Calendarlogs
Siennas The Haunting 14 Service Road North 241018
At the Halloween event hosted by Sienna at 14 Service Road North, the night's festive atmosphere takes a dark turn with a séance gone wrong. Sienna, Dahlia, Chelsea, and Irene decide to contact a spirit known as the Black-Eyed Widow. As they proceed with the séance, mysterious occurrences unfold—whispers fill the room, the temperature drops, and the planchette on the Ouija board moves on its own, spelling out ominous messages. Despite initial skepticism and nervous excitement, the situation quickly escalates when the planchette is violently thrown across the room, and inhuman wails disturb the air. The tangible presence of malevolence pushes the group to a unanimous and frantic decision to flee the haunted room. As they escape, they encounter Lucien, a late arrival to the party, who receives a hurried explanation of the night's terrifying events. Dahlia, still shaken, asserts the need to shut the event down, criticizing Sienna for the séance's unforeseen consequences. Chelsea offers Dahlia a ride home, and the group disbands, leaving the site of their supernatural encounter behind, with the haunting of the Black-Eyed Widow lingering as a chilling reminder of the evening's ordeal.
The tale concludes with the group hastily making their way out, visibly shaken and disturbed by the events. Irene, showing signs of the night's earlier scares and now the séance, questions Sienna about their next steps, while Dahlia emphasizes the severity of their experience, declaring her frustration with the town's eerie occurrences. Sienna is left grappling with the responsibility of the night's harrowing turn, as Lucien observes the unfolding drama with a detached calmness. Despite the scare, the urgency to leave the premises overshadows the group's curiosity, propelling them to seek safety away from the location. The story ends on a note of unresolved tension, as the participants scatter, attempting to distance themselves from the supernatural chaos they inadvertently unleashed.
(Sienna's The Haunting @ 14 Service Road North)
[Thu Oct 17 2024]
In a clearing in the back of the crumbling building
At the back of the crumbling building lies a hidden clearing, where all paths converge beneath the open night sky. The fractured walls of the structure frame the space like jagged teeth, with vines and creeping ivy weaving through the cracks, reclaiming the ruins. Broken glass glitters among the rubble, reflecting the flickering lights strung haphazardly between leaning beams and skeletal rafters. The faint scent of damp earth and old wood fills the air, mingling with smoke from a few scattered lanterns and incense bowls.
In the center of the clearing, a bonfire crackles with lively flames, casting long, erratic shadows against the ruins. Low tables and mismatched cushions are scattered around, inviting guests to lounge beneath the open sky. Music hums softly from hidden speakers, the melody blending seamlessly with the ambient noises of the forest beyond.
It is about 50F(10C) degrees.
"The meringue cookies are really good." Dahlia mumbles to Silas through a bite. "The tartlet looks good too, you should totally grab one." She looks mildly concerned over in Jodie's direction at the accusation.
Jodie shows distrust at Sienna's statement, but doesn't seem to want to continue slinging accusations and making a scene. She seeths quietly and beelines for the alcohol. Slamming one of the shots back without even thinking about it.
For a little bit, Irene stares straight ahead, towards the camera lens, with a twitch to her smile. Eventually, acknowledging the look, she shifts a hand to try and rest it on Julius's thigh, giving him a warm but somewhat apologetic look. "Let's keep things professional for now," she says, "I'm having a nice time. But I'm not someone you wanna get mixed up with."
Sienna quietly follows Jodie's path toward the tables with her eyes, a pensive silence overcoming her before she checks her phone one last time. "Alright then," she exhales softly, folding her arms lightly against the table's edge. "Is there anyone here who'd like to take part in the special final event? I can understand if you're at your limits here with scaring the hell out of yourselves, but I saved the best for last."
Silas plucks up a tartlet and begins to taste it while looking over at someone and he even rolls his eyes a little bit. He finishes eating his tartlet and looks over at Dahlia in a questioning way after Sienna addresses the group.
This time, Kah comes stumbling out from the west but at least he's less stormy as he moves through the space back into the area and toward the tables. Sharper eyes will see terrified staff members cringing in the doorway, afraid to show their faces as the man walks out as if to signify his failure.
Silas plucks up a tartlet and begins to taste it while looking over at Jodie and he even rolls his eyes a little bit. He finishes eating his tartlet and looks over at Dahlia in a questioning way after Sienna addresses the group.
"Ominous." Aristotle notes of Sienna's 'final event.' "I don't know if I have another scare in me." He admits, proudly pussing out.
Chelsea gives Sienna a nod, "Sure, why not?" Still rattled from the dark room, but her curiosity is getting the better of her.
Irene shifts her own arm around Julius's shoulders again, at least for the photo, and tries to angle her face so that it somewhat hides the worst of her bruises. "You smile and witchcraft," she tells him, reaching out to push the button.
Kah turns their attention to Sienna, pausing at least long enough to see what the finale might be. In the meantime, he turns his head to the side a moment.
Julius smiles for the camera, his teeth a flicker of white nearly lost in his beard. He has the silly little witch hat on his head and he's real friendly with Irene with each draping an arm over the other. Once the pictures are snapped he relaxes and withdraws his arm
Kah says "I do."
Dahlia watches Kah come back to the table, "Which side was worse?" She asks him curiously, and maybe a touch cautiously. Exchanging a look with Silas she says, "I'm up for it if you are."
Turning his head to Dahlia, Kah sneaks a drink glass underneath his mask and he sets it down soon after. A silent, looming hand points toward the eastrn exit of the maze.
"Just a little," Sienna concedes to Aristotle with a mysterious smile curling her lips. "But it's fine if you can't hang with the big dogs after this. Thank you for coming out to experience it, even if for a little while, if you do decide not to stick around." As Chelsea names herself a participant, the Swann waits for the rest of the group to make their decisions, unhurried.
"The maze" Kah says to Dahlia in that quiet, soft-spoken voice. Then he's bowing his head to excuse himself a moment, moving toward that exit.
"I might end up turning in a little earlier," Aristotle admits to Sienna at her words. "Gotta finish some stuff around the house." He says, setting his eyes off of Sienna now, as he looks around to see who else may volunteer, or if Chelsea's is the only lone wolf.
"I could go for it if you want to go for it, but it is getting late so we have to be aware of that," Silas says to Dahlia as he looks over towards Sienna. He gives Dahlia's hand a squeeze and says, "But we're out here already and we're supposed to do fun halloween stuff, so this might inspire us for decorations later, let's do it?"
Eventually, Irene emerges from the photo booth, and then moves to pull out a photo reel. Grinning, she shows it off to Julius, and tries to pull him back to the party.
Julius smiles more widely upon getting his set of pictures and he looks to Irene as they step out of the booth. He contently follows Irene out towards the rest of the party saying, "I might have to keep your hat."
After a moment, Kah silently bows himself away from the crowd.
Jodie shuffled over to the drinks table a while ago. Looking grumpy as ever but at least she can drown out the grumpiness with alcohol. From the table eventually she looks back to Jack at his approach and says, "You should drink."
Still clutching the comically tall, black stove pipe top-hat atop her head, which doesn't at all match the rest of her stereotypical 'sexy witch' ensemble, Irene asserts to Julius, "It suits you better than me. Honestly, matches your beard. It's like an inverted version."
