Shadow High - Exit 23

[Callos_DeTerran]

Window wipers sweep back and forth, dragging thick snowflakes from the windshield before they had a chance to settle and freeze to the glass. The only serious source of light in the four person car comes from the old-fashioned radio but no music, or even static, comes from the speakers. It had been that way ever since this blizzard had swarmed up out of no where. There hadn't been another car seen on the road for the past half hour, but who could blame them? The only reason this car was still on the road was because it's occupants had to be back home within a couple of days so that they could return to school.

However that isn't enough of a reason to stop the blizzard apparently and as the snowy drifts pile higher and higher, it's only a matter of time before the occupants will need a place to stop for the night until the blizzard blew over or the streets were cleared in the morning. In the mean-time, the students had slowed on Highway 95 to look for a rest stop to weather out the night. At first it seems hopeless but then lights can be seen up ahead. Atop the building, neon-lights can barely be seen through the thick flurries of snow to proclaim that the students had arrived at the White River Station rest stop situated between the westbound and eastbound lanes.

Exit 23 didn't look like much, but from the cars and two eighteen wheeler trucks in the parking lot, at least there would be company. And aside from that, it offers a chance for the five to get out of the rental car designed to only sit four comfortably. After pulling into one of the parking spaces on the end of what looked like snow-sandwiches with dashes of color between the white 'buns', the two eighteen wheeler trucks pulled up on the opposite side of the building with one car looking like it had been forced to stop pulling away from the gas pumps.

None of you have seen a snowstorm like this. October in the Idaho mountains can be bad, but for hours now it's been a virtual whiteout. The snow is at least fifteen inches deep on the highway and the weather's showing no signs of breaking. It's close to midnight now, but you've been stranded since a little past 8 Pm in the small interstate rest stop, waiting for the plows to come through so that you can get back on the road and finish the raffle-won road-trip. Several other motorists share your predicament, plus four or five rest stop employees who have stayed on to serve coffee and food for the duration of the storm. All of you have gathered in the donut shop for some free coffee to keep out the chill, and it provides all of you with a chance to observe one another and have some idle chit-chat.

A balding business executive of about fifty years of age, wearing a good suit and conservative overcoat sits close to the coffee-maker with a mug in hand, who has kept to himself throughout the stay.

A short, stocky lady truck driver wearing a flannel shirt and a sheepskin vest that idly turns the pages of a rag-sheet she bought from the store, having long since visited it. (Norma Thomson to those who talked to her)

A long haired college student with John Lennon glasses and an Army jacket that doodles in a notebook full of Gigeresque drawings when glimpses of what he's sketched can be seen when he turns a page. (John Black to those who talked to him)

The matronly waitress of about sixty years who runs the donut shop, having kindly lifted her prices considering the harsh conditions outside that prevent people from leaving. (Mabel Adams to those who talked to her)

A big, beefy truck driver in a cheap parka and a red ball cap that glares belligerently around the room. (Jacob Dumont to those who talked to him)

A teenage kid with long hair and an apron who does the short-order cooking in the McDonald's and seems reluctant to serve up any food at the moment. (Danny Wood, as his name tag proclaims)

A pretty teenage girl who runs the register in the convenience store, happy to open up the security gate so people can shop if they want too. (Anne Banks to any who've talked to her)

And a young man with South Asian or Indian features who runs the gas station, currently un-seeable through the windows due to the white-out. (Ahmed Singh to those who talk to him.

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9113/reststop.png
You guys will have been here long enough to look around a good bit, so I figure a map is in order with a key. Light gray is obviously the floor of the White River Rest Stop. White gaps in the walls are doors, little black slashes through the walls are windows.

1: Vestibule and telephones
2: Lobby
3: Women's Restroom
4: Men's Restroom
5: Arcade
6: Convenience Store
7: The only doors locked lead into the three un-numbered rooms which are store-rooms
8: Donut Shop
9: McDonald's restaurant
10: McDonald's kitchen

Feel free to introduce yourselves and whatnot.

[Xyk]

Clarissa

Clarissa sits in the lobby drinking coffee and shivering profusely, even in her heavy coat.

Someone turn off the cold! She shouts, obviously not enjoying her situation, and hoping for a laugh.

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Leaning on bench in the lobby Carlos chuckles softly at Clarissa's remark,

"But that would mean we'd be back at school sooner, rather than later."

Wearing his snowboarding jacket Carlos' eyes sweep around the room looking at everyone. His face darkened as he remembered their predicament, as he had done many times in the past few hours

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

"Haha... sorry, someone put the thermostat way up out of my reach. Dunno who designed that "sky" thing, but it's pretty darned inconvenient..."

Slender fingers run through purple bangs, and into the black on the other side. The girl the fingers belong to wears a mischievous grin, as well as some jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of very expensive-looking thigh high boots to go along with it. Her long, blue coat is folded up neatly behind her in brazen defiance of the weather, and is currently being used as an extra cushion for her back.

Her hand returns to the neck of her guitar, and she idly sets about tuning the instrument, humming softly to herself. A fresh cup of coffee steams contentedly next to her.

"...You guys act like you've never seen snow before. And we just went skiing. Lighten up, it'll blow over by morning. At the very least, by that point I'll have cracked Danny-boy over there, and there'll be food.

Now then. Any requests? I'm open to suggestions for the next fifteen minutes..."

[Questing Beast]

Tim

Tim looks around when Phoebe offers to provide some entertainment.

"How about "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys maybe that'll make us feel warmer." Snuggling deeper into his brand new blue parka he closes his eyes and leans back into the booth waiting to hear if she is willing to play the song.

Getting a smile on hs face and thinking to himself, A cute girl sing love songs I request, I could get used to this kind of life.

[Xyk]

Clarissa

She thinks maybe music will get her mind off the frightening cold and unfortunate predicament.

How do ya feel about duets, Phoebe? She says while grinning brightly, showing off her gloriously white and perfect smile. She smiles whenever she can because she feels it is her best feature and her mother always said "The eyes are the window to the soul and the smile is the front door!".

Beach Boys are a perfect distraction!

Clarissa is always energetic.

Edit: rereading this post, I find it a bit unclear. She has no guitar or instrument about her, so it would be obvious that she would sing.

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

Evidently the request is uproarious, because Phoebe laughs so hard she nearly falls out of her seat. She throws her head back, the sounds of her light and airy laughter echoing across the truck stop, possibly to the chagrin of any more serious-minded refugees.

"Ah... hee. You're all pretty fixated on the cold, aren'tcha? But hey, a request's a re--

...Duet?"

Phoebe arches an eyebrow and puts on a contemplative face while she fishes a guitar pick out of her pocket. She hadn't considered that possibility.

"Dunno. You think it could handle a second voice? Actually, scratch that. You look like you need to 'think warm', so how about you go ahead and handle the singing? I'll get my fill in on another song later."

Not waiting to allow for any more discussion on the matter, she sets her fingers on the strings, and after a few tentative "test notes" starts to play, looking at Clarissa the entire time with a half-expectant, half-playful expression dancing in her vibrant green eyes.

