Part Ten

*A quiet beach, an abandoned tower, a dark presence...*

### Content Warnings

Self-sacrifice, severed head, tooth removal, rotten food, slurping/eating sounds, rats (monstrous ones).

## Summary

Arthur and John head into the large coastal town of Leerie, intent on finding more information about Amanda Cummings’ letter and the person it was addressed to. While seeking a safe place to stay in an abandoned hotel, they discover more questions and a horde of terrifying creatures. As they try to escape the monsters chasing them, Arthur and John realize they aren’t the only ones sheltering in the Elderwood Inn.

## Synopsis

Arthur awakens on the beach after a fitful sleep, taking stock of the information he and John have gathered during their time together. They discuss Amanda’s letter, identifying the mentioned Emily mentioned as Emily MacFarland. John recalls a passage written in a margin in the book: a translation with the words ‘pallid mask’ written above it. They connect this to the man who shot at them in JD Ackerman's Bookstore in Part One, who was wearing a strange white mask.

They resolve to head to the coastal town of Leerie to seek answers about the King in Yellow cult. John asks Arthur to wade into the lake so he can see the way to town. A strange voice calls out to Arthur. John is unable to hear it, but Arthur follows until he reaches the severed head of Kellin Holeman's sister from Part Four. The head calls Arthur ‘Master’ and offers to bring him answers, but John is suspicious and tries to dissuade him. He reveals that the head is possessed by a creature from the Dark World: a vanguard that has one foot in each place. He warns Arthur that the head is exactly the type of thing that people like Antoine form cults over, and explains that it will corrupt Arthur, offering him things that will be very difficult to refuse.

Arthur eventually chooses to ask the head for information about the mysterious ‘Anna’ from Amanda’s letters, and John reluctantly agrees with his decision. Unable to continue carrying a severed head with them, Arthur pries a single tooth loose from the skull and takes it with him, throwing the rest of the head back into the lake. John repeats his concerns, saying he doesn’t know if their decision was the right one, but Arthur dismisses him, saying they’ll simply have to wait and see.

Following the shoreline, Arthur and John plan to find a place to stay for a few nights. They begin to map out a cover story to explain their presence in the town and give them a way to seek information without drawing suspicion. As they approach the town, John spots an apparent waterfront hotel. Unfortunately, the hotel is chained closed, with a note that reads ‘Closed for the season’ on the door.

At first Arthur is frustrated, but John manages to convince him that this may work in their favor. An abandoned hotel offers them a place to rest without them needing to answer any questions. Arthur agrees and heads inside. Upon entering, John points out that the hotel seems to have been abandoned some time ago. Locating the kitchen, they find spoiled food filling the shelves and knives and cutting boards left on the counter. They become concerned that perhaps the hotel didn’t close due to lack of guests, as it appears everyone left the place in a hurry.

They are startled by movement, but Arthur theorizes that it’s most likely a vagrant seeking a place to stay, much like the two of them. He tells John that he feels as though they’ve been set on a path, and that their encounter with the Widow taught him that they are unable to side-step any obstacles that they encounter on that path. He explains he feels as though they become stronger after surviving each encounter, more aware of the things around them.

Deciding to stay in the hotel, Arthur finds a can of soup and stops to eat. While he’s eating, John questions him about Faroe and brings up his fitful sleep, explaining that he had made noises as though he was angry. Arthur lashes out, telling him to drop it. As he does, John notices the door to the kitchen is being pushed open and suggests that they hide. They move into the walk-in freezer nearby, and John directs Arthur to peek out the small window in the freezer door. Through the glass, he sees a small rat-like creature, but far larger and with a mass of writhing tentacles where its nose should be.

The creature exits the kitchen through the door that Arthur and John had entered. They leave the freezer and head back where the creature came from, hoping to avoid an encounter with it. Unfortunately, the dining room they move into holds a massive nest, clearly occupied by more malformed rat-creatures. John guides Arthur out of the room, careful not to draw their notice. They enter the adjacent lobby and close the door behind them, moving towards the other entrance to the kitchen to close that door as well. As they reach the door, they are spotted by one of the creatures. It lets out an unearthly shriek, alerting the others and they begin to swarm. Arthur and John flee up the stairs as the creatures break through the lobby doors and give chase.

Reaching the third floor of the hotel, John spots a door left ajar and they lock themselves inside just as the swarm reaches the top of the stairs. The rat-creatures move past the door and further into the hotel, leaving Arthur and John safe in the room. They take a moment to compose themselves, and John explains that the room is in complete darkness. Arthur feels his way over to the window and draws the curtains back, allowing the light from outside to illuminate the room. Turning to the bed, John sees an open suitcase on the dresser and several items of clothing laid out. He points out that the clothes seem fresh, and they hear a toilet flush in the adjacent room. They begin to panic, preparing to leave the room when John sees a pallid mask laying on the bed.

## Votes

* Chapter 46: TAKE THE HEAD [7] / TAKE THE HEAD [2] / TAKE THE HEAD [2] / TAKE THE HEAD [2] /TAKE THE HEAD [3] / TAKE THE HEAD [3] /**TAKE THE..... leave the head [9]**
* Chapter 47: Find a Road to take into Town [1] / **Follow the Shoreline [13]**
* Chapter 48: **Try Squeezing in the Back Door [10]** / Look around the side for another Entrance [8]
* Chapter 49: **Hide [12]** / Call out [5]
* Chapter 50: Let's see how clever you can be. [write-in]
	+ Top answer: Take the mask, and subdue the man for questioning.

## Additional Notes

* John calls the creature a ‘vanguard’, explaining that they are beings controlled by powerful entities from the Dark World that gather knowledge and information through the eyes of others.
* The translation under the note about the pallid mask reads “*song of my soul, my voice is dead, die thou unsung as tears unshed.*”
* The hotel in Leerie is called the Elderwood Inn.