There's a small frown and a glance toward the eastern exit before she focuses back on the table gathered. Dahlia nods in agreement with Silas. "Yeah, We're already here! We might as well take part." She decided. Irene and Julius get a smile when they come back over. "Welcome back! Did you get a lot of good pictures in?" More to Irene she adds, "Sorry about earlier, I was still shaking off some stuff, trying to get myself back together."
Dahlia looks to Sienna to give a confirmation of, "We're in!" for herself and Silas.
"I can't say the same for you. But everything below the forehead is quite attractive." Julius says to Irene to tease her gently. Now that they have returned to the group he seems to be trying to piece together what is happening now around him.
Sienna swings her legs over the side of her bench, smoothly rising to her feet. "Alright guys," she raises her voice over the crowd. "If you're down for the finale, just join me in the seance room just through the east. I'll be setting up in there, so get your drinks and snacks to stabilize your blood sugar, bring down your blood pressure, and meet me in there when you guys are ready."
"Yeah! Check these out," Irene enthuses to Dahlia, moseying over to flaunt the silly pictures her and the former Witch Hunter have taken, now that he's wearing the witch's hat.
With a toss of her braid, Irene rebukes Julius with a teasing, "I'm going to rock this top-hat. Watch me."
"Yeah we are," Irene enthuses, collecting some snacks on the way.
Dahlia grins as she looks at the photos. "Those came out great." She tells Irene. "And you wear that top-hat totally well." She chuckled. "Let's go see if we find a ghost."
"You know, I think Halloween should be the one day a year with no ghosts in this town," Irene decrees.
Chelsea looks to the rest of the group before getting up off of her chair. "Well, I guess I'll see yall in there?"
As most the others start to move towards the seance room, Aristotle gives a little wave to those lingering before making his way back towards the parking.
Chelsea walks in through door, taking a seat at the table. Something about the room makes the hairs on her neck prick up, but she tries to ignore it. Examining the table, "So, are we just playing around with some ouija board, or are we really trying to contact a real ghost?"
Sienna arranges herself comfortably in one of the mismatched chairs arranged around the dusty old table, offering Silas, Chelsea, Julius, Irene, and Dahlia faint smiles individually. "Welcome," she intones softly. "Take a seat, guys. We'll get started in a few," she promises. "And every ouija board should definitely be treated with respect, so it's not just playing around to be playing," comes her soft exchange to Chelsea.
Julius settles at the table, choosing to sit close to Irene, much like he's been attached at the hip to her most of the way through the evening. Once settled in he turns his focus to Sienna to listen
Dahlia follows into the seance room, looking over everything curiously before finally landing on the Ouija board. She takes a free seat next to Silas, nodding solmenly with Sienna's words.
Silas makes his way into the seance room to sit in a seat besides Dahlia. He looks up and around himself before reaching a hand out to touch the table, "We might just run into some spirits, warning us that mirror mazes suck and I'll tell them it was too little too late, but thanks." He chuckles and drops that hand down to land on Dahlia's leg, looking towards the others, "I'm Silas by the way. I've not met everyone I don't think and this is Dahlia." He upnods towards Dahlia, "We're all in this together now."
Irene watches the adjacent room with some interest to see who'll be joining them, and cottoning on to the drifting strands of conversation, she eventually turns her focus back to the seance table with interest.
"Julius." Julius introduces himself curtly to someone and Dahlia. Making an effort to provide minimum interruption to Sienna
"Julius." Julius introduces himself curtly to Silas and Dahlia. Making an effort to provide minimum interruption to Sienna
Chelsea looks over to Silas and Dahlia, "I'm Chelsea, nice to meet yall." She offers a greeting nod instead of a hand shake, as to not risk disturbing the table.
Dahlia nods to Julius and Chelsea, "Nice to meet you both too."
"First off, we treat the board with respect. No jokes, no taunting, and definitely don't ask anything you're not ready to hear the answer to," Sienna begins to warn the group, her gaze lingering on Julius of all people. "Once we open the session, we ask permission to speak and wait for the spirits ro respond. ANd if things start feeling... wrong, we close it immediately. No exceptions." She pauses, letting the words settle over the group like a light fog.
Her voice drips to an almost conspiratorial whisper as she leans forward. "And speaking of wrong..."
Sienna says, looking around the seance table curiously, "Have you ever heard the old rhyme about Mary?"
Chelsea cocks an eyebrow, "You mean the one, where you say her name three times in the mirror?"
Sienna sighs helplessly at Chelsea, "No, that's Bloody Mary," she points out, struggling to hide her exasperated grin. "I personally don't want to end up getting stabbed a thousand times, thank you very much. I'll be teaching you guys about Mary, the Black-Eyed Widow."
Seeming a good deal more relaxed now compared to the fright from the haunted house prior, Irene listens attentively to Sienna and smiles, accepting the fright night with a more casual, collected air at this point. She's brought snacks with her, which she offers out to anyone who might be eyeing them, and nibbles away.
Chelsea has a nervous look on her face, and keeps quiet.
"The Black-Eyed Widow?" Dahlia asks, clearly never having heard this story before. Her hand rests atop Silas' for the moment while she listens.
Silas shifts his stance to be more purposeful, rising in height and not slouching after Sienna explains the system in place and the seriousness of it all.
Sienna leans back, exhaling softly as she begins to recite: "Mary watches, through shadow and night. Her eyes aglow when there's no light. Twenty years she's been dead, they. But stray too close - she'll make you stay. Her whispers come when all is still, and those who hear will lose their will." As the last verse hangs in the air, she quickly explains, "Just something to keep in mind before we start asking questions to the Black-Eyed Widow."
A pregnant pause, before she offers dutifully: "This is everyone's last chance to leave before we get started."
Chelsea fidgets in her seat, clearly nervous, but makes no move to leave.
"Would I be incredibly rude to leave you here?" Julius ask Irene, he doesn't look scared of whats about to happen. Instead he looks quite tired, "I hit my limit..I'll need to head to bed."
Irene bravely elects to stay, despite the prior traumas of the night. She makes this clear not with words, but by snacking, though she covers her mouth to avoid disrupting the sense of tension in the room. "Yeah, no worries," she then looks up to tell Julius with a smile. "This was great fun. I'll see you around, Thompson." She lifts up a hand to flutter him a little wave.
Sienna quietly glances Julius's way, a hint of exhaustion in her own features. "If everyone's so tired, I can always postpone this part for another night too," comes an easy compromise. "Just let me know what we want to do."
"I am definitely needing to head out myself, just have some business to take care of, but if that is an option?" Silas asks as he looks around at the others, and specifically, Dahlia, "I am going to drive home first before I head to finish the thing I need to finish, but I do need to leave soon. You're welcome to stay, maybe find a ride?"
Julius smiles at Irene and nods in agreement with her, "It was fun." then he turns to go.
"I'm good to stay, personally," Irene says a little more clearly, remaining seated.
Chelsea looks around the room at people leaving, then to Irene, "Me too, I can stay."
Sienna nods softly toward Chelsea and Irene, her gaze falling upon Dahlia and Silas now.
Dahlia considers a moment, giving Silas' hand another squeeze. "I am interested in staying...I think I can manage to stay alert for it." She gives him a smile. "I'll find my way home, and I'll text you when I get back." She assures him.
Chelsea looks to Dahlia and Silas, "I drove here, I can drive you home after, if you want."
"The ladies get to learn about Mary, let me know about it tomorrow?" Silas says as he begins to scoot up from the table. He leans over to move Dahlia's hat a bit to plant a kiss on her head and then adjusts the hat once more, waving to Sienna, Chelsea and Irene, "I'll see you all soon, don't let Mary get you!" He smiles and then begins to walk on towards the exit, "Goodnight!"
