You typically have survival skills, you swear. But it was a Saturday night and you were bored and when the letter arrived from a mystery sender inviting you to spend the night at Jacob Manor, and well, curiosity got the best of [[you]].
<a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:24f93908-d0c4-4b7b-8144-ff494618aee5" target="_blank">note</a>As you walk up to the manor, you notice you are not the only person present. Several cars sit in the driveway. This is better, but maye also a little worse. Socializing, most likely with strangers, isn’t really your MO for Saturday nights. But you do see the appeal of not being in this house alone all [[night]].You make it to the door.
[[Knock]].
[[Investigate the cars]].
You knock on the door, after all, it only seems polite given there are other people already inside. You wait for a moment, then [[footsteps]].Pretty standard cars as far as cars go. One California license plate stands out amongst the others, but that’s it. You turn back to the door and the [[night]].“Hey there neighbor!” Margie Smith, the woman who lives next door to you answers. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Well,” you start,” I didn’t really expect anyone else to be here, the note wasn’t super… descriptive I guess.”
“I’m sure you’ll like everyone! I know you don’t go out much, but they’ve all been nice.”
Margie leads you inside. Six people are already standing in the drawing [[room]].
They turn to look at you, but return to their own conversations.
[[Father Michael Jacoby]]
[[Ol’ Joe]]
[[Jane Kratz]]
[[Officer Southwick]]
[[Danny Westfield]]
[[Mayor Christine Glover]]
[[Margie Smith]]
[[A drink?]]You sort of recognize Father Jacoby from the local Catholic church. A stout guy, he introduces himself happily.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Michael Jacoby, but you can call me Father Michael, Father Jacoby, anything really."
You shake his hand.
"Its not often I get to get out of my apartment and do something spontaneous! I'm quite looking forward to spending some time here."
You turn back to the [[room]].You do know Mayor Glover. Honestly, you didn't think she made public appearances outside of her required public service-y ones.
"Christine Glover, a pleasure." She aggressively shakes your hand. "I always look forward to getting to meet members of the community and in such a historic location too."
All business.
Turn back to the [[room]].You walk over to Danny.
"Hey, name's <a href="https://www.instagram.com/dannywestfield45?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==" target="_blank">Danny</a>. But you probably knew that already. I play football, quarterback."
You did not know that.
"I guess you got that letter too? Honestly thought it was a party, didn't expect old people to be here too. Whatever man. I'm cool hanging with anyone."
You turn back to the [[room]]."Hey kid, Henry Southwick. Good to meet'ya."
You haven't been a kid nearly three decades, but Henry seems nice enough so you'll let it slide.
"You know, back in my day, we used to warn kids not to go to strangers' homes, and we even had to take some teenagers in for hanging around this old building without permission. But I gotta say, this old man was more than a little curious what all the fuss was about."
You turn back to the [[room]].Ms Kratz is young and pretty. She talks sweetly and you can tell it isn't just her voice. Her whole personality is beautiful from head to toe.
"I teach kindgergarten. Sometimes I just wish I had some more excitement in my life."
You also think she could do with some self preservation skills, but you aren't in a position to talk.
"I moved here right out of school, and I love my kids, I really do. But in such a small town I'm finding myself bored. I was so excited to get invited to go somewhere. I made sure to tell my roommate, and she actually encouraged me to get out, said the rumors about this place were silly and she was glad I was being spontaneous."
You turn back to the [[room]].You don't need to talk to Ol' Joe to know who he is. Everyone does. Supposedly he went crazy after the grain factory went under. People said the place was haunted, and while most workers found other jobs and moved away, Ol' Joe stayed, and ended up all the worse for it.
He's standing in the corner by himself, tin foil hat in place.
Turn back to the [[room]]."Oh you know. We rarely get excitement and this place is known to be haunted. I've always been into spirits and stuff you know. The letter was a little creepy, sure, but heck. I have nothing really to lose."
You disagree with Margie. When you moved in she baked you a pie. And you're pretty sure she's married, or at least she was. Does she still have a ring?
You turn back to the [[room]].Father Jacoby walks to the front of the room.
"I found a bottle of wine while exploring earlier, and what could hurt from a drink between friends?"