The tune playing is familiar enough, but either the young woman is having difficulty adapting it to pure guitar on the fly, or she's much more focused on finding out what the other girl's singing sounds like, because the music she plays is somehow less than spectacular.
Perform: strings [roll0]

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Leaning against the wall Carlos listens as the soft slow music drifts past his long black hair into his ears. He smiles, calmer. His foot begins tapping to the beat, and his athletic pants gently swish. Then his eyes close and he just wanders off into his thoughts. He had had a lot of time to just relax and think in the past few days here, and he had enjoyed it like the sweet time of victory after a match.

This is nice, just sitting here relaxing.

After a minute or so his light brown eyes flick open and he flashes a bright smile around the room at everyone. His face cool, and relaxed He looks out the window and says under his breath,

"I guess it's not so bad.

[Xyk]

Clarissa laughs a little at Phoebe's reaction and sings along. It is terrible and she is embarrassed. Her voice just does not come out right. She stops in a fit of laughter at herself very quickly.

Perform (sing)[roll0] Natural one???

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

Between her own lackluster guitar playing and Clarissa's sudden fit of laughter, Phoebe's willingness to stick to the requested song dies pretty quickly. She frowns, and plucks several strings of the instrument tentatively. Was the cold getting to her after all?

"Guess we've all got stage fright? Hokay... how about I just stick to something I know a little better? I promise it'll stay appropriate, 'kay?"

She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, fingers hovering over the neck of the guitar, her pick held delicately in her other hand. She plucks one string, stops and shakes her head before trying this process three more times. With a deep sigh, she finally starts to play: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXkcswJQ8hE)

"Look into the sky
Can you see the moon across the ocean
Coming close to me
I can hear the melody

Cry into the void
Let my voice become the hand that reaches
Out to you and leads
To my long lost memory..."

Her confidence soars, and at this moment a smile passes over her lips and she glances towards the exit for a moment. Her foot taps out an unheard drum beat in the air...

"Carry me home
I lost my way on roads ever weaving
Home
Where darkness fades and hearts are ever believing
Carry me home
I close my eyes and cling to you ever dreaming
Find me
Oh don't forget the child for whom you are grieving..."

Her head dips down a little and her hair falls over her eyes, but she seems not to notice as her hands continue to dance across the strings, adding a tiny flourish here and there when her voice subsides.

"Voice that calls from there
And the footsteps of its fallen angels
Now becomes the beat
Of my heart so incomplete

Every night I bathe
In the blue that washes over me
And brings me to my knees
In this longing I believe..."

She tosses her head back gently to get her hair out of her face, and her eyes sparkle brilliantly in the light. No matter what happens after this, and even if everyone had stopped paying attention, this was her moment, that handful of minutes where her own heartbeat felt so much more vibrant and reaffirmed with every second the reason she played. When she felt like something... special, different from a normal person in some strange and wonderful way.

She finishes the song, seeming almost out of breath as she looks up at everybody again, hoping to catch something in their eyes and faces that showed she had managed to share even the tiniest bit of that magical spark.

I'll bet they feel a lot warmer, if I did...

Invisible Castle saves face:

Perform - Strings: 1d20+9 = 25

Perform - Sing: 1d20+8 = 28 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2198568/)

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos sat there listening to the song, Beautiful. he thought, his expression, hidden behind his hair, changed as the song progressed from a smile to wonder,

It's like something changed, she was OK, before, but now, amazing!

As the song finishes Carlos realizes he was holding his breath. He lets out a slow breath and breathes in the air, feeling better. He begins clapping, then as he slowly stops, he looks out the window into the endless white, and decides that this trip was worth missing paintball, definitely worth missing paintball. He leans back and continues to do what he has been doing, relaxing.

Again as a reminder I'll be gone for the next week or so.

[Questing Beast]

Tim

Never having been to a live concert before Tim can wait for another song. Just then his stomach makes a large rumbling sound and he looks extremely shocked, "Uhm..." Tim hurriedly stands and looks about the room.

"Sorry for that. That was song totally awesome." Blushing Tim looks nervous knowing he really could and should have said something better than that about the performance especially after the stomach issue.

Trying to hide a bit Tim shuffles over to Anne Banks the convienence store clerk (to Anne almost whispering), "Uh, Miss? Can I get into the store? I think my stomach needs something to settle it."

[Xyk]

Clarissa is amazed. She rises and claps fervently.

Phoebe, that was incredible! she shouts.

By this time, Clarissa has almost completely forgotten about her cold-related discomfort.

Why aren't we best friends? she says, still louder than is necessary. Of course it is obvious that she is joking. She grins wider and sits down, regaining her composure the best she can.

*ahem* Please play another.

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner


Phoebe performs a song.

A nearly unnoticeable asian kid is mulling over something in his hands in rapid succession for a considerable period of time, however he quickly stows away whatever he was engaged with into a neat leather jacket as if there was nothing there at all to begin with.

Upon hearing Phoebe, he decides to input some decent discussion.

Nothing else to do after all.

Lyrics to that song sounded sort of like something out of Tool. Couldn't make anything of it, but sounded awesome. Wish I was producer so I could promote you or something. He chuckles.

I'm uh... Ray by the way. Whassit you guys do? His attention suddenly shifting to the other inhabitants.

[Callos_DeTerran]

With well-played music and the occasional duet every now and then to keep anyone from becoming too bored, the stay in the rest stop doesn't seem all that unbearable as the minutes tic by. Anne gladly opens up the store so that Tim can go in and buy some tums taken as a sign for an impromptu bathroom break by those assembled. As the various people rotate in and out of the small bathrooms, you gradually re-assemble back into the coffee shop where the howling wind isn't quite as loud outside.

Just as Phoebe begins to warm-up for a new song, the lights begin to flicker on and off. "Oh, great," mutters Mabel, the counter waitress...and then the lights go out altogether. Somewhere on the other side of the rest stop you hear a door slam open, followed by a vicious blast of freezing cold air that somehow finds its way over to where you all sit in the donut shop. The wind howls like something alive, scratching and clawing at you with an icy grasp.

Without even thinking about it, the realization that something is horribly, terribly wrong hits each of you. Then you hear an awful racket from the direction of the rest rooms-violent blows, choking cries, breaking glass, and finally one more high-pitched scream that makes your blood run cold.

The wind howls again, and more doors slam...and then the room becomes still again, except for the distant whistling of the storm outside. The last gust of wind seems to have knocked out power to the rest stop. There's just enough illumination from various emergency lights to carefully move through the darkened building, but it also casts an ominous pall over the shocked and surprised faces of the other people within the coffee shop.

"What in heaven was that?" Mabel says softly in the darkness. A quick headcount of everyone in the donut shop reveals that the boy in the army jacket and the balding fifty-year old are the only one's missing from the donut shop.

[imp_fireball]

As the cold wind tears through the shop, Ray grimaces, muttering Jesus christ!