The door slowly closes with a creak of hinges as the last male departs from the vicinity of the room.
Dahlia looks to Chelsea with an appreciative smile. "That would be great. Thanks." She watches someone leave and then focuses back on the table and the trio remaining. "Guess it's just us now." She exhales slowly, readying herself.
Dahlia looks to Chelsea with an appreciative smile. "That would be great. Thanks." She watches Silas leave and then focuses back on the table and the trio remaining. "Guess it's just us now." She exhales slowly, readying herself.
Irene waits until the last of them has left, and then scoots a little closer to the edge of the seance table. "It's more fun without boys anyway," she says with a grin. But once the door creaks closed of its own accord, she turns and blinks in that direction, seeming a little more unsure.
Sienna tucks some stray hair behind an ear, the creak of the door echoing painfully loud through the room giving her brief pause. She quickly cuts her eyes toward Dahlia, Irene, and Chelsea as though to see if they just saw, and heard, the same thing. "Uhm... Okay."
Chelsea leaning a little closer to the table, "So, what kind of questions are we asking here?" Giving an inquisitive look to Sienna.
Dahlia was totally prepared to believe that was more special effects, giving Irene a bit of a smile at her comment, but Sienna's own reaction to the door closing has her second guessing things. She remains quiet for now though, looking to the board as Chelsea asks about the questions.
Sienna shifts in her seat, her fingers brushing lightly over the edge of the planchette. "Well first, we need to all place our fingers here," She instructs, glancing around the table at Dahlia, Chelsea, and Irene. Her voice softens, forcibly taking on a measure of calm. "Lightly... just enough to make contact. Don't push it. Let it move on its own." She leans forward, the flickering candelight casting shadows across her face. "And once we're ready, we ask if she's with us - the Black-Eyed Widow." A pause, then she's gravely reminding, "And nobody break the circle. No matter what, fingers on the planchette until we say good-bye."
"Everyone ready?"
Chelsea nods slowly at Sienna, moving her fingers to the planchette, touching it featherlight.
Steeling her resolve, Irene stretches her fingertips out onto the table, drawing in a breath through her nose. She quietly nods, momentarily closing her eyes, before opening them to look between the faces of the three other brave women who've remained.
Following suit, Dahlia lightly places her fingers on the planchette as well. "Ready." She whispers, finally glancing up from the board to Irene, Sienna, and Chelsea.
Sienna steadies her hand on the planchette, her voice quelled to a soft whisper into the yawning quiet of the room. "Black-Eyed Widow, if you are here, show us a sign," she beseeches, leaning in slightly. "We invite you to speak."
Irene maybe didn't do that, since her hands are on the table.
Following Sienna's lead, Irene keeps her fingertips on the planchette -- the time for snacking is over. She gazes about the room with interest, perhaps even searching the corners of the ceiling and the tattered curtain for trick, or clue to any mischief afoot. But this being Haven, any such suspicion remains tempered with sincere tension.
"Show us a sign, Black-Eyed Widow. We want to hear your story. Please, speak with us." Dahlia 's voice is still on the quiet side as she echoes Sienna's sentiment as if trying to encourage the spirit. She might have a similar idea to Irene, flitting her gaze about the room to watch for any of these potential signs and then looking back to the board and planchette for movement next.
Chelsea closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath, steadying her hand on the planchette and failing to completely rid herself of her nerves.
The planchette jerks suddenly beneath their fingers, dragging toward the letter H with a slow, deliberate scrape. The air grows colder, and the flickering candlelight dims as though something unseen has entered the room. A faint whisper seems to drift from the dark corners, carrying a single word like a breath on the wind: Home.
"Where is home, Black-Eyed Widow?" Irene quietly calls out into the room, scanning the flickering visions with her dark eyes.
Sienna stiffens, glancing out of the corner of her eye as something catches her attention. But before she can process it, a startled noise is lost as the planchette begins to move under their fingertips. "H-Holy shit," she murmurs out, wide-eyed glances shot to Irene, Chelsea, and Dahlia, then looks back down at the planchette as Irene asks the first question.
Chelsea tries to steady her breathing, wanting to warm herself, but knowing that taking her fingers off of the planchette is probably a bad idea.
Dahlia tenses as the planchette starts to move. It's taking every fiber of her being to not lift her fingers off the planchette. "Are one of you doing that?" She asks even though her tone suggests she doesn't believe any of them did. She swallows, looking to Irene as that question is asked, waiting to see if anything else happens.
The planchette pauses, trembling slightly, before sliding again: L... O... S... T. Then everything falls silent, the oppressive stillness pressing down on the room as if waiting for them to respond.
"I'm not doing that," Irene answers Dahlia quietly, tensing her jaw as she stares down at the planchette beneath their fingertips.
Sienna shakes her head quickly at Dahlia's question, green eyes fixated on the planchette as it moves across the board, slowly forming a new word. "L... o... s....t," she spells it out, brows knitting. "You lost your home?" A look is exchanged between the girls, pale. "If one of you is messing with it, stop."
Chelsea her fingers tremble, clearly scared. "Maybe she can't get home?" She offers, her voice shaky. "Black-Eyed Widow, do you need help finding your way home?"
Dahlia shakes her head to Sienna, "I-it's not us." She whispers, looking to Irene and Chelsea for confirmation even as Chelsea speaks up now. Dahlia's eyes are glued to the board, waiting for the next word.
Irene looks curiously between the faces of those gathered, and any suspicion she has ends up lingering on Sienna. But that's hardly to say she isn't taking this seriously. She does, only regarding the Swann with a quiet sort of reverence, at this point.
As the room is plunged into darkness, Sienna nearly jumps out of her chair, shouting out in alarm. Her knee bangs loudly against the table, rattling the board and nearly disrupting her connection to the planchette. "E-Everyone ok?" she squeaks out, struggling to see the other girls' faces.
Chelsea looks to Sienna, giving her a quick nod before her eyes snap back to the planchette, awaiting a response to her question.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Irene quietly murmurs in the dark. She squints around to try and make out the faces of those gathered, or some sign of the spirit. But for those who can currently see her eyes, they stare sightlessly through the black.
The planchette quivers beneath their fingertips, and Chelsea doesn't have to wait long for an answer; its suddenly dragging slowly to the word "YES" at the corner of the board. A chill spreads through the room, and the flickering candles dim further, casting long, twisting shadows against the walls. Faint, echoing whispers swirl around them, too soft to understand but filled with a hissing urgency.
"I'm okay." Dahlia confirms for Sienna, but it's a little shaky and there's another grimace as the candles flicker and the chill grows. She glances around, attempting to try and decipher anything potentially more definite. There's a look toward Sienna again after the 'YES'. As if to ask if they should keep going or if they should shut it down.
Sienna knits her brows faintly, seemingly at a loss for words as she stares down at the planchette. Her head lifts, scanning around the table before asking, "Anyone else have something to ask of her?"
"Tell us how to get you home, Black-Eyed Widow," Irene beseeches of the dark and breezy air, shivering in her seat.
Dahlia 's eyes go wide as she stares in the space just behind Chelsea. Her lips part, but she can't find words. Just a dry exhales escapes as another cold breeze rolls through the room. "S-sh-she..." She can't get the words out. Luckily Irene cuts in with her request. Dahlia takes the opportunity to try and remember how breathing works.