He holds up the bottle and offers to pour a glass for everyone. Obviously you partake.
[[A toast.]]
[[hour one]]"To new meetings and fun adventures."
You clink glasses with those standing nearest you and as you drink the lights [[go out]].The fun lasted all of an hour.
You hear a scream (Ms Kratz, you believe) and with that the lights come back on. You turn to where Jane had been standing, and, oh, yup. That's definitely not fun. Jane, or what used to be Jane, is standing, arms outstretched, face upturned in classic possession style.
Henry looks at her, "Missy? The lights are on now, are you alri-"
Jane turns abruptly to Henry. Pitch black eyes, devoid of any life look at him. A beat passes before she rushes towards the old [[man]]. Just as Jane, or what was Jane, is about to absolutely wreck a petrified Henry, Father Jacoby appears. Holding a cross, he reaches out to Jane and says a prayer, and she falls.
For a moment, no one moves, and then suddenly Danny and the mayor run to Jane.
"Hey, hey you're okay now." The mayor continues saying platitudes, but you all see Jane's bleeding nose, the way she crumpled to the ground, and ultimately, Danny confirms what you've all been thinking with a test of her wrist.
"She's gone."
A hush falls across the room, before Jacoby speaks up.
"We can't just stand around. We need to get help." You follow him to the front [[door]].
Jacoby reaches for the lock and, oh gosh shocker really. The door is, as in many a situation like this, locked.
[[Try the door again]].
[[Return to the drawing room]]. You push Jacoby to the side, and try the [[door]] again, but of course, it doesn't budge even when you try.You and Jacoby look at each other, and back at the drawing room, where you can hear the ones you left behind mumbling amongst themselves.
"Demonic possession. I can, well I can only take the demon out of the person. I can't completely rid the place of it. At least not without the right tools," Jacoby looks at you sadly.
"Right."
[[Question him further]].
[[Let it go]]."How did I know that poor girl was possessed? Its not... common, persay, but I do have experience with performing exorcisms. Ms Kratz didn't appear to be in distress prior to the lights, and after she did. It seemed, simple, I suppose."
[[Let it go]].As you enter the drawing room, the two of you are blocked by Ol' Joe.
"I knew it! I knew something was wrong here! This whole town, the whole lot is cursed. I've known for years. No one will take me seriously but there's a reason the factory shut down. Spirits! Cursed! Cursed I tell you!"
Father Jacoby gently puts a hand on Joe's shoulder and leads him to the couch.
[[Talk to Danny]].
[[Talk to Margie]].
[[Talk to Henry]].You go up to Danny.
"I'm gonna be honest man, that was rough, but, I mean you can't tell anyone this and I mean that, she wasn't the first person I've seen die."
Oh okay yeah that's cool.
"I think bad things follow me. My first coach died in a car accident a week after I joined the team. Then, when I was in high school, I saw a guy step into traffic. And then my dog died last year."
"I'm not sure the dog is related."
"Okay smart guy, but still. Now this. I didn't even know Jane that welll and now she's dead."
[[Ask more]].
[[Let it go]]. "I wanted excitement but I didn't want to see someone die."
Margie looks at you, but you don't really have anything to say. You agree with her completely.
"Something's off here. I can feel it. I should have known better than to trust some random note. Someone here did something."
"Ol' Joe getting to you?"
"No, I know something's wrong."
[[Ask her more]]."Yeah I'm doing okay. She was a just a kid, like you."
Not a kid, at least a couple decades older than Jane, but sure.
"I was standing right next to her when the lights went out. I don't know what happened. One second she was there and the next she was that and now she's gone."
[[Let it go]]."I'm actually training to be an EMT right now. I play football for Silo Community College. I guess instincts kicked in when I saw someone hurt? I don't know man, I just watched a woman die can we chill for a second."
Yeah you guess we can "chill for a second."
[[Let it go]].
"I don't think its a coincidence we were brought here. Jane's mom just died last month, did you know that. She died under "mysterious circumstances." She told me she walked into the woods behind her house and never came back. I hate to speculate but I'm sure everyone here has some sort of weird background."
[[Tell her about Danny]].