In response to Mabel, Ray, his voice unsteady, says Sounds like somebody fell in. Or their own **** attacked them much like that movie 'Dogma'. Either way, someone's going to have to check it out.

The skiing was crap enough, now I have endure this? This is going to be a long night.

His ipod had been playing 'freak on a leash' for the fourth time now, so he changed the song over to 'wicked', attempting once again (with failure) to zone out.

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

In the darkness, Phoebe shudders. Going from the warmth of the spotlight to the almost supernatural chill and the feeling of absolute wrongness pervading the air hits her even harder than it does the others. Suddenly, her coat is needed, and she slips it on with a deeply troubled look on her face.

She slides her guitar gingerly into its case, as if afraid to make any sort of sound as she slides her precious treasure into it's soft protective shell and zips it up with a very deliberate slowness. Once this is accomplished, she takes a very deep breath, and glances around the room to make sure everybody accounted for is still, in fact, accounted for.

Instinct tells her to stay where she is, safe with everyone else. Intellect tells her that whatever made those noises, it's too late to do about it. And compassion tells her,

"We should... should check for the others... we shouldn't be separated."

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Don't count on me making posts, I don't know when I'll find time in the next few days.

Carlos reaches into his pocket and pulls out a paintball headband.

Don't want my hair to impede my vision any more, thanks to the dark.

Hefting his pack he looks around through the darkness at everyone in the donut shop, and says,

"Good Idea, but we should stay together while we look for them, just to be safe."

The cold had shaken him a little, but he had been in worse positions, besides, they were inside, and the storm wouldn't last forever... ...

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

They seem to enjoy listening to that purple chick more than me. Well, of course, hardly any fellow student listens to me. I guess she'd make a good leader and she'll have to... particularly if she keeps up the fearful redundancy and all that. Good god, what'm I gonna do? Should I play hero?

He looks over at Carlos,

You like paintball? Do you wanna take 'point' or should I?

Wish I had time to think of a strategy.

Ray had experience with dealing with... disturbances. Cops who'd pop out of no where, for example.

Equip Stun Gun and Switch Blade (knife).

[Questing Beast]

Tim

Thinking to himself, What the frack was that?

"That just didn't sound good." Looking at Ray, "I'm not to sure about your theory but I'd rather know than not know. It's always worse to be scared of the dark than it is walking in on something bad. Besides for all we know maybe they clunked heads in the dark and are bleeding on the floor, some fantasy poop demon seems highly unlikely to me."

Not believing it to be something so simple as a slip himself Tim reaches into his pocket and draws out a thin metal rod in his right hand (Extendable Baton) and draws out a small penlight from his parka's inner zipper pocket with the left hand. "I don't wanna be in the dark fishin for a light..."

With that said Tim stands up and moves towards the door and waits for someone to open it up.

[Xyk]

Damn! Forgot my flashlight! thinks Clarissa.

Terrified, she sticks very close to the group, especially Ray and Carlos. Her shaking hand reaches for the stun gun her father made her pack. It seemed like a silly idea at the time, but she is beginning to appreciate her father a little more.

Wh...What do we do now? she stutters.

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

Forcibly shaking herself from her fearful reverie, Phoebe stands up and slings her guitar over her back. She'd be damned if she was leaving it behind in circumstances like this.

Glancing around to her fellow students, she notices each of them reach for something... weapons. It seems everyone but her is armed to the teeth. Paranoid parents? Or just thugs? In another time and place, she would have made a sarcastic comment about the whole thing, but as it is it's difficult not to feel stupid and vulnerable being the sole individual not carrying some means of self defense.

All the more reason she needs to stay calm. Everyone needs to stay calm, especially if they're playing with all of this... this... stuff. In the all-too-likely event a problem would be better solved by talking at it than stabbing it, she couldn't afford to be shaking and stuttering. She lays a hand on Clarissa's shoulder and gives her a quick little smile.

"I'm... going to stay here in the middle of you lot, if you don't mind." Deep breath. Don't be nervous... "Is everybody ready? We'll check out the bathrooms and come back. This is... this is probably the safest place here."

Damn it. Nerves. Screw off, Fear.

[Questing Beast]

Tim

Hearing Pheobe's reasurance that they would stick together makes Tim feel a bit more steadfast about going to find out hat the heck happened. Glancing back he see's Clarisas stun gun and gives a little giggle partially realizing that they all looked funny and partially sheer panic.

Noticing that Pheobe has no weapon other than that guitar slung to her back he gestures at the table, "Even a butter knife or fork might be better than nothing to hold."

Turning back and not waiting for her reply he steps up to the door and gestures for Anne to open it since she's the one that was letting people take a bathroom break.

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner


Besides for all we know maybe they clunked heads in the dark and are bleeding on the floor...

Unlikely, considering how long and high they seemed to be screaming. A good knock should of put them out cold than murdered them slowly. Of course he was no doctor assuming this sort of thing.

Ray didn't voice his considerations out loud.



"I'm... going to stay here in the middle of you lot, if you don't mind."

So what, you're gonna be like the party bard, inspiring us all to battle? He grinned shakily before realizing the comment was unwarranted considering the circumstances. He cursed himself for his ineptitude.

D&D and real life aren't the same, dammit! Too much time with the nerds.

He sighed inwardly, remembering he brought his own small flashlight along, but no more than one was probably enough. Although considering the illumination, they'd have to keep closer than humanely necessary...

Hey, a thought suddenly dawned, what if we meet this thing at both ends? Like a pincer movement... if there's a way.

It was better than having no strategy after all, at least.

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos' mind quickly sifted through the situation. Thinking of information that only a few people would see, sizing up his friends. It was just like a paintball match.

OK go over the situation clearly, and calmly, one mistake might have more consequences than a paintball match.

There's five of us going on the investigation, and another group might be staying here. So the five, Tim, Clarissa, Phoebe, Ray, and me, Carlos. It would appear as if no one has anything other than a close-range weapon. We've only got five so a pincer movement would most likely be a group of 3 and a group of 2, and 2 is a small number, no we should stay together. As an added addition it looked like apart from the backup lights we only have 2 lights, one of them from a pen. So splitting up would mean that one group could hardly see.

Carlos pulls out his knife and sheath and puts it more accessibly on his belt, he used it for clearing branches and brambles when in an outdoor match, but it would be as lethal as a sword. Then in his hands he grabs a slingshot. His thoughts flash to the car trunk where his paintball pads were, they might have offered him some protection, but he wasn't going out in a blizzard for them.

"We should stick together, we don't have the light, or enough people to form 2 groups, unless, if the others want to go around they can come in from one side and we'll come in from the other. But before we go anywhere, Anne are there any flashlights in the store?"

[Questing Beast]

Tim

Glancing at Ray oddly, "Pincer? You want someone to outside in that weather to find someone who is right on the other side of this door? I agree with Carlos we should stick together. Beside's Phoebe doesn't even have anything to defend herself with."