Chelsea shivers, hearing Dahlia mutter something, and hopeing it's not what she thinks it is. She freezes up, to scared to move.
Sienna drags in a slow breath, shivering at the cold breeze. At Dahlia's sudden stammering, she looks over worriedly at the other woman, skimming over her features. "What?" she urges quietly, freezing for a moment while Irene speaks her question. "What?" the girl asks again, following that gaze to a spot behind Chelsea, seeing nothing.
Irene hadn't been looking at Chelsea in fact, she has trouble seeing anything at all. But when Dahlia at last seems to startle, after having been perhaps the coolest head at the table so far, Irene follows suit. She tracks the fellow witch-costumed lady's eyes towards the emerald-eyed woman, seeking something past her, but like Sienna, she doesn't seem to see anything. The dusky toned woman remains tense, despite this. "What's going on, Dahlia?"
"I saw her...I think." Dahlia whispers, eyes still locked on the spot. "She...isn't there now but..." Dahlia shudders again, actively working to keep her hands on the planchette. "She's here with us. Or...someone else is." Finally, she's manages to tear her eyes from the spot to look to the three women again. "We-I don't know if we should keep going..." But she glances to the board to see if anything will happen now in response to Irene's request.
As someone' words hang in the air, the temperature in the room plummets, and the flickering candle flames extinguish all at once, plunging everything into thick darkness. Before anyone can react, the planchette jerks violently, as if yanked by an unseen hand, and is hurled from the board with a sharp, echoing clatter. It skids across the floor and slams into the wall, spinning to a stop like a discarded toy.
As Irene's words hang in the air, the temperature in the room plummets, and the flickering candle flames extinguish all at once, plunging everything into thick darkness. Before anyone can react, the planchette jerks violently, as if yanked by an unseen hand, and is hurled from the board with a sharp, echoing clatter. It skids across the floor and slams into the wall, spinning to a stop like a discarded toy.
A low, guttural whisper - neither human, or fully intelligible - rises from the shadows, "You cannot spend me back."
Chelsea lets out a scream as the planchette flies through the air, clattering to a stop. "This isn't happening!" She cries, her voice hysterical.
Sienna's high-pitched wail of fright joins Chelsea's own as the planchette ricochets off into the dark, distantly heard clattering on the other side of the room. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," she whispers under her breath, immediately scrambling out of her seat. It's knocked over, hitting the floor with a painfully loud thud. "This isn't funny anymore! Which one of you are fucking with the board?!"
The fear that Dahlia expresses seems to have the exact opposite effect on Irene. As seriously as she takes this, she starts to smile, not out of mockery, but out of a growing undercurrent of morbid excitement. "What, you're scared?" she needles her a touch.
That is, until, it becomes all too real. Irene, the hypocrite, nearly jumps out of her jumper, and her fingertips suddenly lifts from the planchette. She turns towards the source of the whisper in the shadows, letting out a yelp.
cries out in surprise - and definitely some terror - as the inhuman voice rises from the shadows and the planchette goes flying. "We're not fucking with it!" Dahlia insists to Sienna, gripping at the simple costume pendant around her neck, hurrying to her feet. "We-uhm-" She looks around quickly. "We have to close the circle! Or banish a fucking ghost." Which she doesn't sound confident in doing at all. "I'm going to get the planchette." Or try to. She tries to look for where the piece ended up so she can try and retrieve it.
"Hey ... can you get Silas back here, maybe?" Irene checks with Dahlia in a quiet, nervous tone. "He seemed to really know what he was doing, in the graveyard ..." But okay, close a circle? She can do that. Now that her hands are free, she holds them out for Sienna and Chelsea to grasp.
Without warning, something is hurled violently across the room, slamming into the wall with a deafening crash that reverberates through the space. The sound echoes like a gunshot in the heavy stillness, fragments clattering to the floor. In the same instant, the door flies open with a forceful bang, as if kicked by an unseen fury. A wailing shriek of rage tears through the room, high-pitched and inhuman, the kind of sound that rattles bones and claws at the mind. The air feels charged with malevolence, as if the very walls are vibrating in anger, ready to collapse inward.
As something unseen is thrown and slammed against the wall, rippling out like a gunshot, the color drains from Sienna's face. "What, no, we have to get the fuck out!" she shrieks at Dahlia, attempting to lurch across the dark to try and grab the woman and pull her toward the door, hissing toward where she hears Irene and Chelsea. "Irene, Chels -- Go, go, go, go!"
Not needing to be told twice when even Sienna concludes this seance is at an end, Irene gives up trying to hold anyone's hand, and lurches for the door under the Swann's guidance. "Fuck!" she cries out.
Chelsea snaps out of her hysteria long enough to see that Irene is holding out her hand. She takes the queue and takes the offered hand, gripping it tight. This is how they do it in the movies, right? But as the object shatters on impact, she bolts for the door as if the gunshot sound were a starting gun.
Lucien lingers near one of the low tables fully weighed down with everything a horrific little party like this ought to entail. Cold blue eyes look around at the depth of shadows cast out from the flickering firelight of the guttering bonfire, forgotten for other pursuits, no doubt. Cries from nearby get his attention, garnering an amused look that doesn't quite reach the glacial gaze he turns towards the dusty seance table in the too-near distance. Of course, what follows is far more than just the cries of excitable students lost in the tumult of a night meant for horror of all sorts. Then there's the rapid sound of feet making a furious retreat.
Sienna says, her velvety sweet soprano hiked to a falsetto of terrified shrieking at the girl behind them, "YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE HORROR MOVIE IF YOU DON'T GET OUT OF THERE!"
Irene seems fairly baffled to find Lucien here, this unknown latecomer to the party. "Hi!" she calls out, lifting a hand to manage a rapid wave. "Bye! We're leaving! Welcome! Move!"
Dahlia runs out of the room
Chelsea leans over, panting, pressing a palm against the wall. "What the hell just happened in there?"
Dahlia doubles over, hands resting on her thighs. "You-can't-you gotta shut this shit down, Sienna." She insists.
Sienna nearly collapses as they all make it out safely into the awaiting chill of the night, sucking in air like a woman near-drowned near Lucien's feet. She digs her nails into the damp earth, head hanging back with a long-suffering groan at Dahlia. "Dahlia... You... you can't be SERIOUS!"
"Having fun, ladies?" He seems relatively calm, despite the dwindling sanity of the moment, though his eyes flick to the door that's just flung itself closed without aplomb. Lucien adjusts one sleeve, looking from one of the newly-come women to the other. "Perhaps I am overdressed," he muses rather plainly, waiting for whatever explanation they might unfold in the ensuing conversation. The pale-skinned man wears a smile that isn't.
Dahlia does, indeed, look entirely serious. Beneath the fear and adrenaline. "I'm not even going to dignify that with an ANSWER, Sienna. You really want-" She makes an 'ugh' sound, finally looking at Lucien. "Seance gone wrong." She muttered, looking to Irene and then Chelsea. "It's too late for this. And the mist is-I fucking HATE this town, I swear on my mother's future grave." She scrubbed a hand over her face, entirely marring her face paint and makeup as she asks Chelsea, "...Is that offer for a ride home still on the table?"
Chelsea gives a quick nod to Dahlia, "Yeah, of course. I think it might be a good idea get out of here."