[[Move on]]."Really? He's such a nice boy. I'm so sorry he got wrapped up in this."
Margie takes a deep breath.
"My husband died last year, right after you moved in. I didn't have a funeral for him. Never really liked him anyway. Oh gosh, I shouldn't say stuff like that, but I was so glad he died. Maybe this is my punishment?"
[[Move on]].
When you turn back to the group, you see that Father Jacoby has gotten up and put a sheet over Jane's body.
"Until we can properly bury Ms Kratz, I suggest we leave this room. Being near her will do us no good."
No one can argue with that.
Move to [[the kitchen]].
[[hour two]]You hear an old grandfather clock mark the new hour. You're shocked anything still works in this house.
You make your way to the kitchen and [[sit down]].You end up next to Ol' Joe and feel obligated to start a conversation.
"Soo, [[tell me more]] about the factory."Joe looks at you with disgust in his eyes. You think, maybe just manic energy, but something's there.
"I worked at the mill until '74, that's when Ewan Jacob took over. He owned this manor ya'know. When he took over, things changed. Strange things started happening. Three people went missing, my daughter was one of them. Never saw them again. Then machines started breaking, people lost fingers. Jacob? He didn't care, he made cuts, cuts to pensions and medical. He didn't care about us. And then the <a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:bfadafa0-f487-4e7b-9bbf-182969fe2d3f" target="_blank">factory closed down</a>. And Jacob died. That's it."
He slumps down in his chair and the tin foil hat falls a little onto his face. He looks a little silly.
[[Ask about Ewan Jacob's death]].
[[Talk about something else]].<a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:8df51bc3-3920-464f-8c7c-2c438f6ca823" target="_blank">Jacob died</a>after he announced the factory was closing, no one knows how or why. Another one of those mysterious deaths I suppose. But I think he killed himself, he knew the truth of what was happening at the factory."
"And what truth was that?"
"Aliens!"
Okaaay, that's enough of that. You're pretty sure that there's some truth to Joe's story but the extraterrestrial isn't really your vibe.
[[Talk about something else]].You go to change the subject but in what is turning out to be a very similar series of events, the lights go [[out]].You here a scream come from the drawing room, where you left Jane's body. But, hey, that shouldn't be possible.
The lights come back on. No one is possessed this time and you all look at each other.
[[Run back to the drawing room]].
Jane's body hasn't moved, but on the floor, in what appears to be blood, is a message that says "each hour someone else dies until you find me."
Well that's cryptic.
"That's a little cryptic." Okay Mayor Glover stealing your thunder.
Danny looks at the group, "What does that even mean? "Until you find me?" So that thing is still here?"
You look at Jacoby, and then Margie. Two people who know a little too much about what's happening.
[[Call out Margie]]
[[Call out Jacoby]]"What did I do?"
"You had an idea about why we might be here. Maybe that's the key?"
Margie shoots you a look of betrayal.
"There had been a... discussion that we all had secrets of some kind. Something we didn't want other people to know. Bad things. Deaths, specifically. I think we were asked here for a reason. It's not a coincidence that we were brought here tonight."
"What if we don't have anything to hide?" The mayor is no longer on your good list, there's no way she's clean.
"I don't know. I didn't think more bad things would happen. Something needs to happen for us to find the demon. We can't just expect one of us to come clean."
[[Wait...]]"Okay I haven't fully destroyed the demon, only removed it from Ms Kratz. But I wasn't hiding that fact. In fact I felt the locked doors made it obvious we were stuck here because of it."
"So you just happened to know that the demon was still loose and didn't warn any of us?" Okay Mayor Glover, asking the real questions.
"It didn't seem pertinent with a dead body to take care of."
[[This isn't going anywhere.->Call out Margie]]
[[Call out Margie]]."What if it's one of us?" You may not have survival skills but you could make a good detective. "We were all brought here for a reason. One of us must be connected to the demon."
"Is that a confession son," Henry speaks up for the first time in a while.
"Hey now I didn't say anything like that." Alright, you didn't expect this to backfire on you.
"The man has a point," Jacoby comes to your rescue, "it wouldn't make sense for total strangers to be brought together, there has to be a reason and one of us to make it happen. So what do we do now?"