Sick of waiting for someone else to open the door Tim looks at Phoebe, "Anne's not helping it seems, maybe she's to out of it. Will you open the door? Be prepared to slam it shut again."

((Does the door open inward towards us or out into the other room. From the look of the building and most doors I'd think inward and right.))

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner


Pincer? You want someone to outside in that weather to find someone who is right on the other side of this door?

Ahk! I can hardly see, how could I know the backdoor wasn't all that convenient?


Anne's not helping it seems, maybe she's to out of it.

The store's unlocked, actually, I'm pretty sure.

Ray's frustration grew momentarily, so he inhaled forcefully, allowing it to ebb.

Gotta control yourself, man.

[Callos_DeTerran]

The door from the lobby (area 2) opens towards you and to the right, which is the door I assume your talking about since all the other entrances into that part of the rest-stop involve going out into the blizzard.

Music (http://www.imeem.com/people/36kBIPr/music/5GoFKkmr/yoko-shimomura-theme-of-aya/)

Despite the frightened, and admittedly alarming, precautions that the students take as they get ready to go investigate the noises, the other rest-stop residents have already begun to trickle cautiously into the lobby as you finish arming yourselves and join them at the door. Anne unlocks the door as quietly as she can so as not to disturb your rushed plan discussion, though it comes as no surprise that nobody wants to venture out into the storm, especially if it turns out that it had just been a scuffle or someone had tripped.

Once you begin to slip through though, it's readily apparent that nothing 'normal' had happened, a scene of bloodshed greeting your eyes. At the restroom door,a body is sprawled in the doorway. It's the young man in the Army jacket, and he's quite dead with several needle-sharp icicles as long as swords impaling the corpse. He seems to have been stabbed through the back as he left the rest room.

Inside of the men's room, you find another body-the older executive and like the guy at the door, he's impaled by several icicles. But while you watch, he groans and stirs. "Help me," he gasps out. "So...cold..."

"Oh my god!" the donut shop woman, Mabel, cries out as she covers her mouth and backs away. "Quick, someone take off their coat or something! We need to staunch the bleedin' that's what they always do on the telly when someone is stabbed."

"Anyone else missin'?" The irritable truck driver growls out past a thick mustache, beady eyes starting to take stock of those present.

"Um...I don't think Danny is here. He went into the bathroom with them I think." Anne offers helpfully, pale in the emergency red lights.

[Questing Beast]

Tim

"Uhm, are you suggesting Danny the burger kid did this? Why would he go outside and bring in Icicles? Fingerprints?", Looking at the cold bleeding guy and the kid dead on the floor.

Realization hits just then that it's not some movie or soemthing fake, "I think my stomachs upset again." Looking like he's gonna puke for a second then he swallows loudly forcing hs stomach to settle.

"Isn't there something in the store you can cover that kid with? As for him (pointing at the older man) don't you keep a 1st aid kit around somewhere? Does anyone even know 1st aid? Someone call 911, maybe they can walk us through it for now."

Looking at the locals all bunched up, "Please tell me there's a police station nearby."

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner


We need to staunch the bleedin' that's what they always do on the telly when someone is stabbed.

Wow, just how far away from the city did this trip take us again? I hate Iowa.


Why would he go outside and bring in Icicles?

Or for that matter, who the hell stabs someone with icicles to begin with? Why not use a knife? Or for better purpose, a blunt object, so that people like us, who were clearly occupying this building wouldn't as likely hear them go down?

Ray's skin grows cold as the words sputter out of his mouth. Maybe he'd seen too many movies, or watched too many internet flicks. Could it be that the icicles weren't icicles? A foreign object perhaps? Could it be that what killed these people wasn't human? Anything was possible after all this ****. But he couldn't voice this out loud, people would think he was a lunatic.

Whoever did this, Danny boy or whoever the **** it might be... he's coming back for us. At least that much could be said.

Could they call the cops? Were the cops willing to do their jobs in this weather? Nothing could be said for sure, so he ceased his yammering.

[Xyk]

Clarissa shrieks at the sight of the man and drops her stun gun out of fright.

This is so f$%^&* up! What are we gonna do? she screams, unable to effectively control her voice under such panic.

She comes dangerously close to fainting after her breaths become short and stammered with panic, but she manages to retain consciousness. After a few stammered words that come across as incoherent babble, she finds the courage to pick up her weapon again and strengthen her grip on it in desperation.

After thinking a little bit, her face pales more and she shouts.

The killer is still here! It's a blizzard, he's not leaving!

At this point she whips out her cell phone and feebly dials 911.

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner


She comes dangerously close to fainting after her breaths become short and stammered

Is someone going to have to hold on to her?

Last thing we need is more casualties.


The killer is still here! It's a blizzard, he's not leaving!

I already said that! ... blizzard? Oh right, there's another point.

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos looks into the room trying his best to look calm, he looks around the room for a second exit, one that maybe someone else used to escape. He says, hurriedly, "Does anyone know first aid, because now would be a good idea to help the old guy."

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner looked at the others with an 'are you useful?' look etched across his face.

He then sighed, bending down.

Not really, but I could try something. I don't wanna cause unnecessary pain though. He rolls up his sleeves (being careful to put his weapons away as he does so), and seems about to jump into it before saying, I don't have any equipment on me. What about you guys?

He's steadily becoming more nervous as he inspects the wounds.

And now I've got to heal someone. Should of seen this coming.

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos hands are sweaty as he reaches into his backpack. After a few seconds he pulls out a roll of duct tape, and a digital camera. Handing the tape to Ray he says,

"Here it might help stop the bleeding its not a band-aid, but... ..."

Then he takes a few pictures of the scene of bloodshed with his camera, making sure to get the icicles, and the whole room.

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

Ray Turner gets to work... on whatever needs to be done in regards to making the man well. Er... more well at least.

Treat Injury

[roll0]


Followed by awkward moments of muttering and moaning (from the man), Oh, hey, looks like I overtaped. Might wanna remove that... ahem. Does this seriously go here? Because I thought... nevermind.

Bloody bunches of ducktape are now smeared all over the man's torso.

Hey, at least the ice is melting. Is it ok for water to flow into your body, man? I guess it could sorta act to flush out the wounds.

Ray haphazardly attempts to defend his shoddy mechanic's approach to anatomy for some time in this way.


Carlos is takin' pictures.

Um, why's that important... ?

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos responds to Ray,

"Who really knows, but it might pay off if we need to look at the scene exactly how it was before we messed around."

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner



"Who really knows, but it might pay off if we need to look at the scene exactly how it was before we messed around."

Well I certainly ain't messing around. At least I don't think I am...

He looks pleadingly at anyone, hoping one of them happens to be a proper medic who hasn't the manners to have come forth yet.

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

There really aren't words to describe a situation like this, but Phoebe feels compelled to look for them, anyway. She stands there, mouth agape and turning ever-colder shades of white to match the growing feeling of horror welling inside. What the hell? Who could have...?

stay calm...