Perhaps were Irene better acquainted with this town and its internal politics, she would address Lucien with more respect. But by her Hispanic accent, she's a long way from home right now, and by the utter discombobulated state of her, she's not just had a hell of a night, but most probably a hell of a week. Bite marks, claw marks, bruises, all under a layer of hastily applied Halloween makeup. "You are like, four hours too late for this party," the senorita chastises Lucien rudely, knitting her thick dark brows into a frown, "and it's over, and there's an actual real life poltergeist in there that ..." She loses her train of thought, and looks to Sienna for further guidance. "Sie, we getting out of here?"
The tale concludes with the group hastily making their way out, visibly shaken and disturbed by the events. Irene, showing signs of the night's earlier scares and now the séance, questions Sienna about their next steps, while Dahlia emphasizes the severity of their experience, declaring her frustration with the town's eerie occurrences. Sienna is left grappling with the responsibility of the night's harrowing turn, as Lucien observes the unfolding drama with a detached calmness. Despite the scare, the urgency to leave the premises overshadows the group's curiosity, propelling them to seek safety away from the location. The story ends on a note of unresolved tension, as the participants scatter, attempting to distance themselves from the supernatural chaos they inadvertently unleashed.
(Sienna's The Haunting @ 14 Service Road North)
[Thu Oct 17 2024]
In a clearing in the back of the crumbling building
At the back of the crumbling building lies a hidden clearing, where all paths converge beneath the open night sky. The fractured walls of the structure frame the space like jagged teeth, with vines and creeping ivy weaving through the cracks, reclaiming the ruins. Broken glass glitters among the rubble, reflecting the flickering lights strung haphazardly between leaning beams and skeletal rafters. The faint scent of damp earth and old wood fills the air, mingling with smoke from a few scattered lanterns and incense bowls.
In the center of the clearing, a bonfire crackles with lively flames, casting long, erratic shadows against the ruins. Low tables and mismatched cushions are scattered around, inviting guests to lounge beneath the open sky. Music hums softly from hidden speakers, the melody blending seamlessly with the ambient noises of the forest beyond.
It is about 50F(10C) degrees.
"The meringue cookies are really good." Dahlia mumbles to Silas through a bite. "The tartlet looks good too, you should totally grab one." She looks mildly concerned over in Jodie's direction at the accusation.
Jodie shows distrust at Sienna's statement, but doesn't seem to want to continue slinging accusations and making a scene. She seeths quietly and beelines for the alcohol. Slamming one of the shots back without even thinking about it.
For a little bit, Irene stares straight ahead, towards the camera lens, with a twitch to her smile. Eventually, acknowledging the look, she shifts a hand to try and rest it on Julius's thigh, giving him a warm but somewhat apologetic look. "Let's keep things professional for now," she says, "I'm having a nice time. But I'm not someone you wanna get mixed up with."
Sienna quietly follows Jodie's path toward the tables with her eyes, a pensive silence overcoming her before she checks her phone one last time. "Alright then," she exhales softly, folding her arms lightly against the table's edge. "Is there anyone here who'd like to take part in the special final event? I can understand if you're at your limits here with scaring the hell out of yourselves, but I saved the best for last."
Silas plucks up a tartlet and begins to taste it while looking over at someone and he even rolls his eyes a little bit. He finishes eating his tartlet and looks over at Dahlia in a questioning way after Sienna addresses the group.
This time, Kah comes stumbling out from the west but at least he's less stormy as he moves through the space back into the area and toward the tables. Sharper eyes will see terrified staff members cringing in the doorway, afraid to show their faces as the man walks out as if to signify his failure.
Silas plucks up a tartlet and begins to taste it while looking over at Jodie and he even rolls his eyes a little bit. He finishes eating his tartlet and looks over at Dahlia in a questioning way after Sienna addresses the group.
"Ominous." Aristotle notes of Sienna's 'final event.' "I don't know if I have another scare in me." He admits, proudly pussing out.
Chelsea gives Sienna a nod, "Sure, why not?" Still rattled from the dark room, but her curiosity is getting the better of her.
Irene shifts her own arm around Julius's shoulders again, at least for the photo, and tries to angle her face so that it somewhat hides the worst of her bruises. "You smile and witchcraft," she tells him, reaching out to push the button.
Kah turns their attention to Sienna, pausing at least long enough to see what the finale might be. In the meantime, he turns his head to the side a moment.
Julius smiles for the camera, his teeth a flicker of white nearly lost in his beard. He has the silly little witch hat on his head and he's real friendly with Irene with each draping an arm over the other. Once the pictures are snapped he relaxes and withdraws his arm
Kah says "I do."
Dahlia watches Kah come back to the table, "Which side was worse?" She asks him curiously, and maybe a touch cautiously. Exchanging a look with Silas she says, "I'm up for it if you are."
Turning his head to Dahlia, Kah sneaks a drink glass underneath his mask and he sets it down soon after. A silent, looming hand points toward the eastrn exit of the maze.
"Just a little," Sienna concedes to Aristotle with a mysterious smile curling her lips. "But it's fine if you can't hang with the big dogs after this. Thank you for coming out to experience it, even if for a little while, if you do decide not to stick around." As Chelsea names herself a participant, the Swann waits for the rest of the group to make their decisions, unhurried.
"The maze" Kah says to Dahlia in that quiet, soft-spoken voice. Then he's bowing his head to excuse himself a moment, moving toward that exit.
"I might end up turning in a little earlier," Aristotle admits to Sienna at her words. "Gotta finish some stuff around the house." He says, setting his eyes off of Sienna now, as he looks around to see who else may volunteer, or if Chelsea's is the only lone wolf.
"I could go for it if you want to go for it, but it is getting late so we have to be aware of that," Silas says to Dahlia as he looks over towards Sienna. He gives Dahlia's hand a squeeze and says, "But we're out here already and we're supposed to do fun halloween stuff, so this might inspire us for decorations later, let's do it?"
Eventually, Irene emerges from the photo booth, and then moves to pull out a photo reel. Grinning, she shows it off to Julius, and tries to pull him back to the party.
Julius smiles more widely upon getting his set of pictures and he looks to Irene as they step out of the booth. He contently follows Irene out towards the rest of the party saying, "I might have to keep your hat."
After a moment, Kah silently bows himself away from the crowd.
Jodie shuffled over to the drinks table a while ago. Looking grumpy as ever but at least she can drown out the grumpiness with alcohol. From the table eventually she looks back to Jack at his approach and says, "You should drink."
Still clutching the comically tall, black stove pipe top-hat atop her head, which doesn't at all match the rest of her stereotypical 'sexy witch' ensemble, Irene asserts to Julius, "It suits you better than me. Honestly, matches your beard. It's like an inverted version."
There's a small frown and a glance toward the eastern exit before she focuses back on the table gathered. Dahlia nods in agreement with Silas. "Yeah, We're already here! We might as well take part." She decided. Irene and Julius get a smile when they come back over. "Welcome back! Did you get a lot of good pictures in?" More to Irene she adds, "Sorry about earlier, I was still shaking off some stuff, trying to get myself back together."
Dahlia looks to Sienna to give a confirmation of, "We're in!" for herself and Silas.
"I can't say the same for you. But everything below the forehead is quite attractive." Julius says to Irene to tease her gently. Now that they have returned to the group he seems to be trying to piece together what is happening now around him.
