Episode 07

# 01.07: Two Near-Death Experiences

Cynthia learned what has been happening at the Carpenter house, Milo found one of the inhabitants of Keaton's Gore, Frank caught up with an old employee, and Tom played tourist.

## Characters

The PCs:

* Cynthia
* Milo McCrery
* Frank Smith
* Tom di Pasqua

NPCs:

* Michelle
* Jack Elleby
* Nibs
* Beth Lawrence
* Quest Oyer
* Camden Oyer
* Selene Hight
* Nicky
* Auden Cooke
* Ella-Rose Carpenter
* Magnolia Hight
* Lorna Crawford
* Death 26

## Summary

##### **10/10/2014: Friday**

Cynthia visited the diner early in the morning, and caught the person who she's seen associating with Bruns on the way out. He introduced himself as Jack Elleby, and left as soon as possible.

While Frank was out putting up advertisements for the ice cream store-turned-cafe, he caught up with Selene Hight, who was putting up flyers for the Hight Halloween party.

Milo returned to Surveyor Ledge, though during daylight hours. In an attempt to find out what was following him the other night, he wandered off the trail, and got attacked by a feral child. Milo managed to escape into the woods, ending up hopelessly lost again.

Before Tom got home from work, Cynthia investigated the woods around his house, and didn't find anything out of the ordinary.

Tom, having not gotten a response from Milo, checked in on him at the B&B. Milo wasn't there, but Beth assured Tom he was almost certainly just out for a hike. On the way back from the B&B, Tom stopped by Oyer Trading Post. He bought a sandwich and caught a glimpse of a child with all-black eyes, who the cashier didn't seem fazed by but kept out of the store proper since it was still business hours.

After spending several hours yelling in the woods and trying not to pass out from blood loss, Milo attracted the attention of the feral child again, but Nicky arrived just in time to handle Nibs (as he calls her) by distracting her with non-Milo food. Nicky helped Milo back to the parking lot, where Milo called Frank to get a ride to the hospital, and had a few questions for Nicky. Frank arrived as quickly as he could, and thanked Nicky for saving Milo again before dragging the half-conscious livestreamer to the hospital.

##### **10/11/2014: Saturday**

Cynthia returned to the diner, and sat with Jack this time. She made some conversation, mostly with herself, before Jack left as soon as he could manage.

Tom visited the courthouse's museum.

In the afternoon, Milo checked himself out of the hospital, and Frank took him back to the ice cream shop. Frank understandably had a few questions about what Milo got himself up to, and didn't know what to do with the answers.

Cynthia called Milo, to schedule a meal. After hearing he got a bit battered hiking, she decided to pick him up for lunch tomorrow.

Frank's Franks that evening had limited attendance, since school has started up again. Tom checked on Milo, who's crashing on Frank's couch, and learned about his encounter with Nibs.

##### **10/12/2014: Sunday**

Milo was awoken by Frank leaving the house at about 4 a.m., and then grumpily returning to bed. Over breakfast, Milo asked what that was, and hears about Frank's recent sleepwalking.

Knitting club went about as knitting club tends to, with gossip and a general concern for Ella-Rose.

Cynthia picked Milo up at the ice cream shop while making clear her disdain for Frank, and took him to her house for lunch. They caught up, including Milo's experience in the gore, though Cynthia had to check her book in the middle of the conversation--she has to be at the Carpenters' at midnight.

Frank visited the bar, and heard some gossip.

On his last check out the window before bed, Tom saw the shadowy figure in his yard--closer that it had been the last time it showed up.

##### **10/13/2014: Monday**

Cynthia arrived at the Carpenter's house at midnight, and once again didn't notice anything odd--until she got grabbed by the hand of someone buried in the garden. Matters were made worse by someone emerging from the house with a chainsaw, when she decided to cut her losses and run--directly into 26, who promptly abdicated responsibility for the entire situation.

Cynthia was still determined to get a sense of what was happening, and was confronted by Ella-Rose with a chainsaw. She managed a narrow escape, and on the drive back had a tense conversation with 26 where the two tersely agreed to work together so 26 can do their job and take care of the situation. After this agreement, 26 disappeared from the backseat of Cynthia's car, and Cynthia headed home.

## Notes

Nicky on Nibs:

* She's just kind of hanging out and being hungry
* Stops by his camp every so often, probably because he's got food
* He's camping in the woods, which isn't the most legal thing to be doing (forest rangers don't really like him)

Gossip at the bar:

* The rain's still bad, some of the dirt roads are starting to go
* It's still a bad year for coyotes, and only getting worse
* It's annual leaf-viewing season, so there's tourists around, which none of the farmers are particularly fond of

26 and the Carpenters:

* Ella-Rose has been trying to kill her husband for about two weeks, and she's been on edge because he hasn't died yet
* They need to be kept up to date on what's been going on in town: Cynthia's prepared a list
* The most useful point on said list is the shadow at Tom's house, since it showed up within a year ago and when they arrived in town
* Cynthia hands over Tom's address, under duress and after learning they won't be hurting Tom
* They're not doing anything about the Carpenters now, but rather the next time they get pinged about it

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