18:40 - THE ENGINE ROOM

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

The reality the thing looked like the lawyer finally sank in. Shit. I holstered my piece and gripped Joe's shoulders, turning him to face me.

Colt (distressed)-
"That's nothing. Don't look at it. Let's get in there and close this door, OK?"

[Dr. Jar]

Harriet-

"Hello?"

Considering the nature of this place, I was expecting a trick, but honestly I was not sure what I expected to see. Would it be a child? A monster? What was this place, anyhow?

I shone my flashlight around, ignoring Mills.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Colt--

((-1 STA for you and Butcher due to that horrific monster encounter.))

Butcher led you through the vault door, where Mills was having a little fit. You heard a child's voice coming from somewhere unseen.

Child-
"DON'T SHOOT!! PLEASE! I'M NOT A TRICK! AT LEAST I DON'T THINK I AM. I UH, FEEL REAL!"


Mills-
"Noo... Don't talk to it!"


Joe (Distressed) -
"The hell's going on? Is that--??"

Harriet--
Your light shone over a rough hole in the floor. Looked like one of the floor panels had been torn free. It was deep and dark inside, but it seemed that the voice was emanating from within.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

The more high key stuff got the more I wanted to protect Joe. I'd probably stuff him in trunk and sit on it if things got any more messed up.

Colt (neurotic)-
"Don't bother with that Joe! Keep your eyes on Mills."

I looked into the hole, drawing my gun.

[Dr. Jar]

Harriet-

"What do you mean, don't talk to it? It doesn't seem to be a monster..."

I use my flashlight to look down the hole at whatever is within.

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Down in the dark, you could barely make out a small humanoid, reaching up to you. The flashlights were so bright it blasted out any details, and without them it was far too dark.

Child-
"Harriet! Colt! Joe! It's such a relief! I'm not a demon, okay. Best I could do right now is guilt you to death. Don't listen to Timothy. It's strange, but I doubt this is the weirdest thing you've seen and imagine being me. Just help me up. I think it would only take one, I'm not exactly a heavy as I once was."



Mills-
"Listen to it! Does that sound like a kid? It's trying to trick you!"



Butcher (distressed)-
"Uh, yeah, that's pretty creepy..."

Whoever wanted to reach it would have to be held by someone else to keep from falling in themselves. Butcher stayed back with Mills.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Jesus christ.

Colt (neurotic)-
"Eugh. You're on a first name basis with it? OK. Alright, just a minute!"

I put away my gun, found a machine that had a chain long enough to run down the hole and started feeding it in.

[Dr. Jar]

Harriet-

"Who are you?"

I grabbed the chain to help Colt pull the humanoid up. They didn't seem deceptive at least?

I didn't know what any of this meant, if anything meant anything at all, anyways. I used what strength I had left to pull the person back up and towards us. What was all of this madness anyways?

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Together, the two of you pulled up a small child. He wore a Spiderman t-shirt that was stained with blood and his feet were bare.

Mills-
"No no no, that's not him...! No!!"



Butcher (distressed) -
"Oh god... That's fucking horrific..."

The child safely on the ground now, you saw. The body was that of a nine year old, but the face was a slightly craggy middle-aged man! The child had Edmund's face!

((Everyone roll 2d10+Will to keep your cool))

68H38Aiw+2 (Butcher)

((∆§Indea§∆ -- you're up to bat.))·

[∆§Indea§∆]

(Neurotic)
Edmund-

"Fantastic. Worse than I imagined then.. Not a child? I am Edmund. I just woke up like this. Is it really that bad?"

I tried my best to at least straighten my shirt and pants. I looked at the others trying gauge how bad it was by their reactions. How much use would I be like this. Surely they would fix me before I left? I had to hope.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

((YmSFX1AN+ ))

Fucking hell!

Colt (anxious)-
"What the god damn shit, doc? What are you? What is this?!"

I turned away and put my hands on my temples.·

[Dr. Jar]

Harriet-

"You...you're him, but...not him. What on earth is going on?"

I inspected his body, as if expecting to see answers, but none made themselves apparent.

LPlFutSp+2 -1 ·

[◊◊BLOODBEASTER◊◊]

Mills cowered behind the much smaller Butcher, to his utter disgust.

Butcher- (Neurotic)
"Fuck's sake, get offa me..."


Mills-
"YAAAUGHHH!!"

He wasn't into it. The faces all around were of mild to moderate horror.

((Colt you are down 1 STA & Harriet, you are down 2! Ugh! It's awful! You are at 'Neurotic'. (no further stat penalties yet) ))

Butcher- (Neurotic)
"This has to be like that lawyer turning into a mutant. How do we know this thing-- err, how do we know you aren't going to attack us too?"

[∆§Indea§∆]

(Neurotic)


I was taken aback. They were scared? By this? Me?

Edmund-

" No why or how would I? With my child arms? I could barely bruise you, let alone hurt you. I honestly don't know what I am. I wish I did, I think I am human. Perhaps I will grow to be normal. When I'm 53? Ugh... What is wrong with me exactly? I can't see but maybe I don't want to know.

The lawyer? There was a huge thing with his face... But it wasn't him. He just watched as something else ate me. Basterd. That's how I ended up here. I don't recommend being eaten... To anyone. God. I hope it isn't still out there..."

I cast a worried glance to the door.Honestly, somehow I didn't think it would eat me again. I was a part of this cult now, whatever that meant.

[Thy Dungyeon Maestyr]

Colt (anxious)-
"Maybe you can attack us with headachin' talk. I don't fuckin' know..."

I tried to get a grip.

"Fff.... Eaten? Eaten? Like, maybe you're a walking talking turd right now? Somebody make sense of this shit!"