Sienna swings her legs over the side of her bench, smoothly rising to her feet. "Alright guys," she raises her voice over the crowd. "If you're down for the finale, just join me in the seance room just through the east. I'll be setting up in there, so get your drinks and snacks to stabilize your blood sugar, bring down your blood pressure, and meet me in there when you guys are ready."
"Yeah! Check these out," Irene enthuses to Dahlia, moseying over to flaunt the silly pictures her and the former Witch Hunter have taken, now that he's wearing the witch's hat.
With a toss of her braid, Irene rebukes Julius with a teasing, "I'm going to rock this top-hat. Watch me."
"Yeah we are," Irene enthuses, collecting some snacks on the way.
Dahlia grins as she looks at the photos. "Those came out great." She tells Irene. "And you wear that top-hat totally well." She chuckled. "Let's go see if we find a ghost."
"You know, I think Halloween should be the one day a year with no ghosts in this town," Irene decrees.
Chelsea looks to the rest of the group before getting up off of her chair. "Well, I guess I'll see yall in there?"
As most the others start to move towards the seance room, Aristotle gives a little wave to those lingering before making his way back towards the parking.
Chelsea walks in through door, taking a seat at the table. Something about the room makes the hairs on her neck prick up, but she tries to ignore it. Examining the table, "So, are we just playing around with some ouija board, or are we really trying to contact a real ghost?"
Sienna arranges herself comfortably in one of the mismatched chairs arranged around the dusty old table, offering Silas, Chelsea, Julius, Irene, and Dahlia faint smiles individually. "Welcome," she intones softly. "Take a seat, guys. We'll get started in a few," she promises. "And every ouija board should definitely be treated with respect, so it's not just playing around to be playing," comes her soft exchange to Chelsea.
Julius settles at the table, choosing to sit close to Irene, much like he's been attached at the hip to her most of the way through the evening. Once settled in he turns his focus to Sienna to listen
Dahlia follows into the seance room, looking over everything curiously before finally landing on the Ouija board. She takes a free seat next to Silas, nodding solmenly with Sienna's words.
Silas makes his way into the seance room to sit in a seat besides Dahlia. He looks up and around himself before reaching a hand out to touch the table, "We might just run into some spirits, warning us that mirror mazes suck and I'll tell them it was too little too late, but thanks." He chuckles and drops that hand down to land on Dahlia's leg, looking towards the others, "I'm Silas by the way. I've not met everyone I don't think and this is Dahlia." He upnods towards Dahlia, "We're all in this together now."
Irene watches the adjacent room with some interest to see who'll be joining them, and cottoning on to the drifting strands of conversation, she eventually turns her focus back to the seance table with interest.
"Julius." Julius introduces himself curtly to someone and Dahlia. Making an effort to provide minimum interruption to Sienna
"Julius." Julius introduces himself curtly to Silas and Dahlia. Making an effort to provide minimum interruption to Sienna
Chelsea looks over to Silas and Dahlia, "I'm Chelsea, nice to meet yall." She offers a greeting nod instead of a hand shake, as to not risk disturbing the table.
Dahlia nods to Julius and Chelsea, "Nice to meet you both too."
"First off, we treat the board with respect. No jokes, no taunting, and definitely don't ask anything you're not ready to hear the answer to," Sienna begins to warn the group, her gaze lingering on Julius of all people. "Once we open the session, we ask permission to speak and wait for the spirits ro respond. ANd if things start feeling... wrong, we close it immediately. No exceptions." She pauses, letting the words settle over the group like a light fog.
Her voice drips to an almost conspiratorial whisper as she leans forward. "And speaking of wrong..."
Sienna says, looking around the seance table curiously, "Have you ever heard the old rhyme about Mary?"
Chelsea cocks an eyebrow, "You mean the one, where you say her name three times in the mirror?"
Sienna sighs helplessly at Chelsea, "No, that's Bloody Mary," she points out, struggling to hide her exasperated grin. "I personally don't want to end up getting stabbed a thousand times, thank you very much. I'll be teaching you guys about Mary, the Black-Eyed Widow."
Seeming a good deal more relaxed now compared to the fright from the haunted house prior, Irene listens attentively to Sienna and smiles, accepting the fright night with a more casual, collected air at this point. She's brought snacks with her, which she offers out to anyone who might be eyeing them, and nibbles away.
Chelsea has a nervous look on her face, and keeps quiet.
"The Black-Eyed Widow?" Dahlia asks, clearly never having heard this story before. Her hand rests atop Silas' for the moment while she listens.
Silas shifts his stance to be more purposeful, rising in height and not slouching after Sienna explains the system in place and the seriousness of it all.
Sienna leans back, exhaling softly as she begins to recite: "Mary watches, through shadow and night. Her eyes aglow when there's no light. Twenty years she's been dead, they. But stray too close - she'll make you stay. Her whispers come when all is still, and those who hear will lose their will." As the last verse hangs in the air, she quickly explains, "Just something to keep in mind before we start asking questions to the Black-Eyed Widow."
A pregnant pause, before she offers dutifully: "This is everyone's last chance to leave before we get started."
Chelsea fidgets in her seat, clearly nervous, but makes no move to leave.
"Would I be incredibly rude to leave you here?" Julius ask Irene, he doesn't look scared of whats about to happen. Instead he looks quite tired, "I hit my limit..I'll need to head to bed."
Irene bravely elects to stay, despite the prior traumas of the night. She makes this clear not with words, but by snacking, though she covers her mouth to avoid disrupting the sense of tension in the room. "Yeah, no worries," she then looks up to tell Julius with a smile. "This was great fun. I'll see you around, Thompson." She lifts up a hand to flutter him a little wave.
Sienna quietly glances Julius's way, a hint of exhaustion in her own features. "If everyone's so tired, I can always postpone this part for another night too," comes an easy compromise. "Just let me know what we want to do."
"I am definitely needing to head out myself, just have some business to take care of, but if that is an option?" Silas asks as he looks around at the others, and specifically, Dahlia, "I am going to drive home first before I head to finish the thing I need to finish, but I do need to leave soon. You're welcome to stay, maybe find a ride?"
Julius smiles at Irene and nods in agreement with her, "It was fun." then he turns to go.
"I'm good to stay, personally," Irene says a little more clearly, remaining seated.
Chelsea looks around the room at people leaving, then to Irene, "Me too, I can stay."
Sienna nods softly toward Chelsea and Irene, her gaze falling upon Dahlia and Silas now.
Dahlia considers a moment, giving Silas' hand another squeeze. "I am interested in staying...I think I can manage to stay alert for it." She gives him a smile. "I'll find my way home, and I'll text you when I get back." She assures him.
Chelsea looks to Dahlia and Silas, "I drove here, I can drive you home after, if you want."
"The ladies get to learn about Mary, let me know about it tomorrow?" Silas says as he begins to scoot up from the table. He leans over to move Dahlia's hat a bit to plant a kiss on her head and then adjusts the hat once more, waving to Sienna, Chelsea and Irene, "I'll see you all soon, don't let Mary get you!" He smiles and then begins to walk on towards the exit, "Goodnight!"
The door slowly closes with a creak of hinges as the last male departs from the vicinity of the room.
Dahlia looks to Chelsea with an appreciative smile. "That would be great. Thanks." She watches someone leave and then focuses back on the table and the trio remaining. "Guess it's just us now." She exhales slowly, readying herself.
Dahlia looks to Chelsea with an appreciative smile. "That would be great. Thanks." She watches Silas leave and then focuses back on the table and the trio remaining. "Guess it's just us now." She exhales slowly, readying herself.