[[Accuse someone right now]].
[[Investigate?]]Who do you accuse?
[[Jacoby]]
[[Glover]]
[[Margie]]
[[Ol' Joe]]
[[Danny]]
[[Henry]]
"I think we need to wait it out. I'm sure something will come up that makes it more obvious."
"A tactic to make yourself seem better? Typical." Mayor Glover is really making it onto your hit list now.
"I agree with him, let's learn a little bit more about each other before we get too hasty," Danny says.
[[Head to the living room]].The lights go off and never come on for any of you again. Ol' Joe was just an old man after all.
[[hour one]]The lights go off and never come on for you again. Danny was nothing more than a poor guy who had a bit of bad luck.
[[hour one]]The lights go out and they never come on for any of you again. I guess Mayor Glover was clean after all.
[[hour one]]Jacoby looks at you with a vitriol.
"Confession. That's all I wanted. I wanted you to repent for what you did, for what this town did. Sinners everywhere and you lot are the worst of them."
Okay now he's turning into a demon.
You scream and realize that you didn't really have a solution for this and in the end, you caught him but at what [[cost->your life]]?
The lights go off and come on for you again. Margie just wanted to live her best single life and bake pies.
[[hour one]]The lights go off and never come on for you again. Henry was just a retiree.
[[hour one]]Your life, I suppose.
Congrats on catching him though![[hour three]]Margie starts, "Let's lay out what we know about each other so far. I know that Jane's mother died recently, she disappeared. But Jane's dead now, so it can't be her."
"Margie's husband also died, and Danny is prone to bad luck when it comes to living," you add on.
Southwick calls out Ol' Joe next, "Joe was around when the factory was going under, and [[so was I]]."
"I was part of the investigation team that looked in the factory hauntings, when it burned down, we ran out of leads."
You look at Joe, if you remember his story correctly, you may have an arson on your hands.
"That leaves the mayor and the priest. Ya'll got anything to say for yourselves."
[[Ask Jacoby]]
[[Ask Glover]]"I will admit, that I am only recently a Catholic priest. I will not share my life prior to this but know that it was full of heartache and sorrow. Since finding my calling I have been much happier and the last year with this community has brought me so much closer to healing than I ever thought I could have."
What a thoroughly succint answer.
[[Ask Glover]]"Nothing to hide here. I've been very open about my life."
Said no politician ever.
A beat passes. As you're about to move on, Glover speaks again.
"Okay fine, I'll come clean. I used my campaign money to buy a condo in Cabo. It's just so dreary here and I couldn't stand it year round. Sue me!"
[[Okay...]]Before you can say anything, the lights go off again. Another scream and when they turn back on Glover is gone.
You all look at each other, and Jacoby springs into action.
From behind you, you here a deep gasp and the start of another [[scream]].You don't have to turn around to know Glover, or what's left of her, is behind you. Jacoby pushes you away and says the same prayer. Glover drops to the floor, nose bleeding.
Are campaign donations refundable?
"Shit," Danny so elequently states. Yes, this is definitely shit Danny.
[[You turn to Jacoby]]."Yes the demon is still here. No I can't do it properly just yet. This takes time."
"God well you're just perfectly convenient aren't you." Danny is done with this and you can tell.
[[Accuse someone]]
[[Wait it out again]]At this point you've seen enough.
[[Danny]]
[[Ol' Joe]]
[[Jacoby]]
[[Margie]]
[[Henry]]"It might be convenient but we all need to calm down." You really don't want this to turn into a lone survivor situation. You don't need to kill each other to solve this.
"I knew I shouldn't have come here," Danny breaks down and man, you really don't want to have to comfort him right now, not when the mayor's body is literally a foot away from you. In fact, you should be the one that's comforted right now, not hi-
...
You also need to calm down.
"I'll cover her body," says Jacoby, "should I place her next to Ms Kratz?"
"Leave her here, we shouldn't move the bodies too far away from where they fell," Henry says.
[[Back to the kitchen]][[hour four]]The kitchen is largely silent. Jacoby is sitting across from you deep in prayer. Joe might be sleeping, Danny is sulking in the corner, and you and Margie sit next to each other. Henry is in the living room with Mayor Glover's body.
