins. It was a story about a father who really wanted to have girls instead of boys, so he changed their names and dressed them like girls. Jack always wanted to have a girl, you see, and I think he blames me for not being strong enough when Danny was conceived..." She trails off. "He probably knows deep down I didn't have any real control over it, maybe he blames himself more. But I always thought that story about the twins was about his desire to have a girl instead of a boy."

Myster Emmet:
"I see, your marriage..forgive me for saying this but...I think you have a lot of problems to work out between you two. I hope you think about the things most important to you, and ask yourself what you're willing to sacrifice to keep it." I open the door, and take out my phone to shine a light out into the hallway to see if anything is there.

Bartender Ghost:
It was a different time, Mr. Emmet, in 1983 women had less freedom to leave their husbands, especially if they didn't have work and were supporting a child. Mrs. Torrance rises up and takes hold of the lantern with one hand, while gripping the baseball bat with the other. "I'm not going to stay here, Emmet. I think you are right that we should meet up with the others. You said earlier that Danny and Richard were in the Kitchen, right? Maybe we should go there?" She pauses for a moment. "I'm going to protect Danny, he's all I have now."

Myster Emmet:
I nod my head, "Alright, keep close. I'm not completely sure, but I think your husband got stuck in the elevator on the second floor." I walked out, holding my 'flashlight', with my hand enclosed around the model train in my left pocket. I make sure to walk in front of Wendy as we make our way to the Dining Hall. If nothing stops us, we probably enter.

Bartender Ghost:
The coast is clear. At about 4:40 pm, you and Mrs. Torrance carefully make your way to the dining hall. Everything is dark, and your flashlight shows the bar area of the room deserted with everything neatly put away as a proper bartender ought to. The double doors to the kitchen are closed.

Myster Emmet:
I walked over and pushed open the Kitchen doors, "Hello? Danny? Richard? Are you in here?" I whispered as I scan the kitchen for any signs of life.

Bartender Ghost:
As you push on the doors, it becomes very clear that they are secured shut from the other side. The sounds of movement and talking can be heard on the other side of the door, while the sounds of the howling winds continue to get more fierce.

Published: 2023-03-20, viewed 12 times.