Irene waits until the last of them has left, and then scoots a little closer to the edge of the seance table. "It's more fun without boys anyway," she says with a grin. But once the door creaks closed of its own accord, she turns and blinks in that direction, seeming a little more unsure.
Sienna tucks some stray hair behind an ear, the creak of the door echoing painfully loud through the room giving her brief pause. She quickly cuts her eyes toward Dahlia, Irene, and Chelsea as though to see if they just saw, and heard, the same thing. "Uhm... Okay."
Chelsea leaning a little closer to the table, "So, what kind of questions are we asking here?" Giving an inquisitive look to Sienna.
Dahlia was totally prepared to believe that was more special effects, giving Irene a bit of a smile at her comment, but Sienna's own reaction to the door closing has her second guessing things. She remains quiet for now though, looking to the board as Chelsea asks about the questions.
Sienna shifts in her seat, her fingers brushing lightly over the edge of the planchette. "Well first, we need to all place our fingers here," She instructs, glancing around the table at Dahlia, Chelsea, and Irene. Her voice softens, forcibly taking on a measure of calm. "Lightly... just enough to make contact. Don't push it. Let it move on its own." She leans forward, the flickering candelight casting shadows across her face. "And once we're ready, we ask if she's with us - the Black-Eyed Widow." A pause, then she's gravely reminding, "And nobody break the circle. No matter what, fingers on the planchette until we say good-bye."
"Everyone ready?"
Chelsea nods slowly at Sienna, moving her fingers to the planchette, touching it featherlight.
Steeling her resolve, Irene stretches her fingertips out onto the table, drawing in a breath through her nose. She quietly nods, momentarily closing her eyes, before opening them to look between the faces of the three other brave women who've remained.
Following suit, Dahlia lightly places her fingers on the planchette as well. "Ready." She whispers, finally glancing up from the board to Irene, Sienna, and Chelsea.
Sienna steadies her hand on the planchette, her voice quelled to a soft whisper into the yawning quiet of the room. "Black-Eyed Widow, if you are here, show us a sign," she beseeches, leaning in slightly. "We invite you to speak."
Irene maybe didn't do that, since her hands are on the table.
Following Sienna's lead, Irene keeps her fingertips on the planchette -- the time for snacking is over. She gazes about the room with interest, perhaps even searching the corners of the ceiling and the tattered curtain for trick, or clue to any mischief afoot. But this being Haven, any such suspicion remains tempered with sincere tension.
"Show us a sign, Black-Eyed Widow. We want to hear your story. Please, speak with us." Dahlia 's voice is still on the quiet side as she echoes Sienna's sentiment as if trying to encourage the spirit. She might have a similar idea to Irene, flitting her gaze about the room to watch for any of these potential signs and then looking back to the board and planchette for movement next.
Chelsea closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath, steadying her hand on the planchette and failing to completely rid herself of her nerves.
The planchette jerks suddenly beneath their fingers, dragging toward the letter H with a slow, deliberate scrape. The air grows colder, and the flickering candlelight dims as though something unseen has entered the room. A faint whisper seems to drift from the dark corners, carrying a single word like a breath on the wind: Home.
"Where is home, Black-Eyed Widow?" Irene quietly calls out into the room, scanning the flickering visions with her dark eyes.
Sienna stiffens, glancing out of the corner of her eye as something catches her attention. But before she can process it, a startled noise is lost as the planchette begins to move under their fingertips. "H-Holy shit," she murmurs out, wide-eyed glances shot to Irene, Chelsea, and Dahlia, then looks back down at the planchette as Irene asks the first question.
Chelsea tries to steady her breathing, wanting to warm herself, but knowing that taking her fingers off of the planchette is probably a bad idea.
Dahlia tenses as the planchette starts to move. It's taking every fiber of her being to not lift her fingers off the planchette. "Are one of you doing that?" She asks even though her tone suggests she doesn't believe any of them did. She swallows, looking to Irene as that question is asked, waiting to see if anything else happens.
The planchette pauses, trembling slightly, before sliding again: L... O... S... T. Then everything falls silent, the oppressive stillness pressing down on the room as if waiting for them to respond.
"I'm not doing that," Irene answers Dahlia quietly, tensing her jaw as she stares down at the planchette beneath their fingertips.
Sienna shakes her head quickly at Dahlia's question, green eyes fixated on the planchette as it moves across the board, slowly forming a new word. "L... o... s....t," she spells it out, brows knitting. "You lost your home?" A look is exchanged between the girls, pale. "If one of you is messing with it, stop."
Chelsea her fingers tremble, clearly scared. "Maybe she can't get home?" She offers, her voice shaky. "Black-Eyed Widow, do you need help finding your way home?"
Dahlia shakes her head to Sienna, "I-it's not us." She whispers, looking to Irene and Chelsea for confirmation even as Chelsea speaks up now. Dahlia's eyes are glued to the board, waiting for the next word.
Irene looks curiously between the faces of those gathered, and any suspicion she has ends up lingering on Sienna. But that's hardly to say she isn't taking this seriously. She does, only regarding the Swann with a quiet sort of reverence, at this point.
As the room is plunged into darkness, Sienna nearly jumps out of her chair, shouting out in alarm. Her knee bangs loudly against the table, rattling the board and nearly disrupting her connection to the planchette. "E-Everyone ok?" she squeaks out, struggling to see the other girls' faces.
Chelsea looks to Sienna, giving her a quick nod before her eyes snap back to the planchette, awaiting a response to her question.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Irene quietly murmurs in the dark. She squints around to try and make out the faces of those gathered, or some sign of the spirit. But for those who can currently see her eyes, they stare sightlessly through the black.
The planchette quivers beneath their fingertips, and Chelsea doesn't have to wait long for an answer; its suddenly dragging slowly to the word "YES" at the corner of the board. A chill spreads through the room, and the flickering candles dim further, casting long, twisting shadows against the walls. Faint, echoing whispers swirl around them, too soft to understand but filled with a hissing urgency.
"I'm okay." Dahlia confirms for Sienna, but it's a little shaky and there's another grimace as the candles flicker and the chill grows. She glances around, attempting to try and decipher anything potentially more definite. There's a look toward Sienna again after the 'YES'. As if to ask if they should keep going or if they should shut it down.
Sienna knits her brows faintly, seemingly at a loss for words as she stares down at the planchette. Her head lifts, scanning around the table before asking, "Anyone else have something to ask of her?"
"Tell us how to get you home, Black-Eyed Widow," Irene beseeches of the dark and breezy air, shivering in her seat.
Dahlia 's eyes go wide as she stares in the space just behind Chelsea. Her lips part, but she can't find words. Just a dry exhales escapes as another cold breeze rolls through the room. "S-sh-she..." She can't get the words out. Luckily Irene cuts in with her request. Dahlia takes the opportunity to try and remember how breathing works.
Chelsea shivers, hearing Dahlia mutter something, and hopeing it's not what she thinks it is. She freezes up, to scared to move.
Sienna drags in a slow breath, shivering at the cold breeze. At Dahlia's sudden stammering, she looks over worriedly at the other woman, skimming over her features. "What?" she urges quietly, freezing for a moment while Irene speaks her question. "What?" the girl asks again, following that gaze to a spot behind Chelsea, seeing nothing.