A man was dying in front of her. Impaled on ice, and begging for help. There's a murderer on the loose, and there's a blizzard trapping everyone and

stay calm stay calm stay calm staycalmstaycalmstaycalmstaycalm...

"...Aaaahhh!"

She shakes her head violently, burying her face in her hands and taking deep, rapid breaths. She seems a sure bet to hyperventilate, and then her breathing suddenly slows, as though she suddenly somehow ran out of breath... or her manic routine actually calmed her down.

"Huff... huff... ok..." she looks up again, takes one more deep breath, and lets her hands drop. "Enough of that. I go off like that again, you lot have my permission to taze me."

She kneels delicately down next to the impaled man, trying her best to put on a brave face for him in what she's positive are his final moments. While not a doctor by any stretch of the imagination, she's at least capable of rearranging the makeshift bandages so that they're a little more comfortable and a little less haphazard.

"All right... all right. Has anybody called 911 yet? Don't make more than one call, unless it doesn't go through... last thing we effing need is to overwhelm the system with just us. I don't... I don't honestly know if anyone can make it out here in this weather. But getting word out sooner's still better, yeah? After that, we're all gonna go back to the coffee shop, and we're not leaving it for effing anything, 'kay? Stay put, watch our backs, and wait for help to come or the snow to go. Either or. We're making it through this... sure bet."

Treat Injury: 1d20+1= 11 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2221205/)

Diplomacy: 1d20+8= 24 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2221258/) (to keep everybody calm and functioning-ish)

[imp_fireball]

Back to the coffee shop? Aww... I was hoping I'd get to kick some ass. Although Ray is only kidding when he says this. His face quivers too much to forge any sort of a smile, however.

He only just realizes that he has been cold sweating in incredible amounts. He begins to feel thirsty.

Nobody cares enough to worry about this sorta thing. You gotta do it yourself. Do it all yourself... that's what they always told me.

He bends over to help Phoebe, Here, this is where I clotted the wounds and... yah. And then promptly gets up, Hm... well you seem to be doing ok. Right then. Right then...

... Do I even own a cell phone? ****.

[Callos_DeTerran]

"There's a first aid kit out in the fuel office, I can go get it." The young man with Indian features says, backing away from the grisly scene of the crime and exiting out through the store into the blizzard. While Ahmed was out getting it though, Ray and Phoebe both get to work trying to save the older man's life though their efforts don't seem to be doing much good. By the time that Ahmed returns with the first aid kit, they've both put on the duct tape and ripped it off several times trying to do it right with little success. However, even though the kit is half empty, there are just enough supplies within it to stop the man's breathing.

Clarrisa pulls out her cellphone and dials 911 with a shaky hand, hopefully bringing it up to her ear but only gets a dead signal. The blizzard has kept cell phone signals from getting in or out, but maybe something else could get through...

Carlos peeks into the men's restroom, looking for any clues as to what had happened. All of the stalls are open and empty while a trashcan stands against the far wall with a condom dispenser on the other wall. The mirror above the sink is holed and broken, and ice standing in the sink seems to have frozen right out of the faucet.

"There isn't anyone close by, it's at least ten miles until anyone reaches White River." Anne says quietly, staring at the boy's corpse with silent dread.

"We can't just sit here, some psycho just killed somebody! Hey girl, you getting a signal on your cell phone?" The big belligerent man asks gruffly, pointing at Clarissa with one beefy hand.

It takes 3 rounds (18 seconds) for Ahmed to go and get the first aid kit. Phoebe and Ray spend that time making Treat Injury checks with a -2 penalty for having improper tools. There's two more rounds before the old man bleeds out so two more treat injury checks are needed (if one is going to aid the other then say so). The contents of the first aid kit are only consumed on a successful treat injury check (DC 15) so don't count the -2 penalty at all anymore.

Carlos can make a Search check for the restroom.

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos searches through the barren restroom attempting to find any clues.

[roll0]

"I'm not finding anything here, it's like whoever did this just up and vanished... ..."

He keeps looking trying to block out the moans and groans of the old man, and the others talking to concentrate on the task at hand.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Carlos' investigation shows a fine layer of frost that coats the entirety of the bathroom from ceiling to floor. The last time he remembers going to the mensroom the frost had not been present and the room is much colder then it should be as if someone had opened a window inside of it and there is no window.

He's also able to tell that no icicles large enough to kill someone have formed anywhere on the building and certainly not in the restroom itself, even if the frost casts some doubt on that theory. The old man's coat hangs on a hook in the wall, but no other personal belongings to the two victims can be seen. And he could have sworn that the old man had a briefcase or something with him. Perhaps it had been stolen.

My apologies, if Carlos has ranks in Investigate then he can use that too.

[imp_fireball]

Ah... alright I think I got this. Get outta my vision. Ray is really shaking now. His left arm attempts to thrust Phoebe out of the way of the old man, but misses. Again, he attempts to stow the flow of blood that keeps running like a leaky faucet.

Treat Injury - [roll0]

I ****ing hate Iowa.

OOC: Phoebe can aid another this time. :P

EDIT: Or not. I'll roll to aid Phoebe if there's any time left.

Also, the attack on Phoebe was an intentional miss.

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

"Oi! What's with the shoving? Don't be... holy hell, you don't look so hot. Just..."

She pauses for a moment, searching for the proper advice.

"No offense, but I think you should sit this one out. You're shaking like you're in a paint mixer, and I think if you keep this up I think you're gonna pass out. Sit down for a sec, and we'll try to get you something to drink quick as we can, 'kay? I can handle bleedy over here..."

It feels a little easier to crack a joke in the presence of an actual first aid kit, which bolsters Phoebe's confidence. She sets to work diligently, suddenly thankful for the first-aid classes her parents used to make her attend and wishing she had paid more attention in them. Still, with proper tools and a couple flashes of insight, she manages to stop the bleeding, at least. Whether that would be enough to save him without emergency services on the way is another question entirely.

Once satisfied that she's done the best she can, she stands up and takes a very deep breath.

"Hoo boy... all right, I wanna give this a second, but if it holds, I'll need some of you to carry this guy back. I don't think I can lift him, let alone do it safely. And while we're here, can I get a promise out of everybody that we're gonna make keeping ourselves alive priority number one? ...Please?"

edit: I'm dumb. Forgot to link the roll.

Treat Injury: 1d20+1 = 17 (http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2222970/)

[imp_fireball]

"Hoo boy... all right, I wanna give this a second, but if it holds, I'll need some of you to carry this guy back. I don't think I can lift him, let alone do it safely. And while we're here, can I get a promise out of everybody that we're gonna make keeping ourselves alive priority number one? ...Please?"

I vote me to help lift. That's about all I'm good for right now. Ray's shakes have mostly ceased, his face expressing one of frustration.

Oh and I'm cool with staying alive. Anyone motion to veto? He doesn't wait for a response, Good, let's carry on then.

This girl is pretty fasci-... amazing, actually. Fascinating shouldn't be a word put in that context. Hrm.

