Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)11:42 No. 62133 ID: 84ae51
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... and my client is late.

>>62133
Practice Lurch impression.

>>62133
Do you have a contact number?

Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)12:17 No. 62156 ID: 84ae51
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I have tried what I suspect is Mr. Loe's home number twice, now - each time getting the same awkward sounding voice mail. While I try to avoid making snap judgements, I am finding my respect for the man lacking.

I wait. The wind is violent and pulls at me from all directions. It is fall and the sky feels empty. This neighborhood is quiet.

I regard Loe's new home. It looks as though it's been abandoned, though it hasn't crossed the threshold into disrepair just yet. Must've been vacant for a while before Loe got it. There's a ridiculously oversized iron padlock on the door.

Strange architecture. If I stare at it too long it seems to bow out at me. It feels impossibly close, while everything else slips away. I am at its threshold and there is no where else to be.

These gimmicks annoy me. I suppose I should continue to wait, but I feel a niggling curiosity about this structure, now. I want to see it close-up to try and figure out this trick.

Could be haunted, lets go ring the doorbell.

Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)12:51 No. 62187 ID: 84ae51
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I take a closer look. It feels as though I'm walking into a low-hanging cloud. The farther I walk, the blurrier my vision gets.

The threshold's wood is weathered - there are flecks of white that I can only assume used to be a coat of paint. The lock on the door looks even more ridiculous up close. I would be inclined to think it were a "gag" item save for the fact that the whole thing is made from a heavy smithed iron.

The lack of a doorbell ringer is notable. A few stray nails remain in the door frame - several more holes betray the fact that more had been there at some point. Curiously, the door handle has a lock on the outside, as if it'd been installed backwards.

This seems like a good place to get accosted.

Try the lock.

Give 'er a knock or two.

Peer through the window and knock on the door. Ignore strange feelings as mere flights of fancy.

Well that looks... horridly foreboding.
I can see why Loe thought it haunted.
Maybe your client is inside?

Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)14:53 No. 62289 ID: 728150
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If Mr. Loe is inside, then he did not come through the front door. It seems largely undisturbed. I bet if I moved the lock it would groan with r-

Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)14:55 No. 62292 ID: 728150
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CRACK!
AAARGH!

That shock was obscene! My hand is burning from the inside out. I can feel my pulse throbbing within it. Is this thing electrified? I've touched an electrified fence before, but it does not compare to this whatsoever.

You're probably cursed now or something. dont worry about it.

Why did you touch an electrified fence?

Okay... See if the door is magilecrtified too.

Also, peer through window.

Lets circle the house, I suppose, and look for an alternate means of ingress.

Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)15:36 No. 62331 ID: 728150
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Surely the back door isn't as heavily secured. I've got to see what's wired to the other side of this handle. Ah, but that will have to wait, I see a car pulling up.

Yes, my fool has arrived.

Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)15:36 No. 62333 ID: 728150
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> "Mr. Loe."
> "Oh! Mister... uh..."
> "Jason."
> "Mister Jason! It's great to meet you in person. Looks like you're ready to jump right in!"
> "I have to admit my curiosity, yes."
> "Great! Well, as I mentioned before I want to know everything there is to know about this house's history. And uh... huh. I guess that's it. Did you have any questions?"

>>62333
We don't have enough information to know what questions to ask. Have you researched the house's history? What kinds of things are going on that make people say it's haunted?

Suggestion 2009/10/10(Sat)16:18 No. 62395 ID: 728150
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> "Honestly I'm not sure what to ask. Your posting was rather vague. What have you been hearing that's gotten you concerned?"

I tried some internet-based research but this town's rather remote and largely off-the-grid when it comes to that sort of thing. I just arrived today, and haven't made my way to the archives or library yet. First stop was meeting Loe.

> "That's the scary part. No one will tell me details. They just whisper to themselves and look sorry for me. I almost got the cashier at the laundromat to open up but the sheriff interrupted the conversation. It's all really frustrating."
> "Do you know anything about it, then? Any leads at all?"
> "I know it's about thirty years old. I tried to get a history on the house but the files went missing after I picked them up."

Has he been in the house yet or seen or heard anything strange? Lets get what we can from primary sources (him) before we actually have to do any real work.

Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)16:58 No. 62436 ID: 84ae51
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> "Have you experienced anything strange first-hand, aside from the frigidity of your neighbors?"
> "Not really. This big house is pretty spooky, but I guess I'm easily spooked."
> "Have you gone inside yet?"
> "No, I was gunna do that with you today actually. Let me just -- oh."

His face falls as he rummages through his pockets.

> "Oh?"
> "I left the key on the nightstand."
> "Well, I've locked myself out more than once. I could pick the lock, with your permission."
> "Oh no! I don't want anything damaged! That could ruin that nice antique lock."

Antique? Doubtful. It looks like the work of an amateur blacksmith - one from this era.

Seeing as how it zapped you, I wouldn't want to pick it anyway. Let's go get the key and then go look around inside.

>>62436
Accompany man to get his key from the hotel. Make small talk about previous accomplishments of yours.

>>62445
Seconding. It's a good idea to impress your clients, and this guy seems pretty impressionable. It'll also give, uh... 'us' a better idea of your abilities.

Jason 2009/10/10(Sat)17:36 No. 62470 ID: 84ae51
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> "Alright, let's go back to your hotel and pick up the key. Where are you staying?"
> "Uh... well, I sort of drove here. I was going to tour the place today, then get a room tomorrow and start moving things into town. The key is several hours away."
> "That is something of an inconvenience."
> "I'm sorry Mister... uh... Jason. I'll be sure to get it tomorrow and get set up in town."
> "There are other tasks that need doing as well, so it isn't a total loss. Still, it would be rather helpful if I could investigate the property itself. Is there no way to persuade you? Perhaps if we called a locksmith?"
> "I already wasted enough money on gas getting down here. Oh! Not that meeting you wasn't important Mister Jason. I just, well, you know what I mean."
> "Quite."
> "I guess I should get going. I have a long trip ahead of me. Anything else?"

It's still rather feasible for me to break in once he's left, but getting caught would risk my contract. That's rather unlikely though - smarter men than he have tried and failed.

I suppose my skillset would lend itself best to the bastardized modern definition of "rogue" - I am an everyman, in that I can be any man. I have burgled more than once - but that is demeaning, and worse yet it pays far too little for its risk. Lately I have been trying to stick to more wholesome tasks, though as one might imagine the price is the reward.

I find myself in a daze, musing over my skills. Hubris is a poor trait indeed.

>>62470
It can wait until tomorrow. There's really no reason to break in at the moment, is there? Besides, that lock was quite unfriendly to your hand, just from touching it. Think of what might happen if you jammed metal bits into it.

>>62504
Quite. It's not a very good idea to venture into something like this blind. We should be heading to the library to look up the history, and trying to find out what these rumors are about.

Jason 2009/10/11(Sun)14:31 No. 63163 ID: 84ae51
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It is best not to antagonize him. I'll be receiving $1,000 a day wages for the five day duration of my investigation plus a bonus completion sum based on the detail of my final report. While I believe it is best to be as efficient as possible to maximize my bonus pay, it is not worth the risk of the entire contract. I smile and bid Loe a safe trip. He appologizes again - an ingratiating annoyance - and drives away.

I take a better stock of the house's immediate surroundings. To the north is another home - far from affluent no car in the drive. To the west, behind the Loe house, a patch of wooded area. It is too dense to judge its depth. A stretch of freshly bulldozed land lies to the south, a strange sign of progress on an otherwise stagnant street. There is a "For Sale" sign denoting its lack of proper ownership.

I consider robbing Loe after this is over. The generosity of his payments imply he is wealthy.

>>63163
You are not a particularly moral man, are you?

Let's interview the town. We'll get people to talk.

His generosity implies he is a nice person. Don't steal from him.

Bah, asking people in town won't do any good, it's obvious that this is a conspiracy. one of those "town secrets."

Jason 2009/10/11(Sun)15:21 No. 63169 ID: 84ae51
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I feel the slightest pang of guilt, but it vanishes as quickly as it came. I would never harm an innocent's person - their possesions, however, I make no qualms of.

I sketch a map on a scrap of notepaper based on what little I know of the town already. I only know of one hotel in the area, and suspect Loe will be staying there tomorrow. I am likewise residing there for the timebeing. The laundromat downtown is likely where he spoke with the cashier he mentioned. Common sources of municipal information are typically available at either the city hall or library. Likewise, it is always important to know where the police are skulking.