Irene hadn't been looking at Chelsea in fact, she has trouble seeing anything at all. But when Dahlia at last seems to startle, after having been perhaps the coolest head at the table so far, Irene follows suit. She tracks the fellow witch-costumed lady's eyes towards the emerald-eyed woman, seeking something past her, but like Sienna, she doesn't seem to see anything. The dusky toned woman remains tense, despite this. "What's going on, Dahlia?"
"I saw her...I think." Dahlia whispers, eyes still locked on the spot. "She...isn't there now but..." Dahlia shudders again, actively working to keep her hands on the planchette. "She's here with us. Or...someone else is." Finally, she's manages to tear her eyes from the spot to look to the three women again. "We-I don't know if we should keep going..." But she glances to the board to see if anything will happen now in response to Irene's request.
As someone' words hang in the air, the temperature in the room plummets, and the flickering candle flames extinguish all at once, plunging everything into thick darkness. Before anyone can react, the planchette jerks violently, as if yanked by an unseen hand, and is hurled from the board with a sharp, echoing clatter. It skids across the floor and slams into the wall, spinning to a stop like a discarded toy.
As Irene's words hang in the air, the temperature in the room plummets, and the flickering candle flames extinguish all at once, plunging everything into thick darkness. Before anyone can react, the planchette jerks violently, as if yanked by an unseen hand, and is hurled from the board with a sharp, echoing clatter. It skids across the floor and slams into the wall, spinning to a stop like a discarded toy.
A low, guttural whisper - neither human, or fully intelligible - rises from the shadows, "You cannot spend me back."
Chelsea lets out a scream as the planchette flies through the air, clattering to a stop. "This isn't happening!" She cries, her voice hysterical.
Sienna's high-pitched wail of fright joins Chelsea's own as the planchette ricochets off into the dark, distantly heard clattering on the other side of the room. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," she whispers under her breath, immediately scrambling out of her seat. It's knocked over, hitting the floor with a painfully loud thud. "This isn't funny anymore! Which one of you are fucking with the board?!"
The fear that Dahlia expresses seems to have the exact opposite effect on Irene. As seriously as she takes this, she starts to smile, not out of mockery, but out of a growing undercurrent of morbid excitement. "What, you're scared?" she needles her a touch.
That is, until, it becomes all too real. Irene, the hypocrite, nearly jumps out of her jumper, and her fingertips suddenly lifts from the planchette. She turns towards the source of the whisper in the shadows, letting out a yelp.
cries out in surprise - and definitely some terror - as the inhuman voice rises from the shadows and the planchette goes flying. "We're not fucking with it!" Dahlia insists to Sienna, gripping at the simple costume pendant around her neck, hurrying to her feet. "We-uhm-" She looks around quickly. "We have to close the circle! Or banish a fucking ghost." Which she doesn't sound confident in doing at all. "I'm going to get the planchette." Or try to. She tries to look for where the piece ended up so she can try and retrieve it.
"Hey ... can you get Silas back here, maybe?" Irene checks with Dahlia in a quiet, nervous tone. "He seemed to really know what he was doing, in the graveyard ..." But okay, close a circle? She can do that. Now that her hands are free, she holds them out for Sienna and Chelsea to grasp.
Without warning, something is hurled violently across the room, slamming into the wall with a deafening crash that reverberates through the space. The sound echoes like a gunshot in the heavy stillness, fragments clattering to the floor. In the same instant, the door flies open with a forceful bang, as if kicked by an unseen fury. A wailing shriek of rage tears through the room, high-pitched and inhuman, the kind of sound that rattles bones and claws at the mind. The air feels charged with malevolence, as if the very walls are vibrating in anger, ready to collapse inward.
As something unseen is thrown and slammed against the wall, rippling out like a gunshot, the color drains from Sienna's face. "What, no, we have to get the fuck out!" she shrieks at Dahlia, attempting to lurch across the dark to try and grab the woman and pull her toward the door, hissing toward where she hears Irene and Chelsea. "Irene, Chels -- Go, go, go, go!"
Not needing to be told twice when even Sienna concludes this seance is at an end, Irene gives up trying to hold anyone's hand, and lurches for the door under the Swann's guidance. "Fuck!" she cries out.
Chelsea snaps out of her hysteria long enough to see that Irene is holding out her hand. She takes the queue and takes the offered hand, gripping it tight. This is how they do it in the movies, right? But as the object shatters on impact, she bolts for the door as if the gunshot sound were a starting gun.
Lucien lingers near one of the low tables fully weighed down with everything a horrific little party like this ought to entail. Cold blue eyes look around at the depth of shadows cast out from the flickering firelight of the guttering bonfire, forgotten for other pursuits, no doubt. Cries from nearby get his attention, garnering an amused look that doesn't quite reach the glacial gaze he turns towards the dusty seance table in the too-near distance. Of course, what follows is far more than just the cries of excitable students lost in the tumult of a night meant for horror of all sorts. Then there's the rapid sound of feet making a furious retreat.
Sienna says, her velvety sweet soprano hiked to a falsetto of terrified shrieking at the girl behind them, "YOU'RE GONNA BE IN THE HORROR MOVIE IF YOU DON'T GET OUT OF THERE!"
Irene seems fairly baffled to find Lucien here, this unknown latecomer to the party. "Hi!" she calls out, lifting a hand to manage a rapid wave. "Bye! We're leaving! Welcome! Move!"
Dahlia runs out of the room
Chelsea leans over, panting, pressing a palm against the wall. "What the hell just happened in there?"
Dahlia doubles over, hands resting on her thighs. "You-can't-you gotta shut this shit down, Sienna." She insists.
Sienna nearly collapses as they all make it out safely into the awaiting chill of the night, sucking in air like a woman near-drowned near Lucien's feet. She digs her nails into the damp earth, head hanging back with a long-suffering groan at Dahlia. "Dahlia... You... you can't be SERIOUS!"
"Having fun, ladies?" He seems relatively calm, despite the dwindling sanity of the moment, though his eyes flick to the door that's just flung itself closed without aplomb. Lucien adjusts one sleeve, looking from one of the newly-come women to the other. "Perhaps I am overdressed," he muses rather plainly, waiting for whatever explanation they might unfold in the ensuing conversation. The pale-skinned man wears a smile that isn't.
Dahlia does, indeed, look entirely serious. Beneath the fear and adrenaline. "I'm not even going to dignify that with an ANSWER, Sienna. You really want-" She makes an 'ugh' sound, finally looking at Lucien. "Seance gone wrong." She muttered, looking to Irene and then Chelsea. "It's too late for this. And the mist is-I fucking HATE this town, I swear on my mother's future grave." She scrubbed a hand over her face, entirely marring her face paint and makeup as she asks Chelsea, "...Is that offer for a ride home still on the table?"
Chelsea gives a quick nod to Dahlia, "Yeah, of course. I think it might be a good idea get out of here."
Perhaps were Irene better acquainted with this town and its internal politics, she would address Lucien with more respect. But by her Hispanic accent, she's a long way from home right now, and by the utter discombobulated state of her, she's not just had a hell of a night, but most probably a hell of a week. Bite marks, claw marks, bruises, all under a layer of hastily applied Halloween makeup. "You are like, four hours too late for this party," the senorita chastises Lucien rudely, knitting her thick dark brows into a frown, "and it's over, and there's an actual real life poltergeist in there that ..." She loses her train of thought, and looks to Sienna for further guidance. "Sie, we getting out of here?"