Too close to pretty. Which of course, she was. But that had nothing to do with anything!

Ahem! 'scuse me.

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos having finished his search walks back to the group with the man's coat in his arms. His expression shows something is wrong, he nods when he sees the patched up wounds on the old man. Then he retrieves his duct tape

"Well, there's nothing here, no icicles big enough to spear a steak much less a person, and there's no exit either. There is this coat however much this'll help."

He shows everyone the coat then picks through the pockets taking his time, to be sure he doesn't miss anything. Then as an afterthought he says,

"Do you guys recall this guy having a briefcase? Because I can't seem to find it, maybe that's what whatever attacked them was after... ..."

Assuming nothing big happens, and carlos isn't needed he will take 20 on searching the coat

[imp_fireball]

I don't remember anything before this. But you could go with your instincts?

That information had been shunted aside in Ray's brain for more important things...

[Questing Beast]

Tim

Shaking his head, "I don't remember a briefcase but he coulda had one. I wasn't really paying attention."

Glancing around at the scene in front of him, "Maybe we shouldn't try moving him yet. If we're gonna do that we need something to lay him on more than just a table or the floor. Lets go hit the store.Looking at the store clerk, "Anne, do you guys sell any pain medication or camping stuff? Maybe an inflatable mattress or a foam sleeping pad?"

Not really waiting for a solid answer Tim steps over to the aisles and starts glancing down them without actually going to far away from the others.

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

Ray ends up following Tim, knife and stun gun in hand, going a little further down the aisles if it isn't too dark to see.


Search (entire store if possible) - [roll0]
Spot - [roll1]
Listen - [roll2]

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

Half way in, he does a double take.

This is a risk man! Risks need measures.

Move Silently (while searching) - [roll0]

[Xyk]

My bad, guys, I missed a few posts in my read-through a while ago

Damn, no signal!

Nothing, sir. I don't suppose there's some sort of "In-case-of-blizzard" emergency phone or anything?

Clarissa stares at those helping, astonished by their ability to function during times like this. She shakes her head violently, hoping to get the initial fear out of her head. It works well enough and she puts away her phone.

She looks around and tries to think of ways she can help. When she hears talk of moving him, she immediately thinks it's a bad idea, remembering T.V. doctors shouting "Don't move him!". She decides not to say anything, knowing T.V. doctors can't be trusted.

How can I help? she asks the crowd, unable to find anything by herself due to her inability to think in a straight line.

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

"...The store? Guys, you really sh--

...Just... just be careful, ok?"

Phoebe's shoulders slump a little bit, feeling the situation slip out of her hands. Of course, it was a good point - they need more stuff. But knowing as little as they do about what's going on, not to mention the still-persisting feeling of absolute wrongness it's taking every ounce of energy to keep aside, it just seems suicidally dangerous to go poking about for much of anything.

But on the other hand, if she pushes to hard to be the dominant voice right now, it'll be a disaster. She looks over at Clarissa.

"Right now, just keep an eye on our intrepid explorers. I don't really feel comfortable looking for supplies unless we at least spread out a bit and have a couple of us watching the scrounger's backs. So yeah, just keep anyone who's going to look around in sight, and call if you see anything that doesn't belong.

You ok to do that? If not, come here and keep an eye on my patient here; I'll go be the lookout."

Inwardly, she fears the meltdown she's going to have the moment she feels able to let go...

[Questing Beast]

Tim

"Intrepid explorers? I'm scared so S***less that I just need something to focus on besides dead guy, bleeding guy and some wacked out Icicle murderer."

With that he goes back to searching the isles for medications that could help the man and anything else that would help to rest of them.

"Damn me, they must have some pills over where I got the antacid Tum's earlier."

Search: [roll0]

[Callos_DeTerran]

The majority of the stuff that is in the unconscious (but stable) man's coat is inside of the wallet that Carlos finds, though he also takes out a cellphone with a dead battery that is replaced after that discovery. Inside the wallet is a Portland State driver's license identifying the man as Jonas Riley, in addition to a couple of credit cards and one hundred and fifty dollars in small bills. Also within the wallet is an ID card that has the image of a blazing torch embossed in the background with the phrase 'For the advancement of humanity. MCM XVII' written around the edge of it. Actually on the card is a picture of Jonas with a signature that is presumably his. Along with this ID card is a couple of business cards with the same logo, a cellphone number, and 'Jonas Riley, Field Agent, Department 7' written on it.

"There's no such thing as a 'in-case of blizzard' telephone." Ahmed says a bit causatically, lashing out with irritation to overcome his fear.

"No, there ain't, but a CB radio might be able to get out." Mabel offers helpfully. "Anyone have one?"

"Mine's busted." Growls the large trucker, taking off his hat to wipe his brow.

"Mine works fine, but it's out in my truck." Norma says, going with the two school boys to search through the aisles.

Despite the darkness of the store, it's easy enough to find one's way around without causing too much of a mess and Anne isn't exactly in any condition to object either. But luck wasn't exactly on their side either, being essentially a conveinance store with some extras, the rest-stop shop doesn't carry any 'actual' medication aside from some cough syrup, antacids, or Pepto Besmo. In that same line an inflatable mattress or foam mat is likewise unable to be found and this time nobody remembered having one and ran out to get it.

Outside, the frosty wind continues to howl and beat at the windows like a thing possessed, the snow flurries even seeming to pick up intensity as the residents of the truck-stop search for a way to make the man called Riley more comfortable...

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

Hey Norma! I'll help you go get it. Assuming they're two-ways.

And fend off a snow storm while I'm at it.

As he makes his way out of the store, Ray mutters to Anne, Not so much a 'convenience store' as an er... 'inconvenience store'. He pauses thoughtfully, trying to think of a wittier aphorism, before shrugging and continuing on his way.

Calling to Tim, For the old guy, maybe you could use some paper towels to lay him on, I don't know. I mean, sure, this place really does suit humans for anything less than perfect harmony! His frustration ebs a little once more as he says this.

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

Alarm bells of all sorts sound off in Phoebe's head at the mention of a CB radio, and visions of every horror film she's ever seen dance in her head as she ponders the possibility of using it to send some sort of message to the outside world. Cell phones are clearly not the answer, but...

Don't split up, don't split up, don't split up...

...Why not?

Several facts ring clearly in her head. One, if they keep together, no one in the group becomes a weak link to be picked off by whatever may or may not still be lurking inside the building. Two, if the blizzard knocked out phone service, emergency response of any sort would be a long time in coming, no matter what. Three, despite all that, the sooner they got a message out, the better. So that means...

"Oh, effing hell. For like, 10 seconds, do you think we could go without something to shake up the plan? Hm?"

She looks up at the ceiling expectantly. Naturally, there's no response. She shrugs, and shakes her head, catching Ray's offer to help.

"I'm starting to feel like a bad luck charm... hey, hold on a second, are you sure about this? This is pretty damn dangerous stuff. You should really let me..."