Any of these places could result in the information I seek, or they could simply waste my time. The question now is where to start.

Maybe there's some good information at the library.

Jason 2009/10/11(Sun)16:34 No. 63190 ID: 84ae51
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The trip to the library is largely uneventful. Few people are on the road. My mood improves the farther I get from the house - the correlation is not lost on me.

A woman tends the desk. She is young and her demeanor gives me reason to suspect she is a volunteer here. She holds nothing that could be dangerous, though there are a pair of scissors near her right hand. She greets me as I walk in.

> "Good morning! May I help you find something?"

There are several body-length windows here - it would be very easy to escape through one of them in a pinch.

Ask if they have local newspapers online or in microfiche. Ask for help in finding any local stories dealing with that house.

A better idea would be to go to the town hall or the courthouse first and look through the conveyance records to find out who bought and sold the property in the past and in what order. Then you would have names for the library search, as well as knowing already relevant dates and for how long the house was commonly kept.

Jason 2009/10/11(Sun)18:32 No. 63245 ID: 84ae51
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In retrospect, I probably should have checked in with the city archives first. Might as well make the most of things while I'm here.

> "Perhaps. Do you have microfiche of the local paper available, or an online archive?"
> "Anything printed after December 31, 1999 will be online. We have microfiche all the way back to uh... hold on, I know this."

She pauses.
> "Um, the mid seventies."

She does not look happy with her answer.
> "I'm trying to get some history on a particular property in town. Do you think you could help?"
> "Yes!"

She browses the online archives while I navigate the microfiche catalogue. An hour passes, and I've turned up nothing. The librarian has long since finished her search. She yields only a for-sale listing - potentially the same one Loe read.

> "Say, have you heard any stories about that house?"
> "Not really. Honestly I didn't even know about that street until you came in. What's all this stuff for, anyway?"

>>63245
You don't have much reason to lie, do you? You're investigating a newly bought house for a man that's a little too superstitious.

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)00:29 No. 63348 ID: 728150
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I've no reason to lie, though giving the truth so freely makes me uneasy.

> "I'm investigating a newly bought house for a man that's a little too superstitious."
> "Oh, huh. Well that's interesting, I guess. So yeah, I don't think we've got anything else here that could help you. Do you want me to call the archives? We're pretty friendly with them."

The left half of the library goes dark. The drone of the air conditioner has stopped. The librarian eyes the darkness with annoyance and confusion, as if she could shame it into receding.

>>63348
You blow a fuse or something? This happen often?

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)01:19 No. 63352 ID: 728150
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I smile and speak in a pleasant tone.

> "You blow a fuse? This sort of thing happen often?"
> "No... that's weird."

My throat tenses as though someone were smoking near me, but I smell nothing. She picks up the phone, testing the line.

> "Looks like the phone's out too. Want to leave a number if something new turns up, or if I get in touch with the archives?"

>>63352
Leave her the number. Soemthing tells me something very bad is about to happen here, J. Get out as soon as you leave contact!

>>63352
I don't think you're the type to leave a trail, are you? Would you even have a number you could give? Well, it doesn't matter, we're not really in any rush. We can just come back if we need anything else.
We should be heading to the archives personally now, anyway. They're at city hall, right? Ask her if there's anything we should know about them, and then head on your way.

Leave the number. Do it.

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)02:37 No. 63360 ID: 728150
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> "Sure, here's the number to my hotel, room 101. I think I'll go pay the archives a personal visit as well. Anything I should know about them?"
> "Not really. They're pretty nice."

I suppress the urge to cough as I leave, glad to be free of that choking darkness.

[1/3]

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)02:40 No. 63361 ID: 728150
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I drive my rental downtown. A heavy cloud of black smog hangs over the road ahead of me and I've no choice but to drive through, flipping on my brights as I do so. It is impossibly thick and the urge to pull over strikes me more than once.

Moments pass and I am clear of it. The turn for city hall is up ahead.

[2/3]

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)02:43 No. 63363 ID: 728150
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A primal wail screeches in the wind as I open my car door. I feel air rush from its interior and out into the rapidly greying sky. The ground crackles beneath my feet, as though the asphalt were made of dry clay.

Something is awry. I do not believe this is city hall. I do not know where I am. I just know that it is wrong.