She leans over to you and whispers "I think there's something Jacoby isn't telling us."
You think? "I've been getting that vibe. His answers are too perfect. But what would we say, he's the only reason Henry and I are still breathing, I can't be too mad right now."
She gestures at you to follow her and she walks towards the dining room.
[[Follow]]
[[No]]The two of you walk towards the pantry, away from the group.
Margie whispers, "I think I know something about Jacoby."
You nod.
"Before you moved in, we had a different priest, Father Thomas, I think... it doesn't matter. What matters is that there was this big scandal in a small town in California. A mega church went bankrupt. The whole town was devestated. The pastor got famous for exorcisms. The town was convinced he was the second coming. But when he filed for bankrupcy, he disappeared without a word.<a href="https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:ec285d7f-4948-4b70-8aea-e425fb8f148d" target="_blank">disappeared without a word</a>".
You nod again, there was a California car out front and you think you know where this is going.
"A few months later, we get a new priest says he from Io-"
You look behind Margie and Jacoby is staring at you. You wave, and that's enough for Margie to stop talking.
The two of you return to take [[rests at the table.]]It's been a long night and you honestly just want to sit down in the silence. You shake your head at Margie and she sighs, but reluctantly she too [[rests at the table.]]
Your period of rest is interuppted by Joe screaming suddenly. Henry runs in and starts to talk to him, but its no use.
"This place is cursed I tell you! Cursed! Aliens, ghosts, demons! I can't take it anymore!" Joe starts hitting his head against the wall. He's truly lost it and you can't blame him, it's been a rough night for everyone and this can't be good for an old man who was already crazy.
Henry reaches out to touch him and immediately goes rigid. You stand up and [[walk towards Henry]].You don't make it far before he turns abruptly, same soulless black eyes staring at you (you think they're staring, it's hard to tell). This time, Jacoby doesn't make it before Henry can [[grab you.]]
The two of you grapple on the ground, Danny and Margie yelling, Joe still screaming. Henry finally gets a hand on your throat and this could be it, but here comes Jacoby to the rescue; he says a little prayer for you and oh yeah that's Henry's dead weight (literally) sinking on you. That doesn't feel great.
Danny runs to you and offers [[you a hand]].When you stand up, you look around the room. Three people dead and you don't know if you're any closer to solving the msytery of who's doing this. But you might have a hunch.
[[Accusation time]]
[[Wait a little longer]][[Jacoby]]
[[Ol' Joe]]
[[Danny]]
[[Margie]][[hour five]]The clock strikes and you realize you're now five hours into this mystery ordeal and no way closer to getting out.
(link: "Take a deep breath.")[(goto-url: "https://www.online-stopwatch.com/timer/30second/")]
[[Speak]]"We can't keep doing this."
"I blame Joe," Danny doesn't hesitate. "Henry got close to him and he immediately went down. I'm not getting near him anymore."
Danny sits on the floor as far away from Joe as he can.
Joe has thankfully gone silent.
[[You look at Margie.]]You really liked this town when you moved in. Margie was really kind, she reminded you of a spring day. Maybe it was her perfume. But she was married and then she wasn't and you didn't even know her husband was dead until about two hours ago, but she suddenly seems real cool man. [[Real cool.]]Get a grip dude, you're all dying.
You look at Jacoby and realize [[you want to know more.]]
"Hey Father, you said exorcisms weren't common. Why do you know so much?"
"Man, shut up, he's the one saving us," Danny cries from his hovel on the floor.
"No its okay Danny. It's simply common practice amongst the priesthood. We never know when we'll encounter the devil at work, and it's always best to be prepared."
"I get that, but you seem.. extra prepared, I guess."
Jacoby looks deeply at you, then at Margie.
"I supposed I can't please everyone, hmm? Ms Smith?"
[[Margie stares back.]]At this point you are like, 99% sure of who it is who's doing this. You don't know why and you really don't know how, but it's all coming together.
[[Accuse one last time]][[Margie]]
[[Danny]]
[[Ol' Joe]]
[[Jacoby]]
↶↷hour one