The large living space you enter smells of mildew and old smoke. To the right of the front door is a small sitting area, to the left is a small table with two chairs and a large fireplace with only old coals turned to ash in it. At the back wall is a staircase that leads up to the second floor.
The boarded up windows leave in no light, but Halo provides a warm yellow glow to light the staircase. It creaks as you ascend, but the sobbing doesn't change a beat as whomever it is can't hear you over their own moans of heartache.
The steps lead to a huge open area that looks to be a master suite with curtained bed on a dais, a changing area walled of by a movable divider, and a copper tub in the corner near another cold fireplace. The bed is made up and a vanity next to it has a brush, comb, and powder box sitting on it each clean and neat. The sobbing comes from the attic, whose door stands partially open letting the now apparent female crying issue forth clearly.
Digger leads the way followed by Halo and Irena. Josiah has taken his rear guard seriously making sure there is always a place for Tilly to hide should things go south. Now he waits at the base of the steps for the others to call him up if he is needed.
At the top of the steps a tray lies where it fell, the wooden bowl and the soup within that it held also lay scatter on the floor. There is a small stand and cot against on of the walls and in the center of the room kneeling on the floor a woman cries, and rocks back and forth clutching something to her chest.
*creak*
The floor board creaks loudly and the woman turns, a bit of hope touching her eyes, but just as fast it is gone.
"Gertruda is tha.." she starts to say. Then gasp and clutches the doll in her hands closer to her chest.
"Who are you? Have you seen my daughter? Do you know where she is?"