William Ronald
Explorer
Joshua,
Good update. However, the updated thread title should read "updated on 11/24).
Good update. However, the updated thread title should read "updated on 11/24).
Exit 23 Dark•Matter Story Hour (NOW COMPLETE!)
Desdichado
Hero
I'm in denial that it's really that late in the year... 
Desdichado
Hero
Should be one more update before I disappear for the holiday. With any luck, I'll have the whole thing done before Christmas.
William Ronald
Explorer
Joshua,
Looking forward to the updates. Enjoy Thanksgiving.
Looking forward to the updates. Enjoy Thanksgiving.
Desdichado
Hero
"Exit 23"
IV.
IV.
Jane, Will and Ned stepped slowly outside, their parkas zipped up around them to ward of the chill. Phillip and Doug stayed near the door, Doug with his camera ready. Don was sending e-mail via his satellite uplink.
Outside, it was still muffled and quiet, but harsh gusts of wind occasionally howled and whined. There was no sign of anything that could have made the cars flash their headlights and honk like mad. Aside from the still heavy snowfall, there was no sign of anything at all. Jane lowered her Mag-Lite and stepped further outside, her eyes on a swirl of snow bourne by the wind in her direction.
Suddenly the swirl of snow coalesced into a shape; a humanoid shape roughly nine feet tall and covered with shaggy white fur. A slavering, wolf-like head topped the creature, but it was exaggerated and demonic, with glowing eyes and elongated fangs. In one shaggy paw, the creature held what looked like a sword made from ice. With its other paw, which had bear-like claws several inches in length, it swung at Jane. She flew through the air from the force of the blow and skidded across the frozen concrete fifteen feet away, blood arcing through the air matching the trajectory of her body.
Behind her was an explosion of activity; Doug's camera was clicking like mad, and Ned made a dash for his Volvo. Will apparently had been packing heat under his parka, and now unloaded shots from a revolver into the strange creature. Ignoring the bullets, the creature turned and swatted Ned, who flipped through the air to thud heavily on the windshield of his Volvo, cracking the glass. He tumbled off the hood of the car to lie still in a snow drift. The creature turned back toward the truck stop now, his attention on Will, who was reloading the cartridge of his gun. It charged him, it's roar like the calving of glaciers, or the howling of the bitter winter storm winds. Will screamed as the creature stabbed at him with its icey blade, but he was able to dodge most of the blow, suffering only cosmetic damage to his parka.
Jane meanwhile, struggled to shake the fog from the blow she had recieved. She felt bitterly chilled; her hands shook and ice rimned her side where the creature had struck her, which at least had slowed the bleeding to a slow seep. Through her haze, she had seen Will's bullets hit the creature to no effect, and on a hunch, she pulled the silver bullet from the chain around her neck and loaded it into her police issue revolver with trembling fingers. As the thing attempted to savage Will, she rolled onto her stomach, aimed her pistol and shot the creature with the silver bullet.
It cried out, more in surprise than true pain or fear, but she at least had the thing's attention. It turned towards her with a look of hate in it's eyes, but then seemed to explode into whirlwind of snow flakes and ice crystals and roar away into the darkness.
Dr. Akens, Doug and Will ran outside to Jane and Dr. Neary. Phillip and Doug helped Jane to her feet stiffly. "We better get you inside and patch you up," said Doug, nodding toward the dark red patch on the concrete where she had lain. She felt a bit faint, especially seeing how much blood she had spilled on the pavement. Will called over as well; he had managed to revive Dr. Neary and was half carrying him, half dragging him back inside as well. His head lolled from side to side, but he looked to be at least semi-conscious.
Inside, Will and Dr. Akens proved to be at least somewhat competent in first aid, although many times they firmly wished the real medical doctor wasn't the one in the worst shape at the moment. Both of the victims of the strange creatures attack were unnaturally chilled to the bone.
"Mabel!" Doug called out. "Mabel, where are you?" After a moment of searching, the attendent was found; a sobbing, quivering mound of flesh huddled in the back office of the truck stop. Doug plundered a space heater from her room and left her there. The heater, combined with the ministrations of the professor, gradually seemed to restore Jane and Ned. Ned had a look at their bindings and tightened them up a bit. In his briefcase, he had some other equipment; a shot he gave to himself and to Jane as well that perked them up somewhat.
Meanwhile, Will had raided the back of his pick-up. Apparently he drove around with an M-16, a shotgun and several pistols. He made sure everyone was armed. Even Jane didn't have a comment about the small arsenal he carried around with him, but she was still a little woozy from her rough treatment at the claws of the furry beast to make much of a fuss anyway.
"Look," said Don at that moment, "while you guys were out shooting your guns and acting all macho, I found a few things that are ...interesting. More like disturbing, really." He spun his laptop around. On the screen was a radar image from the NOAA website showing the precipitation in the area. There was a perfectly circular green patch with it's center ... "Right here," he said. "We're right in the middle of this storm, and if natural storms come in perfectly circular shapes, then I'm a large woman named Mabel who works the graveyard in a truckstop in the middle of nowhere. And then there's this..."
Don pulled out a briefcase and opened it up. The briefcase was battered and dusty. "This belonged to John Doe over here," he indicated the man found in the bathroom earlier in the evening. "Apparently, this Mr. Riley, according to his business card, is an employee of the Hoffmann Institute, whoever they are. And in his briefcase I found this." He pulled up a small ball of glass or crystal. It looked like one of those snow globes that you turn upside down and watch the "snow" fall, but as they looked closer at it, they all gasped. Inside was a detailed model of the truck stop they were staying in, complete with the recent bloodstains from Jane's fall to the concrete, and tiny shattered glass on the ground near the entrance. "I have to admit, I'm a little freaked out here," Don concluded.
Dr. Akens looked thoughtful. "I think I might have an idea of what's going on here," he said.
"Better make it snappy, then," said Will. "Looks like our new best friend is looking for more." Outside, the snow and wind were starting to pick up again, and a familiar swirl of snow was starting to form near the entrance to the truckstop. Will held up his shotgun and cocked it.
Desdichado
Hero
(double post)
To atone for my double post sins, right here's a link to a picture I used for the game, of the Winter Demon mentioned above.
To atone for my double post sins, right here's a link to a picture I used for the game, of the Winter Demon mentioned above.
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barsoomcore
Unattainable Ideal
Dude. More.
Desdichado
Hero
Workin' on it! Most of the fun is still to come.barsoomcore said:Dude. More.
I don't get tired of this little adventure. This is the third time I have been through it, two story hours and my own game, and it only seems to get better.
It is a treat to see how it plays out differently every time.
Nicely done Josh. This is a real treat. Keep it coming.
It is a treat to see how it plays out differently every time.
Nicely done Josh. This is a real treat. Keep it coming.
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