The argument dies in her throat when she realizes she can't think of a single reason she makes a better volunteer other than the fact that she can't stand the feeling of helplessness that comes with sending somebody out into the freezing cold and snow. She frowns.

[Xyk]

Clarissa doesn't know what to do and is a little overwhelmed. She notices Ray start towards the truck and worries.

Nobody go anywhere alone! she shouts, louder than was intentional.

I'll go with you to get the radio.

She clutches her stun gun, wraps herself more tightly in her coat and joins Ray. A thought pops into her head. She doesn't know which truck.

Ma'am, which truck is yours and where might we find this radio? Also we need a key.

She has a feeling she just embarrassed herself with her lack of knowledge pertaining to radios and trucks. They might be attached like the FM radio for all she knows.

[imp_fireball]

Ray runs outside and then back in quickly, covered in a sheen of frost.

Yah we're gonna need a key. Won't wanna make more than one trip out there.

To Clarissa, And are you sure you wanna come with me? It's pretty cold.

It's a man's job and even if it wasn't, this girl is far too cute to get hurt in anyway, even if she were into S&M and was feeling nervous all this time, so urging was she to get outta here and into that cold embrace...

Ray's mind went off on a tangent whilst waiting for a response.

[Callos_DeTerran]

I may need to explain something about my DM style. I'm not comfortable posting until all players have given their input, on more then one occasion I posted only to find out a player wanted to do something. Hence the long wait between posts. That said, I'll update now.

"'ere. It's in the cabin sitting on the dashboard. Out back with the blue paint." Norma says helpfully as she pulls a big ring of keys out of her pocket and hands it over to Ray, holding out the correct key so that he'd know the correct one for when Ray got out there.

Just go out the front and hang a right, it'll be the first truck you see."

The boy nods, gesturing to Clarrisa and both of them exit out through the foyer and into the biting cold that seems to almost instantaneously numb the tip of their fingers and toes despite their warm clothing.

The two of you can barely see anything beyond five feet and it's easy to see how someone could stumble off into the snow and be unable to find their way back to the rest-stop. Howling winds tear at your coats and hats, the snow flurries almost blinding as you begin to move around the side of the rest stop when Clarissa notices something different. A flashing light coming from one of the parked cars and a quick tap on Ray's shoulder alerts him to this as well. As they watch, two more headlights begin to flicker on.

Then a car horn (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mor5mPSYoU) begins to sound from one of the cars, the flashing lights and noise drawing the attention of the occupants inside of the rest-stop.

"What's that?" The big guy grunts.

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos jogs to the door to investigate all the commotion to find the car alarm going off.

Now what would set that off I wonder?

Looking around to everyone else he says, "Whose Car is that?"

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

At first, it was the silence that had Phoebe on edge. Then it was the noise.

She takes off for the door with a little more urgency than she means to, standing just outside the frame and peering into the blizzard fruitlessly. She shivers. It's cold, and not in any way she's ever felt before...

"The hell's going on out there?"

She frowns, staring out into the stinging white winds and trying to catch some sort of glimpse of the cause. Were they just bumbling around in the storm and setting off the car alarms? For some reason... doubtful. She's freezing standing there exposed to the elements, particularly as she's wearing lighter clothing than anyone else, but right now that doesn't matter. She can't tear herself away from that door for anything, the fate of Ray and Clarissa an almost singular thought in her mind.

Be ok...

For what it's worth...

Spot - [roll0]

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

"Uh... Clarissa, that's your name right? Clarissa? You should probably go inside, ask if that's anyone's car alarm they recognize and whether or not they're willing to turn to it off."

It's gonna be damn annoying.

"I'll see what I can do about getting inside... if it's the right car, that is."

Ray was never too good with recognizing things he wasn't completely familiar with.

Damn woman should of told us exactly what the car looked like.

[Xyk]

Freezing cold and scared to the point of almost peeing herself, Clarissa jumps at the car alarms.

Did you touch something? she calls to Ray over the alarms and blizzard. She's pretty sure she didn't and that means there only a few possibilities. 1) A third party is bumbling around back there 2) the owners are playing mean tricks on them 3) a weird coincidence.

She ignores his comment about going inside, considering it both sexist and dangerous. Nobody should be alone when there's danger afoot.

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

Ray inches carefully over to the closest of the massive trucks, hoping his foot doesn't slip off the high step when he tries the key at the driver's side.


Spot - [roll0]
Move Silently - [roll1]

[Callos_DeTerran]

And here is the new map. The thing attacking Clarrisa is in the square directly below her.

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/9113/reststop.png

Ray & Clarissa

The wailing winds drown out almost all noise as the two of you circle around the rest-stop, the cold seeming to go down into your very bones as you try to keep the building in sight. Snow gets into your shoes and faces, making it almost impossible to hear anything and obscuring almost all things from sight.

Neither Clarrisa or Ray can shake the feeling that something might be watching them, but they shrug it off as paranoia and simply pick up the pace as much as they can to reach the truck quickly. But the going is slow, the cursed white powder is almost up past the knee on both of you and it causes a fair bit of stumbling about when you finally catch sight of the big eighteen wheelers behind the White River Rest Stop and step off the curb. Once Ray and Clarissa reach the cabs a quick pat on the side to reveal the color tells you which one is Norma's and which one is the other guy's truck...

---

"I don't know, it might be mine. Hard to tell through the snow.."

"No, I think it's mine, one second." Ahmed pulls out his keys, pointing them out the lobby window and pressing the little alarm disabler button. Nothing happens.

"Maybe it was that poor boy's car. Or that man." Mabel suggest worriedly, clearly fretting after the two teenagers who still haven't returned to the rest stop yet.

---

Ray fumbles with the keys, stepping up closer to the door of the cab and trying to find the keyhole as Clarissa attempts to keep watch out in the snow. Both were worried that whoever had killed that boy, Black, and it shows in how Clarissa reacts to every sound that might be footsteps crunching through the snow towards them. Finally Ray lets out a victorious grin as he finds the lock and twists the key inside of it, turning to give Clarissa a thumbs up.

Just in time to watch something drop out of the storm's fury atop Clarissa, hitting her with all the force of a locomotive as gnashing fangs that look like razor sharp icicles clamp down on the back of her neck. A quick shake of the head and the girl goes limp in the creature's grasp. A hulking wolf-like creature holds Clarissa in it's jaws, crimson blood dripping down from it's jaws as it turns burning red eyes unto Ray and drops it's first victim. Covered in bristling white fur, it has claws that near half a foot in length and an unnatural cunning lurks behind it's red eyes.

Clarissa takes 7 points of damage from the creature's bite. Ray needs to roll initiative against...

[roll0] for the creature's initiative

[imp_fireball]

Ray is stock still, his hands fumbling for the stun gun and knife.

Gaaaahhhh...

Initiative - [roll0]

If Ray wins initiative

Free Action - Draw Stun Gun and Knife
Charge creature if possible - [roll1]
Stun Gun Damage - [roll2]

If charge is not possible, open truck door, climb in and shut it and then ready action to stun creature if it climbs in (if Ray has any time left over for the round).