[3/3]

>>63363
Hmm. How brave are you?

If you're not quite brave, I suggest heading back and trying to go back to your hotel.

If you are, then ONWARD.

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)18:09 No. 63651 ID: 84ae51
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The fear of the unknown tears at me, but this is here. It is now. The human inclination to discover alights within me. The call of Loe's bonus check does not harm my ambitions, either.

Approaching the structure, I inspect the door. There is an iron cross posted on its oaken surface. Below it a small hemisphere pokes out, and below that a knocker that seems to double as a door handle.

I take stock of what is on my person. I am travelling light, simply carrying a cell phone and leatherman multitool. My kit rests beneath my bed at the hotel, safe from the police scrutiny of a random traffic stop.

>>63651
Knock.

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)19:07 No. 63703 ID: 84ae51
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The knocker is heavier than I expected. With every burst of bass I feel as though I have offended the bleak silence blanketing the area. I feel threatened and exposed - as the door opens my anxiety grows with the promise of sanctuary.

That does not last long. There is something foul in the hall - its smell lingers among the alarming odor of mildew spores. My neck pricks and my back tenses as I sense something watching me from behind.

[Animated]

>>63703
Not cool, man! Not cool!

Pinch self. Then slowly back away before running to your car and peeling out.

>>63703
...I'm not even sure what that is, but it's freaking me out. Some kind of corpse, or body with the twisted flesh of it's arm attached to the ceiling? Is the ceiling also made of flesh or something? What the fuck is going on here. I really doubt this is worth whatever you're getting paid.

But, you feel something watching you? Check behind you. It's important to be aware of your surroundings at all times.

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)20:49 No. 63762 ID: 84ae51
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I turn, unable to weather the stench. My daily wage is more than sufficient - this excess is going to be my undoing and so, I elect for retreat.

I find my voyeur looming over me, inky tendrils wisping from its vacuous surface. It is silent, but its presence is maddening. I... god I don't know. What is this? Why is this? Where is this? I don't know. I don't know. God's balls, I don't know.

>>63762
Calmly walk to your car and drive away.

>>63762

Close your eyes. Remind yourself it's not real. Open them.

If it's still there, you've got a Slender Man problem. If it's not, you need to get to a doctor. You're psychotic.

I'm going to go with the former, myself.

>>63762
Try communicating with it. Ask it what it is and what it wants.

But more importantly: maintain your sanity. Not just your composure, how you appear is not very important right now. You've delved into the realm of Lovecraftian horrors, and a future of events that can shake your very mental stability to the core lies ahead of you. If you can't withstand the sight of this simple creature then you should drive nails through your eyes now, for there is no chance that you will survive what undoubtedly lies in store for you.

>>63762
Try to go around it, giving it a wide berth. It doesn't seem to be aggressive yet, whatever it is.

Get your multitool's knife ready just in case.

>>63762
Just walk to your car and drive away... perhaps back through that fog. Such curious weather, whether or not, the waves fall untouched by the golden sands unraveling withoutcaretothespokenunknown...

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)23:56 No. 63842 ID: 728150
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I stare dead ahead - tunnel vision. My car is all that is there. I will go to it - the creature's head follows me - and I will drive away from this place. I will go to my hotel room - the air around it is cold - and I will lie down.

I will... I've made it to the car.

Jason 2009/10/12(Mon)23:58 No. 63844 ID: 728150
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The roar of the engine echoes down the streets. The horizon speckles with more creatures, summoned by my offenses to the stillness of the world.

[Animated, as is the previous frame]

>>63844
holy fuck man

try turning on your radio. Just in case.

Jesus fuck we're in crazytown.

Ever carried a gun? Now would be a good time to start.

Jason 2009/10/13(Tue)03:14 No. 63868 ID: 728150
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The radio begins to spout static. Did I turn it on? I don't remember.

>>63868
I peed.

Jason 2009/10/13(Tue)03:58 No. 63876 ID: 728150
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I drive. I drive and I drive and I do not stop. It is dark when I make it back to the hotel.

For the first time in nearly two decades, I am afraid of the dark.

[Animated]

>>63876
I am really liking what you're doing here. Very good start.

You appear to have a Space Pirate infestation.

It's clearly not coming for you tonight, darkness isn't going to change that. Good luck for the rest of the week, though.