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

Please, please, please be ok...

It hadn't taken long for the cold to completely overwhelm Phoebe. She hugs herself tight and shivers, trying to shake it off in vain. She's forced to retreat from the door.

"S-sc-screw it... I'm g-gonna go check on that guy. C-can't do anything here anyway..."

With another violent shiver, she retreats inward to the place she had so callously left her ward to lie on the ground. She kneels next to him, looking for signs of breathing. When she finds them, she lets out a small sigh.

"Sure wish you could talk, dude."

Well, as long as he's alive. Unsure of what else to do, she starts to scour the place for the briefcase she vaguely remembers him having. Maybe it got knocked away? And maybe the keys to shut up the damn alarm were there, too.

Search: [roll0]
Action Point: [roll1]

Odds of my regretting using the board roller over Invisible Castle? 2:1.

Phoebe searches through the bathroom in the search for the guys, discovering all of the things that Carlos had when he had investigated the scene of the murder, and with a sigh realizes she hasn't found a damn thing. On a whim she decides to check the trashcan and it only takes a couple of seconds to discover she might have just hit the jackpot. Just inside of the can was the man's valise bag and opening it up reveals it's content. The first thing that she notices is a snow globe, about 4 inches in diameter, that seems to feature the rest stop that her and everyone else or taking shelter in. The snow flurries in the globe look as intense as the blizzard outside, but nothing is actually shaking the globe itself. She also finds a thick notebook with notes inside the first page of which is titled, "Investigation of the Cult Leader Micheal Galvin"

"...Weird." is her only commentary. She stares at the book for a moment before shrugging and flipping it open. Whether it contains a "clue" or not is wholly irrelevant; she simply can't help being curious about the mention of a cult leader, and is desperate for a distraction of any kind. But... damn, it's long. She idly flips through the pages, not focusing on details and just trying to skim for mentions of the supernatural. She's never seen anything besides herself take it seriously before...

[Xyk]

Clarissa screams to say the least. A more accurate description would be a continual shriek of agony and terror with some words like "Help" sprinkled in. She struggles to stay conscious over the pain and blood loss as she flails wildly with her stun gun.

Initiative [roll0]

On the off-chance she wins
Attack with stun gun [roll1]
On even lower chance that she actually hits [roll2] damage and DC 15Fort. save or be paralyzed for [roll3] rounds.

Move action-getting up from prone while picking up weapon if she dropped it.
Standard Action- Attack.
Free Action- Scream

[Callos_DeTerran]

Ray turns his back to the creature, throwing open the cab door and clambering inside away from the white wolf-beast, shutting it behind him to deaden the noise of the blizzard outside though it does nothing to stop the rapid-fire beating of his heart as he waits to see what the creature will do. Seconds tic by and he notices the CB radio, his entire purpose for coming out here, laying on the dash board beside him with the little window in the front lighted up to show it was on.

Before he could reach for it, he sees the blazing red coal of the creature's eyes in the window only a second before it smashes through the glass and reaches out for him with those long and wickedly sharp claws. An unearthly growl, like ice grinding against rock, rumbles out of it's fanged maw as it reaches in to try to snare Ray though it's arms are too short. That doesn't stop Ray from leaning forward himself, trying to wait for the right second to jab the creature with his stun gun though he proves too slow and barely misses having those icy claws rake along his out-stretched arm.

Clarrisa's scream yanks the creature's grizzled head back around, lifting it's foot out of the way as Clarissa flails at it so the gun sparks by helplessly. It seems to take an un-natural amount of delight in the girl's pain as her blood stains the snow around her and her scream goes un-answered.

Both stun gun attacks are misses and the creature misses as well.
--

I need listen checks from the players in the rest stop. DC 15 to hear the noise of someone moving about in the arcade.

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

Piece of ****!

Ray fumbles with the keys, attempting to start the truck somehow.

If successful, he'll try to drive over the wolf... if it can be done in one round.

Drive - [roll0] (though I think simply driving over the wolf, should it not avoid of course, shouldn't merit much of a DC)

[Xyk]

Clarissa, having by now completely forgot about the cold due to the ludicrous amounts of pain she now endures, (like pinching yourself to stop a headache x5,000), decides it's time to get the f*** out of there. She runs in the opposite direction of the beast as fast as she possibly can, not screaming anymore because if the others could hear her, they have already.

The map is not showing up for me, so I don't know exactly which direction she's going. She would prefer to run towards the others, but if the monster is in the way, she'll go around the trucks. All her actions are in a sprint, except for getting up.

[PhoeKun]

Phoebe Swift

"...Now's probably not the time, huh?" Phoebe asks the unconscious man, flipping the book shut. "You mind if I borrow these? Doctor's fees."

With a weak smile, she takes up the snow globe in her empty hand and starts to head towards the exit. Hiding in there away from everyone else isn't going to help anyone. At the door, she pauses. Were they sure nobody else was around? And what the hell happened to Danny boy, anyway?

You're a moron. Don't look.

...Go to hell, brain. What else am I supposed to do?

Slipping out of the bathroom door, she heads towards the heretofore lesser explored areas of the rest stop, poking about to see what she could find that's useful.

Heading... I don't know where. You pick, Callos.

Search: [roll0]
Listen: [roll1]

[imp_fireball]

Ray sits in a very stiff position, muscles seizing, time standing still.

Sure is taking a long time...

The key turns, but everything still appears to be stuck in the lapse of time and space between the car not moving and the engine just beginning to run.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Ray turns the key frantically as the creature reaches out towards him, feeling those wickedly sharp claws only a hands-breath away when the engine abruptly starts and the eighteen wheeler shudders. With much rumbling it begins to churn through the snow, the creature leaping off the side of the truck as it turns away.

Denied that quarry, it turns burning red eyes on the fleeing Clarissa as she makes for the rest stop, beginning to advance through the snow towards her. Perhaps luckily for her, the flurries obscure the creature from sight and sound as the dim lights of the rear of the rest stop come into view.

[spoiler]For note: Since the winter demon goes AFTER Ray the sequence of events can be seen to start with Clarissa then goes straight to Ray. In other words, yes you should wait until BOTH of you have posted before expecting another combat round.

[Xyk]

Scared and bleeding, Clarissa continues to sprint towards the rest stop, bursting through the door and screaming once again.

Help! Monster!:smalleek:

[imp_fireball]

Ray Turner

Gritting his teeth, Ray kicks it into high gear and tries to plow the wolf over.


- Accelerate to top speed (if possible)
- Steer towards wolf
- Spot wolf in snow, if needed - [roll0]

NOTE: I already made my drive check, so...

[josh13905]

Carlos Hill

Carlos turns to see Clarissa burst through the door screaming, he sees the massive amount of blood, and immediately his body releases adrenaline. His legs pump carrying him over to her. Reaching into his pack he pulls out his knife, and his slingshot, putting the knife on his belt.

"What happened?!?!"

He's worried and his voice has an edge of fear to it.